You and Me

Chapter 20

"Is that Raven?" Bellamy stepped up to the screen. Monty moved the camera around, looking to see who all had been captured.

"Mom?"

Arkadia had sent reinforcements, but they'd been captured on the way in. Abby, Kane, Wick, and others were chained to the wall. Raven was the only one not chained. Instead, she was strapped to a table while a scientist drilled a hole into her hip.

Bellamy snarled next to her, whipping around to grab a radio and a hold of Dante. "Tell them to stop. Now!"

Clarke didn't turn. Dante and she understood one another, and Clarke could predict his moves just as he could predict hers. She would never stop, and neither would he. Clarke had to stay focused. Murphy was arguing with Jasper on one screen, but on the level above them, Clarke spotted Emerson.

"Bellamy," said Clarke stretching her hand behind her. Bellamy deposited the radio in her hand, shoving Dante into a seat. "Carl Emerson, Mount Weather security detail, come in."

On the screen, Emerson stopped mid step. "Who is this?"

"You know who it is," hissed Clarke. "Give the radio to the president."

Emerson looked at the camera, then pulled Cage into the hallway. Bellamy told Monty to follow them, and the hallway camera was pulled up to the main screen. "This is President Wallace."

"I have your father. If you don't let my people go, I'll kill him."

Bellamy glanced at her.

"How do I know you have him?"

Clarke rolled her eyes, shoving the radio in Dante's face. "Stay the course, Cage."

On the screen, Cage leaned heavily on the wall. "You won't do it."

Clarke could have chuckled. "You don't know me very well." Clarke turned from the screen, staring at Bellamy's stone expression. "This ends now. Release our people."

"I can't do that."

Behind her, Dante reminded her, "it would mean the end of ours', Clarke."

Clarke swallowed, staring at Bellamy with wide, scared eyes. Bellamy's expression didn't waiver as he aimed his gun at Dante.

Monty stood up. "Wait, Bellamy, we need him."

Bellamy didn't look at the boy asking for peace. He only looked at Clarke. "Not when it's our people or his."

Clarke's heart was thumping in her ears, but her voice didn't waiver. "Don't make us do this."

Slowly, Cage turned back to the camera, looking up and whispering into the radio, "Dad, I'll take care of our people."

Nodded to his son, then turned to look at Clarke. He looked every minute of his age. "None of us has a choice here, Clarke."

"We didn't want this." She looked at Bellamy, helpless and pleading for another idea.

Bellamy looked at Clarke, and took the shot.

Dante fell to the floor, howling and grasping his knee to his chest. Clarke turned away from the president, walking away and letting Cage think what he would about the sounds he'd heard.

She stared at the monitors. Octavia's group was still hidden from cameras. Raven was still alive and in pain, with Abby yelling behind her. Murphy and Jasper were on the move again. The mess hall on Level Five had a soccer game going on in the dinning hall.