Vårdslös ~ Bellamy Blake [2]

XXIII- Playing the hero.

"This wasn't us!" Clarke exclaimed, looking only to Lexa. "You have to know this wasn't us!"

Indra began to spit words in her native tongue and it only unnerved Carter even more. They were in a room, full of Grounders with no sense of back-up and no weapons. They were as good as dead. Without so much as a warning, the Grounder charged towards them and Carter tensed, expecting the worst. Rough hands pulled and patted at her clothes and she quickly realized that they were only searching her, though that didn't help her relax in the slightest.

"No. No, we didn't do this," Clarke insisted, shrugging away from the Grounders.

"Gustus warned me about you, but I didn't listen." Lexa seethed, her expression was a twisted mixture of anger and betrayal.

"Lexa, please-"

"-Tell me something, Clarke," The Commander silenced Clarke's pleas. She walked closer to the blonde, her steps slow and calculated. "When you plunged the knife into the heart of the boy you loved, did you not wish it was mine?"

Carter watched as Clarke didn't reply and she internally winced. That was not the hesitation they needed if they wanted to avoid being Grounder meat.

Before anyone else could justify the point that Clarke had left open, one of the Grounders called out to the Commander, holding a vial and Raven's arm. Carter's heart dropped. No... Raven wouldn't do that, would she?

She was torn and broken with bitterness and heartbreak, she wasn't in the right frame of mind, Carter knew that, but she wouldn't be as deluded as to try and jeopardize what could have ultimately kept the camp safe... That's not the Raven she knew...

... But then the Finn that shot up Tondc wasn't the Finn she knew either.

Carter swallowed hard as Raven tugged her arm back defensively. "That's not mine." Raven denied, her eyes had widened a fraction. The Grounder spoke in his own language again and Carter knew by how dark the Commander's face had turned that what he said wasn't good. "I'm telling you that's not mine!" The entire room had fallen silent as she turned towards the Grounder somewhat threateningly. "He put it there when he searched me!"

After a long moment of apprehension, the Commander finally spoke, her words cold and clipped. "No Sky Person is to leave this room!"

Carter watched mutely as the Grounders filed out and in one last desperate attempt, Lincoln tried to make a bargain with Indra, though only succeeded in getting himself locked in with the Sky People, too.

The was deathly silent, no one said anything as they all reeled over everything that had just happened. Not one person even moved and slowly, Carter came to her senses and looked around, clearing her throat.

"Well, at least we've got the food..."

It was fair to say no one shared or appreciated the engineer's optimism.

***

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it felt like an eternity. Carter had taken residence in one of the many chairs, her eyes fixated on the discarded food that lay untouched on the tables.

Oh man, she was hungry.

Surely no one would mind if she was to snack on the food? Slyly, the engineer looked up and glanced around the room only to see multiple frowns and pursed lips. No one had spoken a word since the Grounders left, which didn't help Carter's current predicament as there was nothing to distract her from the grumbling of her stomach.

She noted that no one was about to look in her direction any time soon and hesitantly, she raised her hand towards one of the meat carcasses, desiring to gnaw on the leg. Just before she reached it, a voice suddenly cracked through the silence and immediately, Carter withdrew her hand and tried to look inconspicuous.