Vintage // Clexa AU

Chp. 21

Lexa and her men pulled up as close to the Azgeda compound as they could without being seen by any lingering troops on night guard. Realizing just how sensitive the mission was, Lexa knew that any minuscule thing that went wrong could lead to Clarke being hurt. Or worse, killed.

They sat in silence, listening to the way the wind howled through the alleyways. Murphy counted how many cars went by and the frequency at which it happened.

Bellamy cautiously looked over towards his boss and cleared his throat. "How bad do you think this will end?"

Lexa turned towards him, her gaze steely. "Well, this wouldn't have even been a problem if you were manning your post. I told you to make sure she arrived at my house safely. Where were you, exactly?"

Before he could reply, Murphy tapped Lexa on the shoulder and grimaced. "I think our best bet would be around now. The traffic is getting lighter and the quieter it is, the more careful we have to be. And I don't know about you, but I would rather not bet my life on somebody's honest mistake of making a sound."

Lexa nodded quickly and forced herself upwards to take the binoculars from Murphy's hands. "Guard the perimeters. Stay in the shadows. Use the warpaint. Make sure they don't send a guard to find us. Also, send a couple men to ditch the cars elsewhere. Potentially on the North Bank. We cannot let them even get a whiff of us being here or else the mission will be completely compromised."

"You got it. Boss," Murphy drawled.

Lexa climbed over the door of the car followed swiftly by a sulking Bellamy. She knew he did something wrong, and he knew she knew that he did too. Lexa had a knack for not falling for the unbelievable. It was what made her such a strong leader, despite the fact that some of them secretly ridiculed her behind her back for being a woman.

Moving down the back alley with Bellamy straight behind her, Lexa disappeared into a place she knew they wouldn't be found. It was around the corner from the compound, too far off the Azgeda radar for them to surveil.

Without warning, Lexa grabbed Bellamy by the arm, just as if they were training on the mat, and threw him to the ground where he skidded into a puddle. "Give me one damn good reason I shouldn't stab you right now."

Bellamy tried his hardest to climb to his feet, his expression bright with anger and surprise. "Lex, what the hell?"

"You let Clarke get kidnapped. Not only did Azgeda reach Clarke, but they reached so far onto our territory without being detected. I would think it should've been impossible if you had been doing the one job you were assigned on the one night you were on duty!" Lexa snapped.

Lexa struck Bellamy again, this time across the face which caused the boy to fall into the puddle once again. "I'm sick and tired of making excuses for you each and every single time you fuck up. This should have NEVER happened!"

Bellamy held his hands up in surrender, his nose bleeding and his left eye a sickly shade of red. "Lex, please, I'm sorry. It was a mistake."

"A mistake that potentially cost the life of the one person I love the most in this world!" Lexa roared as she kicked Bellamy in the side, knocking the wind out of him.

She huffed and puffed, her lungs screaming for air from the sudden movements, adrenaline and fury.

"Lexa please... The most we can do now is save Clarke. I get I fucked up. I do. But fighting in a back alley won't save her, no matter how much you blame me for this. And yes, I am to blame. But there's only so much we... I.... can do at this point," Bellamy begged.

Lexa, realizing the boy was right, begrudgingly reached down to help him up. He took her hand and stood up, brushing himself off.

Lexa continued on down the alley after staring long and hard at the mop haired boy. "Don't expect me to forgive you. Even if we get Clarke and head home and everything is fine."

* * *

Clarke wiggled dangerously on the edge of insanity as she removed one hand from the ropes that were keeping her tied to the chair she was sitting in. The only thing she could think of was whether or not Lexa knew she was missing, and the thoughts were beginning to eat her alive. After all, Lexa was the only person who could rescue her. There's no way her parents would know where she was.

Or maybe Lexa would go down for it. Clarke had been on her way to Lexa's house for Thanksgiving Dinner when the abduction occurred. How would Clarke ever explain to her mother that her long lost father was the reason for the kidnapping? It all seemed like some cheesy plot out of some action film.

Using her free fingers, Clarke tried everything she could to remove her captive hand from the ropes but to no avail. For some reason, time seemed to be moving in slow motion. She had no idea where her dad-Jake-was, but she didn't want to know or find out.

If Jake wasn't who she had to worry about in the end, Roan was. Despite finding out that they had both been lied to by their father, he was still hellbent on destroying Lexa which in turn would have destroyed Clarke.

The door to the room she was staying in opened and in walked her father who was carrying a dripping bag of ice. "No paper towels, I'm afraid. But I think you'll be okay with this propped up on your head."

"It sure would be nice if I could hold it myself," Clarke retorted bitterly.

At the tone of her voice, Jake's expression turned emotionless. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

"Yes, it's not everyday you find out that the man who ordered your abduction is your father," Clarke said, while trying her hardest to distract him from looking down and accidentally seeing her free hand.

He looked to Clarke as if he felt he should have been bothered by this, but kept his emotions at bay. He was far better at it than Lexa was. He may have loved Clarke, supposedly at least, but he certainly wasn't making it known or obvious.

In her mind, however, Clarke was in her own hell and her sharp tongue wasn't enough to keep her out of it.

Lexa, where the hell are you? Please... If you're listening... Help me.

Please help me.