𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄─𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞¹ (𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠)

92. ka-boom (take two)

My footsteps echoed in the empty corridors with every step I took. Each step becoming a bit more rushed. Raven, Sinclair, Gina and I had been working on the codes for over an hour, and so far we had made zero progress. At about the hour and a half mark, Raven instructed me to go check on things in the rest of the Mountain.

I had ensured the remaining of our people in the Mountain were safe and not in panic mode before moving onto my next task- securing all entrances. Raven had radioed to let me know Gina was looking for the codes in the President's office, but so far they had had no luck. I was to secure all possible entrances before joining Gina in looking for the codes.

I truly hoped that this Azgeda girl was someone I could trust, especially considering Octavia and Bellamy had just run off with her. But at the same time I feared that she was telling the truth. If there was truly going to be an attack at the Summit, who knows what could be coming next. If we couldn't figure out these launch codes, then we needed to be able to protect ourselves.

Within twenty minutes, I had secured all of the entrances except for one. The West entrance was where our armies had entered that night, the night of the massacre. It was the one Raven, Wick and I had blown up the dam in order to open. I felt myself shudder at the thought of that night. Everything that had happened then felt like a lifetime ago, but at the same time felt like it had just happened. I tried to ignore the nausea I felt at the thought of everyone who died that night. It needed to happen, I knew that, I really did. But it didn't make it any easier.

I had just turned down the corridor that led to the West entrance when a voice came through my radio, one that made my heart drop.

"Avery!" It was Raven. Her voice was strained and urgent, "Get out!" she yelled, not even giving me a chance to respond, "Get out of the Mountain!" her words were panicked and muffled, it sounded like she was running. "Now!"

My eyes shot to the door in front of me, as a million thoughts ran through my mind. What was going on? Was everyone okay? Should I turn back or should I go?

I was still about fifty feet from the door, so if I needed to get out as quickly as it sounded like Raven wanted me to, I needed to go, and I needed to go now. Guilt consumed me as I took my first hurried step toward the door. What was I leaving behind? Who was I leaving behind.

I pushed the thoughts from my head as I hurried my pace, breaking out into a run. My heart pounded in my chest as my feet thumped against the floor.

40 Feet.

Keep going.

30 Feet.

Don't Stop.

20 Feet.

Almost there.

10 Feet.

I was steps away from the door when a horrible noise filled my ears as my whole body was thrown off balance. The Mountain shook furiously as an ear-piercing boom caused my head to feel like it was exploding.

I didn't have time to worry about what was happening, because before I knew it my body was being launched through the air.

I don't remember what happened next, all I remember was darkness.