trepidation |BELLAMY BLAKE| [1]

CHAPTER 27

AVERY STAYED IN THE DROPSHIP, questioning Murphy. She asked where he was this entire time, what had happened to him. Then she had nearly the entire guard watch him until Bellamy and the others got back.

"They're back!"

Avery rushed over to where they were coming back in, "Hey." Avery sighed, "We have a situation."

Clarke's eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

Avery looked up at Bellamy, "Murphy's back."

"What?!" Bellamy brushed past her and headed towards the dropship, everyone else following, "Where is he?" He stared down in horror at Murphy's wounds, "Everyone but Connor and Derek out." They hesitated, "Now!"

"He claims he was with the Grounders." Avery told Bellamy,

"We caught him trying to sneak back into camp." Derek stated,

"I wasn't sneaking. I was running from the Grounders." Murphy argued,

"Anyone see grounders?" Bellamy asked and everyone shook their heads, "Well, in that case..." He raised his rifle, prepared to shoot him,

Finn pushed the rifle away, "Hey, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"We were clear what would happen if he came back." Bellamy responded, raising his gun once again.

Avery balled her fists and stepped in front of Bellamy and his gun, "No."

"Avery-"

"If he was with the Grounders, then he knows things that can help us." Avery stated, "You didn't get anything from Lincoln-"

"Lincoln?"

"The Grounder you tortured." Avery narrowed her eyes, "Murphy's been in the camp. Think about what he knows. He can help us."

"Help us?" He scoffed, "We hanged him. We banished him, and now we're gonna kill him. Get out of the way, Avery."

"No." Avery argued.

"Avery's right." Clarke stated, walking over to Murphy and observing his wounds,

"Like hell, she is." Bellamy lowered his gun and stepped closer to the brunette girl, "Avery, think about Charlotte."

"I am thinking about her, but what happened to Charlotte was as much our fault as his." She responded,

"He's not lying. His fingernails were torn off." She raised his hand for everyone to see, "They tortured him."

"You and the Grounders should compare notes." Finn commented,

"The Grounders know we're at war." Bellamy stated, "What did you tell them about us?" He asked Murphy,

"Everything."

Avery stepped closer to Bellamy, "Once he's better, we find out what he knows, and then he's out of here, ok?"

"What if he refuses to leave? What do we do with him then?" Bellamy questioned,

"Then we kill him." Clarke answered, standing up and looking at the two.

Avery left the dropship and Bellamy jogged to catch up, grabbing onto her arm to make her stop, "What's the deal, Peacemaker? We said the next time he came near camp we'd kill him."

Avery sighed, "Yeah, and I agree to that to a certain extent. He knew what would happen."

"Then why did you stop me?" He asked,

She looked down, breaking eye contact with him, "I didn't want you to be the one to shoot him."

"What? Why?" Bellamy questioned,

Avery looked back up at him, "I don't want you to be a murderer."

Bellamy paused for a moment, "What... But I killed Grounders at the bridge. I-"

Avery shook her head, "No, Bellamy, that was out of self-defence. You had no other choice, those Grounders were shooting at us. But with Murphy, you don't have to. You saw how pathetic he looked. He's not dangerous. Not at the moment."

"But if he stays here, how long until he becomes dangerous?"

Behind them there was coughing and Avery turned to see Derek coughing up blood, "Oh my god." She took a step towards the boy to help him but Bellamy held her back,

"Everyone step away from him!" Bellamy ordered and it didn't take long for everyone to back away.

Avery broke away from Bellamy, "Wait, don't touch me."

"Avery-"

"Derek brought Murphy in." She interrupted, "It has to be connected." Avery turned to run back into the dropship with Bellamy following.

Inside, Clarke was sat next to Murphy, who was coughing up blood, "Stay back." Clarke ordered. Avery looked closer and noticed the blood under her eyes,

"Did he do something to you?" Bellamy asked and Clarke shook her head,

"Clarke," Avery sat kneeled next to the blonde, "What is this?"

"Biological warfare. You were waiting for the grounders to retaliate for the bridge? This is it. Murphy is the weapon."