Chapter 3: As Death Moves the Pieces


No one spoke before Bellamy went to check for the all clear in the corridor, outside the room they were in on level three.

Before she even rose to her feet after climbing out of the vent, Monty and Jasper were hugging Clarke so hard she could hardly breathe.

"I knew you would come for us," Monty whispered raggedly, emotion affecting his voice.

Clarke just hugged them a little tighter in reply.

"What? No love?" Octavia teased from behind Clarke.

Jasper and Monty released Clarke, Jasper reaching to hug Octavia as Monty smiled shyly.

Clarke watched as the friends, her friends, took a moment to just appreciate each other being alive.

Bellamy came back in after a few minutes, "They have cleared out of this level from what I can tell."

He barely finished before Octavia had him in a tight hug, ear resting on her brother's chest to assure herself he was alive. Bellamy hugged her just as tightly.

"I'm so proud of you, Bel." Octavia said.

"You to," he replied past the lump in his throat.

Bellamy looked up to Clarke, Clarke caught the way his shoulders loosened and some of the stress rolled off his back. Clark nodded in understanding.

"We don't have long; the backup generator will only sustain one floor. They are moving everyone to level five for life support, until the turbine engines can be repaired. We don't have much time before they lock down level 5 as well and we can't get our people back. All of the hostage Grounders are gone from the Harvest Chamber. We can't find them." Bellamy he sighed as he briefed Clarke.

Octavia's face goes hard and she steps back from Bellamy, snarling angrily.

Clarke's face hardened once again, "The Commander made a deal with the Mountain Men. They release her people and the Grounders would leave. I don't know if it involved future generations or not but Lexa is smart. I'm sure it means they are free from being hunted from now on."

Bellamy, Jasper and Monty all looked confused for a moment.

Bellamy nodded once, frowning, "I'm assuming that deal did not include us."

"They betrayed us!" Octavia spit out.

Clarke sighed, some of the hurt and anger surfacing again but weariness had taken its place after so long thinking of the reasons why.

"Not exactly. She put her people first, and as pissed as I am about that and how it puts us all in more danger; I still agree with her choice. I would have done the same thing." Clarke said.

"No you wouldn't have." Jasper said, eyes clouding with pain. "You always find a way, and you're here now. I was leading for just a few days and so many people have died, Clarke. Our people. Their people. And I couldn't do anything to stop it no matter how hard I tried! If we had just listened to you we wouldn't have been in this position. Those people would still be alive." Jasper openly wept, face wrought with grief.

Clarke moved to comfort him with both hands resting on his shoulders.

"Jasper, I don't know what went on here since I left, but one thing I know for sure; if you hadn't stepped up, more people would be dead. Our people would be dead." Clarke said firmly squeezing his shoulders. "We're not out of the Mountain yet, so let's work on getting our people out and worry about what we should have done latter over some of Monty's and your moonshine, ok?"

Jasper whipped his tears away with a shaky laugh, "That sounds good."

"Ok, we're going to have to take the control room to keep them from locking down the places or blocking us in. The Kane is giving a speech in the Grand Hall in less than 30 minutes. How much time until the lock down?" Clarke asked.

"The lockdown is in about 20 minutes they are sealing off the floors by level so this one will be shut down in about 10 or so. The control room is on the bottom level, level 5 with all of the mountains guard force." Bellamy grimaced.

Clarke's eyes narrowed, "We need some more tactical gear. Gas masks, vests, uniforms are fine if we can use them to our advantage."

"There's a guard room a few doors down, we can get what we need from there." Maya said.

"Will they have any protection suits you can use, Maya?" Jasper asked hopefully.

"I hope so." She smiled at him.

"Let's go," We will have to divide up what we carry so we don't get bogged down.

It was time to move once again.


Octavia slipped out of the vent in front of the control room, smashing the card swipe with the heel of her boot then ripping it from the wall.

She was back through the narrow vent in under 30 seconds from her egress.


Clarke was now looking at the sparsely manned control room; two guards three operators.

Both guards were right underneath Clarke and to the left guarding the door.

Gently propping open the bottom of the grate, Clarke slowly pulled the pin and dropped the flash grenade into the room.

Closing her eyes tight as she turned her head away.

One guard hollered out before it went off.

As she heard the pop she kicked the grate into the room, sliding out and lunging to slip her knife into throat of the guard closest and same knife thrown into the throat of the second guard. Gun in her hand, up to cover the operators.

Bellamy and Jasper slide out of the vents and hit the ground to cover more sides.

Clarke motioned for Monty to come down, Octavia following soon after.

"Hands in the air if you don't want to die", she ordered as the three were trying to regain their site.

"Please don't kill us!" one begged.

"Octavia tie them up and blindfold them." Clarke said, trusting Octavia to handle the men.

Jasper watched them closely for any weapons or movements. Gun ready to fire at the slightest misstep.

"Jasper I need you watching that vent. If your eyes get tired switch out with Bellamy or Octavia." Clarke said after Octavia had secured the men.

Clarke picked up the radios, guns and ammunition from the two dead guards as she retrieved her knife.

"I want their security channel monitored as well," Clarke said setting the radios on one of the stations.

Jasper moved into position rigging alight to shine into the vent.

"Monty, divert power to the door cameras and the Grand Hall. Unlock each level, starting with level 1 and the doors. Unlock it all, but don't interfere with the life support. Block movement here on level 5 as tight as you can and lock this door, no one comes in... Leave me a path to the president's office though. After you do all that open up communications with the Ark. I'll be back. Don't do anything crazy while I'm gone," Clarke said, moving to lift herself up in the vent again.

"What! No Clarke I thought here was the plan. I'll go with you!" Bellamy almost yelled at Clarke.

"Bellamy, I need you and Maya to work on an evacuation route. Several of them in case things get even uglier than they are. Our people come first." Clarke said firmly.

"I'll go with you Clarke." Jasper stood taller.

"No I need you here to make sure no one gets in case things go badly."

"What about me Clarke?" Octavia said angrily.

Clarke's eyes bore into Octavia, taking a breath and letting the implied challenge go.

"Go back to where our people are being held and see how they are holding up. Then go to the Grand Hall and get an accurate account of their security. This is strictly a scouting mission, do not interfere." Clarke said firmly. "We are counting on you."

Bellamy grimaced abut to protest, before Clarke cut him off, "She is a capable warrior, Bellamy. I trust her to get this done."

It humorous how fast Octavia's face went from angry to confidently pleased, and Clarke was almost unable to contain her smile at the display of pride.

"I got this," Octavia said, with a nod at her brother.

Clarke glanced at each of her people, meeting their eyes for a few seconds before turning to the next one.

"Let's get to work."