Chapter 11 – Escape
Clarke heard the scraping of metal against the floor and froze. It wasn't the first time she'd heard someone nearby, but she had yet to see anyone. Not since they threw her in the cell.
She knew it was almost morning. The sky outside her window was growing lighter and the sun was about to peak over the horizon. Judging by that, she knew she had been in the jail cell for at least eight or nine hours. It felt like a lot longer, though, when the only company she had were her thoughts.
She kept going back to the blank look on her father's face and she knew he was no longer there. He looked like her father, but he certainly didn't act like it. The Jake Griffin she knew would have done anything for her, including taking the fall if she'd been caught. The last thing he would have done was turn her in. Especially not when it could mean her death.
The one small comfort was that she hadn't seen Lexa since the masquerade ball. She had no idea what had happened to her, but she knew if she'd been caught then she was be in one of the other cells. Clarke was alone, though; no one had come into the hall since they'd left her in the small cell at the back.
Clarke had briefly wondered if they would even bring Lexa to the jail if they caught her—or worse—but she'd decided to focus on other things. She'd seen Lexa in action and she knew the Commander could take care of herself. She hoped Lexa had seen that it would be impossible to save Clarke and had escaped to come up with a new plan. Which was very likely since Bellamy had asked if the other girl at the party was Lexa, so they clearly hadn't stopped her long enough to unmask her.
With a sigh, Clarke turned and looked out the window. She wasn't usually one to be claustrophobic, but the small room was beginning to get to her, and looking out the window seemed to help. Even if she could only see the sky and nothing else since the room was on the second floor and the window was well over her head.
Once again, Clarke heard the sound of something scraping, but this time, it was closer. When she turned around, she quickly walked over to the small window in the door and looked into the hallway.
"Hey!" Clarke said to the guard. "Please, this was all just a mistake!"
"Shut up," the guard replied.
Clarke sighed. "Has my mom come by? Can I see her?"
"Five minutes," the guard called out.
"What?" Clarke asked, frowning.
The guard turned and began walking away, leaving Clarke confused until someone else appeared at the end of the hall. Clarke let out a relieved sigh, never happier to see Wells in her life.
"Thank you," Wells said, and Clarke noticed him slipping the guard something.
"Five minutes," the guard repeated.
"Wells!" Clarke said the moment the door was close behind him.
"Clarke," Wells said, rushing toward her cell door. "Are you okay?"
"No, I am not okay," Clarke replied. "I'm in jail; do you know what they're probably going to do to me?"
"I need to know—what were you doing in my father's office?" Wells stated. "I overheard him and the Council talking after they took you away. He was talking about treason. What were you doing, Clarke."
"It's complicated," Clarke said, shaking her head. "Can you just trust me that I was doing the right thing? You know me, Wells. You know I would never do anything to hurt anyone. Please trust me."
"I do trust you," Wells replied.
"Did they—did they catch anyone else?" Clarke hesitantly asked.
"Just you," Wells said with a shake of his head. "Not for a lack of trying, though. Monroe had to have surgery and I heard Miller's nose was broken. Rumor is they found Murphy unconscious, but I didn't see it like the other two." Wells paused. "It was that girl, wasn't it? I thought it was weird that she just seemed to show up outta nowhere and then you ran off with her."
"Time's up!"
"That wasn't five minutes!" Wells replied over his shoulder.
"I don't care," the guard said.
"There's nothing I can do right now, Clarke," Wells said, turning to look at her. "But when the sun goes down, get away from the window."
"What?" Clarke asked, furrowing her brows.
"The window," Wells repeated. "Step away from it when the sun's down. Do you understand?"
"Thank you." Clarke nodded even though she had no idea what Wells was planning. "Just don't get in any trouble for me."
"I'll do my best," Wells said, giving her a smile.
The sun was down and Clarke kept glancing toward the window, waiting for something, anything, to happen. It had been dark for at least an hour and she was standing as far away from the window as she could get, but she still had no idea what she was waiting for. She would do as Wells told her, though, even if she had to stand there all night.
Sighing, Clarke leaned her back against the wall. She was exhausted, having barely gotten any sleep since being put into the jail. There was nothing to even sit down on in the small room, much less sleep on, though. She'd done her best to sleep while sitting upright, but the cold, stone floor didn't make it easy.
Just as Clarke rested her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, she heard a soft thump. Her eyes flew open and she stood up straight, her gaze fixed on the window. She wanted to call out, but resisted; the last thing she needed was for one of the guards to come in. If Wells was there to somehow get her out, the least she could do was be patient and not do anything that could patiently get him caught.
"Clarke."
"Lexa? How are you—" Clarke took a step forward and shook her head. Lexa was just outside the window despite the fact that her jail cell was on the second floor of the prison.
"Fighting is not my only skill, Clarke," Lexa said. "There's a reason my clan is called the Trikru."
"So you just climbed up here?" Clarke asked, walking toward the window.
"It was not difficult," Lexa replied.
"Is this why Wells told me to stand away from the window?" Clarke asked. "Are you two working together?"
"Your friends—have been an asset," Lexa replied, sounding as if it pained her to admit it.
"Friends?" Clarke said. "Plural?"
"Stand back, Clarke," Lexa said, ignoring Clarke's question.
Clarke did as she was told, stepping over to the door to block the view of anyone who may walk into the hall. She knew it wasn't likely unless they heard some sort of commotion—they had only been in there a few times to check on her—but she figured better safe than sorry.
"What are you going to do?" Clarke asked.
"I have been assured this will melt the bars," Lexa said.
Clarke frowned as Lexa's right hand released its grip on bars and she looked down, nodding. Clarke heard a slight grunt and Lexa appeared to be jostled by something. Clarke took a step forward, worried that Lexa was going to fall, but she remained where she was.
As Lexa took whatever was in her hand to the bars, Clarke looked over her shoulder. Sparks were flying as Lexa began cutting through the bars, and It was making more noise than Clarke would like. She was afraid someone was going to check on her or worse—that someone would catch Lexa and whoever was helping her.
"I'm almost done," Lexa finally said after what felt like an eternity.
A few moments later, the bar Lexa had been working on fell from sight and she heard it clink against the ground. Lexa remained holding on to the only remaining bar.
"Uh, Lexa?" Clarke questioned.
"Yes, Clarke?" Lexa replied.
"How the hell am I going to climb down?" Clarke asked.
"With my assistance," Lexa replied. "I won't let you fall. And if you do, it's not that far."
Clarke scoffed. "Not far?"
"It's not as if you will die," Lexa said.
"I think I liked you better when you said less," Clarke remarked.
"Come on, Clarke," Lexa said with a slight smile. "We don't have all day."
Clarke walked over to the window and wondered how she was even going to get up to it to climb through. Her question was answered, though, when Lexa put her arm through the opening and offered her hand to Clarke.
After a moment's hesitation, Clarke grabbed Lexa's wrist while Lexa firmly grasped hers. The brunette pulled her and Clarke tried to get her footing on the stone wall, but it was easier said than done. They failed several times until Clarke managed to place her foot on one of the stones that was slightly broken in one corner and she was able to lift herself up higher.
"Okay, this is high," Clarke said when she was finally able to see down.
"You guys need to hurry! Finn's signaling."
"Finn?" Clarke asked.
"Yes," Lexa said. "He was the one who gave us this device to remove the bars."
Clarke shook her head. "Whoever thought the three of you would be working together."
"If you turn around, you'll be able to make it down better," Wells loudly whispered. "Finn, get back to your post."
"Here," Finn said, ignoring Wells, and throwing something toward Lexa. "I stole it from outside one of the houses. Tie the rope to the bar you're holding onto and—"
"Yes," Lexa interrupted, already having begun securing the rope. "I know." She turned to look at Clarke, the annoyed look in her eyes disappearing. "I'll be right here with you, Clarke."
Clarke nodded and took a deep breath, looking down, and then quickly facing Lexa again. "I shouldn't have looked."
Clarke couldn't stop looking over her shoulder as they weaved their way through the alleyways, doing their best to remain hidden. Her getting out had seemed too easy and she was expecting things to go south at any moment. To hear the town alarms, signaling that someone had discovered her escape. But the alleys and roads were quiet, most of the people in their homes for the night. The only sounds she could hear were their footsteps and the occasional shout coming from the direction of the pub.
"Almost there," Wells whispered before holding out his hand to stop Clarke. "I thought I just saw something."
"Yeah, a cat," Finn replied.
"Where are we going?" Clarke asked. "I can't exactly go home."
"You're not going home," Wells replied. "You're going to Finn's."
Clarke glanced at Lexa, who had been quiet since they set off from the jail. Clarke knew she was on guard, listening and looking for any sign of danger. Part of her expected Lexa to contradict Wells's statement, though. She couldn't imagine Lexa being happy with hiding at Finn's house—with trusting him and Wells—but Lexa said nothing.
It only took them a few more minutes to get to Finn's house. The entire journey had taken three times as long as it should, but they were constantly stopping to look around corners and avoiding the main route through town.
"Shit, where'd I put my keys," Finn said as he felt around his pants and jacket.
"I need to get home before my dad realizes I'm gone," Wells said, putting his hand on Clarke's arm, and pulling her toward him.
"Got 'em," Finn said beside them.
"You don't want an explanation for all this?" Clarke asked.
"I expect one the next time I see you," Wells replied.
Clarke quickly leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her friend. "Thank you for everything."
"Be safe, Clarke," Wells replied when she pulled away.
"Wait, Wells!" Clarke harshly whispered as he began walking away. "Watch out for your father. I'll tell you everything later, but—you can't trust him. Or my dad. They're—" Clarke shook her head. "Just be careful around them, okay?"
Wells frowned but nodded, nonetheless. When she turned away from them, Finn had the door open and Lexa was waiting for her while Finn had already disappeared inside.
"I'm sorry," Clarke found herself saying. "This is all my fault."
"It is not your fault, Clarke," Lexa replied. "If it is anyone's, it is mine."
Clarke shook her head, but before she could say anything, Lexa was saying, "We need to get inside. It is only a matter of time before they realize you're gone and come looking for you."
Knowing Lexa was right, Clarke headed into Finn's house. Once they were both inside, Finn closed the door behind them and locked it before walking around the small room to pull the shutters closed.
"Are your parents home?" Clarke asked, looking over at Finn as she rubbed her hands up and down her cold arms.
Finn shook his head. "My mom's working all night. You'll be safe here; no one will see you."
"What about your dad?" Clarke asked.
"He doesn't live here anymore," Finn said, walking away and into the other room.
"Oh," Clarke whispered to herself.
"Clarke," Lexa said, gaining her attention. "I need you to tell me everything that happened. Did they question you? Did you tell them anything?"
Clarke shook her head. "I thought they would, but they just threw me in there and left me. A guard would come around a few times a day, but other than that, I didn't see anyone. I thought it was strange, but I eventually figured maybe they were just trying to make me as miserable as possible before interrogating me. They never gave me any food and it was hard to get much sleep on a cold, hard floor. I was lucky one of the guards even gave me water; I don't know if he was supposed to. He looked hesitant when he did it." Clarke paused for a moment. "And even if they had, I wouldn't have told them anything. You can trust me, Lexa. Even if I did screw up."
Lexa opened her mouth but quickly closed it, her eyes snapping toward the door. Clarke wondered what had caught Lexa's attention until she heard the sound of footsteps. And it didn't just sound like one person; it sounded like there were multiple people running past Finn's house.
"Go up to my room," Finn said, walking back into the room. "It's the first one on the right. There's a small door at the back of my closet that goes to the stairs up to the attic. Go now."
"Thank you," Clarke said before grabbing Lexa's hand and pulling her toward the stairs.
"Someone is here," Lexa said.
The sound of a door closing was evident and Clarke tensed at the noise. There was a tiny window in the room, but she was too afraid of someone seeing her to risk looking out. She was curious to know what was going on outside, though; there had been no warning alarms, but she was beginning to think maybe none would sound. That the Chancellor wouldn't want to give her the warning.
"I think that's just Raven," Clarke said, her shoulders relaxing when she heard the other woman's voice.
"Do you think Finn will tell her?" Lexa asked.
"I don't know," Clarke replied. "But if he does, I don't think she'll tell anyone. Raven isn't the type to betray the people she knows. And if she told, it wouldn't just be me who was in trouble. It would be Wells and Finn, too. Even if she would do that to me, she'd never do that to Finn."
"You're putting a lot of faith in your friends," Lexa commented.
"I don't really have a lot of choice right now, do I?" Clarke asked.
"You have a choice," Lexa stated. "We could leave and I could gather an army."
Clarke shook her head. "I'm not going to let you kill everyone I care about. Maybe it would be easier; I'm sure you could just come in and wipe everyone out within a day, but if you and your people are willing to do that, maybe you don't deserve to live."
"I have to make hard choices, Clarke," Lexa replied. "And sometimes that means I have to sacrifice people to save others."
"But this isn't your people you're talking about sacrificing," Clarke counted. "They're mine."
"I know," Lexa replied. "Regardless, I don't take their deaths lightly. If I did, this village would not be standing right now."
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, look at my friends as my army," Clarke said with a wry smile. "And speaking of my friends, how did you end up with Wells and Finn, anyway? I can't imagine you going to them for help."
"After the guards grabbed you, I knew there was nothing I could do," Lexa said. "Not then, at least. Not when they were searching for me. I had to leave the ball or I may have been caught as well. I was passing through the market when I ran into Finn."
"How did he end up helping us?" Clarke wondered.
"Some of the guards must have followed me," Lexa said. "Or perhaps they were just lucky. Your friend, Bellamy, was with them; I believe he saw me, but he did not tell the rest. Finn overheard them talking about what you did and that they were looking for me. He asked how he could help."
"So you let him?" Clarke asked, finding it a little hard to believe that Lexa would want Finn's help.
"Not exactly," Lexa replied. "He told me he would call for the guards if I didn't tell him what was going on. I told him he would be dead before he could get the first word out."
Clarke laughed lightly. "That sounds more like it."
"He then promised he could help get you out, so I decided to let him live and see if he could be of use," Lexa continued.
"And Wells?" Clarke asked.
"It was Finn's idea," Lexa replied. "He knows your friend cares about you."
Clarke didn't know what to say. She was shocked Lexa had trusted Finn and Wells enough to let them help. Honestly, she was surprised Lexa hadn't just left Arkadia. Clarke wouldn't have even really blamed her; there was a lot at stake, and it would have been much worse if Lexa had been captured.
"Thank you," Clarke said after a few moments. "I know you didn't have to come back for me. I would have understood if you didn't."
Lexa nodded and Clarke thought that would be the end of the conversation until Lexa said, "I tried to stop them from taking you. I saw your father follow you, but one of the guards saw the dagger in my hand. By the time I had incapacitated the two guards, it was too late. There was nothing I could do, Clarke."
"I don't blame you," Clarke replied. "The only person I blame is myself. I should have done better." Clarke let out a light sigh as she sat down, pulling her knees up to her chest. "I will do better. I'll—" Clarke was cut off by the sound of the alarm going off in town and she instantly tensed.
"What is that?" Lexa asked, her hand instinctively going for her weapon.
"They know I'm gone," Clarke answered.
"Raven just left," Finn said as he opened the small door to the attic, bringing a lantern with. "I guess you heard the alarm."
"It was hard to miss," Clarke replied.
"I guess they know, huh?" Finn said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I'm surprised they didn't realize sooner," Clarke commented.
"Yes, if the guards around here were under my command, they would have been executed for their incompetence," Lexa stated. "Someone should have been watching Clarke at all times."
"Be glad they weren't," Clarke replied.
"So, uh, I figure you guys can stay up here for the night," Finn said, running his hand through his hair. "It's not much, but you'll be safe."
"Thank you," Clarke replied. "Really."
"I'll go grab some of Raven's clothes that she's left here," Finn said, looking at Clarke. "I figure you're tired of wearing that."
Clarke looked down at her dress; it was dirty and Lexa had ripped the bottom off while she was climbing from the prison. "A bit, yeah."
"I'll be right back," Finn said before turning and ducking out of the room.
Clarke sighed to herself and turned toward Lexa. It had been a long night, and after getting so little sleep the previous night, her body and mind were both exhausted. Part of her was afraid to even try to sleep, though; she knew people were out there searching for her right now, and she didn't want to be unprepared for if—or more like when—they came.
"I hope Wells is okay," Clarke said, more to herself than to Lexa.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Lexa replied.
"I just don't want the same thing to happen to him that happened to me," Clarke said, shaking her head. "Or worse."
"Your friend knows not to do anything," Lexa said.
"But what if someone noticed he was gone tonight?" Clarke asked.
"He said he would tell anyone who asks that he was with Bellamy," Lexa replied. "After hearing what Bellamy did for me, Wells said he thought he would go with it."
Clarke couldn't help cracking a smile. "I know you're barely older than I am, but hearing you say 'go with it' sounds so strange coming from you."
"I am plenty older than you, Clarke," Lexa replied, and Clarke noticed her stand a little bit straighter.
"You're only twenty-one," Clarke said, shaking her head, and earning a slight frown from Lexa. "Lincoln told me."
"It seems like Lincoln has told you a lot," Lexa remarked.
"You're not going to kill him, are you?" Clarke joked before frowning. "You're not, right?"
"Lincoln is safe," Lexa replied. "I do not consider it a betrayal. It is something every one of my people know."
"Good, because I think he was the only person in Polis who didn't hate me," Clarke said.
"Not everyone there hates you, Clarke," Lexa replied.
Clarke was caught off guard by the sudden softness of Lexa's voice. And when Lexa opened her mouth to speak again, Clarke was curious to hear what else she was going to say. Unfortunately, a moment later, there was a knock at the door, startling Clarke, and cutting off whatever Lexa was going to say.
"I, uh, brought you both something to sleep in and some jeans and stuff for you," Finn said, looking at Clarke. "They might be a little tight; you know Raven."
"Thanks, Finn," Clarke said, taking the clothes from here.
"I also brought you some pillows and a blanket," Finn said, his voice growing fainter for a moment as he disappeared out of the room. "You're gonna have to share; it was the only blanket I could find other than the one in my mom's room, and I was afraid she'd ask where it went. Sorry."
"It's great, Finn," Clarke replied, giving him a smile as he set the blanket and pillows down on the attic floor. "You didn't have to do any of this, so thank you."
"I thought I'd sleep in the living room tonight," Finn said, scratching the back of his neck. "I'll hear if anyone comes by and I'll give you two a signal."
"How do you plan on doing that?" Clarke wondered.
"Oh, right," Finn said, squatting down, and pulling something out of one of the pillows. "Raven had some walkie-talkies here. I have the other one downstairs. She was trying to fix them, so they don't work quite right, but if I try to get a hold of you at all, you'll know something's up. So—that's it. I'll leave you two to get some sleep. Night."
"Goodnight, Finn," Clarke replied.
"I'll take first watch," Lexa said the moment Finn had shut the door behind him.
"Finn just said he'll listen," Clarke replied.
"I'll take first watch," Lexa repeated.
"You're very stubborn, do you know that?" Clarke asked.
"I have been told that," Lexa replied. "Usually it's the last thing they ever say."
Clarke was inclined to believe Lexa until Clarke noticed a small smile appear on her face as she turned away.
"I'm going to change," Clarke said, suppressing a smile of her own. "Will you—"
"I won't look, Clarke," Lexa interrupted.
"Actually, I was going to ask if you would unzip me," Clarke replied, turning around, and looking over her shoulder. "Although it's good to know where your mind is at."
Clarke wasn't sure if it was just her imagination—it was hard to see properly in such low lighting—but she was pretty sure Lexa's cheeks were slightly red as she turned around and began helping her unzip the dress.