Sorry it's taken so long again to post...such a busy time of year for me. I am moving into some fun parts of the story here so I hope you all like the direction I am going. THANK YOU again to those who have reviewed and provided me feed back! PLEASE keep it coming! It drives me to get those chapters out as fast as I can!
Disclaimer: I still don't own anything...all rights to CW
Chapter XXV
Octavia barley glanced at the guards as she stalked down the hall to where they had kept her and she just breathed, her fury narrowing her vision and sharpening her senses. If she was going to get out, now would be the time, and Indra didn't have much more of it left. As she rounded the corner ahead of her guards she spun and crouched, ready, aiming to disarm the first to gain a weapon.
Time slowed as they rounded the corner after her, not expecting her to be facing them, a feral snarl on her face as she struck out at the bigger of the two, his baton, clattering to the stone floor, the sound echoing down the hall briefly before she snatched it up and struck the smaller guard before he even had time to register her attack.
Time resumed as the guard's eyes rolled back in his head, blood spraying across the other guard, who as on his knees, and the wall beside him. The first guard had clued into the fight, just in time to raise a forearm to Octavia's next blow, the shock of it against the baton vibrating up her arm, causing instant pain to the point that she almost dropped it.
She spun back with lightning speed in the small hallway, using her size as an advantage to hit him with a crushing blow to the ribs, causing a sickening crunch as he double over, air escaping his lungs in a whoosh and he reflexively clutched his midsection with both hands. This gave her the opportunity in a fluid movement to swing upwards, connecting the baton with his jaw and face with a bone-jarring force that snapped his head back, and spun his body slightly before he crumpled slightly on top of his partner, a pool of blood rapidly forming on the floor beneath them.
Octavia panted for a brief moment, and could feel the warm slick blood slowly dripping down her cheek and forehead, from when his head snapped up with her last blow. She scowled down at their lifeless forms and spat on them, "Jus drein jus draun." She growled, repeating the grounder phrase, blood will have blood.
She reached down and searched the bodies, finding knives on both of them as well as their keys. She prayed to the Gods she would find the right key quickly as she stepped around their bodies, and headed towards Indra's room. She knew she would have to move fast, as Krass would see the moment she entered the room as long as he was still in the office and her blood was pounding in her ears as she rounded the final corner to where Indra's room was and stopped dead in her tracks, raising her knives in a defensive stance towards the two hooded figures halfway down the hall.
Octavia was just about to rush them when Echo pulled off her hood stepping around the Karson, holding up her hands, "Octavia, wait!" She hissed, stalling the other woman's actions.
"Echo." Octavia said regarding her and Karson as she lowered her knives, "Indra's in the room just behind you." She said rushing forward and pulling out the keys.
Karson regarded her with slight shock, bruised, and battered, knife in each hand, with blood sprayed across the one side of her face, and a frightening fury etching in familiar lines. He backed off as he shot Echo a look and noticed how calm she took in the scene. He made a mental note to ask her a little more of the history if they got out of there in one piece.
Octavia struggled with the keys, trying to find the right one to open the door, "There's a camera in there that show's in Krass's office. We won't have much time once if get us in there." She said as she tried key after key.
"I got that." Karson replied, snapping into action and produced another small square box, and opened it. "Just hold for a couple minutes." He whispered urgently as he hey a click in the lock and Octavia voicing her success.
Karson could feel her anxiety and impatience as he tapped into the video feed and copied a loop before feeding it back to the system. He could feel the sweat trickling down his back and dotting his forehead as he stared at the screen, willing it to load faster. There was a muted chirp and he removed the plastic, sticking the closed box above the frame of the door before nodding to Octavia she was clear to open it up.
Octavia rushed in, Karson behind her while Echo kept guard at the door, holding it ajar for them to exit quickly. "Seda?" Octavia whispered as she came to rest on her knees beside Indra's still form. Octavia's heart pounded as she waiting, fearful of the woman's lack of movement.
The moment stretched out and Octavia's face crumpled just before Indra softly moaned, and attempted to open her badly swollen eyes. Relief flooded through Octavia like a tidal wave and tears stung her eyes as she turned to Karson, "Can you carry her?" She asked, eyes pleading with the man.
He nodded curtly and stepped beside the cot, whispering an apology as he hefted Indra up with barely an effort, causing her to left out a muffled groan and Octavia was on her feet gesturing him to stay between her and Echo.
"You know the way out?" Octavia asked in a low tone, dwarfed by Karson's bulk in front of her as he cradled Indra protectively in his arms.
"Yes, just follow us." Echo said a little louder, so that her voice carried back to the other woman.
They all moved quickly through the maze of halls that ended at a set of double doors that brought them into a large garage bay with double bay doors at the far end, various storage crates, and supply shelves in between them and thier escape as alarms suddenly sounded.
"Shit!" Echo swore as they burst through the doors, making a break for the main door as voices could be heard very close yelling in the hall.
Octavia glanced over her shoulder as she ran around the side of a crate to see a half dozen of Krass's men burst through the doors, yelling at them to stop and firing some kind of energy weapon at them. A bolt of light skimmed passed Octavia, causing the hairs to raise with the electricity and she watched it hit Karson in the shoulder.
Karson let out a howl of pain as he collapsed, twisting awkwardly with Indra in his arms as to now land on her, his whole shoulder burning instantly with a blinding pain. Indra let out a grunt as she hit the stone floor, rolling in a tangle of arms and legs before coming to an abrupt stop against a large crate with a shuddering thud, while Karson skidded to on his one arm a few feet away from her. His whole left side felt as if it were on fire and he closed his eyes as the pain consumed everything.
Echo froze and tuned at Karson's pain filled yell and watched him fall, twisting to toss Indra away from his massive weight as he did. She skidded to a stop as Octavia reached where they both landed, as the guards continued forward, closing the space distance rapidly as they fired shots.
"Up! Get up, Karson!" Echo screamed as Octavia shoved a crate over to provide them with a little coverage, before kneeling beside Indra.
Karson struggled to his knees, pain lacing through his arm as it hung useless at his side and he took in the scene around him. Octavia, struggling to get Indra up, pleading with the woman to stand as she attempted to open her swollen eyes while she mouthed, the word run. Echo, sheltering behind a crate near their exit, screaming his name, driving him to stand completely and block out the pain, while white bolts flashed and popped around them all as the guards inched forward thinking they had the group pinned down.
In between the gun fire, and the yelling, a voice rang out through the expanse of the huge bay, "I said RUN damn it!" Causing everyone to turn and look in Indra's direction. She shoved Octavia away as she lay crumpled on the floor barely able to open her one eye, screaming the words as Octavia shook her head vehemently, tears threatening to fall, face full of anguish.
In a split second the firing stopped and Karson grabbed Octavia with his good arm, as Echo pulled open the door, yelling for them to follow as they were only a short distance away. Octavia thrashed in his vice grip as he used all his strength to half carry, half drag her the final few feet and out the door as Indra's voice followed them out into the night air with a final "GO!". Karson slammed the door as shots renewed and thudded against the solid metal door and they rushed across the street into the small dark walkway, continuing on into the black night.
They moved through the streets, staying in the shadows and side paths, constantly on the move, only pausing briefly to hide from Krass's patrols. Octavia followed in a blind daze between Echo and Karson, not knowing or caring about where they were headed, completely non-responsive to their comments about their progress. She felt numb, the image of Indra yelling at her and feebly shoving her away replaying over and over in her head.
Before she realized it, they were ducking into a dark, stone tunnel, their progress sounding deafening in the narrow, enclosed space. Karson was panting behind her, breathing labored as he struggled along fighting with the pain. They slowed their frantic pace as voices echoed from ahead of them as the floor started to slope down a little.
They neared another group and stopped, Bran looking over everyone with relief until he spotted Karson. Echo took the opportunity to turned, quickly eyeing Octavia as she stared stoically at the wall and move towards Karson who had slumped down against the wall, cradling his hurt arm, face pale and covered with sweat.
"Can you make it back to Haven?" Echo asked quietly, pulling back at the collar of his shirt to try to have a look at the back of shoulder before noticing a small pool of blood gathering against the wall on the floor beside him. Bran had rushed over and was kneeling beside her, holding Karson up as he threatened to slump fully over to the floor.
Karson's vision spun for a moment and he blinked a couple times, breathing heavily as his vision tunnelled and Echo's face dimmed as it hovered in front of him. He tried to nod, his body feeling sluggish and attempted to pull his feet under himself to stand, just to find something holding him down. He felt drunk, the world a blur as he tried to push up against whatever was holding him down until a voice cut through the fog.
"Karson, stop!" Echo demanded as she held him in place realizing asking him to walk had been a mistake. If he fell from a standing position, there would be nothing she could do to cushion his fall even with Bran helping, at least on the ground she could try to treat his wound and possibly stop the bleeding.
He obediently stopped moving, his head lolling back against the stone wall then to Bran's shoulder as he glanced up at Echo, face full of worry. Karson's breathing was coming in short panting bursts as Echo called over one of the scouts to help her and Bran. They got his shirt open and exposed the bloody mess of his back from where the blast hit him and Echo's face shifted to resolve as she looked up at the scared family looking over the whole scene.
She turned to look Bran in the eye as he knelt beside her, "Take your family and Octavia back to Haven. I will stay here with Karson and you send back help so we can get him to camp. He can't walk that far like this." she said firmly. Bran hesitated a moment as her words, looking down at his friend then back at the scared faces of his children. He looked aback at Echo and nodded, standing and ushering his family in the opposite direction with the scouts in the lead.
Octavia stood leaning against the wall, in a daze as she heard the conversation, but didn't really listen to what was happening around her until she heard her name, "Octavia." Echo said repeating her name for the fourth time.
Octavia snapped her head up, finally aware of everyone looking at her, "Sorry." She said quietly as Echo regarded her with frustration.
"You need to go. Head back to Haven and get us help. Bellamy needs to know you are safe." She said repeating the plan again in exasperation as Karson moaned, eyes fluttering. Octavia nodded that she heard and turned, tossing one last glance at the pair on the ground then moved off quickly to get help for Karson, following the group ahead of her before they got to far.
Clarke leaned back in a chair with Madi, holding hot cups of the spicy drink she liked, a comfortable silence stretching out between them. "Do you think Karson and Echo were able to get in?" Madi asked, the question softly with the tiny thread of hope in her voice.
Clarke looked over at the girl as she stared in her cup, "Echo is very good. I am sure they have gotten in." She said smiling tightly.
The radio crackled to life, Krass's voice angrily coming across the waves loud and clear, "What the HELL are you two playing at?!" He bellowed and both Clarke and Madi jumped in their chairs, sloshing thier drinks and looking at each other startled.
Clarke picked up the receiver tentatively, glancing at Madi who immediately hopped up and took off to get Bellamy up. Obviously, Karson and Echo had made it in to the compound, but now was the question as to if they were able to get out and with everyone.
"Krass. What's going on?" Clarke asked, clicking the mike on air and hoping Bellamy and Madi wouldn't be too long in getting there.
"Don't play coy with me Clarke. I consider your actions an action of war." His voice said menacingly across the staticky air waves.
Clarke's anger spiked at his words as well as her guilt for dragging her group into another war when they were trying to do better this time. At this point there was no escaping their actions and it was time for action, so she took a breath and clicked the receiver, "The act of war happened when you took my people, Krass." She stated letting her voice edge with the tone of Wanheda authority.
The line stayed silent for a long moment and Clarke waited nervously as Bellamy and Madi came rushing in, Bellamy and Shaw looking rumpled and still half asleep, and Bellamy's hair wild. "Did they get out?" He asked urgently, wiping the sleep from his eyes.
"He hasn't said. Something obviously happened though." Clarke responded feeling more worried as time passed without response.
The line crackled open again, "Your little mission wasn't quite successful." He said, and Bellamy's heart dropped at his words as he shared a panicked look with Clarke, "I expect to have an open line of communications again in 4 hours. And Clarke, if you want to prevent all-out war, I expect you will be ready to meet my new demands." Krass stated, voice like steel and the line went dead.
"DAMN IT!" Clarke said throwing down the receiver angrily causing the mesh on the mike part to dent with the force and Madi to jump at her action. "Madi, you and Shaw need to go to Haven. Krass said something about it not being quite successful. That means someone got out." Clarke said turning to Madi, fury full on her face.
Madi nodded and grabbed her pack that she had brought into the tent earlier in the night, "We will be back as soon as we can with news." She said over her shoulder to both Clarke and Bellamy as she exited the tent with Shaw.
Bellamy was leaning forward with his hands gripping the table, knuckles white and face covered with his unruly curls as Clarke turned to look at him. "I shut her out Clarke. I shut her out and now I could lose her." He said softly with a tone of self-loathing.
Clarke sighed, recognizing this path her was going down, as he had times before on the roller coaster relationship he had with his sister. "We don't know anything yet Bellamy." She responded placing a gentle hand of support on his shoulder.
He stood, raking a hand through his hair, pulling back his messy locks, "I know." He said as a sigh and spontaneously wrapped his arms around Clarke in a hug, needing her strength in the moment as they waited for word. She felt warm against him as he had broken out in a cold sweat as soon as Madi had showed up in the tent, telling him there was news from Krass, her arms wrapped around his waist with a gentle pressure.
He took a deep, calming breath and turned his head to the side, burying his face in her silky, blonde curls, breathing in the scent of her shampoo and taking comfort in it. Her head, tucked beside his, chin resting on his shoulder as she stood on her tiptoes to do so. Her breathing was steady, and he felt her shift, turning her face into the side of his neck, breath tickling his skin as she did.
"It's going to be okay." She said into his neck, causing goose bumps to work their way down his spine and arms in response and he moved back slightly, sliding a hand up the back of her neck and into her hair as he did.
Clarke locked eyes with him, staring deep into the brown pools that looked almost black in his worry and stress as he leaned his head down to gently rest his forehead on hers. She watched his eyes flutter shut, long lashes resting on freckled cheeks, and her gaze naturally drifted to his mouth, lips slightly parted as his breath softly slid across her skin.
She couldn't help but wonder if they were ever going to find a moment of peace in thier lives, or if they even deserved to find that after all this time, and everything they had done since landing with the original 100 on Earth. Without thinking she closed her eyes, and lifted up slightly on her tiptoes, lifting her chin slightly, brushing her lips across his gently.
The tenderness of her kiss gripped Bellamy right to the core and he let the emotion overtake him momentarily, slanting his head to capture her mouth fully. He knew she had meant the kiss to be one of gentle support and reassurance, but he couldn't help the desire it raised in him and he allowing himself a moment of distraction and tightened his arms, hand gripping her hair and their breath mingled.
Clarke was dizzy with the intensity of his response to her kiss and it took all her strength to break away and move back, her body on fire and breathing coming in a short panting staccato before she took a deep breath to steady herself in his arms.
Bellamy felt her withdraw and he kept his eyes closed, knowing that he was letting his raw emotions get the best of him in the moment and this wasn't the time or place to give into his desire and he loosened his grip on her, but kept her close enough to feel her warmth.
Octavia and the rest of the group came out of the dark maze, all blinking in the light of Haven, taking it in as they moved quickly to the hub, Bran yelling for help to get attention. Archon appeared at the door of the Hub in response to Brans shouts.
"Karson," Bran said, tone laced with concern. "He's in the tunnels with Echo. He's hurt badly and they will need help to get him back here." He said rapidly, panting as he spoke from the dash across Haven to the Hub.
Archon nodded and turned, giving quick orders to those in the Hub and turning back to Octavia. "Come child." And she moved off down a side path, just as Madi and Shaw rounded the corner of one of the buildings.
Madi's face broke out into a sad smile and she rushed past Shaw and slammed into Octavia who stood still in shock and the girls hug. "It was Indra." Madi stated sorrowfully, voice muffled in Octavia's shoulder, then asked, "Where is she?"
She gently pushed Madi away, looking into her hopeful face as she tried to peer around her with a pained expression, "Krass still has her." She said softly as Madi's face crumpled, then added, "Where's Bellamy?" With a sense of urgency.
Madi's eye's filled with tears as Shaw hovered near the pair, "Come on, we will take you to them." He said voice low, as he watched the scene.
Madi, straightened her shoulders, stuffing down the emotions and turned on her heal with Octavia at her side and headed back to the camp as A group gathered with a large wheeled cart to go get Karson and Echo from the tunnels.
It didn't take long for then to make it to the camp, but progress was significantly slowed as the wind had picked up substantially and the rain was starting. They rushed as best as they could into the communications tent where Madi and Shaw had left Bellamy and Clarke. The humidity seemed to have reached a tipping point as the rain started to fall, soaking the trio in the short span it took for them to exit Haven and make it to the camp.
As soon as they cleared the doors of the tent, Bellamy crossed the space with relief flooding his face and enveloped her in a crushingly fierce hug. Octavia hesitated, slightly startled since he had been so cold, then recovered, wrapping her arms around her brother, letting him hold her up.
"Where's Indra." Clarke asked and immediately knew the answer as she saw Madi's face fall and shake her head.
Octavia move away from Bellamy reluctantly and turned towards Clarke, "Krass has her. He beat her, Clarke." She said with a fierce anger lacing her voice.
"We heard it." Clarke responded quietly with a grim look and them moved over to the Blake siblings, "He told us to be at the radio in 2 hours." She added grabbing a ration pack and some water and handing it to Octavia who accepted it with a grateful nod of thanks.
"We didn't know who it was." Bellamy said gruffly, his voice cracking with emotion on the words, and then moved over to sit on the stool in front of the radio, looking over briefly at Clarke before asking, "Did Echo make it out?"
Clarke fought against the small rush of hurt that tried to rise in her as she looked over to Octavia, who looked up from her eating at the pair, "She did, as well as Bran's family, but she had to stay in the tunnel maze because Karson was hurt bad and couldn't make it any further. They are sending a group to go help them." She explained between bites of her food.
Bellamy nodded slightly guilty at the relief he felt knowing she was okay. He turned, glancing at Clarke and felt even worse as he saw the hurt in her eyes until she came over saying, "It's good she's okay." As he watched the hurt disappear.
"When can we go back for Indra?" Octavia said, looking Bellamy straight in the eye, challenging him to answer him.
Bellamy stood his ground, face clouding as he knew this wasn't a fair fight. With Karson injured and their inability to have the element of surprise, there was no way to get back in to rescue Indra without it basically being a suicide mission. Luckily Clarke took the brunt of her challenge by stepping around Bellamy to give her an answer.
"You know that's not a fight we could win, Octavia." She said with her usual blunt authority, as she stood up to her whole height, staring Octavia down.
Octavia's eyes shifted from Bellamy to Clarke and narrowed as the anger simmered up, threatening to explode, "So what do you suggest, Wanheda?" She asked through grit teeth, calling Clarke by her grounder name, mockingly.
Clarke stepped forward, ready to challenge Octavia, the tension of the day and situation wearing on her last nerve, but Madi stepped between the two, stalling any further argument, "Unfortunately we have to wait for a response from Krass. It's not ideal, but we may be able to negotiate a better position to have Indra released." Madi said, her voice edged with the Commanders tone, making her words have a sense of finality to them.
Octavia let her gaze drift from Clarke's finally to rest on Madi between them as the tension seemed to deflate in the room like a balloon. Octavia's shoulders dropping with resignation at Madi's words. She just nodded and turned on her heal, "I need some air." She stated and strode out of the tent into the blustering storm outside.
Bellamy moved to go after his sister, but was stilled by Madi's hand on his chest lightly, "Leave her be for now. She knows we can't go after Indra just yet, and what that might mean." And her head dipped as the weight of the unknown rested on her.
Clarke looked at Bellamy sadly as she realized the implication of Madi's words and how angry Krass was when he radioed, "Now we wait." She said quietly in response as Bellamy draped an arm over her shoulders.