Here's yet another update! Enjoy!
Chapter 29
Clarke felt the van come to a stop, and then rough hands pulled her from the dark interior and into the light. She struggled against the tight hold as she followed her captor blindly.
She heard a door open, and then she was surrounded by damp darkness. She coughed, spluttering and choking on the stale air that entered her lungs. She stumbled along, every sound muffled by the thick black bag.
Soon, Clarke was shoved to the ground. Her back hit a solid concrete wall and cold moisture seeped through her thin blouse. She shivered, pulling her knees up to her chest trying in vain to shield herself from the dank chill surrounding her.
Dim light cascaded down as the bag was pulled from her face. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the sudden onslaught of brightness. She looked up, her suspicions confirmed when she saw none other than Finn Collins standing above her.
"Hello, Princess", he spat.
"Collins. What do you want", Clarke muttered angrily.
"Isn't it obvious, Clarke? I want revenge. I had a good thing going before you and your Rebel king found me out."
"If you wouldn't have entered our lives, we never would have ruined your little ruse."
"Bellamy Blake needed to die. He was too close to taking over- too close to ruining us all", Finn answered.
"You should have known that I would never have allowed his death to go unanswered", Clarke hissed.
"We underestimated you, Princess. We imagined you would be so grief stricken that you wouldn't be able to get up in the morning, let alone stage the coup that you did. However, we're much smarter now. We've discovered that we killed the wrong person. His death made you stronger, but your death will crush him."
Clarke shook her head, trying to discredit what he was saying in her mind. Bellamy would keep going, he would keep fighting without her.
"No, he won't stop just because I'm gone. He will continue to fight, and he'll never stop until you face justice."
"That's where you're wrong, Princess. He'll have to stop because he's sold his soul to the street. He'll return to his contacts in order to find you. So whether you die or live, he will still be destroyed."
Clarke felt her heart drop. He was right. Bellamy wouldn't wait for Kane, he would move forward and use all of his resources. There had to be a way to get out of here. Maybe if she could reach him in time, she could save him.
She watched as Finn walked away, her eyes boring into the back of his head. Her wrists chafed with every movement, the plastic digging into her skin. She smiled, little did Finn know but the Rebel had taught her a few things about escape and escape she would.
Clarke sat on the living room floor, her hands bound in front of her by the milky white zip ties. She let out a frustrated sigh, and stared up at the mop of dark curls and brown eyes that constituted her best friend.
He paced back and forth in front of her, his hands clasped behind his back and his voice low and serious.
"Clarke, with the life I lead, you and O could easily be targeted. I need to know that you can escape should you need to. Your hands will usually be tied behind your back. They'll probably leave you alone because they'll underestimate your abilities. Now, stand as quietly as you can. Good. Now, press your wrists against the tie. Yes, just like that. Bend slightly forward, and bring your arms down and hit your wrists against your tale bone."
Clarke did as she was told, a look of exasperation coloring her features. She stood there smacking herself on the backside for a good ten seconds when all of the sudden the tie broke and her hands were free.
She looked at Bellamy, a victorious smile curving her lips.
"I did it, Bell", she yipped before throwing her arms around his neck.
She felt his arms come around her middle as he held her tighter. When he pulled back, his brown eyes were serious and shining with pride.
"I know my methods don't always make sense, Princess, but you've got to know that I do this to keep you safe."
"I know, Bell. Thank you", Clarke said, her smile still in place.
"Alright, now that you've mastered that let's move on to lock picking."
Clarke rose to her feet as Finn disappeared around a sharp corner. She looked around for a moment, and then used Bellamy's interesting technique to break her bonds.
When she was free, she crept to the corner and peered around it. It was a long hall, and at the end was a solid door. She began to pace, looking for any other escaped route.
Crates littered the floor, and Clarke sat down on one of the sturdier ones that were overturned. She looked up on frustration, a smile curving her lips when she saw the vent.
She quickly stacked the crates, careful to look them over for breaks or instability. She crawled up her little wooden mountain, coming within arm's reach of the metal grate.
She yanked, the grate coming down with a whoosh of dust and grime. She threw it to the concrete floor and then pulled herself up into the filthy ductwork. It was dark, and spider webs stuck on her face and in her hair as she crawled.
Clarke didn't know how long she moved through the dusty confines until she came to another grate. She looked down through the narrow slits into an empty room.
She kicked out the metal vent, and carefully crawled down into room. Once she reached the floor, she looked around and nearly gasped. A young woman lay on a cot in the corner. She looked familiar, but Clarke couldn't place her.
"Who are you", the girl asked as she sat up.
"I'm Clarke Griffin, and I'm trying to get out of here. Who are you?"
"Raven Reyes, and you won't make it."
Clarke looked at the dejected creature before her, taking in the dark circles and sunken cheeks.
"You help me get out of here and I'll see that Finn Collins never hurts you again."
"I can't do anything for you. I'm a prisoner, same as you", Raven answered.
"Were you blindfolded when he brought you here?"
"No", the girl answered skeptically.
"Then you know how to get out of here. Come one", Clarke said moving to the door.
"It's locked!"
"Yep, but it's locked from the inside. Idiots", Clarke said with a grin.
Clarke sat at the kitchen table, a lock in hand.
"Bell, there is no way I can pick this thing with a hair pin! They only do that in the movies", Clarke said in exasperation.
"You can do it, keep trying", Bellamy said.
"I understand the zip tie thing, Bell, but this is ridiculous."
"Clarke, this could mean the difference between life and death. Keep trying."
As Clarke jiggled the bobby pin in the lock, she was so thankful Bellamy kept pushing her that day. She felt the tumblers, running the pin across them, her bottom lip held between her teeth in concentration.
Suddenly the satisfying click sounded in the quiet room, and Clarke heaved a sigh of relief.
"Come on, Rave. We're getting out of here."
Clarke made her way out into the quiet hallway, the other girl close behind her. They made their way through a maze of connecting hallways until they came to a pair of steel double doors.
"Are you sure this is it", Clarke asked.
"Yep, but I don't see how we can get out."
"We don't, we wait until someone comes in."
Clarke maneuvered into the shadows, leaning against the cold concrete. From her vantage point she could see the door, but no one could see her. She felt Raven come and lean beside her.
"How did you learn to do all of that?"
"If we get out of here you can meet him, but right now just be quiet", Clarke said in a harsh whisper.
They waited for what felt life forever until the door finally opened. Clarke crept forward, and then grabbed person walking through the door. She flung them against the wall as Raven grabbed the big steel portal.
She watched as the man slid to the ground unconscious.
"Remind me to never get on your bad side", Raven whispered with wide eyes.
Clarke chuckled, "Come on, let's get out of here."
The two women rushed out into the night. Clarke assessed her surroundings, finding that they were in Sky territory.
"Crap", she muttered.
"What's the matter", Raven asked.
"We're not on a good part of town. We've gotta get moving, stick to the shadows. It's only a few blocks before we're back in Grounder territory."
Clarke was just about to set out, when an arm banded around her waist.
"Nice try, Princess", Finn whispered.
"Run, Raven", Clarke screamed.
She watched as the other girl disappeared into the night. She prayed that Raven wouldn't just save her own hide and forget all about her. Clarke was dragged back inside, and thrown into another room.
She scooted back against the wall as Finn approached, the angry leer marring his features causing a chill to settle in the pit of her stomach.
"Raven's a survivor. She won't find your precious Bellamy, she'll save herself", Finn smiled.
"Sometimes people surprise you, Collins", Clarke spat.
"Now, what am I going to do with you? I need to make sure you don't try to escape again."
Clarke watched as Finn pulled something from his jacket pocket. She eyed the syringe with a feeling of dread. She struggled, but she wasn't strong enough to hold him off.
She heard him chuckle as the needle pierced her neck.
"Well, Princess, even if the Rebel makes it here in time he won't be able to save you."
Clarke's vision began to blur, and her temperature began to skyrocket. Her breathing became labored, and her muscles began to contract painfully.
"What did you do to me", she croaked.
"Poison, Princess. Something of my own invention, you'll live long enough to say goodbye to the Rebel not to worry."
Clarke watched him go, her heart hammering in her chest. She couldn't die here. She couldn't leave Bellamy alone; she knew that what Finn had said was true. The man she loved needed her, and she intended to be there.
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