Miss Me Princess?
Chapter Eighteen
The next morning the after-effects of her overindulgence in the welcome feast wine left Clarke looking pale and feeling tired. But when she sat down to breakfast it was with a renewed sense of determination – that they were going to get out of there, they would find the others, and get back to living their lives their own way, away from Mount Weather.
The previous night the dormitory doors had been opened and the forty-nine were allowed out. In the Main Hall, they had been introduced to the citizens of Mount Weather and Wallace had announced that, now that it was safe, they would have full access to their new home and all that it had to offer. The words 'new home' pricked at Clarke like needles, but it was progress. Clarke couldn't deny that this was a good thing; it left her feeling a little less powerless now that they were no longer confined to the dormitory. And she hoped that the new-found freedom would allow her to find a way out.
Her new resolve brought with it a strong appetite, so when she sat down at the table Clarke instantly set about filling her plate with pastries and pouring herself a strong cup of coffee. An even paler and more tired looking Murphy watched her tuck into her breakfast with amusement.
"What?" She asked a little self-consciously, when she felt the persistent heat of his gaze on her.
"Nothing." He told her as he smirked at her collection of pastries. She shook her head and ducked her eyes back down to her plate, trying to supress the blush she could feel building in her cheeks under his attention.
Being back in the Main Hall again - the central hub of the mountain, where all meals were served - hazy memories of last night swirled in Clarke's mind. Her eyes were drawn to the empty armchair in the far corner of the room as the memory of climbing onto Murphy's lap played over and over in her mind. She tore her eyes away, fixed them back on her breakfast and tried to ignore the thump of her heart and the tingle in her stomach as she remembered the feeling of being held securely in his arms and nuzzling into the warmth of his chest.
Clarke busied herself with eating her breakfast, concentrating intently on each bite of food and every sip of coffee in a vain attempt to distract herself, because she was suddenly hyper aware of the man sitting beside her. It left her feeling surprisingly flustered, and a little bashful. Like a magnet pulled by an invisible force, Clarke glanced back up again and her eyes locked with Murphy's. It was as if he could see the memories right there in her eyes, as though he looked right inside of her and saw the spark of her attraction as it burst along each remembered moment, each sensation that her mind had stored up for her to relive, over and over again. The amusement dancing in Murphy's eyes was instantly replaced by a molten heat that made little flames of lust flutter to life in Clarke's stomach.
"Hey!" Jasper called out exuberantly in greeting as he approached the table. As though pulled suddenly from a trance, Clarke and Murphy both jerked back in their seats, their heads snapping round to face Jasper as he and a rather ill looking Monty sat down across from them.
"Did you guys have fun last night?" Jasper asked, almost vibrating with enthusiasm. For some reason the question brought the memories Clarke had just banished rushing straight back and a scarlet blush bloomed across her face before she could do anything to stop it. Thankfully Jasper was too distracted by the selection of food to notice and Monty had closed his eyes the moment he sat down, his skin taking on an unhealth green tinge. But a quiet chuckle from Murphy let her know that he had seen it.
She chanced a glance at him and found him already watching her, once again his eyes shone with amusement but there was something softer in his gaze, as though his amusement was blended with happiness. There was something delightfully intimate in his expression that made Clarke's stomach flutter again, because while he was enjoying her embarrassment, he was also pleased by what he knew she was remembering, and how it was affecting her. The fire in his grey eyes told her that he was just as affected as she was. With a great deal of effort Clarke tore her eyes away from Murphy's when she realised that Jasper was talking again.
"She's really great." Jasper said with a beaming smile. "And she was telling me all about Mount Weather. Isn't it amazing?" it was testament to how distracted she was that Clarke was able to let that statement slip by with only a noncommittal hum in response. "I can't wait to get a good look around. And Maya says that what we saw last night doesn't even begin to cover it. She says there's loads more where that came from: the food, the drink, the furniture, the paintings, everything! Maya told me they have a warehouse full of just paintings." Clarke's attention was snagged unexpectedly and she tuned in to Jasper's ramblings with a sudden keen interest, as her previous distractions immediately melted away.
"Really?" Clarke probed, waiting attentively for anymore nuggets of information.
"Yeah. Isn't that so cool?" Jasper exclaimed.
"Where is it?" She asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Level five, Maya said." Jasper answered around a mouthful of breakfast. "But you need one of those keycard things. I wonder when we'll get ours?" he added thoughtfully, completely unaware of the calculating look that passed between Clarke and Murphy.
"There's a warehouse just for paintings?" Clarke said incredulously, as soon as Jasper and Monty left the table. "How big is this place?"
"Our dormitory, quarantine, the medical rooms, Wallace's office, the Main Hall…" Murphy listed off the parts of Mount Weather they had already seen. "That's all been on one level. So how big is each level? And how many levels are there?" he questioned, his tone clipped with frustration. "Wallace said we're out of quarantine, but I bet we're still on some kind of lockdown in here." Said Clarke.
"Free to leave the dormitory doesn't mean free to go wherever we want." Agreed Murphy.
"I bet the other levels are off-limits. The doors to anywhere important will be restricted access." She said and Murphy nodded.
"We need one of those keycards." He said.
"How are we going to do that?" she wondered aloud.
They sat silently, watching the activity in the Main Hall while they thought. They were alone at their table now, no one else sat within hearing range but the Hall was still busy; a hive of activity buzzing around them. A few stragglers were still eating breakfast; some workers were clearing tables and taking away empty dishes; others sat in little clusters chatting, or on their own reading. This was where life in the mountain happened, when they weren't working or in their sleeping quarters people gathered here.
"Isn't that Jaspers little girlfriend?" Clarke turned her attention to where Murphy was looking and smiled when she spotted Maya.
"I have an Idea."
It had been too easy. Either Maya was a bit stupid or the people in Mount Weather were far too trusting because it had only taken a few minutes of conversation - a couple of distracting comments from Clarke about how Jasper had told them all about her - and Murphy was able to slip the keycard right out of Maya's pocket as she stood there blushing and smiling at them.
Clarke and Murphy strolled casually out of the main hall. They started walking in the opposite direction to the dormitory, moving steadily from one corridor into another. They followed turn after turn until they reached a dead-end in a deserted passageway which stopped at a sealed door. Without any idea of the layout of the compound it seemed as good a place to start as any.
Murphy kept a watchful eye on the end of the corridor as Clarke swiped the keycard through the pad on the wall. The light blinked from red to green and Clarke pulled the door open.
Instantly a siren split through the air, roaring out in painfully loud blasts that bounced off every surface and seemed to echo throughout the entire mountain.
"Oh yeah, we're definitely not prisoners." Murphy drawled over the noise.
"Come on!" Clarke yelled as she yanked open the door and dashed through. The door opened into a stairwell. It looked like little more than a service access; it was dark and dirty, with a damp smell hanging in the drafty air. They stepped out onto a platform, there were stairs leading up and leading down. Clarke gasped in shock and Murphy cursed under his breath at the sight; the stairs seemed to be endless, stretching far into the darkness beyond what they could see in the dull light. Murphy spotted the faded sign on the wall: 'Emergency Evacuation'.
"That's our way out." He said looking up at the stairs stretching high up the mountain and out of sight.
"Let's go." Said Clarke as she started up the stairs at a run.
There was a stitch burning in her side as she reached a fourth level - another short landing with a thick metal door like the one they had come through - and still the stairs stretched up before her. Clarke pushed on, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she continued to climb, desperate for a glimpse of the surface, of an exit. She could sense Murphy right behind her, could hear his panting breaths. They were about half way up the next flight of stairs when the door on the next landing up burst open and stream of guards came rushing out onto the landing. Clarke stumbled to a halt, stopping so quickly that Murphy bumped into her back. Murphy swore viciously, grabbed Clarkes arm and started back down the stairs, instinctively retreating from the approaching guards. But it was useless, the door on the lower level swung open and within minutes they were surrounded by guards.
The guards closed in, and within minutes, multiple pairs of hands were grabbing hold of them and hauling them down the last few steps and through the door back into the main compound.
"Get your hands off me." Murphy shouted as the guards gripped them fiercely.
"Hey!" Clarke yelled as she was tugged harshly and stumbled against the force of it.
"Let her go." Murphy growled at the guard his eyes black and burning with anger. But there were too many of them and they soon had Clarke and Murphy easily restrained. With a guard holding on firmly to each of their arms, they were marched along the corridor and into an elevator.
"Where are you taking us?" Clarke asked, her heart beating furiously as a cold fear began to creep through her veins. No one answered. The elevator chimed, the doors opened, and they were marched out.
"She asked you a question. What's happening?" Murphy barked. Still the guards remained silent. But now they were coming to a passageway that looked vaguely familiar. They rounded the corner, a guard knocked on the door to the left and they were ushered into the office of President Wallace.
He was standing behind his desk waiting for them, his shoulders tense, his hands clasped behind his back and a dark scowl lining his face.
"I thought we weren't captives?" Murphy growled furiously.
"You breeched a restricted area." Wallace snapped. His stare was hard and cold and he looked down his nose at them, his lips thinned with anger.
"So we're not free." Clarke pressed. "Not really."
"You are guests." Wallace said in a cold and sharp voice that was firm with authority. "Perhaps you should act like it." The current of anger flowing through the warning made Clarke stiffen. Beside her, Murphy had gone ridged. There was no denying the threat in that statement.
Wallace took a deep calming breath and morphed his anger into a sombre expression before he continued.
"I'm afraid I have bad news. Our patrols have swept the area and have found no more survivors. Either at your camp or from the ark."
Clarke sucked in a breath as his words hit her like a blow to the face.
"How can they be sure?" her voice was nothing more than a whisper.
"They can't. I've ordered them to keep searching."
"I need to see for myself."
"I'm sorry but that's not possible." Wallace told her, sounding more irritated than apologetic. "I'm doing this for your own good. It's not safe out there. You need time to grieve, these men will show you to your dorm room." With a wave of his hand the guards started to escort them out.
"And if we try to leave?" Clarke asked shakily.
"Don't test me Clarke." Wallace threatened in a steely tone.
The guards didn't release them until they were at the door to the dormitory. Walking back into the dormitory Clarke and Murphy were with a cacophony of noise, as voices raised in anger shouted at them from all directions.
"What the hell happened?"
"What were you two up to?"
"What were you playing at?!"
Clarke and Murphy stood stunned as the angry crowd pressed in on them. Shock froze them in place at first but then they shrank back, instinctively stepping closer together until they were shoulder to shoulder, staring wide-eyed at the forty-nine. Clarke could make out Justin's aggressive accusation, Jasper's righteous fury, Monty's confusion. Her head spun as she tried to make sense of it.
They were furious. Why? They know something happened, the siren went off. They're angry that we've done something wrong?
Miller came to the rescue, putting his fingers between his lips and whistling shrilly to silence the shouting.
"Let them speak." He reprimanded, his eyes fixed on Justin and narrowing in a silent warning.
"Clarke why are you doing this?" Monty asked desperately, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Because I don't believe them Monty." She cried out in frustration.
"Why would they lie?" he gently implored her, his frown becoming a look of sympathy.
Clarke's stomach lurched. To her, it was such a naïve question to ask. Hadn't life taught them all to be cynical? It couldn't just be her and Murphy who were wary, could it? But as she looked at Monty, then at the others gathered around, she saw the same expression off pity on many of their faces.
"Listen to me: we are safe here." Monty's stare was steady and his words were confident as he tried to assure her. "Thanks to you." He emphasised. Clarke's expression was a grimace of sorrow.
"Not all of us." She said, voice quivering with distress. Monty's face fell and several people around them ducked their heads as a ripple of grief spread through the forty-nine while they listened. All the anger and irritation that had been there minutes before ebbed away in the face of their shared pain.
"I know." Monty said, his words heavy with sadness. "Has Wallace heard anything yet?" he asked and Clarke's chest tightened painfully.
"No. Not yet." Murphy replied smoothly. Clarke glanced up at him sharply but Murphy was looking at Monty, who nodded solemnly. Murmured conversations started amongst the forty-nine as they discussed what the President's patrols might find. The crowed started to splinter as people began to move away.
"You did everything you could Clarke." Monty said consolingly. She had to fight to suppress a cringe. Jasper fidgeted uncomfortably at Monty's side before stepping towards Clarke.
"I know it's hard, but we all have to be in this together." Jasper offered comfortingly. Clarke's chest tightened. He still didn't look happy with them, but, like the others, he seemed appeased for now. Monty gave them a tight-lipped smile of understanding then dragged Monty away. Clarke had a strange feeling that they had just been forgiven. Forgiven for trying to find a way out. Clarke looked at Murphy and saw her own worry and confusion reflected in his grey eyes.
"What are we going to do?" she whispered. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into a hug.
"We'll try again." He whispered into her hair. She turned her face into his neck and hugged back tightly.
"They were all so mad." she muttered in astonishment. "The only reason they aren't still angry is because they think I'm...acting out." she hissed under her breath with indignation.
"We'll be more careful." Murphy said, thinking not just of the reaction of the forty-nine but also of the flash of temper Wallace had displayed. "Come on." He took Clarke's hand, laced his fingers through hers and started walking towards the couches. He decided it would be better for them to stay where everyone could see them for now, no wandering off on their own, not while everyone was still suspicious. She squeezed his hand and flashed him a brief look of understanding as she sat down beside him, picked up a pack of cards from the table and asked him to teach her the game she had seen some of the others playing.
They almost started to relax; Clarke laughed as Murphy teased her for being rubbish at cards. And the forty-nine seemed to have forgotten their earlier anger. But then Murphy felt the heat of a stare on him and looked up to see Justin watching them with dark narrowed eyes and a calculating look. A knot of dread started to form in the pit of Murphy's stomach.
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