Standing next to Clarke, we stood looking at the video chat, thanks to Raven's brilliant brain she upgraded us from a radio, to a video chat. We could see our parents, within a week, if that. Once we were doing, everyone of the kids down here would be able to see, to speak with their parents and Miller had told the now childless parents about the death of their children, Clarke and I were up, talking to the council of the Ark. Jaha, my father and apparently Sydney, why her. That wasn't good, the woman was a snake. Hopefully, my mother was cooking up a plot to get the woman off the council. My mother should've taken doctor Griffins spot.
I've basically accepted the apology of Clarke, we couldn't afford she and I fighting. The two heads of our group. I took some of the blame of the situation, I didn't stop them from doing what they did either. I didn't try hard enough, I was at fault as well. Even if I wanted it to stop. It was good for now, while I plotted on how Octavia would get the Grounder out. At the moment Miller and Bellamy were up above with the Grounder.
"Tell me about the Grounder. Can he provide any insight on how to survive winter?" Jaha asked, as he sat on the screen, at the table where he and the council were on the Ark.
"With all due respect, I doubt he'd help us after all we've done." I stated simply, my arms crossed over my chest, "But we have our walls back up. We have started preparing for the winter."
"We're doing everything we can. We're gathering nuts and berries, curing meats, digging for roots" Clarke spoke going on, "but the truth is, we'll freeze before we starve." I nodded in agreement.
The camera ended up on my father, I felt my heart swell seeing him, "There's good news on that front. According to the civil defense plans from before the war there's an old emergency aid depot, not far from the landing site." He pulled up a drawing of a map, pointing a pen to the coordinates, "Here are the coordinates."
Clarke then wrote it down on her hand, as Jaha was now on the screen, "In addition to supplies, it could provide shelter for the hundred and for the citizens coming down from the Ark"
"What makes you think it's intact? It's been nearly a hundred years." I questioned, getting the intel. What if someone had already found the shelter?
My father was back on the screen. "It was designed to withstand nuclear warfare"
Then the blond snake appeared on screen, "Chancellor, I have to object. Project Exodus is under way. The kids should sit tight in their camp until the first dropship launches."
"With all due respect, we need those supplies, winter could show up any moment, not to mention that we do have a Grounder still." I started, going on, "I predict that his people have realized where he is, now. We need to be prepared not just for winter, but to defend ourselves from these savages."
Jaha was back on screen, "I agree with Jonah on this. To add on to her points, even if everything goes without a hitch, the hundred would die from exposure before the ground relief arrives." He then looked around, "I'd like a moment alone with Clarke, please, and I know, there's a line of parents waiting to talk to their kids. Clarke, Jonah, we're all very proud of what you've done down there."
"Who else would get things done down here" I mumbled walking away, off out of the tent, standing at the door. Seeing everyone at work. We had a little shelter, dedicated to just meats. We had people putting berries and nuts into little bags. It was safe to say, we would have enough food, at least for the start of winter.
Clarke then walked out of the tent, standing next to me, "Dax, you're up." She said aloud, looking to me she walked towards the dropship, me following behind.
"We need at least two people to scout out the shelter, we can't send a large group incase Grounder coming looking for, the one we have." I stated simply, "You go take Bellamy, I'll stay and keep camp alive." I ordered, going on, "Just make sure it's intact, salvageable, if it is, we can send a larger group to come clear it out. Even make it a second base, if we need to cut and run from this camp"
"You think we'd need to leave this camp?" She asked, looking to me.
I shrugged, "Strategically, yes I do. They, the Grounders, when they find out, assuming they haven't figured out we have one of theirs, they will come after us. We need a back up home. " I took a breath and went on, "Another scenario it'd be useful, is if their is a bad case of a flu spreading, we can leave the ill here, or take them there, keep the illness from spreading. That shelter could be useful. Or if we end up with another Murphy situation."
She nodded as we walked up the dropship doors, "I see your points, I agree, I'll go with Bellamy to see. What do you think will be there?"
"It was a military shelter, I'd assume, non perishables, blankets and weapons, the basics, hand guns semi automatics. if that's the case. I call dibs on one of each, a hand gun and semi automatic, also a blanket." I looked behind us, "We'll need to teach everyone how not to be stupid with them. Train them. Need to think, who should get one."
She nodded, looking over the camp with me, "Would you look over the training?"
I nodded, "Miller, Bellamy and I will set up sessions, at least show the basics, turn off the safety off, how to hold, aim and hit something moving. Doubt anyone will become experts, but hopefully we can teach them enough, before the guard comes down. Then they can teach us, properly."
We then walked into the dropship, seeing and Octavia, seemingly in the middle of a fight.
"Bellamy-" Clarke started, but is cut off by Bellamy.
"The answer is still no. I'm not talking to Jaha" He stated simply, walking over to us, only to be stopped by Clarke. I walked past him to Octavia, who looked at me, as I gave her a smile. We were getting the Grounder out, sometime soon.
Standing next to her, looking at Bellamy as he looked over at his sister, then back at Clarke, "I'll get my stuff, meet you in ten." Then they both left.
"What's going on?" Octavia asked me, curious.
"They're going out, we're getting the Grounder out soon. We have till tomorrow morning at least" I informed her, quietly.
She nodded, then we walked out of the dropship, watching as Clarke and Bellamy left camp, "Let me know what and when the plan is." Octavia muttered, as I watched a delinquent, Dax, one of the people that didn't hesitate to hang Murphy, at the same time didn't hesitate to follow Murphy's lead. On the Ark he killed a man. I raised an eyebrow as he walked out of the camp. Where was he going?
I stood outside the dropship, sharpening spears up, with Octavia, as we waited for Miller to come down.
"Go, I'll warn you when he's coming back" I whispered to her. Rushing her into the dropship. She then went rushing onto the
When he did I rushed Octavia to go up to the Grounder, to tell him to be ready, to tell him somehow, hopefully he'd understand. As I sat there sharpening a spear, with my own knife, not really paying attention. Just watching the camp as they went about packing and munching on roots, nuts, and curing meats. Being busy, getting ready, which was good, them being worried about what's next, that no one would pay attention to Octavia and I plotting and sneaking the Grounder out.
I looked to the tent where Miller had gone to tell Roma's parents, to tell them she was dead. Walking up towards the dropship, quickly I slid my knife down, the spear, purposely cutting the thenar space,- the skin between my thumb and pointer finger- obviously, causing bleeding, bad enough to cause anyone unfamiliar with the basic skin to worry, like Miller, while I knew I'd be fine, as long as I kept the self inflicted wound clean. I didn't cut to much of the soft tissue, not enough to actually worry about.
"Shit!" I hissed loudly, even if it was planned, it stung. As I dropped the spear and put the wound in my mouth, sucking the blood, licking the cut, knowing that my saliva would, help with clotting, to stop the bleeding.
"Hey, you alright Jonah?" Miller asked, rushing over, taking the knife away and folding it back so the blade wasn't showing.
I nodded, pulling my hand away, blood still flowing, "I'm going to go wash this." I said loudly, walking past him hoping Octavia heard me. Walking towards the tent with water, she had caught up with me, my thenar in my mouth I looked at her.
"You actually did cut yourself? Just to warn me?" She whispered, in worry, "It worked, kind of." I raised an eyebrow questioning her, How did it not work? She understood my look as she explained, "He talked to me." She whispered.
This was enough, to make me pull my hand away from my face, "He what? What did he say?" I demanded.
"He told me his name's Lincoln, and he thinks he's going to die." She whispered the last part.
"This is good - I mean that he understands English, that is such a weight off our shoulders, he won't freak out on us" I stated, we then walked into the water tent, it had a big tank, of water coming out of it, walking inside, someone - Raven - was there already filling the large bowl that was made out of ship parts, like the tank and the hose, that could be turned on, to put more water into the makeshift sink, and to keep water in.
Octavia and I both walked in, I grabbed a rag of the pole behind the little sink, dipping it into the water, and cleaning the blood off my wrist and hand. Then I wrapped it around my hand, tying it on. While, Octavia washed the blood soaked rag she had into the water. The tension between Raven and Octavia - me not so much - could be cut with a knife.
Raven was the first one to speak, "I's hate to see the other guy."
"You did, when you were torturing him." Octavia growled at her.
"Finn was dying. I'm not gonna apologize for doing what I had to do." Raven retorted simply.
Then Octavia, spoke, with a sassful, and a bitch of a tone, "It must suck to come all the way down here to find out your boyfriend is into somebody else." I smirked, glad she was speaking like that, I just wished I could've chimed in as well, but I couldn't do that. I needed to keep my mouth shut, I didn't want Raven, someone as useful as her, as an enemy, nor did I want her to blow me off when I gave her a command.
"I'm not doing this with you!" Raven snapped, leaving with a rag, I presume is for Finn.
"Have I mentioned how much I treasure our friendship, if not, this is me treasuring it." I stated, we then walked out, I went to a nearby fire, planning to use my knife, to get it really warm and cauterize my hand, to force the bleeding to stop. Octavia right behind.
"What's the plan?" She asked. I looked around the camp, it, everyone seemed off.
I looked to Conner, who was dancing around the camp - with a stick - Harper McIntyre was talking to a wall, Zoe Montoe was, along with others running around with blankets tied to their necks, like they were pretending to be superheros. "Am I the only one seeing this?" I asked Octavia. Was I the crazy one?
"What is going on?" She whispered, "I'll go find out, I'll be right back." she then walked away, while a young kid, I knew as Myles ran to me with a container.
"This isn't water!" He cried, taking the container, opening the lid, I took one smell, knowing exactly what it was, moonshine.
"Myles, what have you eaten all day?" I questioned him, but he ran away, before he could answer. Shaking my head, I pulled my kife out, pouring some of the moonshine on it, then putting it in the fire, till I could feel the handle warming up. Removing the bleed through rag, I put the warm red end on my hand, hissing as I drug the warm blade over the wound. I could smell my flesh melting in the process. Once I drug the blade to the other end of my wound I dropped it, wrapping the wet - now red and bloody rag over the now burned area, leaving the rag hanging over it, I then grabbed the container of moonshine - with my good hand - and took two gulps, hoping it would dull my senses enough so I wouldn't feel the pain. Closing it, I stuffed it into my back pocket, and wrapped my hand up, hissing in pain as the rag, or my good hand brushed my wound. I wanted to scream in pain when I pulled the knot.
"It's these." Octavia stated, walking over, holding one of the green nuts that we had been storing, "This was all people have been eating." She stated, while I picked up my knife, putting it on my belt loop, I looked at the nut. And up at her, I knew she was thinking exactly what I was thinking. "When?" She questioned, wanting to start the unspoken plan.
"I'll go up there first, you come up moments later, toss both Miller and I a pack of nuts." I whispered to her, plotting as I walked to the dropship, standing on the end of the door, not yet inside the ship, I looked to Octavia, "When he's acting like everyone else, I'll send him down the ladder, you find clothes for Lincoln, so we can sneak him out, and keep everyone in camp, till then, alright?"
She nodded, "Sound's like a plan, go" She hissed.
Climbing up the ladder I opened the hatch, wincing as I applied preasure to my bad hand, climbing up it onto the third floor, where Miller and the Grounder - the man Lincoln were.
"What are you doing up here?" He asked, walking over, getting in the way as I stood up, after closing the hatch.
I showed him my hand, still covered with the bloody rag, "Waiting for this to stop bleeding, I don'" I whined at him, "I don't need the camp looking at me and being worried, we need them working" he let me past. I ended up on a box, against the wall on the opposite side of Lincoln. Thankfully, Miller wasn't bright enough to unwrap the rag from my hand, then he'd know it's not bleeding anymore.
For ten minutes I looked at the Grounder. Whom looked like shit. As his dark gaze was locked with mine. Was he ready? Eventually, he'd be free. Hopefully, I wouldn't regret letting him go. It was quiet, up till the hatch of the door opened. Octavia, popping her head in.
I glared at her, "Octavia" I warned her. Playing the part.
"Get out!" Miller snapped at her.
"Relax" Octavia said, indefense, tossing Miller a little sack, and me as well, "I thought you both might be hungry, think of this as a peace offering." She then looked to Lincoln, then back at Miller, "I shouldn't have come up here alone earlier. It was stupid and dangerous, and he's not worth it anyway" her act was perfect, "I won't tell Bellamy if you guys don't"
Then the girl was gone. Leaving, us. I alike Miller opened the bag, but instead of eating any of the beans, I'd put one close to my mouth and drop it back into my lap.
It felt like ages before Miller started flipping out. He was acting all loopy, laughing at every other thing.
"Nathan" I said, holding the latch open, "Go down stairs and get some water, alright?" I ordered him.
He walked over, pointing at me, laughing obnoxiously, and sat there laughing for a solid five minutes, man I didn't know I was this funny. Thankfully, Octavia was already climbing up the ladder, without a thought I punched threw a temple punch at Miller, punching him in his temple, the side of his face, just above his eyebrows. Making his head snap to the side, and the rest of him to just fall.
"I brought clothes" Octavia stated, once she was up here, she looked to Miller, "Why did we need the nuts? You could've just done that."
"Come on" I hissed, rushing to Lincoln, cutting the restraints from the mans hands, he let out a breath of a grunt, in relief as his arms were no longer being held up, "Put the clothes on, you're getting out of here now" I ordered him, Octavia, helping him, to put a jacket on, as I went down the ladder, to the first floor. No one was there, or on the second floor of the dropship. Good. walking to the tarp that was in the doorway, i poked my head out it as both Octavia and Lincoln, joined me. I looked to Lincoln, I put a hand on my still sore neck, man he was tall and scary, "I'll let you know when to come, alright? There is a small opening in the wall, I'll clear the way then you run out of the camp, go home."
Not waiting for an answer, I walked pasty a campfire, where Raven was hugging Connor, while Finn was sitting at the fire. Once at the small opening, I shoved some of the debry out of the way, making the opening bigger, for the big guy. I only had to put two people in a corner. Standing at the hole, I looked to the dropship, seeing the whites of the tanned mans eyes, I nodded, and he just bolted.
My heart stopped when Lincoln, basically ran into someone. The someone turned there head, towards me, I could see the familiar face of Finn, whose eyes widened as he let the Grounder slide by.
Lincoln looked to me, "Just go, don't make me regret this." I whispered, not wanting him hear any longer. He quickly squeezed through the still small hole, and ran. Then I covered the hole back up, with the sticks and branches that were there before hand. Just enough so no one else would use it. I still wanted it to be an easy exit route. Turning around, Finn was already an arms length, I shrugged at him, "You saw nothing" I hissed, walking past him, only for him to grab my wrist.
"It was a good call." He whispered lightly.
"You, and Raven keep everyone in the camp, I'm going to go to the gate post" I mumbled, walking away from him, to the front and only gate. Walking up the steps I looked into the woods. While I listened to the camp calm down, back from the high.
"The Grounders gone!" Millers voice echoed, I turned to look at the young black man stumble out of the dropship, with a small, bruise on his face. "He must've knocked me out and and ran." He stated loudly. I'll let Lincoln take the fall for it... This time.
The camp begane to panic.
"What if he brings other grounders?"
"Jonah, what's happened?" I turned back to look down on the outside of the gate, seeing both Clarke and Bellamy.
"I think we all - or most of the camp, got high" I stated, seeing they had they had large bags, "Anything pretty for me?" I questioned, as I walked down the steps, to open the door.
"One pistol and assault rifle, right?" Clarke stated, as I pulled the door open.
Standing in the doorway, I was then handed on of each, and a orange heavy blanket, I looked to them both, "Give the blanket to someone else, if this is all that was found?"
Clarke shrugged as Bellamy walked past, "It's all we found." She whispered, I handed it back to her, putting the pistol into the back of my pants, and slinging the slash of the assault rifle over my shoulder, she noticed my hand, "What happened?"
"He'll kill us or worse!" Someone cried, making she and I pay attention to the camp.
"Let the Grounders come." Bellamy's voice rang throughout the camp, everyone looking to him, "We've been afraid of them for far too long, and why? Because of their knives and spears. I don't know about you, I'm tired of being afraid" Both he and Clarke dropped the guns down onto the ground.
I then took a step forward, "These are weapons, only to be used on Grounders, if and when they attack. Not on food, or each other. " I declared, I knew deep down, they would come after us. Once Lincoln got home. I know I'd attack if one of mine were sent home, looking the way he did.
Clarke stood aside Bellamy and I, "We need to be prepared to give them to the Guard when they come down. But until then they're going to help keep us safe. " She looked to me, "There are plenty more where this came from, tomorrow Jonah will start the training."
I nodded looking to the camp, "When the Grounders come for us, we're going to be ready to fight. Training starts in the morning at sunrise with me, Miller in the afternoon and Bellamy at night. If you don't make it to any of the sessions, you will not be allowed out with a gun."
Later that evening as most of the camp was turning in for the night, while I sat by a fire with the canister of moonshine in hand, my rifle against my leg, now it had a yellow tape, that was on the ship on the grip of the gun, matching the pistol, that also had yellow tape on the grip. They were for sure mine now.
I couldn't fall asleep, the quiet night, with only the sounds of the fire crackling, and a light breeze, caused my thoughts to wander. Did I help release Lincoln for no reason? If he and his people came storming down our walls, I would shoot him, and any other Grounder that would come. I'd do what I could to buy my people time. So was it a waste to let Lincoln go? No! It was the right thing to do. If he comes back though, that action would cause a lot of people to die.
I sighed at the thoughts' this was going to be a long night.