CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
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     EYES DROOPING, she stared at the radio, hoping that it would go off any moment. Just knowing Bellamy was okay, things would be so much easier.

     Raven had gone off to see what the commotion in the halls was about. Clarke had just arrived in a frenzy of chaos but Taylor didn't care much for seeing her at that moment.

     It had been a few hours since they had arrived but Taylor was mostly just tired. She had taken up the habit of sleeping and eating near the radio, taking watch of it when Raven couldn't.

     Raven entered the room looking a little bothered and smiled a little when she saw Taylor.

     "He'll be fine, you know," she said, sitting down next to her. "Bellamy's got this. You should take a break."

     Taylor glanced at her in protest but Raven shook her head. "If he calls in, I'll let you know as soon as he does," she assured. Taylor nodded.

     She stood up, leaving the room with one last glance at the radio.

__________

      Clarke's arrival turned out to be a lot more significant than she had originally thought it was. On their way back, they'd captured someone from Mount Weather that had attempted to assassinate Clarke.

      It was something she expected to be informed of much earlier than she was, standing there in front of the man trapped in the airlock with crossed arms.

      Kane, Abby, and her mother stood to one side while Taylor stood directly in front of it, Clarke to her side.

     Burn marks ravaged the man's face, now healed over slightly, but a clear picture of what radiation could do to someone like him.

     "Carl Emerson, Mount Weather security detail," the man, Emerson, repeated for what was probably about the fifth time.

     "You already said. You don't seem to be grasping the situation here," Kane let out, frustrated, speaking to him through the comms to the airlock. "You should've died in the woods. We saved your life. Why not help us bring an end to all this?"

     Emerson paused before repeating his name and rank all over again. Taylor looked at him with contempt.

     "He's not gonna talk," Clarke said, looking through a few papers and pictures they had found on him. One of them was a picture of Clarke and Lexa, their faces circled in red. The targets.

     "He will if we open the door," Kane suggested, Emerson shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

      "Marcus, no," Elara dismissed, stepping forward in attempts to meet Kane's eyes. Abby strode over and pushed the button that deactivated the communication system.

     "We are not doing that," she finalized, shaking her head. Clarke was still rooting through Emerson's things while Kane justified himself to Abby.

     "She's right, torture doesn't work," Clarke agreed, turning over a strange tubular device in her fingers.

     "Clarke, it could save your friends," Kane told her desperately, but Abby turned around, pointing at him authoritatively.

     "I am the Chancellor!" she justified.

     "Then act like one!" Kane snapped angrily, stepping forward a few feet to meet Abby. "I told you I would support you as long as I believed you were doing the right thing."

     "I am. And if you disagree, convene a vote and take my place."

     "I don't give a damn about the title! I just wanna save our people!" he exasperated earnestly, Abby giving him a hard look. Taylor had walked forward, approaching the glass as Kane stepped away from it.

     Emerson stared at her boldly.

     "So do I," Abby responded.

     Kane, clearly frustrated, walked away in a huff, ignoring Abby as he did so.

     "Marcus," Elara muttered, storming away after him.

     "I want this man under twenty-four hour guard," Abby ordered the guards positioned near either side of the airlock doors. "Is that clear?"

     And with that, Abby was also gone.

     There had to be something they could do to make him talk. But when Taylor looked at his now smug face, she turned away in means to follow the rest of them.

     Before she could leave the area, however, Clarke caught her by the arm. "Have you heard anything from Bellamy yet?" she inquired, a bit of concern evident in her eyes that almost made Taylor want to scoff.

     "I don't know why you're asking me that," she replied, shrugging away Clarke's grip.

     "Raven says you've been near the radio a lot," Clarke clarified, pulling her hand away and hardening her gaze.

     "Yeah. That's where I'm headed. But that's not what I meant," Taylor said, her voice distant and cold. "I get that you want results, but we'll tell you if we hear anything. Because we're so expendable we wouldn't want to waste your time with being weak and all."

     Clarke's eyes were wide as Taylor turned around, leaving her alone by the airlock.

__________

     She sat alone again by the radio, staring blankly, hoping there would be anything Raven needed help with that she could assist. Not doing anything and thinking about the prospect of Bellamy being dead was a hard day-to-day activity.

     "I can totally replicate this frequency," Raven was saying as she walked through the doors, Clarke following her close behind. Raven was holding the same strange object in her hand that Clarke held by the airlock.

     When Raven hit the button, a high pitched whine was emitted throughout the room. She recognized the sound from when they were escaping Mount Weather — it was what the Mountain Men used against Reapers.

     "Good. If we can neutralize the Reapers, the tunnels are an option," she thought out, nodding to herself as she paced while Raven took a seat next to Taylor. "Get on it."

     "You don't need to give me orders, Clarke, I got this," Raven shot back quietly, not even looking at Clarke but instead the device in her hands.

     Before Clarke could say anything in response, heavy footsteps and Octavia's voice interrupted them.

     "Raven!" she called out. "Any word from Bellamy?"

     Octavia looked like she had just spent days in the woods, dirt covering nearly every inch of her. Black warpaint was smeared over her eyes.

     "Not yet," Raven answered grimly.

     "Lincoln's still missing too. He should be back by now!" Octavia exclaimed, leaning forward in frustration. Clarke put a hand on her arm comfortingly.

     "They'll be okay," she asserted.

     "They better be. The whole plan rests on Bellamy getting in," Raven commented, slight undertones of irritation slipping out of her voice. Clarke looked at Raven, upset, as she took her hand away from Octavia's arm.

     "He will," she said confidently. Complete silence enveloped all of them and Taylor finally looked back to give Clarke a meaningful look. She didn't seem guilty at all, not in the slightest.

     "Councilor Kane and Clarke Griffin please report to the south airlock immediately," the intercom announced, Clarke looking at each of them before hurrying out of the room.

     "We'll finish this later," she rushed out.

__________

     Taylor carefully opened the tone generator, exposing all of its wires and inter workings. "Is that good?" she asked Raven, the girl smiling faintly and nodding.

     "Now I just need a look inside so I can see how it works," she explained. Taylor was trying desperately to make herself useful.

     "We're too late," Clarke announced, entering the room dejectedly. Her meeting with her mother and Kane must have ended in a hurry. "They're already bleeding them."

     Clarke looked somewhat tearful and shrugged, looking at the radio that continued to play Jasper's message.

     "It's over," she decided. Raven put down her screwdriver and stood up, facing Clarke directly in anger.

     "No! You don't get to give up, Clarke," she snapped, Taylor standing up next to her, glancing between the two. It made her just as angry as it was making Raven. "You killed Finn and I didn't give up. I'm building a damn tone generator. You do your job."

     "You can't just give up because they just now started hurting our people, that's not how it fucking works, Clarke," Taylor spoke, her eyes livid. Clarke looked on blankly, tears still in her eyes.

     "What is my job? How does it work?" she rebuked, her angered tone contrasting the moisture in her eyes.

     "I don't know! To come up with something!" Raven answered, also on the verge of dissolving into tears.

     "I have tried," Clarke defended, Taylor crossing her arms and opening her mouth to fire something back at her.

     "Camp Jaha, this is Mount Weather, can anyone read me?" Bellamy's voice rushes through the radio receiver. Everyone in the room froze. It was him, he did it. Taylor would recognize his voice anywhere.

     Clarke crossed the room quickly, beating everyone else to the radio. "Holy crap," Raven breathed, grabbing the part that could be spoken into to Clarke. Taylor stood back as she grabbed it, hesitating to speak for a moment. She was just about to push Clarke over and do it herself.

     "Bellamy?" she said, pressing the button before she spoke.

     "Clarke?"

     Clarke closed her eyes in relief and pushed the button again. "Are you alright?"

     "I'm fine." Taylor stepped back and let out a breath she didn't even realize that she was holding. "We have to talk fast, something has changed. Jasper, Monty, everyone, is locked in the dorms."

     "But they're alive?" Clarke clarified, hopeful that it didn't sound like everyone was dead yet despite her readiness to give up a few minutes prior. "All of them?"

     "I think so, for now," Bellamy replied with uncertainty, Clarke leaning down in relief nonetheless. "Maya says they're already using their blood and things are gonna get ugly in here real fast."

     Taylor glanced at Raven and Clarke uneasily. It horrified her to think that her friends could end up being the people they saw trapped in cages — suffering and about to die.

     "Maya's with you?" Clarke inquired, obviously remembering how tension filled things were between the girl and herself.

     "She helped me escape. If not for her, I'd be dead," Bellamy confirmed. "And Clarke — there are kids in here. We need a plan that doesn't kill everyone. Please tell me we have one."

     "I hear you," Clarke started, "but we can't do anything until we disable the acid fog. Raven's going to help you. You have to find a way to free the Grounder prisoners. There's a whole army inside that mountain and they don't even realize it."

     "Trojan horse. Good plan," Bellamy commended and Taylor smiled at the mythology reference. It reminded her of reading to Octavia on late nights when she couldn't sleep.

     "What does Maya think? Is it doable?" Clarke questioned, holding her breath in hope for a yes.

     "She's says it's not a problem," Bellamy answered after a pause. "Clarke, if I'm going to pull this off I need you to buy me some time. It won't be long before they realize I don't belong here and if that happens —"

     "That can't happen," Clarke interrupted. "I'll come up with something."

      "Come up with it quick," Bellamy half joked, Clarke nodding her head with a slight smile.

     "Copy that," she responded sarcastically. "And Bellamy?"

     "Yeah?"

     "You came through. I knew you would."

     Taylor took a few more steps back and took a deep breath, Clarke and Bellamy exchanging a few more words before she handed the radio off to Raven.

     Raven glanced at Taylor and offered her the radio while Clarke started to leave the room.

     "What are you gonna do?" Raven asked her, standing up straight to look at her directly.

     "I'm gonna keep them looking outside instead of in," she replied confidently. "And I need you with me, Taylor."

     Taylor looked at her questioningly, saying harshly, "You're going to have to wait a second." She turned and grabbed the radio from Raven and pushed down on the button. "Bell?"

     "Taylor?" he asked in relief, his tone changing slightly.

     She smiled and let out a short, breathy laugh. "Thank you for pulling through on that not getting killed thing. You're doing a great job," she grinned.

     "I plan to keep doing that," he laughed.

     "I'll talk to you, later okay? I promise," she assured, her hands shaking a little bit as she held the radio button down.

     "Okay."

     "And Bellamy? I..." she trailed off, feeling everyone else in the room staring at her intently. "I'm handing you to Raven now."

     Taylor released the button and handed the radio to Raven, spinning around to face Clarke. They stepped out into the hallway as not to disturb Raven's briefing and she looked at the girl expectantly.

     "I know you're angry with me. But I need you to be with me on this. I'm sending a message to Mount Weather and I need you to stand behind me because Kane and my mother won't," she explained hastily, her voice far more confident than it was when they were all arguing a mere few minutes ago.

     "Fine. But I'm not doing this for you."

__________

      Clarke walked calmly through the hallways with purpose, Taylor by her side trying to look as confident as Clarke did. Octavia followed them with a large group of Lexa's men, their footsteps echoing loudly down the small hallway.

      When they arrived at the airlock the guard put up his hand and shook his head, protesting quietly, "Clarke."

      "Don't," she commanded ruthlessly, stepping past him until they were both face to face with Emerson. He looked just as smug as he did hours previously. She spoke to him directly, "Get dressed. You're coming with me."

      Once Emerson was in his hazmat suit and fully equipped to go outside, two of the Grounders grabbed his arms and forced him forward.

      The group walked back the same path, emerging from the ship without a passing glance to everyone else.

     A few of their people gathered around in curiosity, eyeing Emerson in shock and curiosity.

     Abby and Kane quickly joined them near their path, blocking them from the front. "Clarke, what are you doing?" Kane questioned.

     "Clarke, stop!" her mother ordered, putting up a hand to stop their quick pace. Taylor slowed next to Clarke and stared at Abby and Kane emotionlessly.

     "No. I'm letting the prisoner go," Clarke decided, not faltering in front of Abby.

     "Absolutely not!" Abby protested.

     "He hasn't told us anything yet," Kane agreed.

     "And he won't," Taylor interjected simply, earning her a flabbergasted glance from Kane.

     "He doesn't have to. He's going to tell them something," Clarke explained. Abby looked like she wanted nothing more than the situation to be over.

     Glancing over her shoulder, she commanded the guards, "Get the prisoner back to the airlock."

     But the minute the guards moved forward, the Grounders drew their weapons, the sound of swords and knives unsheathing piercing the air.

     The guards stopped short, both groups at a stalemate.

     "You may be the Chancellor, but I'm in charge."

     Abby stared at her daughter following those words, dumbfounded. "Indra, tell your people to stand down before this gets out of hand," she requested, as if she had any authority over them.

     "No," Indra denied quickly.

     "People could get hurt." Abby seemed almost scared of her daughter in that moment. Elara, who was sitting at the same table as Abby and Kane when they arrived, finally walked up to the scene.

     "What's going on here?" she demanded.

     "Not if you get out of the way," Clarke told her, short and to the point.

     "People are already getting hurt, Abby," Taylor added, ignoring her mother and receiving a blank glance from Abby.

     "You need to trust that I know what's right for us," Clarke finished condescendingly. She didn't back down. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Kane leaned in hesitantly.

     "The Grounders trust Clarke. Maybe we should too," he said quietly, looking at her and Taylor approvingly.

     Taylor nodded at him appreciatively while Abby ordered the guards to stand down. Once they were back on their path, Clarke ordered the frontmost guards to open the gate and Emerson was brought in front of her.

     "Can you hear me alright? Because I need to make sure you get this," Clarke began coldly.

     "Loud and clear," Emerson confirmed. Taylor didn't shift from her position just behind Clarke, near Octavia. His presence bothered her, she was glad to see him go.

     "I have a message for your leader. We're coming for him. You're watching us, but you haven't seen a thing. The Grounder army is bigger than you think. And even if you could find it, your acid fog can't hurt them. And now, thanks to you," she recited, clear and coherent — this was Clarke in her element. She held up a tone generator, pushing the button to display the sound for a moment. "Neither can the Reapers. So you have one last chance. Let our people go and we'll let you live. It's just that simple."

      Clarke looked down at his oxygen tank and pulled out a component of it. "It's an eight hour walk back to Mount Weather?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

     The part that she pulled out drained oxygen as soon as she pushed a small button on it. Clarke waited a moment for good measure as the dial on the tank's display winded down dangerously.

     "You're gonna do it in six."