23: M u r d e r e r i n O u r M i d s t





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[PREVIOUSLY: As Octavia lays recovering, struggling with her vying loyalty to Bellamy despite his misdeeds, Atom, another of Clarke's patients, suffers a seizure and dies. The one hundred prisoners of the Ark are now down to ninety-eight. Who will be next?]


A soft groan escaped my lips as I struggled to contain the pain that was throbbing throughout my body. With great difficulty, I lifted one leg and slammed it against the cold metal of the wiry ladder. Then, I lifted my other leg and placed it beside the first one. My hands were blistered and clammy; my arms were shaking from my tightened, weak muscles.

C'mon, Octavia, you can do this, c'mon! I told myself as I hoisted my body farther up the ladder. Just one more step and you'll be there ....

"Octavia!"

I paused and rolled my eyes as I lifted my head to face the speaker. "Oh hi Bell. How nice to see you," the sarcasm dripped off my words. "Can you let me up, please?"

When Bellamy hesitated to reply, I prodded his boot with my finger and complained loudly, "Aw c'mon, Bell! I've come all this way!"

"Let her up, Bellamy," Clarke's voice cut through the air. "She deserves to know what's going on."

"Urgh, fine," Bellamy let out an exaggerated huff and stepped to the side to make way for me.

I grinned as I dragged myself the rest of the way up the ladder. "Thanks, Bell," I beamed as I plonked my weary body on the upper floor of the drop-ship. "Soooo ... what are you guys doing all the way up here?"

Bellamy shushed everyone as he fastened the trap door leading down to the lower level of the drop-ship. Then, he offered me a hand and helped me to my feet before gently leading me over to where the others were standing around a makeshift oak table; the others being Clarke, Finn, Raven and Monty.

I raised my eyebrows as I surveyed them. "So, you're deciding whose important enough to be boss, huh? My bet's on Raven. She'd make a badass leader."

"Quit being a smart-ass and listen why don't you?" Bellamy reproved me as he dropped my arm and moved over to the table opposite Clarke.

"Well, if you'd hurry up and tell me I might," I shot back.

"Okay, that settles it, you're the queen of comebacks," Raven laughingly stated. "But Bellamy's right. We need to listen to him. Now is not the time for jokes."

"What's got your undies in a knot?" I grumbled as I crossed my arms and leaned back. I was cross, partly because I wasn't feeling amazing, with my half-healed injuries and all, and secondly, because I didn't have a clue what was going on and it was annoying me.

Clarke interrupted my pity-party by saying, "We need to ration the food."

"Wait, what? Why?" I demanded, perking up with interest.

"We don't have enough food to sustain us for long out here," Clarke explained with a shrug. "It we cut down on the supplies, we can stretch them out to last us at least another week."

"That makes sense," Monty confirmed with a nod of his head.

I tilted my head to the side and scrutinised Clarke as she looked over some papers that were in her hands. My gaze shifted from Clarke to Finn, who, to my surprise, was staring straight at me.

"There's no way we can get to Mount Weather without being hacked to pieces by grounders," Finn spoke up, his dark eyes boring holes into my own. "We've taken our risks with them and I, for one, am not willing to sacrifice any more lives. Why they aren't attacking us, I don't know. Maybe they don't see us as a threat, not yet at least, or maybe they're just playing with us - taunting us."

"I'm more inclined to think that it's the latter," Raven commented as she moved closer to Finn and slipped a protective arm around his waist. "What about that letter the boys found with Izzy's body? I mean, c'mon."

A chill ran down my spine as I recollected the events. "Please, let's not talk about that."

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Finn sent me yet another subtle, sideways glance. I furrowed my brow and bit my lip. What was up with him?

"The grounders can survive without bunkers stocked with food," Clarke cut in brusquely. "That means that we can do the same. We just need to know how."

"The grounders are cutting off our food supply," Bellamy pointed out. "They're purposefully draining the hunting grounds and I wouldn't be surprised if they've started damming up the rivers around here as well. They're trying to draw us out."

"We just need to be on high alert," Clarke agreed with a nod of her head. "The camp walls are only a few hours away from completion. Tonight, we draw lots to see who'll be guarding the gates. We must have at least four gunmen at their stations twenty-four seven. We'll swap between different people, do around-the-clock shifts, and organise the others who aren't guarding the base into hunting, building, cooking, crafting and mechanic teams. The faster we build up our defences, the more chance we have against those grounders. Each of us will supervise one of these teams with everyone reporting back to me and Bellamy."

"Oh, so you are the boss, then?" I guffawed, directing my sassy tone towards Clarke.

"Octavia," Bellamy sent me a pointed look.

"No, I just think it's funny that a few days ago, you and Bellamy couldn't stand each other and now you're sitting in here talking like old pals," I scoffed. "Does anyone else think that's a bit, I dunno, weird?"

"We do what we need to do in order to survive!" Clarke countered, sending me a withering stare.

"Can we break this up now?" Monty piped up. "I think we've discussed enough details for the present and besides, it's starting to get a little heated in here."

"I wonder whose fault that is," Bellamy frowned at me.

"Wait, where's Wells?" Clarke demanded as she scanned the room. "He's supposed to be here for the meeting; I told him about it last night."

"Maybe he's running late," Raven shrugged.

"Running late?" Clarke repeated incredulously. "He's missed the entire thing!"

"Last time I heard, Wells went to get water from the creek or something," Monty commented.

For a moment, silence reigned.

Then, Bellamy broke it by asking, a suspicious note in his voice, "Has anyone seen him since then?"

Monty shrugged. "I - I dunno ..."

Clarke and Bellamy exchanged horrified glances. Then, they instantly dropped what they were doing and raced for the trap door.

"Wait! What's going on?" I yelped as I struggled to maintain my balance. Raven and Monty dashed past me and followed Clarke and Bellamy down the ladder. "Wait for me! Please?"

"Here, I'll help you," Finn suddenly appeared by my side. He grasped my waist and slung my arm around his neck. "C'mon."

I nodded thankfully at him as he assisted my weary, torn body down the ladder and to the lower level of the drop-ship. Once we reached the ground, I swiftly pulled away from him.

"Thanks but I'm good now."

"You sure?" Finn inquired, concerned.

"Yes and to be honest, I don't see why you'd care," I snapped out in response. "You have Raven now."

Finn's features stiffened from surprise and anger as he backed away from me. Before he could retort, however, a loud cry rose up from outside.

Finn and I rushed to the drop-ship door, both wondering what on earth the commotion was all about this time.

As we stumbled outside, we saw Clarke, Bellamy, Monty and Raven confronting a terrified and panting Bryce.

"W-what happened? Bryce?" I shouted out as I hurried over to him. Reaching out, I placed a soothing hand on the boy's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Bryce exhaled heavily as he glanced up at me. His eyes were red-rimmed and watery and his cheeks were wet with shed tears.

"Bryce!" I gasped, amazed and worried. "W-what's going on?"

Bryce straightened up and pulled a yellow-handled knife from his belt. It was covered in blood, bright red drops of it pooling on the ground below.

"W-what the heck?" I stepped back in horror. "Where did you find that?"

"It's not a fact of where I found it, Octavia, it's with whom," he replied, his entire body quivering with fear.

"What do you mean?" Clarke demanded sharply.

I raised a warning hand that signalled for her to back off before turning my attention back to Bryce. "C'mon, you can tell me, it's okay," I assured him.

Bryce shook his head. "No ... it's not, Octavia. It's not! I - I found this n-next to a body ... Wells' body."

Everyone collectively gasped and drew back in shock.

"W-what? Wells?"

"Yeah," Bryce sniffled as he rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. "B-but the grounders didn't do this to him, Octavia, one of our own people did!"


Gif: Octavia as she sits through the meeting.



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