Reckless ~ Sequel to Shameless {Bellamy Blake}

5~ Reapers and Tunnels

My feet move forward and I immediately try to free the helpless Grounders. I grab onto the bars of a little boys' cage and pull on them. My knuckles turn white as I grip the metal harder.

"Stop it, Tatum." Clarke says, grabbing my wrist. "We can't help them right now. All the cages are locked."

I look down at the sealed cages and realize she's right. We can't help them without weapons, keys, and the ability to fight back. Which neither of us have.

Loud footsteps come from right outside the double doors that are concealing this area.

"Someone's coming." Clarke mumbles. She grabs my arm and looks around for a place to hide. There's no where.

"Clarke!" I grab her attention. "This way." I say pushing on a door that says END CONTAINMENT AREA.

Once we're inside the door shuts abruptly behind us. An alarm starts blaring and a big red light starts flashing around the tiny room. Suddenly, the ground opens beneath, dumping us down into an unknown place. All I see is my hands trying to grip something as I'm falling, effortlessly, through the air. Then I hit something with a CRACK and close my eyes tightly, hoping it isn't one of my bones. I open my eyes and turn my head. Something white and hard is next to me but I can't quite figure out what it his. I reach over and pick it up..it's a skeleton head.

"Aah!-" I begin screaming.

"Shh!" Clarke yells, covering my mouth with her hand.

I examine more and realize we're in some kind of cart in an underground tunnel or some sort.

"Take my hand." Clarke whispers after climbing out of the cart herself.

I reach up and grab her hand, pulling myself out.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"The mines, I think." Clarke answers walking over to a little makeshift table on the side of the dark tunnel. "Grab some." Clarke says, looking over at the table of knives.

I grab as many as I possibly can, storing them wherever possible on my body.

A loud voice comes from further down the tunnel. Large shadows emerge on the walls.

"Reapers." Clarke says. "Quick! Get in the cart."

I grab the edge of the cart and jump back in. The fact that I'm laying on dead people, slightly freaking me out. The voices become louder as the Reapers approach. Fear embeds in me as I remember all the dreadful things Finn and Clarke had told us about them. Suddenly something very large and hard hits my stomach. The Reapers are throwing more dead bodies in with us. Clarke is on my right, pressing her body against the side of the cart. The Reaper that threw the bodies in the cart grabs the edge of the cart and starts wheeling us down the tunnel. The only thing I can see is the top of the Reaper's head and the ceiling of the tunnel. The ceiling has carving in it. Some nice carvings, of like trees and such, others have dead bodies and killings.

The cart comes to a stop and one of the Grounders that was in our cart is taken out. I turn quickly and get on my knees, peering over the edge of the cart. The Reapers all stand, hovering over a fire, feeding on the Grounder. I grab the edge of the cart and pull myself out, making sure to keep low and not make any noise. With the Reapers distracted, this is our perfect opportunity to escape. I lend Clarke my hand and she grabs it, silently pulling herself out of the cart.

We both take cautious steps down the rest of the tunnel until the tunnel turns, and we take off running.

***

"This place is a maze!" I yell out, frustratingly. "There's no way out, Clarke."

We have been walking/running for hours on end, trying to find an exit. For some reason, we always end up right back in the same place.

"Clarke, what do you think they were doing to the Grounders?" I ask.

"Taking their blood." Clarke says, putting little marks in the wall.

"Yeah, I know that. But why?"

"I think it helps them. Heals them even. Remember about the guy I saw. He had at least fourth degree burns and then the next day...almost back to normal." Clarke answers.

Loud banging noises come from behind us. Large shadows and voices follow the noises.

"The Reapers." I mumble.

"They're back." Clarke finishes. "Run!"

We both take off in the opposite direction. It doesn't matter how far we run, how fast we run the Reapers will end up catching up to us. They're too fast, too strong. And there's no exit to this place. We're gonna die. I'm gonna die. At least I'll be with Bellamy. At least I will no longer have to live on this Earth without him.

"Why'd you stop?" I question, as Clarke stops running.

"We're at a dead end." Clarke answers.

The loud yelling of the Reapers are getting louder and louder. And before I knew it, they were cornering us. Clarke and I have our backs against the wall, trying desperately to free ourselves of them. One of them, skin messed up and blood dripping from his face, runs over to me. His face inches from mine. He opens his mouth and I can't help but flinch back. Drool comes down and out of his mouth, hitting my arm.

Then, a loud screeching noise echoes throughout the tunnels, and the Reapers begin covering their ears, flinching and stepping backwards.

The Mountain Men appear, carrying a device that emits a high-pitched tone that seems to repel the Reapers.

"Clarke Griffin, Tatum Sydney, you're going to have to come with us." One of them speaks through their gas masks.

"No." I yell. "We saw everything. We'll tell everyone what you're up to."

"That's why you'll end up in the Harvest Chamber instead." The Mountain Man replies.

The Mountain Men close in on us. There lasers pointed at us, when Clarke attacks, punching one of them in the stomach. I grab my knife from my boot and use it to defend myself. The Mountain Men began getting too close so I had to use it differently. I kicked one of them in the shin and grabbed his face mask, slicing it with my knife. The mask came peeling off the Mountain Man, exposing the man to radiation. The man's face began getting burns and scratches all over his skin.

"Tatum, let's go!" Clarke yells, as she's already half way down the tunnel. I run after her, the Mountain Men distracted by the burning of one of them.

We come upon the end of the tunnel that opens out into the side of Philpott Dam.

"We can't swim!" I yell, looking over at Clarke.

The Mountain Men had obviously regained strength and were now on their way after us, gaining speed.

"What do we do?" Clarke asks, looking at me hopefully.

I look at Clarke, then back at the Mountain Men and then down at the Dam.

"Do you trust me?" I yell over the loud noise the waterfall is making.

"Yeah." Clarke yells back.

I grab her hand in mine and walk backwards a few steps. I begin running at full speed, dragging Clarke with me, before my feet hit the edge of the dam and I launch myself out. And I feel myself falling. Falling through the air. From up here you can see the tops of the trees and the beautiful sky. And then, with the impact of a bullet, we hit the water.