The Revival of Hope

3. Monty

"Monty what have you done?" My mother yelled. "You'll get us both in trouble!" Her gaze hurt. It was like she was stabbing with me a knife repeatedly in my heart.

I knew that she sided with Pike and that she put all her trust into him, but he wasn't the same man that he was on the ark. He said he was for the people but he was for himself.

Kane, Lincoln, Sinclair, they all did that they thought was best for us. Lincoln tried to protect the innocent from persecution, now he will be executed on their behalf. Kane and Sinclair only wanted to bring Pike down so that no more would be killed unjustly.

They didn't deserve to die for a man with no greater cause than for himself.

Why couldn't she understand?

"I will not let my friends die for a man like that to be satisfied." I replied as I looked down at the system in front of me.

"Don't you see, these friends have corrupted you. You were never like this, a criminal, a traitor." Her voice sounded broken as she paced back and forth.

She didn't want to believe that I was the same boy who was sent down, the same one who hacked the system for points to get food.

"I was mother." She stopped, looking over at me from my chair at the console. "I broke rules. And when I came down here, we made them." I stood up from my chair, pushing it back against the table. "We were equal, we didn't kill our own, we didn't have to because we made decisions together."

She looked at me stunned. Her eyes held so much pain, pain for the boy that she used to know, one who obeyed every wish his mother commanded, followed every rule that the ark set in place.

Not anymore I wouldn't.

"We will not stand for a dictatorship."
I said harshly. I turned back to the console as the walkie from Pike clicked back to life.

"You have ten minutes to give yourself up. If you don't, we will kill every last one of the grounders in our prison. Chose wisely." Pike threatened before he clicked off again.

The room was silent for a moment as the words began to sink in. No, none of them could give themselves up. They had to get out of here, regroup. They had to take down Pike.

Immediately I stepped forward and reached for the radio. I picked it up and pressed the call button. "Get them out of here, don't let them influence you to stay. We'll figure something else out from the inside but get those three out of here."

The radio was silent, there was no response to my plea.

"Dammit." I whispered as I put my head in my hands and slid them up my face and into my hair.

"Monty, you have to tell Pike." My mother whispered.

"Or what?" I asked as I turned to face her, my hands falling back to my sides and curling into fists. "Will you turn me in?" She went silent as her head fell and she looked at the ground.

We heard a large amount of footsteps
coming down the hall towards us. "Pike is here." She whispered, seeming almost relieved. As if he could fix the situation we were in. His blackened hands would only ruin anything he came into contact with.

I pulled out my chair and sat back down, trying to keep things looking as normal as possible. I left the second radio on the table, hoping he'd think we both had one.

The door slid open and Pike walked in and up to us. He immediately walked up to the table, slamming his hand down which caused my heart to skip a beat.

I knew it was coming but it still scared the hell out of me.

"Where are they now? How many men do we have posted outside?" Pike demanded as he leaned down, getting into my face about it.

"It was another false report Sir." My mother chimed in, she was standing tall, hands behind her back and her spine completely straight.

Pike immediately turned to look at her. "Another false report." He mumbled, sighing angrily under his breath as he looked down. He spotted the second walkie talkie as he reached out, slowly picking it up.

He clicked the button but none of their walkies clicked. I felt my heart race as I kept my face calm. "Looks like we'll get them to come to us." He smiled deviously as he looked at me.

Looks like I'm screwed huh guys? I laughed slightly as I thought of everyone. Let's hope they got out and were gone by now.

He stood up straight, clicking the button again. "I know you can hear me. And I know that you don't expect me to come through your private line. But time is ticking out. You have five minutes." He let go of the button and set the walkie harshly back onto the table.

He turned, without a word in my direction, and headed towards the door. "You'll be standing guard outside. Keep an eye on your son, if he gets out of here it's on you." He said, turning to my mother.

She nodded firmly at his request and I felt my heart plummet. The door closed behind him.

I turned to her to see her eyes were glassy. She, without a word, pulled her gun from her holster, made sure her walkie was secure, and than walked to the door. She opened it and looked at me one last time.

I pushed out my chair and went to stand when she whispered "I'm sorry," then she closed it behind her.

I ran, reaching the door just as it finished closing. I tried to open the door, hit the sensor, used the key pad but it wouldn't open.

Locked.

I placed my forehead against the door and closed my eyes. I took a couple deep breathes.

She used the override code and created a new password. There were too many combinations for me to have to try and not enough time.

I brought my hands up, balling them into fists. I began to pound on the door, slamming my fists as I hard as I could into the metal.

I pounded and pounded until my fists started to feel raw and my head hurt from the door vibrating against it. I slowly opened my eyes and looked at the metal.

There just had to be a way out. I couldn't be stuck here.

Suddenly I heard what sounded like a gun or a fist banging against the metal. It was in a repeating pattern. The same pauses and speeds of the knock. It went through the cycle three times before I picked up on the pattern.

My eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat. My birthday?

My mother told me what my birthday was growing up but we never really celebrated it, it was a rule on the ark. We should all be happy to be alive, not splurge on huge meals of elaborate gifts.

My mother and father used to wish me happy birthday and we would all take the day off and spend it together as a family.

Why would she tell me this? Something random that I already knew?

Suddenly it hit me. The password. That's what she changed the password to!

I jumped back from the door and immediately moved over to the keypad. I typed in the digits as fast as I could move my finger from one button go another.

The door slowly opened immediately after the last digit was entered.

I ran back to the desk and grabbed the radio. It was probably compromised but doesn't mean I couldn't keep an eye out.

I looked down the hallway. My mother was gone. She abandoned her post to make sure I could escape, to make it seem like, to those who didn't know, I was taking a break.

I smiled sadly to myself. Thanks mother. I knew you'd come through eventually.

Making sure the coast was clear, before I ran to where Abby and Octavia would be leading Kane, Lincoln and Sinclaire out of the base,I checked both directions. The second I felt safe, I stepped out, locked the door behind me and then ran.

Hopefully I could help them.

Hopefully we could devise a plan to save those people.