Kings // c. griffin

Chapter Seventeen

Isaac was in the drop ship when Octavia hurried inside. He was up against the wall, out of sight and hidden in the shadows. He watched as she lugged a pile of clothes up the ladder with her, not even noticing him in the back. Frowning, Isaac pushed himself up and shuffled over to the ladder, looking up. He saw her disappear onto the third landing, the one with Lincoln on it.

He backed up a few paces before turning and crouching to the ground, rummaging through a bag of supplies. There were nut packets -he'd have to get rid of those- a pouch of water, a few bandages, and some anti-septic wipes. He found a few berries, too. Taking out those and the wipes, Isaac scooted over and used the ladder to hoist himself up, and then he took a couple steps back, waiting.

About two minutes of waiting later, he heard someone begin down the ladder. The footsteps were heavier and he knew it couldn't be Octavia. So she'd been doing what he thought she had been doing up there. His instincts were still sharp. The large man descended the ladder into the room, jumping down to land on the floor. He still hadn't noticed Isaac, and he didn't even know he was there until the tall boy hurried to step in front of him, eyes wide. Lincoln took an immediate step back, knowing he was in no condition to fight at the moment. He looked cautious, glaring at Isaac.

Isaac's breathing was surprisingly steady as he faced Lincoln. "Here," he said, shoving the wipes and food into Lincoln's arms. The grounder took them, staring at the package for a few moments. "They'll help prevent infection," Isaac mumbled, trying not to be heard in case anyone was outside.

Lincoln nodded hesitantly. "Thank you," he whispered.

Isaac nodded. Lincoln began to walk off again, but the curly haired boy stopped him a second time, placing a hand on his chest gently. He didn't put much pressure on his skin in fear of hurting him, but he used just enough to make him stop walking. "Why did you stab me?" he asked quietly. He wasn't angry; just curious. He might as well get an answer.

Lincoln shook his head. "You got in the way," he explained, his voice barely audible. "You weren't my target."

Isaac frowned. "Who was?"

"Finn."

The blue eyes boy furrowed his eyebrows "Why?"

The grounder pressed his lips together in a thin line, debating. "He found something, that I didn't want him to see."

Isaac was about to tell him that maybe trying to kill Finn for looking at something was a bit extreme, but suddenly he heard someone talking loudly and was reminded of what was going on. "You have to go," he breathed.

Lincoln gave him a quizzical look under his beaten face. "You're not going to stop me?"

Isaac shook his head, taking a tiny step closer. "Why would I?" he asked softly. Lincoln simply looked at him. Isaac bit his lips, frowning at the man. They both looked at each other for a bit before Lincoln broke the gaze, stepping away with a shake of his head. Isaac watched as he began to leave, sighing. "Get as far away as you can, got it?" Lincoln nodded before darting out of the drop ship.

* * * * *

"He's gone!" Miller burst through the door of the drop ship, panic smeared across his face. "The grounder's gone!"

The words sent a clamor throughout the camp, people standing and turning to their friends, chattering worriedly about what could happen. Isaac glanced towards Octavia, who he could tell was trying her best to looked scared and innocent.

One boy decided to voice his opinions. "What if he decides to bring other grounders back?" he worried. "They'll kill us all!"

"Or worse!" A girl piped up.