Beautiful Crime | John Murphy

Chapter Forty Five

Many people from camp went back to the place where the massacre took place to burn Finn's body, and seal the truce. I however decided to stay behind, because I couldn't go back there and face it, and Murphy agreed so we figured it would be better to stay here.

Me, Murphy, Octavia, and a lot of other people from camp, including some grounder are currently pressed inside a room waiting for Jaha, and Kane. Once Indra steps into the room people become quiet, and stare.

A group of three grounders look over at Murphy, and I, probably because they recognize us from the village. I wrap my arms around Murphy's waist trying to ignore their stares.

"All right. Quiet down," Kane says once he enters the room. Indra accompanies him further into the room. They stop once they are in the middle. "I know we don't have a lot in common, but we do have a common enemy and a common goal. For us to reach it, to get our people out of Mount Weather, we need to work together."

While Kane continues with his speech one of the grounder walks over to us, and I can feel Murphy pull me closer. "You got a problem?" Murphy asks once the grounder is far to close to us for my liking.

The grounders says something, but neither of us can understand what. "I'm sorry, man. I don't speak Grounder," Murphy says. The guy suddenly slaps Murphy's glass of water out of his hands, making Murphy let go of me, and stand up before pushing the grounder backwards.

Murphy, and the grounder stares at each other, and first now I notice that the room has gone quiet. "Mr. Murphy," Kane says. "Apologize to that man."

"For what?" He asks. "He was the one who came at me."

"Two days' work detail," Kane says making me look over at him shocked. Murphy however looks pissed. "Work detail? I just told you, I didn't do-" Kaine cuts him off. "Care to make it three?"

Murphy looks at the grounder before shaking his head, and starting to walk away. "You're gonna burn just like your friend." The grounder says making Murphy stop. Seconds later Murphy turns around, and slams his fist into the grounders face.

Kane screams for Murphy to stop, but once the grounder tries to hit back I run over, and jump on his back. I hold his hands, and head in a choke hold while Murphy punches freely at him.

-

"We make quite the team," Murphy says while he mops the floor. I take my dust cleaner, and brush it against his cheek as I roll my eyes. He whips his head to the side, and tries to dust of his cheek. I look away laughing.

I walk over to the shelf, and continue to dust. After I helped Murphy both of us got put on work detail. "Save your bullets for the Grounders," he says while he looks out the window at the guards training to shoot.

"I take it you don't approve," someone suddenly says from the doorway. I turn around to see Jaha standing there with his arms crossed. Murphy ignores him, and goes back to mopping the floor. "I asked you a question."

"Who cares what I think?" Murphy says. I walk over to him, and pretend I am dusting something much closer to where he is standing.

"I do," Jaha says. "Or I wouldn't have asked." Jaha walks further into the room making both Murphy, and I stop doing our chores.

"I think the Grounders can go to hell," he says, and I chime in saying, "some grounders can definitely do." Murphy rolls his eyes at me, but I know it wasn't meant rudely.

"I got you two off work detail," Jaha says walking over to us. "Why?" I ask him. "You knew my son, and I'd like you to take me to his grave." Murphy, and I look at each other, both remembering what came out of his death. "Now that there's a truce, it's safe for me to go and say goodbye."

"Well, then you can get someone else to take you," Murphy says before he takes my hand, and starts to walk away with me.

"I'm told the graves are unmarked," Jaha says making us both stop. "You can show me which is his." We turn back around to look at him. "You can hold the mop," he says directed towards Murphy. "Or you can hold the gun," he says taking out a gun from behind his back, and hold it out to Murphy.

Murphy debates it for a second before he drops the mop, lets go of my hand, and takes the gun before we begin to walk towards where we know the dropship is.

-

"It's extraordinary, isn't it?" Jaha says from where he is walking behind us. We aren't far from the camp now, but the walk so far has been very quiet.

"Oh, just give it a few days," I warn him knowing that earth will test his will more then once.

"I may not know everything that happened before I got down here, but I do know something about what you're feeling, son," he says directed towards Murphy who stops walking brutally fast.

"Don't call me that," he says. "I'm nobody's son. You made sure of that." I take his hand him mine, and squeeze it with both my hands softly.

We begin walking again, but I don't let go of his hand. "I remember your father."

"Yeah, right," Murphy scoffs.

"Alex Murphy convicted of theft of rationed medicine. He stole it to take care of you. I remember them all," Jaha says while we reach the camp of the dropship. "I even remember your parents Mercy." I let go of Murphy's hand out of shock. I have managed to control my hate for him so far, but one wrong word, and I will snap. "However, they're death weren't really my fault." I turn around as fast as I can, and press my machete up against his throat. "Have you told John about the measures we had to go through to fix your sanity."

I clench my teeth together. Tears are forming in my eyes, but I do everything I can to hold them back. "We're here," I tell him looking him directly in the eyes. "Home sweet home," I spit out  before I take a few steps back. I don't look at Murphy as I walk in the direction we are heading. "Graveyard is this way."