WHITE DWARF • THE 100

29

PREDATOR AND THE PREY

Camp was silent. An occasional snore would disrupt the serenity, making Cassie jump every time. Her grip was so tight on her knife that her knuckles were turning white - she paid no mind to it. They'd wrap around the handle even harder when a stick cracked beneath her feet, or a leaf crunched.

She was prepared to fight if she had to.

Creeping past the snoring guard, she slipped through the small crevice in the fence, holding back her cry of victory. She was so close to saving them all. Her euphoria enveloped her; she still tiptoed her way through the woods. Time seemed to drag, the moon lighting the way ahead of her, as though teasing her that she had much farther to go.

"Bellamy!" A melodic female voice called out close by. Cassie froze. Octavia. She prayed that if she stayed still they wouldn't notice her, or find her. Rustling nearby alerted her. Acting on impulse, Cassie pressed her back against a tree, the bark cutting into her spine. She didn't care, keeping her breathing as low as possible.

Octavia spoke up again. "What are you doing?"

The indistinct gruff voice of Bellamy Blake snapped back. "Go back to camp. It isn't safe."

Cassie rolled her eyes. Of course it wasn't safe for Octavia to be out there, but it was perfectly okay for him to be. He was just as much at risk with the grounders than any of them were. No, he had a reason to risk it.

He wanted something on that pod.

She wanted to kick herself for not realising it sooner. It was blatantly obvious now that she thought about it more clearly - he wanted the others to stay at camp whilst he dealt with what he saw as the threat, then when the others arrived they would find nothing.

Octavia seemed to understand at the same time Cassie did. "You lied to me, to everyone! You just want what's on that pod."

Cassie was proud of the girl for speaking so bravely. Maybe she had very little reason to dislike the dainty creature.

"Just go home!" He shouted. Cracking punctured the air. Sticks had been broken, suddenly and all at once. She guessed that he'd pushed his sister.

"You always want to play big brother, huh? Well, guess what? Jokes on me. You're just a selfish dick." Cassie wanted to give Octavia a standing ovation. It was about time that the starry eyed girl realised the truth about her jackass brother. He had moments where it all seemed to be a facade, like when he visited Cassie in lock up, but they would pass as quickly as they had come.

Bellamy heaved a large breath, raising his voice. Cassie reeled back, the wood digging into her back more. "I did this for you! To protect you! If the Ark finds out we're alive, they'll come down. And when they do..." He paused, as if he didn't want the words to be exposed to the world. "I'm dead."

Octavia hesitated, tone ominous. "What did you do?"

"I shot him. I shot Jaha."

Her hand cupped her mouth instantly to muffle the gasp. Cassie couldn't believe it - yes the guy could be a huge dick, but a murderer? She didn't think he was capable of something as vicious as that. Her on the other hand, was. Her mood immediately sobered, Charlotte's death replaying again behind her eyes. She pinched herself.

Cassie tuned back into the conversation happening behind her, praying that it would take her mind off of the pit in her stomach. "I found out they were sending you to earth. I couldn't let you go alone. I made a deal with someone - a dead chancellor for a place on the drop ship. And I did it."