𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐭︱raven reyes, book 1

xxxiv. loose cannons

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

FOLLOWING THE MAP WAS A JOB GIVEN TO FINN, WHO LED THE GROUP THROUGH THE WOODS WITHOUT STOPPING FOR A BREAK ONCE. June thought since leaving Camp Jaha that the one person she couldn't trust here was Murphy, but her brown eyes never left the back of Finn's head. She kept picturing the dead grounder back at the bunker, the one he had no mercy on. She had known Finn since they landed, and he's always been the first one to stop fights that broke out. He even was the first to try for a peace treaty, despite it going horribly wrong. June never thought she'd see him shoot a man they held captive because he might escape.

The thin trees shifted through the whistle of the wind. It offers no coolness due to the hot sunlight radiating down on them. June had still kept her jacket on, not hot enough, but Murphy seemed to be. He had been behind her, alongside Monroe and Sterling, panting with sweat shining on his forehead and damping his hair. "Everyone, eyes peeled," Bellamy announced. "We're in grounder territory."

"Everything is grounder territory, alright?" Murphy snapped breathlessly, coming to a stop. June paused, her hair flying to the other side as she looked at him over her shoulder. "I can't keep running. We don't even know if the guy Finn killed was telling the truth!" June hated it, but she couldn't help but agree. She sent a helpless look to Bellamy.

Meanwhile, Finn marched past them. He grabbed Murphy by the upper arm, hauling him forward with a shove. "Keep moving," he ordered with no emotion.

"We can give him a minute," Bellamy cut in, holding a hand up.

"No, we can't!" Finn shouted in protest. "You heard what the grounder said. They'll outlive their usefulness," he quoted.

A dark look crosses Bellamy's face. "I heard what he said when you had a gun to his head," he fires back. June's eyes flicker to Finn, waiting for an explanation. He hadn't said a word their entire journey, only continuing like nothing had happened.

Finn's eyes squint with an expression of disbelief. "Look, you think I wanted to do that?" He questioned. "He would have told his people we're coming, and by the time we got there, our people would be dead. Maybe that's something you can live with, but I can't!" His voice raised. June remained quiet, letting the argument continue, knowing she couldn't choose a side. They both had points, but she felt guilty knowing it was possible they didn't have a choice.

"Hey!" Bellamy brought his hand to Finn's shoulder, stopping him from walking past. "You did what you think you had to do, but you are not yourself right now. And I can't be out here with another loose canon."

"Guys." A new voice speaking up catches June's attention. She snaps her head to the side, seeing that Monroe had wandered off a few feet from them. She shortly jogs across the trail, catching up with the others, but stumbled to another stop. Eyes widening, June's jaw fell open, observing the sight with shock. There's one human body that definitely doesn't look like a grounder is hidden in the tall grass, his black jacket with The Ark's symbol stitched on the arm showing prominently, but he's not the only one. June can tell by the smell.