[ BOOK ONE ]
Sawyer Wesley fought to survive everyday of her life. On the Ark, it was either comply or die. To put it lightly, Sawyer was never one to throw in the towel. She did everything in her power to live in a world that awaited her death. And...
xxviii. the queen and the commander long into the abyss
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SAWYER HAD to admit, Clarke's plan to stop the attack on the Ark camp sounded feasible. At least, in theory. Clarke wanted to offer a solution to the Grounders' Reaper problem, but only if they agreed to a ceasefire. Sawyer did not know if they ever would, considering the declined every attempt at peace, but they needed to try. The alternative meant they would all have to run for their lives, or meet an untimely death at the Grounders' hands.
Darkness consumed the sky long before Sawyer, Clarke, and Finn made it to the Ark camp. The Wesley girl still refused to call the place Camp Jaha She would rather choke on a Jobi nut. Sawyer scanned the electrified fence, finding all of their guards positioned at regular intervals. They were ready for the Grounders. As they approached the front gate, the two men on guard let them through without a word.
"Mom!" Clarke shouted for her mother as soon as they stepped inside camp.
Sawyer looked to where Abby and Jaha rushed up to them from where they oversaw the evacuation. She remembered what Finn say before Nyko tried to kill him. Abby decided they would flee, instead of facing the Grounders. Sawyer did not know if she were angry with the woman or understood. After the last few hours, she felt conflicted about a lot of things.
"Where have you been?" Abby exclaimed toward her daughter. "We're leaving."
"I know how to stop the attack," Clarke stated, bringing a furrowed expression to the woman's face.
Jaha's brows scrunched and questioned, "what're you talking about?"
Clarke glanced his way, for a split second, and then set her attention back on her mother. "We haven't been able to negotiate with the Grounders because we haven't had anything to offer them. The biggest threat they face is from the Reapers. I think we may be able to eliminate that threat for them, once and for all."
Abby started at the teenage girl for a long moment, before she asked, "how?"
Jaha snapped to the Griffin woman. "Abby. You can't seriously..." he trailed off with a loud murmur rolled through the crowd of people gathered in the center of camp.
Sawyer turned to see many of them turn in the direction of the northern forest, while others followed their lead. Eyes were wide, mouths moved to form hushed whispers, and faces grew incredibly pale. Only one thing could cause that kind of reaction. Sawyer's fears were answered as orange torchlights began to appear among the tree-line. A few at a time until they multiplied into an entire line of fire. The Grounders had arrived.
_______
Upon Abby's request, she, Sawyer, Clarke, Finn, and Jaha gathered in the Council's meeting room. With the Grounders on their doorstep, Clarke's plan to negotiate with them needed to happen soon or they would all be dead by sunrise.
