Fearless (Bellamy Blake - Book 1)

Chapter 78

My aching body screams in relief when the camp gates are in view. All I want is to go into my tent and crash, not coming out for at least a day.

"Uh, we got a problem." Miller runs over to us the second we walk through the gate.

I wordlessly wave him off and walk around him, my tent in sight. Bellamy can deal with whatever the current situation is, as usual.

"Murphy's back."

My entire body freezes, those two words sparking both a chill to surge down me and hot anger burning in my blood.

I turn back and face Miller, not even sure what my facial expression is, my voice bitter as I say, "the fuck did you just say?"

"Connor and Derek found him. He's in the drop ship." Miller points behind him and neither Bellamy nor I waste another moment before storming past him, flinging aside the flimsy tent draped in front of the entrance of the drop ship.

"Where is he?" Bellamy demands without even looking at anyone.

About a dozen guys stand in the bottom level in a sort of circle, all parting as we near, giving us a clear view of a figure curled up on the metal floor leaning against the wall. He is covered in both old and fresh blood, his clothes are torn and slashes and other cuts are visible on his arms and face and his right eye can't even open due to the swelling. And don't even get me started on the smell that comes off him.

I don't even feel an once of pity, in fact, I'd like to applaud whoever did this to him, maybe even ask for a few gory details. 

"Everyone but Connor and Derek out...now!" Bellamy yells, his authoritative tone being obeyed, leaving only he and I, along with Clarke and Finn in the dropship. 

"He claims he was with the Grounders," Derek explains.

"We caught him trying to sneak back into camp," Connor adds.

"I wasn't sneaking." Murphy says lowly and with struggle, his voice fuelling my anger even more. "I was running from the Grounders."

"Anyone see Grounders?" Connor and Derek shake their head at Bellamy, who then lifts up his rifle and aims. "Well in that case--"

"Hey, what the hell's wrong with you!?" Finn jumps forward and pushes the front of the gun to the floor.

"We were clear what would happen if he came back." Bellamy aims again, but again Finn stands in the way.

"Move, Finn," I hiss.

"No! If he was with the Grounders then he knows things that can help us."

"Help us? We hanged him, we banished him, and now we're gonna kill him," Bellamy snaps. "Get the hell out of my way."

"No, Finn's right," Clarke emerges from behind and crouches down before Murphy, examining him.

"Like hell he is!" Bellamy yells, "Clarke, think about Charlotte!"

The name hits me like a slap to the face.

"I am thinking about her." Clarke tells Bellamy firmly. "But what happened to Charlotte was as much our fault as his."

A kick to the stomach.

"He's not lying," Clarke tells us after a moment of assessment, "his fingernails were torn off. They tortured him."

"You and the Grounders should compare notes," Finn says to Bellamy snidely.

"The Grounders know we're at war," Bellamy says. "What did you tell them about us?"

"Everything," Murphy whispers.

Clarke stands and comes over to us, "once he's better, we find out what he knows, and then he's out of here, okay?"

"And what if he refuses to leave?" Bellamy asks, "what do we do with him then?"

She looks down at Murphy, no sign of remorse on her face as she says, "then we kill him."

I assume Clarke leaves, but my eyes at set on Murphy, taking in the disgrace he is and something within me snaps.

"You son of a bitch," I whisper, surging forward and crying out in anger and sadness and hatred.

Looking at Murphy just reminds me of that night, the night he was accused of murdering Wells, the night he took a hunting party into the woods to get Charlotte. The night he drove Charlotte to kill herself, just so he wouldn't hurt me.

Now, it's my turn to hurt him, cause him pain. For her.

I manage to land a punch to his face, sending his head flying to the side before a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist, holding me back.

"LET ME GO!"

"Stop it, Carter!"

"YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE! A FUCKING ASSHOLE, MURPHY!" I scream, still lashing out even as he drags me out of the drop ship. "LET ME GO BELLAMY!"

"Bellamy get her out of here!" Finn yells at him, pushing me back.

"I'm trying!" Bellamy yells back, lifting me up from my waist so my feet aren't dragging on the ground.

"YOU'RE A FUCKING MURDERER! YOU HEAR ME? A MURDERER! YOU DESERVE TO DIE!"

"Carter come on!"

Bellamy carries me out of the drop ship, but all that runs through my mind is the last things that I said, I wasn't even speaking about Murphy.

I release a strangled cry, fed up of everything, fed up of myself.

My father was right, I'm no one important, I don't hold any authority. The only distinct thing about me is the fact I destroy people, whether they're close to me or not.

What's the point in me being on Earth? I should've stayed in the Sky Box, and in a few months I would've been floated. THAT is how it should've been. I shouldn't be here on Earth, I don't deserve a second chance.

I'm a murderer.