Chapter 13
“Lincoln? Where are you?”
“Hospital entrance. Why? What is wrong?”
He instantly sounded alarmed, but Lexa didn’t have time to explain.
“Get upstairs. Now.”
“What …”
She cut him off.
“Just get here.”
“Okay.”
Lexa went as fast as she could without running. Nyko realized something was wrong the second he saw her. He pushed himself off the wall and met her halfway through the corridor. From the corner of her eyes she saw Lincoln running towards her.
“What is wrong?”
Both of them stared at Lexa.
“He was already inside.”
“What do you mean?”
“Finn is in Bellamy’s room. He has a gun.”
Nyko’s eyes widened.
“The girls are in there, too.”
“I know.”
She watched Lincoln go pale. She knew exactly how he felt.
“How …?”
“Clarke called me. The call is still active, but I muted it so he won’t hear us.”
She looked at Lincoln. “There is more: Finn placed a bomb somewhere in this building and he has the switch.”
He looked about ready for murder by now and Lexa hoped he would be able to focus. She needed him.
“Are they okay?”
“More or less.”
Nyko looked at Lexa.
“So what’s the plan?”
She took a deep breath.
“When Monty gets here he has to find out where Finn placed the bomb. He told me that he developed some … algorithm program thingy to trace him when he couldn’t find him in the traffic cam feeds. I hope he can use it here as well. Lincoln, when he finds the bomb I need you to get to it and defuse it. You’re the best chance we’ve got.”
“What about the cops?”
“They would call the cavalry.”
“Which would cause Finn to freak out.”
“Probably.”
He nodded.
“Okay, but how do I find this Monty?”
“That’s where my sister comes in. She’s in the cafeteria rallying the troops. Go and meet her. She’ll brief you.”
Lincoln looked at her for a long second.
“You will get them out safely.”
It wasn’t a question and her gaze didn’t waver.
“I will.”
He nodded and left.
Nyko did the math in his head.
“We’ll have to talk to the security guys in the control room.”
“Yes.”
“Okay. How about I’ll try to talk to them and see if we handle this quietly?”
Lexa nodded.
“I guess a big former FBI guy will have more leverage than I have, so go. But if they don’t play along …”
“I’ll knock them out.”
She smiled.
“Quick on your feet, that’s why I like you so much. I will go in and talk to Abby.”
He looked at her.
“Lexa?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t do anything stupidly heroic, okay?”
--
“Finn, please, put the gun down.”
Clarke looked at him.
“There is no reason for threatening us.”
Finn looked at her.
“Clarke, you have been evading me for months. Do you think I don’t know that you’ll run as soon as you have the chance? I just want to talk to you.”
She rubbed her temples. Strangely enough she didn’t feel scared right now. She felt angry. She had been running from this guy and now that she saw him she would have loved to hit him. But he had a gun. And Clarke wasn’t suicidal.
“At least let Raven and Octavia go. They have nothing to do with this.”
“If you think we’re leaving you, you’re stupid.”
Octavia stared at her from where she sat and Clarke didn’t know if she should scold her or smile at her. She opted for an eye roll instead.
“See? They are quite happy here.”
Finn fucking smiled at her.
“Why don’t you sit down over there, Clarke?”
He pointed at the floor in front of him.
“I don’t want to sit down.”
“What if I reduce Bellamy’s pain medication instead? I could rip out his IV …”
“Okay, okay. I’ll sit down.”
He clearly was out of his mind. She sat down and stared up at him.
“Okay, so here I am, sitting. Now what do you want?”
Finn looked at her like he was searching for something and when he didn’t find it he almost looked sad.
“How could you leave me for him, Clarke?”
“I didn’t leave you for him. I left you, because we didn’t work out.”
He stared at her like she just made a bad joke.
“Of course we did. What are you talking about?”
“You were always working. I was always working. And someday I just realized that we do not have anything in common. The butterflies were gone and where there should have been love there was … nothing.”
She was as honest as she could, but he just shook his head.
“You’re wrong. There is love.”
“Maybe there is on your side, Finn, but there isn’t on mine.”
“You’re wrong!”
His voice was louder now.
“Finn, sometimes people fall out of love. It just happens.”
He shook his head again.
“No, it doesn’t. You love me. You’ll see that.”
“How? How will I see that? Are you planning to try to rape me again?”
She could see that the last sentence struck a chord with him.
“I didn’t ..:”
“Yes, you did. You tried to rape me and that is why I left the country. That is why I tried to get away as far as humanly possible. I am scared of you, Finn. Is that really what you want?”
He stared at her. For a moment she thought that she had gotten through. That he heard her, but then shook his head again.
“You left me, because of him.”
He pointed at Bellamy.
“And you’re saying all of that to protect him.”
Raven groaned and Clarke looked at her.
“How delusional are you, man? She’s not with Bellamy.”
He growled at Raven.
“What the hell do you know?”
“I know that she is not with Bellamy … because I am.”
She felt Clarke and Octavia stare at her and shrugged.
“What?”
“You didn’t think that was information you should share?”
--
Abby went pale. That couldn’t be. It just couldn’t.
Lexa placed her hand on Abby’s arm and guided her over to the next chair.
“Sit down, please. You look like you’re going to faint.”
“I am not.”
Abby sat down anyway.
“He has a gun?”
“Yes.”
“And a bomb?”
“Yes.”
Abby looked at her.
“You’re right. We can’t go to the police. If Finn sees them … But my patients …”
“We have it under control, Abby. We will find the bomb. We’re on it.”
“But what about the gun? How do we get the girls out of the room?”
“I have an idea about that, but I will need your help.”
“Anything.”
--
“That’s pretty low-tech.”
Monty looked at the control room and sighed.
“Whatever, I will make do.”
He sat up his equipment, plugged an USB drive into the computer and installed his program. He looked at the two security guards that were lying on the floor, unconscious, tied up and gagged.
“You’ll probably get in trouble for this, Nyko.”
The big man shrugged.
“I’ve been in trouble for worse things.”
He gave an earpiece to Lincoln.
“Take this. It’s easier than using mobiles or walkies.”
Lincoln nodded.
“Where is the rest of your people?”
“Anya had them start looking.”
Monty stared at the computer screen.
“Okay, the program is running, but this might take some time. Is there anything we can do to narrow the search down?”
Lincoln thought about it and suddenly it hit him.
“Can you get construction plans for this building?”
“Yes, why?”
“Finn’s parents own a demolition company.”
”So?”
“So, I guess he knows how to collapse a building. You have to find the weak spot to make as much damage as you can with only one bomb.”
Monty simply nodded.
“I guess you’re onto something here.”
He pulled up the plans and they looked at them.
“There!”
Lincoln pointed at the monitor.
“That’s where the main gas pipe is.”
He looked at Monty.
“It’s where I would put a bomb if I were out of my mind.”
--
“You and my brother?”
Octavia looked at Raven who just shrugged again.
“It happened.”
“When did it happen?”
“A few weeks before he shipped out.”
“And you didn’t tell me, because?”
“I didn’t tell you, because I thought it might get awkward. Like now …”
Clarke just stared at both of them. How did she miss this? Bellamy hugging Raven at the airport. Raven smiling at Bellamy when they were at Lexa’s place. Raven’s scared face when she arrived at the hospital a few hours earlier. How could she have missed this?
“You and Bellamy?”
Finn looked at Raven.
“Is that a problem for you, Finn? Is it a problem for you that you shot my boyfriend just because in your loopy mind you thought there was something going on with Clarke?”
Raven stared at him like she was about to rip his throat out. Clarke hoped she would remain calm.
Finn looked at Clarke.
“But you … you left me for him.”
“No, Finn, I didn’t.”
“Then why …?”
“Jesus, are you deaf? She left you, because she doesn’t love you.”
Octavia stood up and Finn pointed his gun at her.
“What? Are you going to shoot me too? Do you think that Clarke is more likely to love you if you kill all of her friends?”
He stared at her.
“Sit back down!”
“No.”
--
“Lexa?”
“Anya, we’re in here.”
Anya entered the room and found her sister and Abby. She handed Lexa an earpiece. Lexa took it and put it into her left ear. It was so small that it almost wasn’t visible. She heard Lincoln talk to Nyko.
“They found it?”
“Yes. It’s in the basement, close to the gas pipes.”
“Do you know if Lincoln thinks he can defuse it?”
Anya took a walkie-talkie from her jacket pocket and placed it on the desk.
“He thinks so.”
“Okay, then let’s get part two of my plan rolling.”
Anya looked at her.
“What’s part two?”
Lexa smiled at her. She knew Anya wouldn’t like part two.
“Part two is me going in there.”
She pointed at the door of Bellamy’s room.
Anya shook her head.
“No. You won’t do that!”
“Anya, I have to.”
“No, you don’t. The guy is mad.”
“Anya, if Clarke was any other client and if I were any other of your employees you would expect me to do anything to save her life.”
“But you are not anyone. Let me go in.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because with a bit of luck he doesn’t know who I am and I can pose as a friend. Harmless and scared just like Clarke.”
“And if he does know who you are?”
Lexa smiled at her.
“Then you have my permission to blast in there with as much firepower as you can get.”
She gave Anya a kiss on the cheek.
“Tell me as soon as Lincoln is finished.”
She placed her gun holster and her mobile on the desk in front of her and activated the speaker.
“Jesus, are you deaf? She left you, because she doesn’t love you.”
“What? Are you going to shoot me too? Do you think that Clarke is more likely to love you if you kill all of her friends?”
“Sit back down!”
“No.”
Lexa looked at Anya.
“I guess this is my cue.”
--
When the door opened Finn flew around and Clarke was afraid he might accidentally shoot whoever was coming in. When she realized it was Lexa her heart stopped.
“Clarke, I came as soon as I heard … What the hell? Please, don’t shoot!”
Lexa’s expression changed from concern to shock to fear in less than two seconds. Clarke didn’t know what to make of it. Maybe she hadn’t gotten her call?
What Lexa said next confused her even more.
“Who are you? Why do you have a gun?”
Lexa must know that this was Finn. Why …? Then she understood.
“Lexa, please stay calm. Finn is not going to hurt anyone.”
She looked at Finn.
“Right, Finn?”
Finn looked from Lexa to Clarke and back.
“Finn, this is my friend Lexa. I have been staying with her the last few days.”
He seemed to consider this new information.
“Get in and close the door.”
Lexa did as she was told. She felt Raven and Octavia looking at her and hoped they wouldn’t blow her cover, but one look at them and she knew they got what she was doing.
“Please, don’t shoot.”
Clarke was impressed at how good of an actress Lexa was. She sounded genuinely afraid.
Finn stared at the woman.
“Sit down.”
He pointed at the spot next to Clarke. Lexa sat down and observed the man. He seemed jumpy and the fingers of his left hand that held the switch were twitching. She really hoped Lincoln wouldn’t take his time.
--
“Can you get to it?”
“I hate narrow spaces.”
“Lincoln, I really don’t care about your claustrophobia right now. Can you get to it?”
“Yes.” Lincoln managed to squeeze his body into the small space under the pipes. He was on his back and took a good look at the bomb. There was an unholy amount of wires. He sighed. He’d have to figure out which were live and which were fake.
“I need the wire cutter. Can you slide it over?”
Nyko nodded and slid it over the concrete with as much accuracy as possible.
“Can you defuse it?”
“I hope so.”
“I was hoping for a little more assurance.”
Lincoln picked the first wire and followed it to its source. Fake. He cut it and exhaled when nothing happened. He felt the sweat on his forehead. He hated bombs.
--
Anya stared at the phone. The boy was mad. So much was clear, but he didn’t seem to know who Lexa was and that fact was a huge relief. Abby had made sure that nobody entered Bellamy’s room. Lexa would make damned sure that nothing happened inside and Lincoln was working on the bomb. She felt useless and hated every second of it.
She took the walkie-talkie and tried to find out what Lincoln’s status was.
“Why are you here?”
The mobile came to life again.
“I was searching for Clarke. I heard about Bellamy … Why are you doing this, Finn?”
Lexa sounded afraid even if Anya knew she would have loved to rip the boy’s head off.
“None of your business.”
“You’re pointing a gun at us. It is my business now.”
Don’t make him angry, Lex.
He seemed to hesitate. Maybe he would see reason after all?
“I am doing this, because Clarke has to understand how much I love her.”
“You’re pointing a gun at her to make her see that you love her? You do realize that this might not be the best way …”
“Shut up!”
Anya shook her head. No, he wouldn’t see reason.
--
Clarke looked at Lexa. Why did she come in here? Now she had four people to worry about. She really hoped Lexa had a plan.
Lexa was so close to her. She had to fight the urge to move over and take her hand. She knew Finn would freak if he so much as suspected her to be in love with Lexa. And she was. She was in love with Lexa. The realization hit her with so much force that she almost cried. She felt one single tear roll down her cheek and she knew Lexa had seen it too. Before she could say anything Lexa looked at her and wiped it away.
“Don’t cry, Clarke. He won’t hurt you. It’s going to be okay.”
--
Four wires were left. Lincoln was soaked with sweat by now. He had to find out which one connected the bomb to the wireless device Finn had.
“Blue or red?”
Nyko was crouching down next to him.
“What?”
“Blue or red? One of them is connecting this thing to Finn’s switch and one is the wire that will make things go boom.”
“You are kidding me, right?”
“No. Blue or red?”
“Can’t you just cut one of the other wires and defuse the whole thing?”
“No. They are connected. If I cut them first this thing will go boom anyway.”
Nyko looked at him and sighed.
“Red.”
“Are you sure?”
“This whole thing is about love, isn’t it? Red is the color of love and passion.”
Lincoln nodded.
“Red it is.”
He carefully put the wire cutter around the red wire. His hands were shaking and he tried to steady them. He thought about Octavia and smiled.
“Hey Nyko?”
“Yes?”
“If this goes sideways … There is a saying we had in the military.”
“What is it?”
“May we meet again.”
--
Anya stared at her walkie-talkie when she heard Lincoln say those words. She looked at Abby who went as white as a sheet. Anya smiled at her.
“It’s going to be okay.”
--
Lexa had heard the words too. She held her breath and Clarke looked at her with suspicion. Something was going on, but she didn’t know what. Lexa turned her head the slighted bit. Clarke saw the earpiece and gasped.
“What is it?”
Finn stared at her, gun pointed in her direction. Clarke had a feeling that this was her chance. She started to rock back and forth, her breathing becoming more shallow.
Lexa stared at her.
“She’s having a panic attack.”
“Stop that.”
Clarke was gasping for air now.
“She can’t! That’s why it’s called a panic attack.”
Lexa moved over to her and placed her hand on her back, slowly stroking it.
“It’s okay, Clarke. Just breathe.”
“Get away from her!”
Finn sounded furious.
“She needs to breathe.”
Lexa stared at him.
“If you’re not going to help her do that, I will.”
She focused on Clarke again.
“It’s okay. You’re fine. You’re fine. Just breathe.”
She felt Finn coming closer.
“Get away from her.”
“Finn, she is panicking and you are making things worse.”
He came even closer. He was almost close enough. In her earpiece she heard a click and then she heard Lincoln exhale. “I’ve got it. Lexa, you’re hearing me? It’s not live anymore.”
Finn was almost close enough. Behind her she heard the door opening and Abby’s voice.
“Finn!”
He spun around and Lexa took her chance. She jumped up from the floor and tackled him. They crashed into the wall and Finn let go of the switch which hit the floor … but nothing happened. When he realized this he got mad. He tried to point the gun at her, but Lexa already had her hand on it.
Abby ran over to Clarke and pulled her up and out of the way, because Finn started his counter attack and made Lexa fall over. She groaned when she hit the floor with him on top of her, the stitches of her bullet wound opening up for a third time. But Lexa wasn’t going to give up like that. She headbutted him and broke his nose in the process. He screamed in pain and Lexa pushed him off of her. Both of them got up again.
Clarke gasped when she saw the blood on Lexa’s shirt and her forehead where a large cut had opened up, but there was nothing she could do now.
Finn was so furious that he seemed to have forgotten about the gun that was still in his hand. He ran at Lexa instead, but this time she was prepared. She made at step to her left and rammed her elbow into his stomach which made him fall to his knees gasping for air. The gun was still in his hand and it was loosely aimed at Raven. Lexa took it from him in one fluid motion that looked very much like martial arts as Raven would state later and then she hit him with it. The metal of the gun left an imprint on his temple and he fell down to the floor.
Everyone was frozen for a second. Octavia had her arms around Raven to shield her from an imaginary bullet. Abby stood with her hands raised in anticipation of an attack and Lexa held her breath and waited for Finn to get up again. But nothing happened.
Clarke was the first to recover. She ran over to Lexa and crashed into her, hugging her as if her life depended on it. Lexa felt her hands shaking and she carefully placed the gun in the hands of Anya who had appeared a second earlier. Freed of her burden she put her arms around Clarke and held her close.
“It’s okay, Clarke. It’s okay now.”
She felt the tears. Clarke’s and her own.
“It’s over. It’s okay.”
“You could have died.”
Lexa laughed a little.
“We all could have died, Clarke. The important part is that we didn’t.”
To her right she saw Lincoln enter the room. He practically sprinted over to Octavia in pulled her into his arms. She kissed him.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.” She looked at him and brushed a few cobwebs from his t-shirt.
“Why do you look like you just played with a whole lot of spiders?”
He grinned and shook his head at her.
“I will tell you later.”
Lexa gave Clarke a soft kiss.
“You faked that panic attack, didn’t you?”
“I thought it could be useful.”
“Good thinking.”
Lexa smiled at her.
“Jeez, get a room already.”
Bellamy’s eyes were still closed, but he obviously was awake.
“I am injured and I need to sleep. But you all make so much noise.”
Raven stared at him for a second then she closed the distance between them and kissed him right on the mouth.
He opened his eyes and looked at her.
“Hey.”
“Hey yourself.”
“Did I miss anything?”