Love At First Sight (1)

Chapter 23: It's Personal

When it came down to it, Mackenzie realized she couldn't really avoid Raven. She still had to work with her, especially on the mines they were putting in the ground for preparation. The hold near the tip of her bot was small but powerful. Raven was the one directing the delinquents, watching them with close eyes so no one would blow up, but it was Bellamy really in charge. He had been pacing with a gun cocked, looking from the ones digging and back to the woods. Mackenzie knew he was thinking about Clarke, Finn, and Monty. Everyone was, ever since they brought Myles back, harmed.

"Come on" Bellamy's low voice fell over the crowd, "These foxholes aren't gonna build themselves" He took a few steps forward until he stopped in front of Raven, "Better hope those landmines work. All the gunpowder we're wasting, we could be making more grenades"

Through the dark, Mackenzie could see the way Raven's eyes flickered up in anger, "You want to come over here and test one?"

"I need this entire section mined by morning" Bellamy continued in order, ignoring her, "Then you finish the south field"

Mackenzie's head shot up, "Hey, no" She protested, handing the shovel to Monroe to dash forward, "When we brought Myles back, we agreed we're going after Finn, Clarke, and Monty in the morning"

"Nobody leaves this camp" Bellamy stated without refusing to meet Hailey's eyes

Gritting her teeth, Mackenzie stormed closer, grabbing the sleeve of Bellamy's jacket and tugging him back, "I'm talking to you!" He finally turned, looking at her with regret, but refusing to cave, "We can't abandon them. Monty is gone because of me, I left him alone" She began to whisper, "So we are not leaving them out there" Mackenzie gestured to the others who were listening closely, "If you want to lead them the right way, show them that you give a damn"

Before Bellamy could respond with more protests, a gunshot suddenly goes off in the distance. Mackenzie snapped out of the stare held with him, drawn towards the sound. As Bellamy takes off, she's on his heels, her head whirling with every possibility, beginning with the grounders already attacking. However, as she arrives insight, she only sees a blonde boy with a frightened look slumped against the tree. Mackenzie breaths in relief, but Bellamy stories towards him up the slope and gives him a shove, "Hey, what the hell is the matter with you?!"

"I'm sorry, man" The young boy - Sterling, if Mackenzie remembered right, apologized, "I fell asleep, I've been on watch all day"

"We've all been on watch all day!" Bellamy shouted roughly, "That bullet was one less grounder!"

"Bell" Octavia came up behind Mackenzie, talking softly to her brother, "You're scaring people" When looking over her shoulder, Mackenzie realized she's right. Every delinquent is actually holding a terrorized expression, worsening when Bellamy went on

Whirring around, Bellamy's voice rises as he delivered a speech, "They should be scared!" He countered, "The bomb on the bridge bought us some time to prepare, but that time is up! The grounders are out there right now, waiting for us to leave and picking us off one by one when we do!" He declared, gesturing to the trees violently, "Clarke, Finn, and Monty are gone, probably dead, and if you want to be next, I can't stop you, but no guns are leaving this camp!" Mackenzie feels sick, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand, "This camp is the only thing keeping us alive!"

Mackenzie is full of nothing but hurt. She wants to shout that Bellamy is wrong, that none of it was true, and she'd leave herself if she had to, gun or not. But the silence is too heavy, along with the images of the three gone forever. Hailey watched, quiet, as Bellamy ran a hand down his face before waving it and stomping away with one last shout, "Get back to work!"