SOLDIER
book one
It's been 97 years since a nuclear explosion radiated life on Earth and life support on The Ark is now failing. In a desperate attempt to grant the citizens of the SpaceCraft more time, 100 juvenile delinquents are sent down to the...
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MASKING her fear with forced confidence, Vivienne followed Bellamy deeper into the woods, Murphy close at her side. The towering trees creaked above, and every rustle or snap beneath their feet sent a shiver through her. Ahead of them, Clarke and Wells led the way toward the last place Jasper had been seen,left impaled by a wooden spear.
Scoffing, Murphy's pace quickened to walk alongside Bellamy. "Since when are we in the rescuing business?" he mumbled.
Bellamy didn't slow. "The Ark thinks the prince is dead," he nodded toward Wells. "If they think the princess is too, they'll never come down." His eyes darkened on Clarke's back. "I'm getting that wristband, even if I have to cut off her hand to do it."
As they moved deeper into the woods, Vivienne couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Shadows shifted in the trees, and her eyes darted from one dark shape to another, mistaking stumps and branches for Grounders. Her heart pounded, tension tightening across her brow.
"Relax, Kane," Bellamy said with a smirk, casually swinging his pistol at his side. "Even if a Grounder shows up, they won't outrun a bullet." He lifted the gun slightly, flashing it her way.
"I'd rather not find out," she muttered, casting him a wary glance. Bellamy just chuckled, clearly amused by her nerves.
"Hey, hold up," Bellamy called out, quickening his pace to catch up to Clarke and Wells, who were charging ahead. "What's the rush? No one survives a spear to the heart," he added casually, twirling his gun in his hand like it was a toy.
Standing between Bellamy and Murphy as the group came to a stop, Vivienne's eyes flicked between them. A mix of fear and curiosity buzzed in her chest, her pulse racing.
"Put the gun away, Bellamy," Wells snapped, stepping forward—but before he could get far, Murphy grabbed his shoulder, stopping him with a firm grip.
"Why don't you do something about it?" Murphy growled, squaring up like a guard dog, his glare daring Wells to try something.
Clearly fed up, Clarke spun around. "Jasper screamed when they moved him. If the spear hit his heart, he'd be dead already. That doesn't mean we can waste time," she said, her frustration cutting through the tension.
"As soon as you take that wristband off, we can leave," Bellamy shot back, grabbing her wrist to stop her.
Clarke yanked her arm free, fire in her eyes. "The only way the Ark thinks I'm dead is if I am dead. Got it?"
Standing between two boys she barely knew, caught in the middle of a battle of wills on a planet that still felt foreign and unforgiving, Vivienne felt a sudden pang of envy twist in her chest. Clarke was so sure of herself—always decisive, always ready with the right call.
