The Unwanted Child {1}

Terms and Conditions

Jay told Abby about the pills, and while she was looking into that, she felt a little more comfortable now with Kane, Harper, and Miller. They were listening in Pike's crew.

Jay was on the other side of the room, pacing as she was listening to Bellamy speak on the radio.

"Go. Our lookouts confirmed another three encampments just over the ridge."

The next voice to speak was Pike. "Well, they're not hiding from us. That's for sure. How many days can we keep our population fed without being able to send out hunting parties"

"Food and water stores were already at less than sixty percent. Now, maybe a week before we go critical. Two if we start rationing immediately." Jaycee knew that was Monty's mom, she met her when Pike's men were ambushing them in the woods.

"Immediately it is," Pike agreed with Hannah

"What about breaking the blockade?" Hannah continued.

"After Bellamy's theatrics this morning, they'll expect that. Regardless, we can't engage the Grounders until we've got our people under control, and that starts with Kane and Jaycee Jordan."

Jaycee winced at Pike saying her name. The last thing she wanted was for people to be watching her every movement. "I need you to suspend access to the prisoners. No contact with anyone in camp. For all we know, they've been providing intel on grounder villages to Kane" Pike finished.

Even if Kane and the others couldn't see it, Bellamy nodded as he said, "Yes, sir."

Pike continued to speak, "And I want you to take over coordination of camp surveillance. We'll need new security protocols at all camp entrances."

Monty was the next one to speak, "Maybe, uh, changing critical passwords every twelve hours." Jay mentally slapped herself on her forehead.

Pike agreed with Monty of course, "Good. Coordinate with your mom but keep the circle tight. Then there's the matter of camp-wide surveillance."

Monty had the idea but he didn't like the camp surveillance part, "Wait, you want us to spy on our people?"

Pike didn't care about anyone's privacy, "We can't do what's needed to defend this camp if every order I give is leaked before it can be executed. It's an old saying, but it's true. The walls have ears we can't afford any more assumptions about who's a friend and who isn't, not your oldest acquaintance. Not your husband, wife, or lover. We're fighting two wars now, and the more dangerous one is here inside this camp. We can't prove it yet. But Kane, Jaycee, and his accomplices passed information to Octavia. I know none of you signed up to investigate your neighbors. But Monroe and Lacroix died because the traitors in this camp sold them out to the Grounders." Pike paused.

He then continued. "Whoever did that will be hunted down and exposed for what they did to their own. For what they did to use. Now you get whatever resources, whatever personnel you need to make that happen." Piked sighed, "Dismissed." Then the radio turned off.

Jaycee rubbed her face with the palms of her hands.

"If they're gonna play that game, we need to play it too," Kane told them.

"Meaning?" Harper asked.

"We don't meet here again, for starters. We change our patterns. Forget our habits. Take a different route through camp each time we go out. Assume that there are eyes on us at all times." Kane looked at all of them.

"Or we could just shock-las Pike's fascist ass and hand him to the Grounders," Jaycee suggested.

Harper nodded, "I like that plan"