Rebellion (The 100 #4)(35)

“Are you?” Clarke’s voice rose, her fists balling with anger. She refused to let him make her feel like some callous, uncaring person just because she wanted to exercise caution. “Because that’s what you’re bringing to us right now, Bel! A huge, reckless, crazy gamble.”

“Crazy,” Bellamy repeated. “You really want to throw that word at me right now?”

“You know what’s crazy?” Paul said. “Risking our lives to save people who might already be dead.”

The word sucked the air out of the woods around them. Cooper winced, and next to her, Clarke saw Jessa go pale.

Paul threw his hands up. “I’m just saying what everybody’s thinking! That’s a variable we need to keep in mind. There’s no sense in putting our own lives at risk until we know that there are people left in there to save.”

“They’re not dead,” Bellamy said in a low, dangerous voice. “And I’m not going to stand here while you cowards come up with excuses to abandon them.”

Vale cleared her throat. “He has a point. We’re working with limited information. We need to gather more before we can make a—”

“You might need to. But I don’t.” Bellamy turned around and started away, waving for Felix to follow. “We know where the armory is. We can take it from here.”

“No!” Clarke shouted, hurrying after him. “Bellamy, you can’t. This will put everything at risk… their lives at risk, you’ve got to see that!”

When he turned, his eyes were cold. “The only thing I see is a bunch of cowards, too scared to do what they swore to do.” He scanned the others quickly; then his gaze darted back to Clarke, pinning her with a glare. “Or is selfish a better word?”

She tried to reply, but couldn’t. Her chest was too tight, her heart aching, her blood too hot.

Bellamy turned away again, nodding at Luke. “You coming?”

Luke half rose, then looked to Clarke, wavering. She mouthed, please, and he sat back down.

Bellamy snorted. “That’s fine. I’ll wing it.”

“No, you won’t,” Paul said. “Stand down, Bellamy.”

“I’m not one of your guards,” Bellamy snapped. “And I think you mean Councilor Blake.”

Frustration bubbled up hot in Clarke’s chest. “Is that what this is really all about, Bellamy?” she asked. “You don’t feel like you’re getting the respect you deserve? Are you really going to endanger our friends’ lives to prove a point?”

His face turned white. “I’m trying to save them,” he spat. “We have no idea what’s going on in there—” He pointed toward the fortress. “They could be torturing Wells. Octavia could be in pain. And you’re all just content to sit there, doing nothing.”

“You’re not the only one who’s worried about someone you love,” Jessa snapped, stepping forward. “We’re all desperate for this mission to be a success. But we only have one shot, and we have to make it count.”

“I will make it count,” Bellamy said through gritted teeth. “But if we wait any longer, it could be too late. So here’s how it’s going to work. Anyone who’s ready to rescue our friends, come with me.”

“No,” Paul said. “I’m sorry, Bellamy, I get where you’re coming from, but it’s the wrong move. You’re not going anywhere.”

“And how the hell do you plan to stop me?”

Paul pulled something metallic out of his pocket: a pair of the restraints that Clarke was painfully familiar with, the same ones they’d used back on the ship. The same ones Rhodes had used to bring them before a firing squad.

“What are you doing with those?” Clarke asked, her heart beating fast.

Paul glanced over at her. “I came prepared.”

“Give them to me,” Clarke said, extending her arm. “You’re being ridiculous.”

Paul shook his head gravely. “I know all about your boyfriend, Clarke. Wherever he goes, chaos ensues. I was there when he got the Chancellor shot. He’s a live wire, and I’m not going to let him get anyone killed again.”

“You’re not tying him up either,” Clarke said, stepping forward to stand in between Paul and Bellamy.

“That won’t be an issue,” Bellamy said, eyes flashing. “I’m out of here. Let’s go, Felix.”

“This is the wrong move,” Paul said, his voice growing louder as he looked imploringly at Jessa, Cooper, and Vale. “You saw what happened the last time you listened to Bellamy. Your people took him in and died for it. Do you really want to let him run off and use those weapons without exhausting our other options first?”

“Paul’s right,” Cooper said gruffly. “We should wait.”

But Bellamy ignored him and started walking away.

Paul nodded at Cooper, and in a flash, they’d grabbed Bellamy’s arms and wrenched them behind his back.

“Get off of me!” Bellamy spat, thrashing from side to side.

“Let him go!” Clarke cried out, dashing over to them. “You’re hurting him.” She grabbed on to Paul’s arm, but he shoved her off easily.

“This is insane,” Luke said, hurrying over and reaching out to help Bellamy, but Vale grabbed Luke and pulled him back. Still weakened from his injury and the long hike, he didn’t have the strength to fight her off.