xi. leaders day out
day trip

A NOTICEABLE change swept through the camp once the storm passed. Not only did it take them several days to clean up the damage caused from the chaotic weather, the delinquents on the ground established a permanent connection with those left on the Ark.

Sawyer did not like it, at first. They were fine without the Ark. They survived almost three weeks without them. Without their strict ideals and harsh laws. Their lives were better because of the separation. Now, she, Clarke, and Bellamy were supposed to hand over their control with no complaints?

But, then Sawyer noticed how everyone's faces lit up when they were given the opportunity to speak with their parents. She could not bring herself to crush their hopes because of her reservations. They needed a bit more happiness.

"Tell me about the Grounder. Can he provide any insight on how to survive winter?" Chancellor Jaha spoke through a screen from the dropship set up in one of the tents.

Raven rigged it to allow both parties to see each other as they talked. She even found a few headsets in the bunker Finn discovered not far from the camp's perimeter.

Sawyer pushed her hatred for the Council to the back of her mind as she sat in on one of the various meetings they conducted, per Clarke's request. The Griffin girl wanted her there, considering they were co-leaders of their people. Also because they asked for Clarke and not her. Something she found incredibly irritating. She was not about to give up control to the people who ruined their lives in the first place.

"As of right now, the Grounder hasn't said much of anything. We're not even sure he speaks any English," Sawyer voiced, capturing the Chancellor's attention. "To prepare, we're gathering edible plants, nuts, berries, and preserving meats. We won't starve. If anything, we'll freeze to death when the weather turns." 

"There's good news on that front," one of the Council members, a dark haired man by the name of Marcus Kane, said as the screen flashed to him. "According to civil defense plans from before the war, there's an old emergency aid depot not far from the landing site. Here are the coordinates." He raised a map up for them to see on the screen.

Clarke reached for a pad of paper and a pencil on the table under the screen, also having been swiped from Finn's bunker, to write them down.

"In addition to supplies, it could provide shelter for the hundred and for citizens coming down from the Ark," Jaha stated off screen.

"And what makes you think it's intact?" Clarke asked as she looked up from her paper.

Kane lowered the map and said, "it was designed to withstand nuclear warfare."

Sawyer released a huff. "That doesn't mean it's..." she grunted when she felt an elbow jab into her side. She glanced to her right to where Clarke shot her a look.

Clarke cleared her throat and turned her attention back to the screen. "It's worth a shot."

"Chancellor, I have to object," a female voice sounded through the speaker, before the face of a blonde woman came into view. The previous Chancellor, Diana Sydney. "Project Exodus is underway. The kids should sit tight in their camp until the first dropship launches."

Sawyer blinked. Did Diana want them to succumb to hypothermia? Sawyer already had enough trouble keeping warm in her jumpsuit. What she really needed was a good pair of pants.

"Even if everything goes without a hitch, the hundred would die from exposure before relief arrives," Jaha countered, giving the woman a look. He let out a long breath and returned his stare to the screen. "I'd like a moment with Clarke alone, please. I know there's a line of parents waiting to talk to their kids."

Sawyer looked to Clarke and quirked a brow. The Griffin girl seemed apprehensive, but she nodded anyway. Sawyer took that as her cue to leave and removed the headset from her ears, setting it down onto the table to stand and exit the tent.

Activity covered the entirety of the camp when Sawyer emerged out into the cold air. Groups of delinquents were scattered throughout the fenced-in area at the various stations set up for skinning animals and fish, packaging nuts and fruits, and preparing for the upcoming winter. All their hard work would be needed if they were going to survive the next few months.

Sawyer scanned the area, observing everyone as they fulfilled their daily tasks. For once, they were all on the same page. No fights. No arguments. Much to Sawyer's surprise. She guessed the delinquents knew that anything less that an hundred percent effort would end in their deaths. And not pleasant ones, either. Starvation and hypothermia were not a joke.

If it were any other day, Sawyer would have sought out Bellamy to fill him in on what she learned from the Council. Now, she wanted to steer clear of the man altogether. He not only kidnapped a Grounder and tied him up in the dropship, but he also tortured him in front of her, Clarke, and Octavia. That was not something she would forget any time soon, let alone forgive. It would be a long while before she found herself comfortable in his presence again.

Sawyer made her way over to one of the stations set up for food preservation. Monty and Jasper sorted through various nuts and berries gathered from bushes and trees just outside the camp's perimeter, placing a certain amount into bags made from the ships insulation covers to be storied in containers swiped from Finn's bunker.

"Hey, guys," Sawyer voiced when she approached the two boys. "How's the sorting going?"

Both boys looked up from their work with smiles.

"We've probably put together about fifty of these things," Monty said as he lifted up one of the palm-size pouches to show the Wesley girl.

"And the nuts aren't half bad," Jasper added, tossing one of the tiny green things into his mouth.

Sawyer sighed. "Jasper, reframe from eating the entire supply, please. We don't need to have any more gathering expeditions than we already do."

Jasper swallowed the nut and pressed his lips together. "Right. Sorry."

"It's fine. Just – cut back on how much you eat while packaging," Sawyer told him, before she let out a long breath. "Anyway, I need a few rations. Clarke and I have something to do for the Council, and we'll probably be gone for the whole day."

Monty's brows furrowed. "The Council? Seriously?"

Sawyer huffed, not entirely thrilled about the situation herself. "I know, but it's not actually a horrible idea, as much as I hate to say it. Once we figure out if it pans out, we'll tell everyone. Until then, keep up the good work and make sure no one goes on a murderous rampage while we're gone." She moved over to the open container next to the table and grabbed a few pouches to shove into her jacket pockets.

Monty released an airy chuckle. "Right. That'd be the last thing we need."

Just then, Clarke approached them with her backpack placed onto her shoulders.

Sawyer turned and started to give the girl a grin, but it soon disappeared when she noticed who came up behind her. "What the hell is hedoing here?" she exclaimed.

Bellamy's expression remained placid as he stepped up to the packaging station. "You gonna get over yourself any time soon?" he quipped in return.

Sawyer raised a brow with a hand set on her hip. "You gonna stop being an annoying asshole any time soon?" she shot back, eyes narrowing toward him.

Both of them stared at one another, glaring pointedly, before Clarke intervened. "Look, you two need to put aside your anger for now. I don't wanna be gone all night, and I don't really wanna hear you two argue the entire time," she told them, giving the two of them sharp looks.

Sawyer pressed her lips together as she met the blonde's eyes. Her jaw clenched, before she released a long breath. "Fine." She snapped her attention back to eldest Blake. "Do anything to piss me off, and I'll leave your ass in the middle of the woods."

Bellamy gave her a tight grin. "We're on the same page, then," he said, before he moved over to the provisions containers. He pulled out a handful and shoved them into the bag in his hands.

Sawyer would have questioned him about the amount he took, but she did not exactly care. Not in that moment. She wanted to get through the day without a full-on brawl breaking out between her and Bellamy. She made sure her axe stayed on her belt and that her food packages were still inside her jacket pockets.

"That's a lot of rations," Clarke voiced when she noticed how many provisions he took. "You realize this is a day trip."

Bellamy zipped up his bag and slipped the strap onto his shoulder. "A lot can happen in a day."

Sawyer did not want to agree with the man, but the statement was true. One morning they were imprisoned on the Ark, awaiting their executions, and that afternoon they were on Earth. A lot could happen in a day.

_______

Silence encased Sawyer, Clarke, and Bellamy as they trekked through the forest that surrounded their camp. The supply depot they were supposed to investigate was located a little over two miles away. It should not take more than a few hours to reach it, but they were still unfamiliar with the terrain. They could be gone all day.

Sawyer shoved her way passed trees that no longer held their leaves, keeping her eyes peeled for any Grounders. They last thing they needed was to cross paths with one of them. Clarke followed close behind her, snacking on a bag of nuts in her hand, while Bellamy brought up the rear. No conversation passed between them since they left camp, and Sawyer did not expect there to be one, but Clarke spoke no far from where they would find the supply depot.

"You know, the first dropship is gonna come down soon. Pretty sure you can't avoid Jaha forever."

Sawyer tried to not to think about it. How the Ark would start to send down the residents of the space station a few hundred at a time. Soon, their camp would be overrun with the people they worked so hard to leave behind. The people who wanted to kill them only a couple weeks earlier.

"I can try," Bellamy stated as he moved around the blonde, pushing branches out of his path.

Sawyer rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that won't last long," she muttered, shoving through the last of the foliage in their way.

Sawyer came to a stop when the forest opened up to a clearing, one more than a hundred or so yards across. Ruins of old buildings and other structure littered the area, which slopped down into a large crater filled with water. She wondered if the sight could have been where a bomb dropped during the war.

"This city has seen better days," Sawyer quipped as she stared out at the destroyed overgrown landscape.

Clarke nodded, before she scanned the area around them. "The depot is supposed to be around her somewhere. There's got to be a door," she stated and then looked to the eldest Blake. "Maybe he'll be lenient."

Bellamy sighed and shifted his attention to the blonde. "Look, I shot the man, Clarke. He's not just gonna forgive and forget." He shook his head, moving forward to begin their search. "Let's just – split up. Cover more ground. Stay within shouting distance," he said and walked off.

Sawyer huffed after him. "Still thinks he's the boss, I see."

Clarke gave her a look. "Don't start. Let's find this place, so we can see if its livable."

"Wouldn't count on it," Sawyer stated and moved in the opposite direction as Bellamy.

Sawyer scanned the landscape for any sign of the door Clarke mentioned. A metal door, she figured. Everything would have been metal back then. She tried to take in the scene around her as she searched for their supposed door.

Sawyer could not help but think about how the place looked back when the human race lived entirely on Earth. They could only speculate from the old movies, prerecorded sporting events, and other images that were passed around the Ark, but none of them were of real life. Not how the world would appear day to day.

Sawyer's thoughts were shoved to the back of her mind, forcing herself to return to the task at hand. No need to think about the past when she needed to worry about her and her people's present. Her eyes flicked across the ground as she stepped through the calf-high grass that parted beneath her boots. The only thing she managed to find, other than more grass and rubble from obliterated buildings, were shards of metal stuck in the ground.

"Sawyer, Bellamy, over here. I found a door."

Sawyer headed in the direction of Clarke's voice. Her gaze landed on Clarke stood next to a slated door imbedded in the dirt. Weeds and other greenery grew around the edges, having been untouched for almost a century. The Griffin girl yanked on the handle to pull it open, but the door refused to budge.

Clarke groaned. "I think it's rusted shut."

"Probably," Sawyer stated when she reached the blonde's side. "It's been ninety-seven years since anyone's been inside."

Bellamy approached them and removed his axe from his belt. "Here." He crouched next to the door, raising the blade toward the rusted lock. "Watch your foot," he told Clarke, who did as she was told. He slammed the axe onto the lock and severed the metal, before he looked to the two girls. "Give me a hand."

Sawyer pressed her lips together and moved to grab the door's handle. She helped them rip the door open as the hinges creaked. It fell to the side with a clank, leading to a steep set of concrete stairs that descended into a darkened bunker. Sawyer lowered her foot down onto the first step and eased herself into the underground structure. Clarke and Bellamy followed after, leaving the door open wide behind them.

Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and the railings that lined the staircase. A stale smell entered Sawyer's nose, causing her features to scrunch as it registered. Her eyes flickered over the filthy space and fell on words painted on the wall ahead of her. It read: Emergency Aid Depot 23.

"Here," Clarke voiced, tapping the Wesley girl on the arm.

Sawyer turned to her to see a palm-sized light held in her hands. She took it with a nod, before she faced the other set of stairs that continued further down into the bunker. So far, she did not possess high hopes that the place would have anything useful still inside.

"Really think this place hasn't been touched since the war?" Bellamy questioned from where he walked behind Clarke.

"A girl can dream."

Sawyer would have agreed until her stare lowered to the side of the staircase, finding a charred corpse laid on the concrete. Still dressed in whatever clothes they wore before their death. "Dream of something else, 'cause I don't think that one's coming true any time soon," she stated.

"Hell of a place to die," Bellamy said when he noticed the body.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the amount of cobwebs and dust multiplied. Water slipped through the cracks that ran along the ceiling and rushed into the floor in a large puddle. Shelves were tipped over and laid on their sides, while different kinds of debris littered the darkened space.

Clarke sighed. "So much for living down here. This place is disgusting." She huffed. "Damnit."

"Anything left down here is ruined," Bellamy added as they headed down the right side of the bunker, which narrowed into a hallway lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves.

Sawyer nodded. "Hate to agree with Blake, but I don't think we can use anything in here." Her eyes drifted over the shelving. Several of them were empty, but there were some plastic containers left.

"They must have distributed most of the supplies before the last bombs went off," Clarke proposed.

Sawyer moved over to one and clicked the latches on one of the lids to pop it open. She peered inside to find dozens of cans stacked on top of each other. She reached in and pulled one out, reading Creamed Corn on the label with an image of the food below it. Her eyes lowered to the numbers printed on the metallic bottom. It expired more than ninety years earlier.

"I found some expired food," Sawyer quipped to her fellow traveling companions. "I would say we could try it, considering all the preservatives they used to put in this stuff, but I'm pretty sure ninety years is pushing it." She set the can back into the container and shut the lid.

"Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea," Clarke stated, before she popped open the box in front of her. She looked inside and called out, "hey, I found blankets."

Sawyer stepped toward the Griffin girl and looked to where orange fabric glowed from the light in her hand. "Sweet."

Bellamy scoffed from where he moved around the girls and further into the narrow space. "Excited about a couple of blankets?"

Clarke released a long short breath and looked toward the eldest Blake. "Well, it's something."

Sawyer turned to give the man a sharp stare. "And, it'll keep most of us from freezing to death."

Bellamy shook his head and whirled to the other end of the room. "How about a canteen, or a med kit, or a decent freaking tent?" he exclaimed.

Sawyer looked through another container on the shelf to see more blankets. "Wishful thinking, but totally unrealistic. I'm just surprised the blankets survived."

Bellamy shouted, before a metal thud rung throughout the space. Sawyer snapped to where the man stood next to a barrel knocked onto its side, causing a liquid to splash across the floor. More clangs erupted as something inside the barrel shifted from the movement. She moved to where Bellamy crouched beside its opening, while Clarke did the same.

"Oh, my God," Bellamy muttered, reaching out to grab something. He turned to where both girls stood and grinned as he showed them what he found.

Sawyer's eyes widened when she spotted the black, assault rifle held in his grasp. "Holy shit."

<November 12, 2019>

I know it's been a long time since I last updated this story. Sorry. I just lost interest, which happens sometimes.

Thank you guys for being patient and not asking for updates. They really stress me out.

Don't forget to vote and comment.

-Jordan

P.S. Unedited chapter.