Chapter Twenty-Eight: Busted Pt. 1

The street they were parked on was freaky; gaps in the sidewalks that could swallow a foot, broken neon signs flashing, and dumpsters with graffiti while somewhere up the road dogs howled angrily.

In other words, this was the last thing Clarke wanted to be doing on her second to last day of Thanksgiving Break.

"You'd think that a bunch of rich fucks like the Mountain Men would have their party in a nicer part of town," Bellamy grumbled. He undid his seat belt and shoved his door open.

Murphy pocketed his keys and climbed out of the driver's seat. "Yeah well," he closed his door, momentarily muffling his voice, and then opened the backdoor for Clarke, "Mountain Men love a good high during a party and the best place for that is Reaper and Azgeda territory."

Clarke heaved herself out of the car, stepping around a gap in the sidewalk that could easily snap her ankle if she made the wrong move. "I would ask how you know all this," she pulled her jacket tighter, "but something tells me I wouldn't like the answer much."

Murphy grinned. "I have my secrets and you yours, Princess."

"Murphy," Bellamy scolded. Murphy put his hands up defensively but the light smirk was still present. "So how far do we have to walk before we end up at this party?"

"Not far, friends. Not far." Murphy took a quick left off of the sidewalk down an alley faintly lit by a broken neon sign boasting a cheap laundromat.

Clarke looked to Bellamy for quick reassurance before hurrying down the alleyway in the same direction Murphy had gone. Clarke wasn't really scared, but she didn't particularly enjoy the vibe this place was giving off. If it had been up to her, she would have avoided Reaper territory like the Plague.

When they caught up with Murphy, he was leaning against a dented metal door that gave way into a building. There wasn't any light except from a lighter he had cupped between his hands. "You're finally here," he deadpanned.

"You didn't have to take off and leave us behind," Bellamy retorted.

Murphy barely seemed phased. "Okay, now listen to me. When we go in there, act like you belong. These people sense fear and feed on it so just make sure you own this place the same way you own West Arke."

"I think we can manage that much." Clarke nodded slowly.

Murphy eyed them both one more time before pushing the door open.

The heat hit Clarke first as they walked inside, but then the stench of the place flooded her senses. The scent of sweat, perfumes and colognes, and all kinds of drug smoke filled the air. Bright lights flashed, people danced and drank, and the entire time Clarke felt out of her element.

She had thought that homecoming had been a bit much for her, but this was beyond worse. What was she even doing here again? Why had she let Bellamy convince her that this was a good idea? Sure, maybe some intel on the Mountain Men would be nice but she was strongly under the impression that this wasn't the place to get answers.

A hand on her shoulder made her jump before she realized it was Bellamy. "This isn't what I thought it was going to be," he admitted over the loud music.

"Me neither!" Clarke shouted back, covering her ears with her mittens.

Murphy laughed, hijacking a solo cup full of who-knows-what from a drunk passerby. "What did you two expect? Fancy plates and friendly gossip?" Clarke shared a look with Bellamy because that was what they had been expecting. "You have to do more digging with these kinds of people to get the dirt. So grab a drink and start talking to people. That's the only way you're going to gather even a bit of information."

Clarke watched as Murphy slammed his drink in one go and disappeared into the crowd. "Well, he definitely looks like he belongs," Bellamy said. "Now what?"

Clarke shifted on her feet for a second. Normally she would have suggested splitting up to cover more ground, but this wasn't a setting she felt confident in. At least if they were together, they'd have each other's back.

"I guess we do what Murphy said." Bellamy raised his eyebrows at her in surprise. "Grab a drink," she said, "and let's do this."

…

Maya didn't seem to be enjoying herself as much as Jasper thought she would, but he was a little too drugged up to think too much of it.

After the Friendsgiving he had joined the night before, he really needed this. Clarke's little get together had been okay, and it wasn't like Jasper didn't know anybody who was there, but he still had felt like a stranger. Eyes had been constantly flickering at him in curious disgust or pity.

Only Murphy regarded him with a calculated expression, eyes narrow and cold. He was the only one who really knew what Jasper was up to, and that made him nervous. If Murphy ever needed to call in a favor, he had Jasper around his finger and that made Jasper nervous.

Echo passed him the blunt, breaking Jasper from his stupor. He inhaled on it and passed it on, releasing an excited whoop. His body vibrated with renewed energy and warmth. "I'm sorry, Maya," he said, remembering that she was with him, "I should have passed it to you next."

Maya wrinkled her nose. She was sitting on a stool, overlooking the circle that Jasper and his friends were sitting in on the floor. "No thanks," she said harshly. "In fact, we should go, Jasper. I shouldn't have let you talk me into this. This isn't a good environment for you."

Jasper wanted to protest, but the words slurred in his brain even before making their way out of his mouth. "Maayaa," he drawled, over enunciating her name, "just...sit down baby."

Several voices chimed in their own agreement to her joining them. Maya stood up forcefully. "Jasper, let's go," she said again.

"I thought the deal was he could come to the party if you supervised him," Echo giggled. Drunk, high, or both, she was having a trip.

Maya crossed her arms. Even through his haze Jasper could make out her clenched fists. "I have been supervising," Maya grit through her teeth, "and I've deduced that this was a mistake."

"Why was it a mistake?" he asked, baffled.

"I thought that I could meet you halfway, and help you ease out of the bad habits. But these are the people feeding you these bad habits, Jasper! I can't help you if you're always going back to the source." She looked to Jasper sitting criss-crossed on the floor. "Are you coming with me?"

Jasper hesitated, thinking it over. On one hand, he did enjoy the party scene with Echo and her gang, but he had been feeling better about himself the more tiime he spent with Maya. He wanted to believe there was a way to keep both, but the odds of that were slim. Hesitating wasn't the right choice, however, because Maya recoiled into herself looking defeated.

"Fine," she said, tears forming in the creases of her eyes. She turned, storming into the crowd without another word.

"Wait," Jasper struggled to get up, his body coordination almost entirely out of his control. All around him, he could hear the lights and feel the laughs of the people in his circle, including Echo, as they taunted and jeered at Maya. "Maya."

Finally on his feet, Jasper lurched into the crowd. His head felt fuzzy and his eyes pounded from the alcohol, but he pushed past people to look for Maya. Why hadn't she called him another name? Tore him apart? It would have made forgetting her alot easier if she had turned her back on him the same way everyone else had.

But she hadn't and that's why he needed her back. She kept him stable.

Someone shoved into Jasper and he flailed for a moment before swinging back around with his fist. A hand shot out on the other side of him, stopping Jasper's punch from landing. "What the hell?"

Despite the terrible lighting and pounding headache, Jasper recognized Murphy as the one who stopped his punch. "Easy there, pal," Murphy said. He released his hand.

"What are you doing here?"

"That's not important. What is important is that you get out of here right now."

Jasper clenched his fists. If there was even the smallest chance that he'd land a hit, Jasper would have tried hitting him. "What gives you the right to say that?"

Murphy popped his head up over the crowd. Jasper wondered if he was looking for someone. "Listen," Murphy said, refocused, "Clarke and Bellamy are here."

"Clarke is here?!" Jasper exclaimed. His voice came out louder than he had meant and several heads turned in their direction.

"Shut up!" Murphy hissed, looking around nervously despite the roaring music.

Jasper felt blood rush to his ears. This was the last thing he needed right now. "Why did you bring her here, Murphy?" he demanded, grabbing the older boy by his jacket collar. "Why is she here?"

Murphy's eyes hardened like stone. He wrenched both of Jasper's arms from him and then grasped Jasper by the collar instead. "They're here gathering intel on Mount Weather," he spat. Jasper trembled slightly but managed to keep his expression under control. "How was I supposed to know you would be out here, you dumb fuck?"

Murphy shoved Jasper away. He stumbled back, trying to regain his balance. "What should I do?" he asked.

Murphy glanced around the perimeter of the room again, probably trying to find Clarke or Bellamy. Jasper crouched slightly, hoping that he wouldn't be spotted if he was deeper into the crowd. "This way," Murphy said, moving through the mostly drunk crowd.

Jasper staggered after him, alternating between pressing a palm to his forehead and neck. "Why are you helping me?"

"I should have turned you in the first time you came to me," Murphy admitted. They were taking a brisk pace along the wall towards the back exit. "But now I've been covering you for well over a month and if your sister or Bellamy knew I did, they'd never forgive me. And despite how much it makes me sick to say out loud, they're the only true friends I've got."

Maybe once Jasper would have found the sob story touching, but he couldn't care less. He just needed to get out before he was busted.

He followed Murphy up a staircase onto a landing, but he moved slowly. He had only seen two people come and go from this room in the past, and that was Ontari and Roan, two of the higher ups in the gang. Still, Murphy seemed to know what he was doing which was enough for Jasper at this point. It even made him wonder just how deep Murphy was in all this.

Murphy shoved the door open and stepped inside. Jasper hung back for a moment, nervous to see what could have been on the other side of the door. Then he hurried after Murphy.

The room was dimly lit with a few couches. It looked like the sort of room that a mafia boss could frequent. But the scariest part was who was in the room.

"There they are, Clarke." A young guy sipped a colorful drink from a straw. An ugly smirk adorned his face. "I told you you wouldn't be disappointed in attending our party."

Jasper felt the blood drain from his face as he turned. There was Clarke, his dear sister, staring back at him with all of the sadness, pain, and disappointment that he had been trying to run away from.

"Jasper."

…

Clarke swirled the contents in her cup. She hadn't taken a sip of it and had no intention of doing so, but it at least kept her hands busy while she scanned the crowd.

Bellamy had lost his cup long ago, but he hadn't drunk any of it either as far as she was aware. Murphy was God-knew-where, leaving her and Bellamy on their own for forty minutes. Worst of all, most of the people in the stupid building were either Reapers or Azgeda students.

During their whole time walking around, there wasn't a single person that could have been from Mount Weather Prep. Granted, Clarke recognized that she was working off of stereotypes, but there was definitely a line in behavior between those on the wealthy side of the district and those on the downbeat side.

"Bellamy, this is pointless." They were pressed up against a wall in the back corner, avoiding the sweaty dance floor and drug infested teenagers as best as possible. "If the cops come to shut this place down, we're screwed. You know that, right?"

Bellamy didn't say anything, but the twitch of his nose told her that the same thought had crossed his mind too. "I just don't understand why they would tell us to come to their party when this is so clearly not their kind of thing. I haven't seen a single Mountain Men, have you?" He was getting worked up now, angry.

"No," Clarke answered calmly. "But maybe that was Cage's goal in the first place."

Bellamy planted his palms on the wall over his head and leaned into it. He was trying hard not to snap right there. "But how does that make sense, Clarke? What purpose would this serve?" He slapped his palm against the wall and whirled around. "If we had a tournament tomorrow, then this would make sense because they'd be trying to wear us out before the tournament started. But this? This doesn't make sense!"

Clarke pressed her lips together in thought. He did have a point, but he was still blowing up over nothing at this point. "Hey," she rested a hand on his forearm and he visibly relaxed. "It's fine. I know you're upset because we just wasted a whole lot of time, but it's like you just said; we don't have anything big tomorrow which means we're not derailed!"

She smiled at him, relieved that he was finally calming down. "Let's grab Murphy and get out of here. Okay?"

Bellamy swallowed, nodding slightly. She took a moment to admire how broad his shoulders were and how much she like the messiness of his curls. Had he always had that scar on his upper lip? She hadn't even noticed it before.

"Clarke?" Bellamy said thickly.

"What is it?" she murmured.

Bellamy's eyes shifted up over her head and back down to her. "Cage is coming our way."

Clarke blinked. That wasn't...quite what she expected. "What?"

Bellamy didn't have time to repeat himself because Cage had already joyfully exclaimed, "Clarke Griffin and Bellamy Blake! I was afraid that you hadn't made it this way!"

Despite how hot it was inside the building, Cage was wearing a fancy sweater and black khakis with his hair messy in an attractive way. This was how Mountain Men dressed and it was safe to say that no one else at this party fit the bill.

"Where are all your cronies?" Bellamy snapped. Clarke could feel through his arm that his pulse had increased again.

Cage laughed as if Bellamy had told a funny joke. Clarke wanted to punch him. "Oh, we don't hang out on the ground level among these ruffians," Cage purred. "Then again, I'm pretty sure I saw your brother among the scum today, Clarke."

Clarke was taken back. How did he get the audacity to lie to her face like that? "Not my brother," she hissed, but the words caught in her throat. The truth was, she wasn't sure about Jasper.

Cage shrugged. "Perhaps I was wrong. Regardless, I promised you a Mount Weather soiree and I am a man of my word! Follow me, please."

Cage turned on his heel, moving along the perimeter of the room. Bellamy fell into step with Clarke as they followed Cage. "He's going to the staircase," Bellamy murmured to her. HIs eyes seemed to be pre-mapping the route Cage was following.

"Makes sense," she replied. "He mentioned something about not being on the ground level."

The jab about her brother rushed back to her and Clarke chewed hard on the inside of her cheek. What was Cage expecting to accomplish by all of this? Inviting them to a lewd party? Making remarks about her brother? If he was trying to infuriate her, then he was already achieving his goal. And where the hell did Murphy disappear too?

Cage held the door open. "Ladies first," he crooned through a devilish smile. It could have almost been charming if she wasn't already aware of how much of a cretan he was.

"I'm right here." Bellamy's voice reassured her and Clarke entered the new room.

The room was smaller and less extravagant than she had expected. Two ugly green couches created a sitting area around a glass table with a crack down the middle. The lighting was poor and only the couches in the center of the room were lit while the rest of the room was left to the consumption of shadows.

"This doesn't really feel like a party." Bellamy made a one-eighty around the room before his eyes landed back on Cage skeptically. Clarke couldn't help but agree.

Cage patted the front of his sweater as if to smooth out any wrinkles despite everyone knowing there weren't any. "The entertainment hasn't arrived yet." He moved across the room and settle behind an old bar that Clarke hadn't noticed previously. Despite its poor upkeep, there was an assortment of beverages on the top. "It has come to my attention that you don't have drinks! Here, what would you like?"

Clarke's eyes flicked from the counter to Cage. This had to be some sort of trick, right? Lure her and Bellamy away from other people to an empty room and get them to drink something weird? Roofie them? There were too many questions floating through her head to even focus on one.

"Nothing," Bellamy responded, stepping forward. Clarke wondered if he consciously moved to separate her from Cage or if she was overthinking things. "For either of us."

Cage pouted, a look that was disturbing on his face. "Oh, don't hurt my feelings, Bellamy Blake. I've been told I make a mean mixed drink," he said. Bellamy raised his index finger in a warning. Clarke didn't even need to see his face to know that Bellamy wasn't messing around.

Cage must have picked up on the threat and thinning of patience because he shrugged and tutted, "Suit yourself," before tossing several types of alcohol into a cup until it looked like some kind of fruity concoction.

Nothing about this situation seemed right. "What is it that you want from us?" Bellamy demanded. Once again, he seemed to read her mind.

"It's not what I want from you," Cage said, dramatically popping a straw into his glass, "but rather, what I want to give to you."

"Stop talking in riddles, damn it," Bellamy spat. "Either you tell us what your angle is or we'll walk out of that door together right now."

He looked to Clarke for affirmation; his eyes were desperate, almost pleading. She wondered what he was afraid of her saying. "Together," she repeated, and there seemed to be a weight to the word as it fell from her mouth.

A small signal seemed to travel between her and Bellamy at that point, one that she didn't understand. One that she wished to pursue, but one that was soon to be overshadowed. Because nothing would have prepared her to see Murphy and Jasper stumble through the door, faces masked in guilt.

"There they are, Clarke," Cage said. His voice lost it's false cheeriness and became brutal, cruel. "I told you you wouldn't be disappointed in attending our party."

The air was ripped from her lungs like a spear had run her through the chest. Pain, sadness, and terror rushed through her all at once, plaguing her with more questions screaming to be answered. Instead, she voiced the one clear word in her head:

"Jasper."

...

LOOOOL i have no excuse as to why this is so late *nervous laughter*

But ya girl is finally starting college in the fall! that's crazy to think about because i started this story as a sophomore in high school and this story has taken so many new turns than what I had originally anticipated! It's already longer than I thought it would be. Thank you guys for reading my story for the last three years and I hope you all continue to enjoy it!

8/3/18