The Desolation (The Maze Runner)

15. Valley

A second later, a guard grabbed the boy and threatened him with a gun.

"Teresa told me to tell you, I'm sorry!" Aris shouted while the guards forced him back down the hall.

Salsa stood there frozen in shock. A moment later all her senses came back and she turned around, running in the opposite direction from the hangar.

"You can't!" cried the woman guard that was with her.

"So shoot me!" Salsa ignored her and ran through the building while the woman stopped where she was, waiting for orders.

Salsa sped down the hallways, searching for the correct room and when she finally found it, she kicked the door open. Janson jumped up from behind his desk and closed his book.

"Miss Lale, what is it?" he asked.

"You asshole!" she went through the room, but he quickly pushed a button under his desk and a transparent wall appeared between them.

Janson smiled but it faded in a second when Salsa lifted her sweater and took an object that lit with blue light out of her belt. She pushed it into the invisible wall and it cracked under the blue beam. She ran to Janson, jumping onto his desk and knocking him over with his chair so that his head hit against the wall behind him. She laid her knee against his chest, pressing him hard, so he had difficulty breathing and got the knife out of her shoe with one swift move. A second later, the blade was at his throat.

"Where is he? I know you took him somewhere," she pressed harder and Janson mad a few coughing sounds as he gasped for air.

"He's sick, we can't risk him getting violent with the group..." he wheezed.

"Where is he and I'll only ask once," she pressed the blade harder into his skin.

Janson had sweat drops running down his face.

"We took him to the Crank Palace around Denver, he'll be safe there," coughed Janson.

"Safe, around Cranks!" Salsa was so furious she had difficulties not to kill the man.

"Please, Miss Lale," his eyes widened in fear.

"If any hair falls from his head, I'll get you. And you don't want to know what will happen to you," she pressed so hard on his chest that he stopped breathing.

"I'll do it, I'll protect him," Janson was moving his lips, but no sound was heard.

"Fine, keep your words," she jumped off him and he fell on the ground, helplessly gasping for air.

Salsa left his office, going through the wall and using the blue light again. There were several guards in front of the door but none attacked her.

"The restroom," she said and the guards went there with her.

When she shut the door behind her, she took a deep breath. She rested her hands on the sink, trying to clear her head from all thoughts. It took her two minutes, then she tossed her backpack on the ground. She took her black jacket out and hid the sweater inside. She was wearing all black again.

Salsa put two more guns behind her belt and moved to the mirror. She sighed, tying her hair tight in a ponytail and throwing the beanie into the backpack. She studied her face in the mirror for a few moments. The Salsa that was with her beloved boy in the house in the mountains in Washington State was gone.

Minho and Thomas jumped up when Salsa went into the auditorium followed by two guards. Brenda and Jorge were sitting on the chairs and just looked at her.

"What's up?" Thomas asked.

"We need to get to the White Tower the fastest way we can, let's move," she said.

Three minutes later, a gray wall appeared in front of them and the group looked at each other.

"Ready?" Salsa looked around.

They nodded and she moved first, stepping through the flat trans. Brenda and Jorge appeared a second later, followed by Minho and Thomas. They felt the hot air around them, not as hot as the Scorch but still very unpleasant. They were in a huge valley surrounded by naked brown hills. Salsa scanned the horizon. She looked at the sun and her own shadow.

"This way, San Francisco is north-west from here," she said while moving.

Behind them, the gray wall disappeared and the area seemed so deserted and peaceful here. The group started to walk but no one spoke a word. They moved along a dusty sand road that led across the valley and had made about ten miles when they saw a sea of white in front of them.

Salsa stopped and Thomas nearly bumped into her.

"What's that?" asked Brenda.

"Trees," muttered Salsa, moving closer.

"How do they grow here?" asked Minho.

"And are those white things snow?" muttered Jorge.

"No, those are blooming trees," said Thomas who walked right next to Salsa.

"Let's find out what this is about," said Salsa.

She needed something to happen, to not go crazy from pain. She steadied her breath and continued to focus on everything around her but whenever she lost control for a second, her mind kept giving her images of Newt's face and she felt sharp anguish. She was glad Thomas walked so close to her, she barely knew him but somehow she trusted him and he seemed like a friend that understood her without words.

"He'll be fine, he's a fighter," whispered Thomas when they were far away from Minho, Jorge and Brenda, that the rest of the group couldn't hear them.

He seemed to be guessing her thoughts.

"I hope," she said, feeling her throat tightening.

They walked in a steady quick tempo and soon reached the first line of trees. Each one was similar, all full with beautiful white blossoms.

"We can hide under them for the night," said Brenda when they stopped at the edge of the orchard.

"Sounds like a good idea to me, it's better than sleeping in the open space," said Jorge.

"We'll keep walking along these trees as long as we can then we'll decide," ordered Salsa.

Brenda opened her mouth to argue but stopped when she saw Thomas' glance.

So they continued to walk till night fell. It got cold quickly. The sky was bright and covered with stars so they walked two more hours, reaching half of the valley in one day.

"I think it's good to rest for a moment," said Thomas.

They had some water and food supplies they had got from WICKED, but they needed to spare it.

"I'll find a good place to sleep for the night," said Brenda, disappearing between the trees.

Miho and Jorge followed her, then Thomas. Salsa was the last to step into the orchard.

Thank you for the support, it means so much to me :) What do you think about Jansons promise? What about the mystrious trees? Do you like the baginning of the triel so far?

I'm so excited to find out how you will like the trial. I's a original idea, and I enjoyed writing this part of the story.

Much love :)