STATIC → newt , tmr [EDITING ; VERY SLOW UPDATES]

chapter viii

"You guys are lucky you found us when you did," Sonya said, "we're moving out at first light. Where's Vince?" she called to an armed man walking past.

"Somewhere over there, I think," the man answered, gesturing vaguely.

"Who's Vince?" Thomas asked.

"He's the one who decides if you get to stay," Harriet answered.

They continued moving through the camp in the direction that the armed man had vaguely pointed them in. As they walked, Tiago couldn't help thinking of the worst case scenario. What if this Vince guy didn't let him, Jorge, and Brenda stay? How could they be sure that saving Immunes was their way into safety's arms? If they got kicked out now, Tiago wasn't sure how long they would last with his injured leg and Brenda looking worse with every second that passed. They'd run out of food and water before they could reach the city, and even then, they had nowhere to go now. The compound didn't exist; Jorge had seen to that. There was no way they'd survive more than―

"You're thinking too much."

Tiago turned to glance down at Newt, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"You've got that look on your face. You worry too much," Newt murmured. It was a simple observation, but Tiago couldn't help the turning in his stomach as he listened. "What could you possibly be worried about? This is the protection we've been looking for."

"You don't think it was a little too easy?" Tiago muttered quietly, so only Newt could hear.

Newt shrugged. "WCKD said they were helping us, but they've got plans to harvest our blood for a cure. At this point, I don't trust anyone that opens their arms to us."

"I thought the Right Arm was supposed to be an army," Minho said from the front of the group.

"Yeah, we were."

Tiago turned his head at the unfamiliar voice and saw a bearded man emerging from a tent. He was flanked by two other armed men. The atmosphere surrounding him immediately told Tiago this was the Vince they'd been searching for.

"This is all that's left of us," Vince continued. He kept walking to the front of the group, right in front of Thomas and Minho. "Lot of good people died getting us this far." He glanced down at Harriet and Sonya. "Who are they?"

"They're Immunes," Harriet answered. "Caught 'em coming up the mountain."

"You check 'em?" Vince questioned.

"I know this guy, Aris." Harriet pointed at Aris. "I trust him."

"Well I don't," Vince said firmly. "Check 'em."

Tiago saw movement from the corner of his eye. He felt Newt subconsciously move closer to him.

"Hey boss," an armed man said, and then Brenda collapsed. Tiago moved forward immediately, shaking off the hand Newt put on his arm.

"Brenda!" Jorge called, crouching onto the ground beside her.

"Brenda, can you hear me?" Tiago asked, kneeling beside her and placing a hand on her back. "Brenda?"

"Brenda! Brenda," Jorge kept saying anxiously. He grabbed her shoulders, pulling her off the ground and into his arms. "Talk to me. What―"