Through The WICKED Scorch | A Maze Runner Story (English Version)

38. A bad foreshadowing

Thomas next to me winced at the name. When Brenda closed her eyes for a moment, probably to hide her tears, he looked at me questioningly. I nodded. He had understood what I had just meant by knowing the boy in the locket. He had been Alby's and Nick's friend, the first to die in the maze.
Brenda opened her eyes again and I had to fight mightily not to actually start crying. The thought that George had been her brother and that I had known him, even if I barely remembered him, stung.
Suddenly Thomas rummaged in his pocket for something. I didn't know what he was up to at first, but when I recognised the little figurine I had carved with Chuck, I couldn't hold back the tears. They began to run down my cheeks and I gave a strangled sob, so I put a hand over my mouth.
Carefully, Brenda took the figurine in her hand and turned it between her fingers.
"That was Chuck."
Thomas looked at me and realised I was crying. Gently, he took my other hand and intertwined his fingers with mine.
"How did he die?" Brenda asked, looking at me sadly.
"Saving my life," he replied.
Our eyes met and I could see in his gaze just as much pain as I was feeling right now - and something else. Love for the little boy who had thrown himself death-defyingly in front of him when Gally pulled the trigger.
After a few seconds of silence, Thomas broke it again by standing up.
"Get some rest." Carefully, he touched Brenda on the shoulder and then nodded for me to follow him.
I stood up, smiled weakly at her and then walked out of the tent with Thomas.
Outside, Jorge was still waiting and stood up as we approached him. He spread his arms and hugged Thomas, who was a little taken off guard.
"Hermano..." Then he let go of him and hugged me, too. "Hermana..."
I didn't know exactly what that meant, but I believed it meant sister.
"If anything were to happen to her, I..."
"I know, I know," Thomas patted him on the shoulder. "You should get in there. Go talk to her."
Jorge nodded. Before he entered the tent, however, he turned around.
"I guess I owe you, now," he said to Thomas.
He smiled at him.
"Come, let's join the others."
I wiped away my tears and we made our way across the base, looking for our friends.
We spotted them on one of the hills at the edge of the camp. Teresa was still not back with them and Vince was not there either. Newt wrapped his arms around me as I sat down between him and Minho and let my gaze wander over the square that lay a little way below us. Gratefully, I leaned against him, completely exhausted from the day. Even though I had slept several times during the rides, all the input had left me pretty drained.
"I wish Alby could've seen all this," Newt said thoughtfully, stroking my back.
"And Winston," Fry Pan added.
"And Chuck." Thomas still had the little figurine in his hand.
Again I thought of Gally and had to pull myself together not to cry. Now, after talking to Mary, everything was somehow even worse.
"He'd be proud of you, you know, Tommy," Newt said.
Thomas nodded weakly.
"Yeah," he whispered, sniffling.
We let our eyes wander over the camp again and I recognised Aris, who was sitting at a fire near us with Sonya, Harriet and other teenagers. My gaze lingered on the blonde girl. I decided to get to know her back story. I still couldn't shake the thought that she had something to do with Newt. Hopefully that memory would come back soon, too.
"Hey, Aris!" Fry Pan called out, snapping me out of my thoughts.
The slender boy raised an arm in greeting and called out, "Hey, guys!"
"I kinda like that kid," Fry Pan stated, grinning at us.
I too had to smile. He was right, Aris really was all right.
"Yeah... I still don't trust him, though," Minho countered, but grinned at us the next moment.
"He saved our lives, Minho!" I laughed and punched him in the shoulder.
Everyone laughed and the mood was about to get better again. Newt hugged me a little tighter and tried to warm me. I rested my head against his shoulder and enjoyed the warmth radiating from him, because it was getting really quite cold. Soon the sun would set.
"Hey, where's Teresa?" Thomas asked suddenly.
"She went up there," Newt said, pointing to the highest mountain nearby.
Now I saw her, too. She was standing there looking into the distance.
"What is she doing?" I asked.
Her behaviour made me more and more suspicious and I thought of Mary's words.
"Do me a favour and pay attention, all right? I'm afraid Thomas isn't."
At that moment, the very same stood up and left us alone. He walked towards the hill where Teresa was standing and I looked after him thoughtfully.
"There's something wrong with her..."
"Who do you mean?" Fry Pan asked, confused.
"Teresa. She's been different since we escaped from WICKED."
"What do you think they've done to her?" Minho rubbed his hands together to warm them.
"I don't know. But you're right, Anna, she's acting really strange." Newt changed his sitting position now. "Always staring into space and looking at you and Thomas so strangely."
"When Mary said we were her informants, she looked at us like she was about to jump down our throats.... And at the old factory, at Jorge's... She took something when we escaped, something from that guy Brenda shot."
"The one who notified WICKED?" Fry Pan asked.
I nodded. "The guy with the walkie-talkie."
As I said this, the scales suddenly fell from my eyes.
"Oh no!" I groaned out.
"What is it? What have you got?" Newt asked as I jumped up and spun around in circles in horror, undecided what to do.
"The walkie-talkie! She's got it!"
"What?" Fry Pan asked, just as confused as my friend.
But Minho had understood. "Shit!" he hissed, also on his feet. "What are we going to do now?"
"We have to get to her. We can't let her contact them."
"What if she already has?"
"What are you talking about? What's going on here, guys?" Fry Pan had also got up now and grabbed me by the arm to make me answer him.
"Teresa! She took the walkie-talkie from the guy. She's going to contact WICKED!"
Now the other two had got it, too. Newt was the last one on his feet and looked at me with wide eyes. "What do we do now?"
I didn't think about it for long and pushed past Minho and Fry Pan.
"You guys go and find Vince and Mary. I'm going to run up there and try to save something."
Without waiting for a reply, I left the three of them and ran off, chasing after Thomas. I concentrated only on my legs and immediately felt again that wonderful feeling I always had when I ran. Unfortunately, it was once again overshadowed by a stronger, uneasy feeling.
Had Teresa already contacted WICKED? Was I too late?