𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓-𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙨

XXXIV-WHAT WAS LOST IS FOUND

We wrapped our arms around our friends. He pulled us back. "Is this real?" The question hurt more than my arm. What did they put him through? More guards were on us and we were running again. I pushed myself to keep speed with the boys, though they were pretty fast and I was pretty injured.

We skidded to a stop when Jansen appeared in front of us. "In here." Thomas pushed a door open and we went in. He slammed the door shut, locking it. There was banging on the other side. I stepped back, looking around. There were no other exits. We were trapped.

"Aesara?" I looked back at Thomas. "How's your thing with heights?"

"Why?" He looked out the window and I started shaking again. I shook my head. "Are you trying to kill me?" They grabbed something off the floor that came up to my chest.

"Lift!" They lifted it over their head and tossed it through the window, shattering a hole and creating small cracks in it. It landed in the pond just underneath the window.

As I looked down, everything shifted. I stepped back and shook my head. "I can't."

"Hey." Thomas took my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him and not the hole. "It's gonna be fine. We're gonna be here with you. Nothing is going to happen." He turned to Minho and Newt. "We just need a running start."

"You sure about this?" Minho asked.

"Of course."

"Nice pep-talk."

"Yeah." Newt added. "We're all bloody inspired."

The sawing stopped, and something banged against the door, the table Newt and Minho put there moved. "Move it! Move it!" A guard forced their way through.

"Shit." Thomas grabbed my hand and pulled me with him.

"No. No. No!" My stomach was left behind as I fell. I screamed and tried reaching for Thomas, but the air pressure was too powerful and I ended up away from him. The water was cold and it hurt when I landed in it. My feet hit against the bottom of the pond and I pushed myself up. I broke through the surface sputtering. "I am never doing that shit again." I pushed my hair out of my face, not sure when it came undone.

"Same."

I climbed out of the water. Shivering in the night air. I glared at Thomas.

"I'm sorry. It was the only way out."

"Whatever." I stood up, helping Newt out of the water, careful not to put weight on my arm.

Guns cocked and whirred. Damn, if we're shot with those ones, we'll definitely die from being soaked. Four guards came towards us, guns pointed at us. "Take it easy." Thomas reached for his gun that he had strapped to his thigh. "Don't even think about it. Get on your knees, hands in the air."

One of them turned towards the others and shot them down. All three of them convulsing. "You son of a bitch."

The one who shot them took off his helmet, jumping down from the raised floor. "Gally?" Minho panted. Oh right. He didn't know.

"Minho." Gally looked at the window we just jumped from. "You guys are nuts." He walked away. I sighed and followed him. We got to the front of the building, hiding behind the raised garden patches. "Well, they're definitely pissed."

"How are the tunnels?"

"Uh, maybe twelve blocks from here."

"Twelve blocks." I exclaimed. "What the hell?"

"We are so far for a reason." He looked down at my blood soaked sleeve. "What happened to your arm?"

I hid it from their view. "Nothing. Just a little scratch." I avoided Thomas' eyes. "I'm fine. We just have to get to the tunnels."