Sanction -Minho-

Chapter 43

Bertha was a car. An old car that Marcus had that now belonged to them. They drove down unknown roads. Grace sat squished between Brenda and Minho. Jorge was driving, with a smiling Newt in the passenger seat. In the second row was Minho, Grace, Brenda, and Teresa. They were pressed together but didn't mind. In the back were Thomas, Frypan, and Aris.

They drove in silence. Grace gazed out the window, her eyes heavy. It had been a long day, and she was exhausted. Aris and Frypan were asleep in the back. Frypan snored loudly, but nobody seemed to mind. Brenda was sleeping on her shoulder. Grace didn't care. She actually liked the girl. They had only met recently, but nearly dying together bonded them.

The head injury she sustained still hurt, but not nearly as bad. Grace rested her head against Minho's shoulder. For a moment, his body tensed. Then a smile appeared on his face. He bit the inside of his cheek, keeping his head down. She shifted, getting comfortable before closing her eyes.

Wherever they were going was unknown. They needed to rest while they could.

It was silent the entire ride. Grace fell asleep quickly. Minho stayed still, eyes on the passing scenery, but he occasionally glanced at the girl beside him. Each time, a smile appeared on his face.

They traveled into the mountains on twisting roads that led deeper into an unknown area. For the group, the entire situation was overwhelming. Many of them spent years behind four cement walls. Now they had seen so many different places, all new. It was a lot to process.

After a while, Grace woke up. The road was starting to get bumpy as they drove down streets that hadn't been used in a long time. Her eyes felt heavy as she woke up from a dreamless sleep. The car slowly came to a stop. Grace lifted herself off Minho's shoulder, glancing out the front windshield. Several vehicles were blocking the road. They wouldn't be able to drive past.

By now, everyone was awake. Once the car was turned off, the doors opened. They all piled out, preparing to walk however far they needed until they found the Right Arm.

"Well," Jorge says. "I guess we are walking." That seemed obvious to Grace. She glanced at Brenda, who didn't look good. There were purple bags under her eyes, and her lips were turning blue.

Nobody said anything as they began walking through the cars. Grace pulled at her jacket, her eyes scanning over the abandoned cars. She thinks about the people who owned them. Were they still alive? Were they dead? She would never know.

They inspect the cars, looking for things they may need like food and water. There isn't any, but they have to look. There's a light wind that blows her hair back. Grace wishes she had her yarn, but it's gone. She's stuck with her hair blowing in her face.

She didn't realize how far the group had divided until she turned to look for Minho. Before she could take a step, a bullet hits a car by Thomas. A few more bullets fire. "Get down!" Grace ducked beside Aris. Frypan, Teresa, and Brenda join them.

"Take cover!" Minho, Newt, Jorge, and Thomas were nowhere to be seen. Shots continued to hit the cars around them. They faded, echoing through the mountains before going silent.

Grace made sure to keep her head down. "Is everyone okay?" It's Thomas. He's two cars away from them.

"We're fine," Teresa shouted back.

Newt yelled next. "Does anyone know where those bloody shots came from?" They could have come from anywhere.

Gunshots return. Grace pushed against the car, trying to appear smaller in order not to get shot. There was shuffling coming where Thomas was. None of them were sure what he was doing. Rather than questioning him, she remained quiet. "Everybody," Jorge yelled. "Get ready to run back to the car. And hold your ears!" Grace wasn't sure what he meant, but there wasn't time to question him.