Sanction -Minho-

Chapter 51

Hundreds of miles could be done in one night with the right amount of motivation. Grace fell asleep in the back seat, her head resting on Newt's lap. It had been a long and tiring day. She barely slept because of her nerves, and then the plan failed. The amount of disappointment she felt was overwhelming. She felt as if she was drowning in it.

Six months of hard work and dedication, only to find out that Minho wasn't in the train car they took. After hearing what they did to Aris and Sonya, she couldn't imagine what he was going through now.

Frypan drove the entire time, insisting he wasn't tired. That was a lie. He was the only person who knew how to drive properly.

After resting for most of the ride, she found herself wide awake. It was bright outside but not entirely warm. Her head stayed on Newt's lap, but he didn't seem to mind. She messed with his jacket zipper, which made him laugh every time it got stuck in her hair.

It was comforting, the dynamic between them. For a brief moment, Grace forgot about the world around her. But the moment didn't last long. Her thoughts would always return to Minho, making her feel guilty for experiencing any sort of joy knowing he was suffering.

The car came to a stop in front of a tunnel that used to be a mandatory checking area. Grace sat up, following Newt out the car door. The tunnel in front of them was dark. "You want us to go in there?" The question came from Newt. Thomas studied the map, but this was the way. They were close to the city, if it was even still standing. "I don't want to come across as overly negative, but if I was a Crank, that's exactly where I would be." Grace hated that she agreed with Newt. He was right.

"We don't really have a choice." There wasn't a way around the tunnel unless they walked, which wasn't an option.

Newt licked his top lip. "Okay, but I get shotgun." Frypan and Thomas shared an unimpressed look. Grace followed him to the car, getting in the back seat. The other two joined. They didn't have time to waste. Thomas sat in the back with her this time.

"Okay," Frypan started driving. "Here we go." Grace stared through the front windshield, eyes scanning for any Cranks. Once the outside light started to fade, Frypan turned on the headlights. Newt grabbed one of the flashlights, leaning out the window. He used it to scan the walls. "Here we go." There were abandoned cars and fences torn apart. Grace found herself getting nervous at the sight.

"Take it nice and slow." Newt sat back down but kept his light outside the window.

Frypan listened. He drove around the obstacles slowly, not wanting to hit any of them. Thomas had a flashlight of his own. He shinned it out his closed window. "Woah, woah." There was something in front of them. It was a Crank. They were far away but just standing in the middle of the road. Its body twitched.

"It's okay," Thomas tried to ease their fears. "It's only one." That didn't mean anything. "Just go around him slowly. We will be fine."

Frypan wasn't entirely convinced, but he didn't object either. "Take it slow," he said. He seemed to be convincing himself of the idea. "Take it slow." Newt turned off his flashlight and began rolling up the window. Grace leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms.

Suddenly, Thomas jumped onto her. She wasn't expecting it. Following his gaze, she noticed a woman standing by his window. She was older, blonde, with black veins on her face. "Help me," she said. "Please." She was shaking the door handle. "Help me." Her teeth were rotted. "Please."

There was a thud on Grace's window. She gasped, shoving Thomas back. Standing at her window was a boy, slightly older than them. He looked like the woman, but worse. He didn't speak. He only growled. "Okay, Fry," Thomas said. "We need to go."