I Know Places [Thomas The Maze Runner]

[23: The Home Between Homes]

"Keep moving! Keep moving!"

Elle stumbled through the sand in the direction of a huge, illuminated building. The chaos of the gunfire and shouting made it hard for Elle to comprehend what was happening. She was confused, trusting the people who saved them to know which way to go and what to do. She'd been right to assume they were somewhat sheltered in the Maze, tucked away from the troubles of the world and unprepared for the dangers that came with it.

As soldiers continued to open fire into the darkness, the Gladers ran to the enormous building. It was lit by floodlights and was several stories high. Elle gaped up at it; the building looked futuristic and industrial, not what she was used to from the rudimentary architecture of the Maze and Glade.

"Tell him to take off! We're clear!" The man who had helped her shouted, waving at the people they were running to.

The helicopter that rescued them took off just as Elle and Thomas ran through heavy steel doors. Once inside, the doors slid shut and locked with huge bolts. Elle glanced up at the door. It was painted with yellow lines, and she couldn't find the top because it was so large. Panting to catch her breath, she turned and joined the Gladers. They were inside a vast hangar. The group stood in a daze, gawking at the machinery and soldiers running around.

The group was led to a storage room with makeshift beds on the floor, and they spread out, waiting for someone to tell them what to do next. Minho sat at one of the picnic tables and picked at the food they laid out. Nobody was particularly hungry. Elle shifted her eyes around the room, checking on the Gladers and ensuring nobody was awfully hurt. She met a familiar pair of warm brown eyes and tried to smile at Newt, though it looked more like a grimace.

"You alright?" he whispered, joining her on the mattress she sat on. Elle nodded tiredly. She didn't want to tell him that her body ached and her mind was racing, and she couldn't catch her breath because panic was taking over, because she knew Newt had it much worse. "Good," Newt hummed. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her sideways, hoping to comfort her.

Luckily, the Gladers didn't have to anxiously wait much longer. A man with a bulletproof vest and gun opened the steel door to the storage container. At the squeaky sound, everyone got to their feet and huddled together. A tall, thin man wearing a turtleneck sweater and a black leather jacket entered and smiled at them. "You kids doing all right?" he asked, nodding at them. The Gladers approached him unsurely. "Sorry about all the fuss. We had ourselves a bit of a swarm," he explained what happened outside.

"Who are you?" Thomas asked him.

The man grinned. "I'm the reason you're all still alive," he replied. "It's my intention to keep you that way. Now, come with me." He backed away. "We'll get you kids squared away," he added, walking down the hallway and expecting the Gladers to follow him.

Everyone watched him suspiciously, overly cautious after being stuck in the Maze. "Do we follow him?" Frypan wondered, glancing over at Elle for help.

She nodded. "I want to know what he has to say," Elle admitted, taking the first step to go after the man.

"You can call me Mr Janson," the man told them as he led the group through the facility. "I run this place. For us, it is a sanctuary, safe from the horrors of the outside world." Elle observed the sparks flying from machinery with weary eyes. "You all should think of it as a way station." Janson turned the corner, and the Gladers followed. "Kind of a home between homes. Watch yourselves." He pointed out the welding fall overhead.

"That mean you're taking us home?" Thomas inquired, eyes wide.

Janson looked at Thomas over his shoulder. "A home of sorts," he said vaguely. "Sadly, there wouldn't be much left of wherever you came from." Elle sucked in a harsh breath. It was a reality she had prepared herself for, but the confirmation that the world was desolate was a lot to take in. "But we do have a place for you. A refuge – outside the Scorch – where WICKED will never find you again. How does that sound?" Janson offered.