Run With Me ➵ Newt [2]

TWELVE | the right arm

Brenda had caught the Flare.

"Oh, shit!" Vince jumped away and pulled out his gun, pointing it down at Brenda. "Crank! We've got a Crank!"

"No!" Thomas rushed forward and stepped in front of Brenda and Jorge. "Wait, wait, wait-!"

"Step back!" Vince yelled, ignoring Thomas' protests. Several of the people around us grabbed Jorge and pulled him away from Brenda.

"Whoa, whoa, wait, just listen!" Thomas said. "Just listen, okay? It just happened, okay? She's not dangerous yet!"

"Well you shouldn't have brought her here!" Vince said angrily.

"I-I know, I-"

"We let Cranks in here now, this place wouldn't last a week!" Vince interrupted him.

"I understand, alright?" Thomas said, clearly struggling to remain calm. "I understand, j-just listen - just listen to me please. I told her you could help."

He gestured towards Brenda, who was still on the ground, retching. "There's gotta be something you can do," Thomas pleaded.

Vince regarded him. "Yeah," he said slowly. "Yeah, there is."

Thomas looked at him expectantly. Vince reloaded the gun and pointed it at Brenda again. "I could put her out of her misery."

"No!" Jorge yelled, struggling against his captors. "NO!"

"Vince! That's enough!"

A woman came into view, walking towards us hastily. She had long, dark brown hair that flowed past her shoulders in waves, and she looked to be around middle-aged. She looked... familiar, somehow, as if I had spotted a glimpse of her a long time ago. Her eyes caught mine and for a split second, shock flashed across her face. Then it was gone, replaced with a calm expression.

"Let him go," she said firmly, pointing to Jorge.

His captors released their grip on him and he shrugged them off, staring at the newcomer.

"She's infected, Doc," Vince breathed heavily, his gun still directed down at Brenda. "There's nothing we can do for her."

"No," she said. She looked directly at Thomas. "But he can."

He gave her a puzzled glance; but before he could ask what she meant, she gave him a warm smile and said, "Hello, Thomas."

Vince stared at her, then back at Thomas. "Wha-?" He muttered.

"You know me?" Thomas asked the lady.

She gave him a small nod. "Interesting," she muttered to herself, lost in thoughts now. "Makes sense they put you in the Maze."

She went over to Brenda's side and knelt by her, checking her injury. "Though I must admit," she said, looking up at Thomas. "I was worried they'd kill you after what you did."

"W-What I did?" Thomas repeated.

"The first time you spoke to me, you said you couldn't take it anymore. Watching your friends die one by one. The last time we spoke you gave me the coordinates of every WICKED compound, trial and lab."