SACRIFICE {Newt | The Maze Runner}

viii. The Crank

Song: CARRY YOU; ruelle

     "OH, you gotta be kidding me." Tommy groans as guards surround us.

"Take it easy!" Tommy reaches for his pistol, "Uh, uh, uh! Don't even think about it! Get on your knees with your hands in the air."

One of them whirled around, his launcher finding homes in his colleagues' chests. He moved towards us, removing his helmet to reveal Gally.

"Gally?" Minho asks in pure confusion.

"Minho." he looks up at the building, "You guys are nuts."

"I'll explain later." Tommy says, clapping Minho on the arm. Gally looks sadly at me, having witnessed the entirety of the last five minutes of my life, five minutes I would do anything to change.

*

Helicopters and vans had begun the larger city-wide sweep for us and the missing Immunes, who were hopefully already outside of the walls with Brenda.

"Well," Gally concludes, "they're definitely pissed."

"How far are the tunnels?" Tommy asks.

"Uh, maybe twelve blocks from here."

Beside me, Newt continues to cough, each one more taxing than the last, blackened veins had started to crawl up his neck and cheeks now. We were running out of time.

"We can make it." Gally assures, my hand wrapping around Newt's own as his coughs wracked his body.

"Love, how you feeling?" I ask him, unzipping his jacket and pushing the hair from his face.

"Terrible." he smiles, turning to face Minho, "It's good to see you though.

Minho moves to speak to the others, I continue to wipe the sweat away from his face and forehead, pressing a light kiss to his knuckles.

Tommy comes to help me lift Newt up, both of us lifting his arms around our shoulders and pulling him to a standing position, though he staggers.

"We're gonna get to Brenda, she's got the Serum." Tommy explains, Newt and I nodding as we all hobble towards Lawrence's base.

We get no further than a few feet before a colossal roar rips through the city, flames engulfing a large section of the wall.

"We're suppose to take down WICKED not the whole damn city." Gally groans.

"Gally, come on." I urge, Tommy and I moving Newt away as sirens fill the air.

Gunfire also joined the harsh cacophony that whirred incessantly against our eardrums.

"Tunnels are right up ahead." Gally reassures, him and Minho taking the lead, "Shit. Stay low."

I lean Newt against one of the flower beds as guards swarm in, forming a road block a mere ten metres from us, "What are they waiting for? Us?"

My question was answered instantly as another explosion, much smaller but much closer, rang loudly. Lawrence's cranks charging towards the WICKED sentries.

We were totally pinned down with no options, I did my best a shielding Newt from the bullets, but the shrapnel hit all of us.