Thomas sat down on a rock as Jorge bandaged his bleeding hand. "Best you don't use this hand a lot Hermano," he advised.
"Let me do your face," Newt said. He picked up a cloth and drained it with water and dapped it gently against Thomas's face, cleaning it. A red sore remained on the side of his head but it wouldn't scar.
"Thanks," he said to both of them. "You all right Newt?"
"Oh, don't worry about me," he assured. "Just a few bruises. That's all,"
"You sure did a good help back on the bridge," Newt lectured Jorge angrily; he didn't blame the others.
"If we had tried to come over, we'd have all plunged to our deaths. Just be lucky you two are alive," he said.
Minho exploded. "' Lucky'?! They could have died!"
"What did we say about keeping that tone Hermano?" he warned.
"Stop calling us that!"
Thomas huffed, tired of their aggressive arguments. "Guys!" he shouted. "What's important is we're all alive! And we didn't lose anyone else! Now can we please just get going?!" he stood up but wobbled a bit so Newt caught him.
"Easy Tommy,"
"He's right Hermano. We'll stay here a bit and then continue. We won't be able to reach Marcus until tomorrow,"
"Tomorrow?!" Minho shouted. "But we wanna find our friends!"
"Settle Hermano. Brenda will get them there and we won't have to worry,"
"Fine," he cursed. "But this had better not be a trick,"
Thomas wanted to break up the fight again but he was too exhausted from his shared near-death experience with Newt to talk. The group had followed Jorge across the desert but they had yet to settle ruins where this Marcus fellow would give them precise directions to find the Right Arm.
Thomas's hand had been bandaged, curtesy of Newt and his face had been wiped. Since he and Newt had nearly died falling to their deaths, he had become rather quiet, too lost in his mind to say a word. Newt as before never left his side, ever.
It was getting very dark so it was decided that they would rest for the night. Jorge would take the first watch. Thomas insisted that he'd take watch later but Minho voted for him, saying that he was too tired for him. Though grateful, Thomas wanted to take a shift. It would give him an extra break from closing his eyes and recapping his memories.
They took shelter in the remains of an isolated building and had got a fire starting. Jorge stood outside; his revolvers readied. He may not have expressed much emotion on his face but Thomas knew that deep down inside he was so worried about Brenda; their surrogate connection was as clear as crystal.
Whilst the boys were talking and chatting, Thomas felt like a black sheep. Newt was the only one to notice.
With the others distracted, Thomas stood up and moved to walk outside but he was blocked by Jorge.
"Where do you think you're going hermano?" he asked.
"I just want to go somewhere to be alone,"
"Get let you do that. If you're valuable to WICKED, then you shouldn't be walking off by yourself,"
"Just let him have some space!" complained Newt from inside coming over. "If he needs space, then let him be alone for a while,"
Jorge eyed Newt who eyed back at him coldly. "Very well. But only if you go with him,"
"Well, that wouldn't be giving Thomas space would it?"
"It's fine Newt," Thomas assured.
Jorge allowed them to pass and they walked over to a nearby dune. They sat down, staring up at the full moon.
"That's one pretty moon," Newt remarked.
"Yeah," Thomas answered. His voice was low and didn't sound cheerful at all.
"You okay? You haven't been yourself since our near-death experience,"
Thomas sighed. "I'm just worried about Edward,"
"I'm sure he's safe. He's not alone. He's got Teresa, Chuck, and Aris. And hopefully, Brenda as well if she found them. They'll be with us before we know it,"
It didn't lift Thomas's spirits at all.
"I should be out there protecting him. I just wanted to keep him safe. Now he's out in the Scorch filled with Cranks and ruins and who knows what,"
"Hey. This isn't your fault. You couldn't have known that the lightning storm was coming. You can't always be responsible for him,"
Once again Thomas remained unenthusiastic. "I promised my mother when we were boys that I would always look after him. It's the one thing we both promised her...that day she dropped us off at WICKED. Why did she even do it in the first place?"
Newt shifted a little closer to him. "I don't know why our families dropped us off at WICKED. Maybe it was because they wanted a cure to be and wanted to sell us out as resources. Maybe it was because they were afraid of killing us if they became Cranks. But don't ever think she did it out of desperation for a cure. I don't think any of our parents knew what methods WICKED would do to us. It's not just us younglings who were fooled. WICKED has pretty much fooled the entire world. You know how messed up that is right?"
Thomas felt a tear fall down his face. "Our friends are dead because of Ava Paige. What I don't get is why she doted on me and Edward whilst she allowed you and the others to suffer in that Maze. I can't believe I trusted her before,"
"Tommy, you were only a child when those people took us in. You can't blame yourself for being filled with lies by those liars. You thought you were doing what was right. And you did it again with Edward. You guys saved us all,"
"I think we were sent up...because we betrayed them. I just wish I knew what we did without having to fall asleep," Thomas had hinted from his brother's story that the chancellor of WICKED wouldn't have done to them unless they had done something.
"Is that why you keep wanting to take shifts? You're gonna wear yourself out this way. You can't keep being afraid of your past Thomas. They wanted your memories for a reason. Remembering what it is could help us keep you safe,"
Thomas turned his head to him. "You'd think I'd let you and every one risk your lives just to protect me? I'm just one person out of hundreds of people still alive,"
"No. You're one of us, Tommy. You risked your life for us so we could be free. And so did your brother. We would follow you both anywhere. And we would gladly give our lives to keep you both alive. I would do it. I won't let WICKED get their hands on either of you," Newt shook his head slowly and in his eyes, Thomas saw a spark of hope and courage, far greater than foreland and fear. He had ignited it inside him. He and his brother were the ideals of justice and resolve. That what why the Gladers had followed them out of the Maze, that was why they had followed them out of the WICKED compound, that was why they were following them across the Scorch; they believed in them more than anything, more than WICKED, more than themselves.
"Thank you Newt. For saving my life. Again,"
"Well, you saved my life back in that mall. I just returned the favour,'
"But I repaid that when you rescued me in that compound,"
"And l repaid you that when you rescued from in the Glade," he reminded again.
The two chuckled, remembering the times when they had each other's backs, risking their lives so that the other would live. Their faces seem to draw close. Thomas's mind bounced back to the pendant around his neck, he was going to tell Newt. Now or never. He was no longer afraid.
"Time's up hermano!" Jorge shouted walking over to them.
The boys huffed and glared at him; they were quite enjoying their time alone.
"Dude! What is wrong with you two?" he ranted back. "It's not like I disturbed something! You two have spent enough time out of here! There could be choppers closing in on us and you'd be giving us away! Now inside. Come on,"
Thomas helped Newt back up on the slippery sand and they trailed the man back to the shelter. Already many Gladers were asleep. Except for Minho of course. He was determined for Thomas not to take another night shift.
"Look Thomas you've already done enough shifts so you are not gonna...."
"Don't stay up too late Minho," Thomas patted his shout and went over to a corner to sleep.
Minho blinked. Did Thomas just agree to get some sleep?
Newt smiled a bit, glad that Thomas was taking his advice. "You wake me up when you're finished," he bid goodnight to his closest friend and he slept in the corner near Thomas who was asleep on his side. Though his eyes were closed, he shivered in his sleep. Newt pulled off his coat and he pulled it over him before drifting off.
..............................................................................................................
Edward stared out into the distance, thinking of his brother whom he prayed was safe. He sat silently on a dune that was above the campsite where he and all the other girls took to camp. Many of them had fallen asleep already. Harriet and Sonya were taking watch whilst he chose to be alone for a while with Chuck sitting next to him for company.
"You okay Eddie?" he asked.
"Just tired Chuck. And we were worried. I thought we would have reached the others by now. Thomas and I broke us so that we could be free from WICKED. And now we're stuck in the second set of Trials and the others have no idea we're all in trouble,"
"This isn't your fault Eddie. Besides we'd have rather been stuck out here than stuck in there,"
"But many of us have lost our lives," Edward pictured the faces of all the boys, all the friends they lost in the mind of his eyes so he could see their dead faces.
"Edward, if there's anything I've learnt from being in that Maze is that we can't feel guilty. Yes, they died but they died for us to get this far. I am not going to let you lose hope. You've given me more courage than anyone has in years. And I won't see you lose your confidence this way,"
Edward smiled fondly at the little boy he deemed a little brother. "Thanks, Chuckie. You always know how to make me feel better,"
Chuck smiled affectionately back.
Edward shifted over and he came him a big bear hug which he lovingly returned. As he held him, Edward shifted his eyes across the dune and he saw Brenda all by herself, cut off from the crowd. She had remained rather distant from the group, irritated that he had accused her of working with WICKED and being one of their assets in the Scorch Trials.
"Go and talk to her," Chuck encouraged.
"Okay," Edward stood up and he helped Chuck stand up on the deep sand. Chuck walked back down to join Aris and the girls whilst Edward walked along the dune ridge to speak with Brenda.
Down below, Teresa was lying down but she wasn't closing her eyes. She turned her head and she saw Edward walking towards Brenda. She compressed her stiff lips together again.
Edward approached Brenda slowly. She didn't turn to him but her cold shoulder indicated his presence had been detected. "If you hear to accuse me again of working with the same people who took my brother from me, you might as well forget it,"
Before Edward could talk back she stood up and attempted to walk away. "Just hear me out!" he shouted. He realised he had raised his tone. He lowered his volume. "Please?" he begged.
Brenda stopped. And she swerved around.
"I'm sorry I accused you of working with WICKED," Edward sincerely apologised. "You told me your backstory and I reacted like it didn't mean anything. And I'm sorry. I was just so scared for my brother and my friends. They don't know that all of this is another set of trials so I thought you, Jorge and everyone we've seen might have been part of them,"
"If you wanna make it up to me, tell me what happened to my brother. I know you were keeping something back there in the Tunnels,"
Guilt crushed down in Edward's shoulders again.
"Please. Tell me what you know,"
Edward pursed his lips and licked his lower lip, looking down to hide his pale face. He sat down on the sand, she sat down in front of him a little few feet away. He looked up and took in a deep breath. "I saw...his grave in the Glade of my maze. Alby our leader told me...that Grievers poisoned him and he went savage. There wasn't a cure so he was killed in self-defence,"
As he expected, Brenda's face became shrivelled and wet.
He wanted to tell her that it was his makings that took away the only blood relative she had left, but the weight of guilt crushed him down and he became too scared to confess more to himself than to her that it was his fault for creating those monsters in the first place. Though he knew in his heart that it was WICKED that was to blame, it was his creations who had done this. "I'm so sorry,"
Brenda sniffled and hung her head down. "At least I know now. And I have closure,"
"I'm sorry you couldn't see him again," Edward apologised tearfully.
"Thank you," she said. She looked up at him and he saw forgiveness expressed on her face. She wiped her tears away, coming to terms with George's death. In a way, she felt in her heart before that he was dead, but in another way, she was hopeful that one day they would be reunited but that prayer had dissolved away as hopeless faith.
"At least you have your memories of him in your past life to hold on to. You're lucky that you remember your parents. I can't even remember what my mother and father looked like. Or what their names were,"
"I'm sure they loved you and Thomas very much,"
"I just wish I knew why my mother dropped me and Thomas off at WICKED in the first place,"
"Maybe she didn't know who they were. It's not just kids they've fooled. They've fooled everyone. The world is just so broken that even society is more fractured than ever,"
"There is something I do remember. I remember my father telling me and my brother that one day we would do something to fix this world. Even if they didn't do to me what they did to my brother, I still remember things from when the Grievers in our maze poisoned me,"
"My father used to say that to me as well," Brenda said. "I just hope one day I can do that,"
"Maybe one day you will. You're lucky to have Jorge. You both must be really close,"
"We are. He was always there for me after I lost everyone I had as a child,"
"I never thought WICKED would actually kill people to get what they wanted. I can't believe Ava Paige treated me and Thomas different from the others. When we weren't any different. I can't believe we trusted her,"
"She's a rotten one," Brenda cursed. "One day I hope she gets a good whooping for all the misery she did to us and our families,"
Edward wanted to curse the Chancellor but something held him back.
"I know that look," she said. "It's hard to want someone dead when they raised you,"
Edward couldn't argue with Brenda on that. Ava Paige had indeed raised him and Thomas but nothing could quell the rage at her for what she had done to all their friends and...
"I think we should get some sleep," she said. "We'll make it to the others tomorrow and then we'll find the Right Arm,"
Edward nodded to her words. He was tired and he didn't want to think any more about WICKED. At least for the night. "Thank you for helping us, Brenda,"
"Thank you Edward for saving my life," she said back.
They shared grateful glances with bright smiles. They stood up and they walked down the dune together. Brenda almost lost her balance but Edward steadied her. He held her hand as they trod through the sand to the others. They walked over to the campfire and pushed out some blankets to get some sleep.
"Good night," he said.
"Night. Night," she bid before resting her head against the soft covers and closing her eyes.
Edward smiled. He rotated around and rested his head. As he lay down, his eyes still open, he saw Teresa across the campfire glancing a little coldly but also downheartedly at him. He frowned and held his head up. He watched her twist around giving him the cold shoulder. He sighed. He didn't know what her problem was. He tried to talk to her in his head but she blocked him off. He rotated to his back and stared up at the night sky. And closed his eyes.
................................................................................................................
"You sure about this?" Edward asked Thomas.
"Yes. It's now or never brother," Thomas spoke back determinedly.
"You know if we do this, there's no going back," he said.
"Yes. It's time we fought back,"
They stood carefully in front of the controls in their private station.
"So how long can you shut the power off?"
"About half an hour," Thomas said. "We'll have to act fast and get Amelia out. Then we get her to safety,"
"Is Mary ready?"
"Yes. She'll be outside with WICKED's best jeep,"
"Then let's make it count,"
"Have you told Aris?"
"No. I've already lost one friend. I can't lose another,"
"And Teresa?"
Edward sighed. "No. I can't get her involved. Especially because of Jerry,"
"You know not telling her means..."
"Oh stop with the lovebug business. Just go for it,"
Thomas looked at the button in front of him. Then he pressed it. Instantly the camera screens shut off. "It's now or never!"
The pair fled their seats and they locked the door. They made their way through secret corridors to the hole that would take them right into the Maze, into section 7. Thomas put in the codes to the hatch. They made it through avoiding the slimy residues of the Grievers that came in and out. Edward grimaced when he accidentally trod in his own creations' saliva.
They made into the open surrounding by walls. Ahead of them lay the rotating blades of the section in which Amelia was trapped. They sprinted together, calling out her name several times. Edward had wanted to split up to cover more ground but Thomas knew that if one was caught on camera by the time was up, their goose would be cooked. They came together so they would leave together.
Fifteen minutes they spent searching. No luck at all. That was when they saw a scared girl in the dark of the night. She had long blonde hair and dark eyes like Ava Paige. She wore a running suit and vest. The moment she saw them, she turned around and tried to run but she tripped. Her leg was sore.
"Wait! Wait!" Thomas screamed.
"Don't you come any closer?" Amelia held out her knife.
"Don't be afraid. We won't hurt you," Edward came over to her. "WE've here to help you,"
"How do I know we can trust you?" she spat back. "Are you with the people who sent me and my friends here?"
Thomas and Edward shared guilty glances. "We are," they confessed.
"But we don't want to work with them anymore," Thomas said. "They took people we cared about without giving us a chance to say goodbye," he clutched the blue pendant he wore around his neck, the one with N+T written on it.
"Please trust us," Edward implored desperately. "We came here to save you so you wouldn't be killed. The Grievers will be here soon and we need you to trust us,"
Amelia remained reluctant. But if she had any chance of seeing the Gladers again or Minho, then she had to trust them. "Okay. But if you're lying..."
"We're not," Instantly Thomas grabbed her hand and he pulled her up, swinging her arm around his shoulders. "Help me, Ed! We don't have much time," They were running out.
As quick as they could, the boys helped the wounded girl towards the entrance. They had only five minutes now until the power would be returned, the cameras would be back on and WICKED could look at what was happening again in this section. They were very close when they heard Grievers coming for them.
"Are you kidding me?" Edward cursed.
"But this section isn't supposed to have them today," Thomas cursed.
A giant Griever with three tails approached the bridge that led to the exit.
"That's not one of my own," Edward breathed hoarsely.
"Get Amelia out of here!" Thomas ordered his brother.
"I won't leave you!" he said.
"I'll be right behind you," he promised. "Go!" he unslung Amelia's arm and Edward reluctantly helped her towards the entrance.
Thomas stood facing the advanced Griever who roared at him. He glared back unafraid. It roared and it struck. He dodged it.
Edward made it to the entrance and he typed the code in and the hatch opened. He managed to get Amelia into the compound and he rested her against the wall. Instantly he rushed back to the exit hatch and he cried out to his brother whom the Griever was about to kill.
"Hey!" he shouted, earning its attention. "Come and get me!"
The Griever saw him and roared and it charged.
"Edward!" Thomas screamed. He sprinted after the monster but it was too fast.
Edward charged at him. Just as it jumped, he slid right underneath before it could land on him but it was in front of the entrance. Thomas helped him up. Only five minutes left now. They heard another roar. Another advanced Griever stood at the other end of the bridge. It roared.
Together the two monsters charged at them. Clutching hands and sharing nods, they looked in opposite directions.
"Wait for it," Thomas said. "Wait for it,"
The Grievers roared and they charged directly at the boys planning to pummel them into one another.
"Wait for it," he repeated. "Wait for it,"
Edward felt his heart beating every second but he trusted his brother's plan.
"Now!"
Thomas and Edward slid to their knees as the Griever's heads clashed. They waded their way past their legs and they sprinted towards the entrance. Then at the last second, they jumped through as the hatch was closing but Thomas felt his most precious object item snap off his neck. His pendant.
Another chapter is done. Please tell me what you all thought of those moments between Newt and Thomas and Brenda and Edward. I would love to hear your reviews. Also, I'd love to hear your feedback on the flashbacks I've been using. Still, I hope you're all enjoying it.