''Come on, come on.'' Grace crawled out of the vent before Newt, helping the boy with getting out of the vents before the others came through. ''Okay, let's go.''
''You guys go ahead.'' Aris spoke as he stood in front of the vent. ''There's something I gotta do.''
''What are you talking about?''
''Trust me, it's important. You guys wanna get outta here, right? Just go.'' He started to crawl back in as Winston held his hand up. ''i'll go with him.'' Thomas nodded, ''Okay, Winston, go! Go!'' as the two got in before the other six Gladers ran the other way. ''Come on.''
''You sure we can trust this kid?'' Minho yelled towards Thomas. ''You don't want to know where we'd be without him.'' He rounded a corner as he gave a quick ''ah, ah!'' All of them stopped as they stared at a woman in a lab coat, who was silent before looking at them. ''What are you kids doing out?'' As if she'd triggered it, the alarm went off and the woman just stared at the kids as Thomas grabbed her arms. ''Get us to our friend.''
The woman began to lead them through the building, Thomas and Newt at the front, then Minho and Grace, then Frypan and Jack.
When they rounded a corner, Grace could hear the shouts as Newt pushed them back. ''Freeze! Stay where you are!'' Shots were fired as they ran back in the other direction. ''Why are they shooting at us?''
''I've spotted them! - They're in L-3!'' Grace noticed Minho stopping next to her, Thomas calling our for him. ''Minho! What the hell are you doing?'' The boy sprinted forward. ''Minho!''
Minho jumped right into the guy, knocking him into the wall as he hit his head, sliding to the floor unconscious as the others caught up. ''Shit, Minho.'' Grace chuckled nervously at him as Thomas took the gun from the guard, looking at the former Keeper of the Runners as he nodded. ''Okay. Let's go. Come on.''
They continued through the building, ending in front of a door as Thomas pushed the doctor forward so only she would be visible. ''Dr. Crawford, are you here to..'' Thomas pushed her in, the gun in his hands as Grace, Minho, Newt, Frypan and Jack followed. ''Wait, wait. Okay, okay.''
''Where is she? Where is she!'' Thomas pointed the gun at them as Grace rushed to the sheet hung up, pulling it open and seeing the girl. Thomas passed the gun to Minho as he pointed it at the doctors. ''Get over! Get down!''
''Okay, hands, give me your hands!'' Newt ordered as some did while others didn't. ''Give me your hands!'' He ordered again as he tied them up with torn up bed sheets laying around, Minho pointing the gun at them while Grace grabbed Teresa's shoes from besides her, throwing them to Thomas as he helped the girl into her shoes. ''You're never gonna get away with this.''
''Guys? They're coming! Where do we go?'' Frypan called out as he looked through the small, glass window as Grace and Newt looked at each other before settling on a metal table that they pushed over. ''Frypan! Move!'' Newt called out as the two pushed it forward, barricading the door. ''Get back! Get back!'' Minho pulled her behind him as the door was opened with a small gap, the Asian boy pointing the gun at the gap. ''They've got the door barricaded. Send backup!''
''Okay, we gotta get outta here!'' Minho yelled as Grace looked around, there was no other way in or out. ''Where do we go?'' Grace turned towards Newt and Frypan as she heard Thomas behind her. ''Newt! Help, help!'' Newt too grabbed a stool, standing in front of the glass wall as he and Thomas looked at each other. ''Ready?'' They both nodded as they charged forward, avoiding the broken glass as they ducked away.
''Go, go, go!'' Thomas jumped over first while Teresa laid her bed sheet down, making sure no-one would cut themselves before Thomas lifted her over. Grace jumped over it next, holding her hand out for Newt, helping him with his limp. The others followed, Minho throwing the gun back to Thomas as he began to run. ''Stay behind me!'' Thomas called out as he pushed open a door, coming face to face with a guard.
''Shit.'' He fired it as the man fell backwards, his body shaking as he was electrocuted. ''So that's what that does ... cool.'' Grace looked down as Frypan turned to her with a shocked expression. You're scary She-bean.''
''Okay, come on!''
The group ran through the building, the two Runners at the front as they were the fastest. ''There it is! There it is!'' Thomas reached the door first desperately trying to open it with the key card. ''Shit. Come on! No, no, no!''
''Thomas!'' The group turned around, facing Janson as Thomas threw the key card to the ground, charging forward with the gun in his hands. ''Open this door, Janson!'' Minho picked the key card up again, trying again and again as it kept getting denied.
''You really don't want me to.''
''Open the damn door!''
''Listen to me! I'm trying to save your life. The Maze is one thing, but you kids wouldn't last one day... out in the Scorch. If the elements don't kill you, the Cranks will.'' Newt grabbed onto Grace's arm, pulling the girl behind him as she held onto his arm. ''Thomas, you have to believe me. I only want what's best for you.''
''Yeah, let me guess. WICKED is good?''
''You're not getting through that door, Thomas.'' Janson smirked just as the door was accepted, flying upwards as Aris and Winston stood behind it. ''Hey, guys.'' The group stared at them before rushing in, turning to Thomas. ''Thomas! Come on! Let's go!''
''Shut the main vault door!'' Grace started to yell at Thomas to run, the other Gladers following her lead. Just when it looked like the boy wouldn't made it, he slid down onto his side, barely fitting through the small gap. ''Thomas, what's going on?'' Teresa yelled out as Aris destroyed the keypad, making sure Janson and the other guards couldn't get in. Winston slid down next to guard he and Aris must have knocked out, taking his handgun as Thomas held up his middle finger towards Janson. ''Come on.''
''Come on, go! Go! We'll lose them in the storm!''
''Stay low. Stay low!''
''In here!''
''Teresa, hang on. Stay together!''
''I think we lost them!''
''Teresa, wait! No, don't go in there!'' Teresa crouched down next to a fallen building, jumping in as the others followed. ''Get down here!'' Newt caught Grace as she almost slid down the sand, falling into his arms. ''You alright?''
''Yeah, you?'' He nodded in response as he grabbed onto her hand.
''Okay, come on, we have to keep going.'' Thomas spoke as he started to walk away, Minho following him before Teresa yelled out.
''No. Thomas, stop! Tell me what's going on.'' Teresa demanded as the others turned to Thomas too, still not knowing how he knew it was WICKED. ''It's WICKED. It's WICKED. They lied to us. We never escaped.'' He turned to Aris as his eyes fell down. ''Me and Aris, we found bodies. Too many to count.''
''What do you mean? Dead bodies?'' Minho asked as Grace and Newt shared a look.
''No, but they weren't alive either.'' Thomas explained as he motioned to his face. ''They had them strung up. With tubes coming out of them. They were being drained.'' He looked at the group as he shook his head. ''There's something inside of us that WICKED wants. Something in our blood.'' Grace felt shivers down her spine, the idea of what could have happened alone was enough to scare her. ''So we have to get as far away from them as possible.''
''Okay.'' Newt nodded as he panted. ''So, what's the plan?'' When Thomas didn't respond, Newt walked closer to him. ''You do have a plan, right?''
''Yeah. I don't know.''
''Well, we followed you out here, Thomas... and now you're saying that you have no idea where we're going... or what we're doing.'' Grace turned to him, noticing his voice cracking with fear and anger.
''Wait.'' Aris spoke as he looked up. ''Janson said something about people hiding in the mountains. Some kind of resistance or army.''
''The Right Arm.'' Thomas answered for him, looking back to his friends with a nod. ''The Right Arm. If they're really against WICKED, maybe they can help us.''
''People. In the mountains. Mountain people. That's your plan?'' The Brit asked with widened eyes. ''It's the only chance we have.''
''Hey, guys. Check this out.'' Winston pointed at the ground. ''Minho, give me a light!'' Grace looked at the footprints leading further inside. ''Someone's been down here.'' They walked in further, Minho shining the flashlight through a look through door as he nodded at Grace and Newt. ''Come on. Open up.'' The two helped him as he shone the light inside, Frypan found another lamp as Grace leaned down in front of medical supplies.
''Looks like people lived here. Where are they now?''
Newt was too good looking for just one gif in this chapter, so there's two in this one! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you did, please leave a vote, comment and add this book to your reading list to stay updated! See you on Saturday!
-X Violet's-library