By the time they entered the area outside the walls, which was overflowing with people, Brenda had managed to clean Emma's wound. The cut didn't need stitches. Truthfully, it wasn't very deep, but it did bruise. Emma waved off Thomas and Newt's concerned comments, promising them she was fine.
It was just a scratch. Emma had worse injuries. Like a bullet to the stomach, she thought but didn't say. Although, Frypan's side-eye was enough of an indication that her comment implied enough.
Jorge stopped the car outside the city, where a community had grown in the deserted buildings. Driving would be too much of a challenge, and it would bring them unwanted attention. They were still fugitives of WICKED.
Emma stayed beside Brenda as they walked toward the city walls, which were still a significant distance ahead. The people around her were dirty, like the ones that Jorge once had working for him. Like the people living in the condemned buildings around Marcus.
That felt like another lifetime. Emma had nearly forgotten.
Looking around, it seemed that nobody was paying them any attention. The group was just like everyone else. Emma pulled at her green jacket, suddenly feeling warm. Adjusting the collar of her black shirt, she tried to remain calm. The amount of people around her was overwhelming.
It was loud. So loud that focusing on her own thoughts felt next to impossible. Thomas led the group through the crowd. She made sure to stay close.
"This place has gone to hell," Jorge commented from somewhere behind her. It made her think that it wasn't always this way.
"We just need to stick together," was Thomas's response. It didn't matter what was around them as long as they were together.
"We are the voice of the voiceless," a person spoke into a megaphone. Emma glanced over her shoulder, noticing multiple vehicles driving down the street. People got out of the way, allowing them to pass. "They hide behind their walls." The group stepped back, not wanting to be in the way. The last thing they needed was to be run over on their rescue mission. "They think they can keep the cure for themselves." Emma took a deep breath, clenching her hands as she frantically looked around. It was all overwhelming. She felt uneasy.
"Hey," Thomas said, placing a hand on her back. He ducked his head, wanting to keep the conversation between them. He had noticed her tense posture and was worried. "You okay?"
"While they let the rest of us wither and rot!"
Emma looked away from the vehicle as it passed and up at Thomas. Their faces close together, noses mere inches apart. She stared into his warm, brown eyes and smiled reassuringly. "I'm okay." She grabbed his hand, squeezing gently before letting go.
Thomas's eyes scanned the injury on Emma's face, but she forced herself to turn away. Her focus returned to the vehicles and the men on the back. Some wore masks, others didn't, but they all had weapons. They weren't WICKED. That much was obvious.
"There are more of us than there are of them." People were cheering. "I say we rise and take back what is ours!" As the cars passed, they moved back onto the street. "Let's bring back victory!"
Emma brushed the hair out of her face. The cars turned the corner, vanishing from sight. A gentle hand on her shoulder guided her forward. Glancing at the person, she realized it was Jorge. Offering him a hesitant smile, she followed after the others.
Thomas ducked through an opening in the wall. The rest of them followed without hesitation.
On the other side of the building was a crowd of protestors. They were screaming, but the words blended together. Some were holding signs, and others were waving articles of clothing.
"That's it," Thomas declared, eyes on the wall ahead. "That's our way in."
There were hundreds gathered around, all wanting to enter. How were they going to find a way in that others couldn't? It didn't make sense. Emma believed in Thomas, but this wasn't the way.
As they pushed through the crowd, the group began to separate. Emma struggled to see where her friends had gone. "Oh my god," she muttered, looking around. "Newt? Fr-"
"Here," Newt reached out, grabbing her hand. "I'm here." Frypan was right behind him. The girl couldn't help but sigh in relief.
Suddenly, Brenda appeared ahead. She waved her hands in the air, making sure they saw her. "What the hell did we get ourselves into?" Frypan didn't expect an answer to his question.
"Just keep going!" There was nothing else they could do. Emma had no idea where Thomas and Jorge went. They seemed to have vanished in the sea of people.
But they were focused on the same thing, the wall that separated them from Minho.
"Em," Newt spoke over the yelling, ducking his head. The girl glanced at him. Rather than responding, he jerked his head behind them.
Glancing over her shoulder, Emma's eyes searched for what Newt was gesturing to. It didn't take long. Behind her was one of the men in masks that had been on the back of the cars. He was holding a gun. She couldn't see behind the mask but knew his focus was on them.
And he was approaching quickly.
"Shit." They weren't WICKED soldiers, but that didn't mean anything. Emma had realized rather quickly after leaving the Glade that WICKED wasn't the only enemy out there. There were people like Marcus. Cranks.
Teresa.
She was WICKED, that much was true, but she was also so much more.
"They're on both sides." Newt tossed an arm over her shoulders in order to casually move Emma in front of him.
He was protecting her, like he always did. "Newt-"
"Keep going."
They needed to warn the others. Emma reached behind her, seizing his hand. If she couldn't see him, she needed to feel him. Make sure he was there. That he was safe.
People around were still chanting to be let inside. Still waving signs and throwing objects. Emma managed to spot Thomas and Jorge with Frypan and Brenda at the front of the crowd by the barriers. "I see them." She let go of Newt as he pushed his way beside her.
"Guy!" Newt grabbed Jorge and Thomas, gaining their attention. "We have to go! Look." There were more men than Emma was expecting, and it was clear these unknown people were focused on them. Jorge pulled out his gun, ready to fight his way out of the situation.
Emma wasn't sure what was about to happen, but something in her gut twisted.
Suddenly, before guns were fired, there was a loud sound. Like heavy metal creaking. It echoed, bouncing off walls. The yelling stopped. Everyone went silent.
It was eerie and made Emma's heart race. The feeling in her gut intensified.
Objects on top of the walls began to rise, a blinking red light appearing. Emma squinted, not sure what was happening. The people around them started screaming, fleeing in all directions. "Thomas, let's go," Frypan shouted. Thomas remained still.
"We need to get out of here-"
Before any of them could move, an explosion occurred in front of them. "Go! Go!" Emma began running with the others away from the walls.
There were several more explosions surrounding them. Clouds of smoke began to fill the air. The ground shifted beneath her feet. "Come on!" It was unclear where they were going, but it didn't matter. They just needed a place to hide that was safe.
The explosions were now ahead, occurring in all directions. "Move!" Emma could barely see through the smoke and debris.
A blast occurred beside her. Brenda jerked back, stumbling into Emma. Luckily, the girl managed to catch them both before they hit the ground. "Come on!" They kept running, desperate to get away from the missiles being fired.
"This way!" Frypan shifted his path and ran into a passageway between buildings. "Come on! Let's go!"
"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" One by one, the group ran through the underpass. Emma entered with Brenda right as an explosion occurred nearby. The force knocked them against the wall but didn't hurt them.
"Come on," Thomas shouted at them, ensuring they stayed in front of him. That way, he could keep an eye on them.
There was shouting from the others ahead, causing panic to rush through Emma. The three ran to catch up with the others. However, they never had the chance. Thomas collided with one of the masked men.
"Get off of me," Newt hollered as they dragged him toward a van. The sight caused Emma's entire body to ignite with fear. They had Newt. They were taking him, Frypan, and Jorge.
"Newt," Emma screamed, trying to get to him. "Newt! Let go of him!" The masked man holding Thomas dragged him into a separate car. Another grabbed Brenda, who was panicking too much to fight back.
Suddenly, an arm wrapped around Emma's waist and lifted her into the air like she weighed nothing. "Hey, let go of me!" She was easily carried away, but she struggled as best she could. "Get your hands off of me!"
"Emma!" Newt cried as he was thrown into a vehicle. All he could do was watch as an unknown man tossed Emma into the same car as Thomas and Brenda. "Tommy!"
Emma crawled backward, pressing her body against the car's wall beside Brenda. "Brenda! Brenda!" Jorge's desperate cries were the last thing she heard before the door slammed shut. She flinched at the sound without meaning to.
The car jolted as it began driving. Emma stared ahead, trying to regain control of her breathing. A man was driving with another in the passenger seat. Three more were in the trunk with them. Masks covered their faces, making it impossible to see them. Each of them had large guns and other weapons holstered across their body.
Emma tried to remain calm, but inside, she was terrified. It was unclear what these people wanted from them. It could be anything. They had also been separated, and not knowing where her other friends were terrified her. The idea that something bad could happen to them made her feel sick.
The man in the middle, the biggest of the three, had his head angled. Where the other two were looking straight ahead, his was tilted toward her slightly. Just enough to be noticeable. Emma shifted uncomfortably, unsure why she had specifically captured his attention. He was the one that grabbed Thomas, not her. If anything, it should be the other man staring at her. When she was struggling in his grip, she believed she knocked her elbow into his chin but wasn't sure.
But he was the one in the crowd behind her and Newt. Did that mean something? Or was she making things up in her head?
Thomas glanced at Emma, noticing that the man was focusing on her specifically. It didn't take long for Brenda to notice, either. The short-haired girl carefully moved her hand, placing it over Emma's.
Emma tensed momentarily before relaxing entirely. She glanced at her friend, offering her an uneasy smile. Even in times of uncertainty, Brenda was always there.
Rather than looking back at the unknown men who had taken them, she kept her eyes focused on their combined hands. Focused on what she knew rather than what she didn't.
Brenda and Thomas were with her. These men had taken them for a reason. They had taken the others, as well. That had to mean something. They had to be okay.
They drove for a few more minutes before the car started to slow down. It was hard to tell where they were with the clouded windows. Not that Emma would know anyway.
A moment later, the car stopped. It was darker now, indicating they were in some sort of structure. It wasn't a building. There was too much natural light still.
Behind them, the trunk opened and more masked men were revealed. "Get out!" The three did as told. They got out of the car, standing close together. Emma was right in her assumption. It looked like they were in what was once a parking garage.
Another vehicle pulled up beside them. It was moving with grunting coming from inside. None of them were sure what was happening. Suddenly, the door flew open. A man fell onto his back. "Where are you going?" Jorge jumped out after him, landing on top of him. He then punched him in the face repeatedly. "Where is she, you son of a bitch?" The group reacted instantly.
"Hey, hey, hey," Brenda yelled, trying to stop him.
"Jorge!" Emma rushed forward.
"Shit! Hey, wait!"
"Come back, come back." They were trying to break up the fight. A man forced Thomas away while another blocked Emma. She glared at the man but didn't challenge him. He had a gun. It would be pointless.
"Where is she?" Jorge was talking about Brenda. "Where is she?"
They forced Newt against the van. He raised his hands, showing he wasn't going to fight back. "Alright, okay."
"Newt," Emma couldn't help but say. He looked over at her, clearly relieved by the sight of her alive and unharmed.
"I'm right here," Brenda called out as she grabbed Jorge's arm, stopping him from hitting the man again. "Right here." Jorge looked up at her, relief taking over his features. The fear leaving him. "I'm right here."
"Brenda." He stood up, eyes scanning her body for injuries. She didn't have any. They all appeared unharmed.
"Everyone, relax," one of the masked men said. The mask muffled his voice. "We're all on the same side here."
Emma turned around, narrowing her eyes at the tall, masked man. How did he know what side they were on? He didn't know them. "What do you mean the same side?" Thomas had the same question. "Who even are you?"
There was a pause. The man stood there, unmoving for what felt like years. Then, slowly, almost cautiously, he took off his mask.
And then everything changed.
The world around her stilled. Everything stopped, including her heart.
Emma's lips parted at the sight in front of her—the sight of Gally.
The same Gally who followed them into the Maze. Who was stung by Grievers. Who shot Chuck. The same Gally who Minho killed with a spear.
He was standing in front of them.
"Hey, Greenie," he said. Without the mask, his voice was recognizable. Emma would know that voice anywhere. Newt's eyes instinctively go to his friend. His friend who looks like she's seconds away from fainting.
Gally was alive.
He was taller, voice deeper, features more profound, and at some point, he had cut his hair. It was Gally.
But the Gally she remembered was dead. Lying on the ground with a spear lodged in his chest. Emma was haunted by it for months. She saw his face in her dreams—the face of a dead man.
Now she was staring at the same face she thought she would never see again.
Gally was alive.
"Gally?"
Brenda's back straightens at the name. A name she had learned a few months ago from her friend. It took Emma a long time to open up about Gally, but she eventually did. She told Brenda everything—more than she told anyone else, including Thomas and Newt. Brenda knew every detail. She also remembered a key piece of the story. Gally had died.
But he was standing in front of them, very much alive.
"No way," Frypan breathed in shock. It didn't feel real. It couldn't be real. They were all there when Gally died.
Emma wasn't sure what to think. What to feel. Part of her thought she was dreaming. In fact, it had to be a dream. Gally had died. She saw him die. She was there when it happened.
Emma lost him. She grieved him for months, carrying the guilt of what happened even longer. A piece of her died when he did, and she never got it back, not even after all this time. There was still a hole in her heart.
But now he was alive, and Emma didn't know what to do or how to feel. Relief? Gratitude? Anger? Fear?
Without any warning, Thomas stepped forward and punched Gally in the face. The sound was enough to bring Emma forcefully back to reality. Gally fell to the ground, Thomas pinning him down just as quickly. "Thomas, wait," Frypan yelled.
Emma gasped, stepping back. "Hold, hold, hold." Guns were drawn. Newt hesitated, torn between his two friends. However, he went to Thomas as Brenda went to Emma.
"Stop, it's fine," Gally tried to get his people to stand down.
If there was one thing Emma remembered about the former Builder, it was his strength. He always won in the fighting ring. He could easily take Thomas, but he wasn't fighting back. It wasn't like him.
But it had been over six months since she watched him die. Since she left him. Of course, he was a different person. So was she. The thought made her stomach twist.
So much time had passed by. He didn't even know who she was anymore.
Thomas raised his arm, but Newt stopped him. "Stop," he begged him. "Stop. Stop." Surprisingly, Thomas listened.
"He killed Chuck." Emma winced at the mention, clenching her fists. Brenda's grip on her shoulder tightened, reminding the girl she wasn't alone. Gally had killed Chuck. Chuck was gone because of him.
"I know," Newt said softly. "I was there." They all were. "But I also know that he was stung and half out of his mind." It wasn't an excuse, just the truth. "Just calm down, okay?" It seemed to be enough to stop Thomas from attacking further.
He forcefully pushed off of Gally. Emma watched as he stepped back, hands by his sides. Gally stood up on his own, rubbing his jaw. "I guess I had that coming." Brenda glanced at Emma once again, not sure what to do. "Anyone else? Newt? Fry?" He looked at her. Emma had to look away. She knew those eyes. Gally's eyes. He was standing in front of her, but she refused to believe it. "E-Emma?" Hearing him say her name pained her. It broke something inside of her.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she swore her heart broke all over again.
"You know this guy?" Jorge was confused. Unlike Brenda, he didn't know anything about Gally.
"He's an old friend," Frypan explained vaguely. The details weren't important right now. Jorge could be informed later.
"How?" Newt didn't understand. "We watched you die."
"No," Gally corrected. "You left me to die." Emma swallowed the lump in her throat, tears burning her eyes. Gally was alive. They left him while he was still alive. She left him. "And if we hadn't found you when we did, you would be dead right now." None of them bothered to thank him for saving them. Gally glanced at her again, not being able to help it, but she still wasn't looking at him. Emma was attempting to come to terms with everything she was learning. "What the hell are you even doing here?"
"Minho," Newt began, bringing the attention back to himself. "WICKED has him here. We're looking for a way in."
Gally stood up straighter at his words. "I can help with that." Thomas glared at him. "Follow me."
"We aren't going anywhere with you." Thomas didn't trust Gally. He wasn't going to willingly follow him anywhere right now.
Gally wasn't surprised by his attitude. "Suit yourself, but I can get you through those walls."
Thomas debated his words. He didn't trust Gally and hated him for what he did, but they had to rescue Minho.
Deciding to ask the only other person who understood how he currently felt, he glanced at Emma. She was already looking at him. Thomas knew Emma's grief better than most. He was there when she had fallen apart completely. He was there when she expressed her anger about Gally's choices, along with her guilt. If anyone understood his hesitations, it would be her.
He was right, of course.
Everyone watched the two. Neither of them spoke, but they understood without words. Emma knew what he was asking. Was it worth the risk of following Gally to save Minho? Could they trust him? The final decision was hers to make, and it wasn't easy, but she knew that saving Minho was all that mattered.
With a faint nod of her head, Thomas sighed. "Okay."
"Okay," Gally repeated slowly. "Follow me." The others looked around but didn't argue. Wordlessly, they followed Gally.
Emma wasn't sure how she currently felt.
Gally was alive.
She remembered the last conversation they had, just the two of them. When she begged him to think rationally, to leave the Glade, but he argued with her. He dismissed her and believed Thomas was the root of all their problems. Said he would Banish her if she disagreed with him.
Told her she wouldn't survive if things were worse. Gally thought that little of her. He didn't believe in her ability to take care of herself. Didn't think she was strong enough.
Emma took a shaky breath, falling to the back of the group. If anyone noticed, they didn't say anything.
She couldn't do this.
She couldn't be near Gally.
Losing him nearly destroyed her. It took her months to be able to get over her grief and let him go.
But she did let him go. She did move on from him. Now, he was back from the dead. What was she supposed to do with that?
"After the Maze, I was picked up by a group heading for the city," Gally's voice brought her back to reality. He was explaining what had happened to him after they left him behind to die.
Emma flinched at the thought of Gally lying helplessly on the ground, bleeding out, watching as WICKED took them away, believing it was a rescue. What he must have thought as he waited for death.
Emma had nearly died once. She didn't, but she thought of Gally while she bled. Is that what he felt? Did he think of her? Did he hate her for leaving him to suffer? Did he blame her?
What if he was back but hated her for leaving? For Minho nearly killing him and them doing nothing to help?
"They discovered I was immune and saved me. Patched me up and brought me here to Lawrence." Emma knew she should focus on her surroundings, but she couldn't. Hearing Gally's voice, something she never thought she'd hear again, pained her. She was confused about her emotions. "This group has been at war with WICKED since they took control of the city." They kept walking. "But WICKED can't hide behind walls forever. One day, they will pay for what they have done." They stopped at the end of the hallway. Gally turned to face them, eyes immediately finding her. Like before, Emma wasn't looking at him. "Listen, he doesn't get a lot of visitors. Let me do the talking, okay?" Nobody responded. "And try not to stare." Gally walked away after that, leaving the group to digest his words.
Trying to shake off her emotions, she followed the others into the room. It was darker than she expected. The only light came from a shattered window above. A man was standing in front of a rose bush, music playing faintly from an old radio. The group descended the stairs. Gally placed his gun and mask on a nearby table. "Gally." The man didn't turn around. "I'm glad to see you made it back. Jasper told me about what happened."
"It was a slaughter," Gally sighed. "There is nothing we can do against those guns."
"No." The man was hooked to an IV bag, which caught their attention. "But they can only poke the hornet's nest for so long before they get stung." A shadow covered his features, making it hard to see the man. "Who are these people? Why are they here?"
"We need to get into WICKED," Thomas spoke after Gally had asked them not to. "Gally told us you could help with that."
"Gally should know better than to make promises he can't keep." Gally's gaze down to the ground. "The wall is only half your problem." He grabbed the IV stand. There were wheels on the bottom. "Getting into WICKED is impossible-"
"There might be a way now," Gally cut in. "But it won't work without Thomas."
"Is that so?" Lawrence was interested. "Do you know what I am?" He approached the group, becoming fully visible. Emma wasn't expecting to see the sight before her. Lawrence was a man but was decaying like a crank. His nose was gone, and dark veins covered his face. His body was deteriorating. The IV bag suddenly made sense. "Thomas?" He got closer, their faces inches apart. "I am a businessman." He moved back to gauge Thomas's reaction. "Meaning, I don't take unnecessary risks. Why should I trust you?"
"Because," Thomas began. "I can help you. If you can get me through the walls, I can get you what you need."
"And what is it that I need?"
"Time," he said factually, leaving no room for argument. "Every last drop."
The man smirked, tilting his head back. "Is that what I need?"
"WICKED has something we both want."
Lawrence eyed him carefully. "I'll tell you what. Three can go for now. The rest stay here. It's just a little insurance to make sure you come back." He paused. "Do we have a deal?"
Thomas took his hand, shaking it. It wasn't a perfect deal, but it was better than nothing.