Song - Skyfall (Adele)
My eyes scanned the destruction rapidly for the boys as I stood atop the towering rock face. But amongst the crowds of fleeing, screaming people it was impossible. Helicopters above the camp released ropes. And soldiers started to slip down them, entering the camp. Armed.
I flinched at the first set of gunshots, sending a dozen people to the ground,
But I swallowed.
There is no point standing up here. I needed to find my brother. My friends.
With a deep breath, I forced my shaking legs down the path, leading into the camp.
My senses were overridden.
There was so much going on, my brain just blocked out all the overwhelming emotions. Now with a goal in mind, I kept going forward.
Find the boys.
I weaved through the outskirts of the camp, hoping to find them hiding and away from all the destruction but I couldn't find them. My heart rate started to rise. Panic setting in. I realized that the feeling that was growing in the bottom of my stomach... and the sudden violent shaking of my hands was the same feeling I got back in the maze.
I was hyperventilating.
My searches became senseless and frantic as I sprinted around and around, hiding from the soldiers' expenses into the camp.
"Eleanor!" A voice called from somewhere nearby. I spun in a circle trying to locate the position of the voice, but I could see no person, "Eleanor!" The voice yelled again.
I didn't want to risk giving up my position to Wicked by yelling out so instead I tried to follow the sound of the voice and as I turned behind yet another tent... I saw him.
"Thomas!"
The boy turned on the spot and when his eyes met mine, they instantly filled with relief. He ran to my side gripping me tight before placing his hands on both sides of my face.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where's Teresa-"
Boom!
Another massive explosion sent mountains of force toward us, but Thomas kept us level by holding me tight. I looked up at him,
"Where's Newt?"
His eyes flooded with terror. His breathing was hoarse. Eyes wide and body tense. I missed the softness that I rarely got to see.
"He was looking for you..."
My own eyes widened. If I was looking for him but Thomas found me first...
"We have to go find him-"
BANG BANG BANG!
Gunshots started whipping the air around us and for a moment I thought it was all over, but two hands grabbed my shoulders and pulled me and Thomas down behind a car. I turned to see Brenda and Jorge both bent down, hiding.
"Are you two crazy? Are you trying to get yourselves killed?" Brenda stressed.
I ignored her concern,
"Where's Newt and the others?" I asked.
"Over there," Jorge answered while pointing to the other side of the camp. Newt, Minho, Fry, and Harriet all carried weapons and were shooting down Wicked fighters. They defended Vince on the back of a truck with a machine gun, which was causing some serious damage. They were surrounded by Wicked soldiers firing at them.
"But we have to go. Now, while we still have the chance," Jorge barked.
"We have to get the others," Tom hissed while standing up. Jorge yanked him back down.
"No! You can't help them," The man growled. We looked back over to the others. The soldiers were closing in. There was no escape for them.
"We don't care. We're gonna try. Right Tom?" I looked at the boy. His stare continued in the direction of Newt. Jorge continued,
"There's just nothing you can do for them. If we don't move now, we won't be much better off,"
Thomas took a deep breath, and looked at me,
"Ella, I need you to go with Jorge. Get a safe distance away. I'll meet you with the others soon,"
"What? Are you serious? Do you really think I am leaving my brother?" I cried.
"Please Ella," Tom pleaded.
"I have told you this a billion times Thomas! I am not leaving my brother-"
BOOM!
All our attention snapped back to the Newt, Minho, and the others.
We just caught them collapsing to the ground, shockwaves of blue electricity running through their bodies. A swarm of soldiers closed in on them.
"No!" I screamed while jumping up from our hiding spot behind the car and sprinting away from Thomas to the others.
"Wait, Eleanor!" Thomas yelled behind me, but I ignored him. I was not leaving my brother again. A memory flashed in my mind of me running through the control room trying to save Newt but being too late, so he was sent into the maze. I was not going to be too late again.
I wasn't going to fucking lose him again.
The screams, explosions, and gunshots were drowned out by my heartbeat as I sped through the hordes of terrified people. I didn't know what I was doing. What I really thought I could do against the soldiers, but I could not physically stop myself from running.
A group of soldiers spotted me. I weaved through the screaming crowds of people and flying debris, trying to ignore the growing thundering footsteps behind me. And then I heard the gunshot,
And it hit me in the back.
A grapple clung to my back as my body felt like it was lighting up with a thousand scorching flames. I saw flashing white and blue. My brain stung and bones quaked as I fell to my knees and then dropped to the ground on my stomach.
"Eleanor!" I heard a male voice scream, but I couldn't figure out who it was from. Maybe Newt. Maybe Thomas. Maybe Minho. Because the high-pitched buzzing made my brain shiver.
I just opened my eyes wide enough to make out soldiers dragging my friends away. Or at least what I thought was my friends... my vision was foggy and spotty. Sparks and flames light it up like sunlight through fogged and dirty glass.
Then I felt two rough hands yank my arms behind my back as I lay on the ground flat on my stomach.
I wanted to fight back. But my body was paralyzed. I couldn't move. I could barely breathe as I was pulled to my feet and practically dragged toward the center of the camp.
My thoughts trailed to Newt. And Thomas. And Minho. Where were they now? I couldn't stop thinking of the last thing I said to them.
I'll be right back.
I could barely keep my head up as they forced me onto my knees in front of rows upon rows of hostages. In between Newt and Minho.
I slumped to the side but thankfully Newt stopped me from falling with his body and kept me upright.
"El?"
My eyes started to re-adjust and my brain started registering all my senses.
I still heard screams but now it was mostly quiet whimpers and murmurs as everyone knelt in the rows that Wicked placed us in.
Feeling returned to my muscles and slowly I knelt on my own. I looked at Newt. Looked at his wide, terrified hazel eyes. I knew what he was asking with that look. I shook my head in response. I had no idea where Thomas was.
Idiot. Idiot. Why did I leave his side?
I looked around at the chaos ensuing. Fires light up the darkness of night and helicopters with piercing white headlights scan the area. Masked Wicked soldiers grip kids and scan the back of their necks with a machine. They did Sonya further down the line where we knelt.
"B-4," The soldier relayed to another man tapping on another machine.
And then... Janson emerged in front of us with his usual smug smirk and disgusting swagger. I wanted to physically throw up at the sight of him. Or shoot him in the head.
"How many did we get?" Janson asked the man typing in the details.
"All of them. Give or take,"
"Give or take what?" Janson hissed.
"Well, they lost a few,"
The soldier reached Minho and grabbed at his neck. Minho jerked but the soldier just gripped him tighter,
"A-4,"
My turn,
I squirmed under the soldier's rough grasp and the sudden tingling sensation on the back of my neck.
"A-1,"
Janson turned in my direction and smirked,
"Ah, pleased to have you back Eleanor... I hope you have figured out that there won't be any escape this time,"
I jerked forward in anger but the soldier still had a strong grasp on my back so I couldn't move any further. He snickered,
"Charming as always,"
The soldier moved to Newt,
"A-6,"
Janson stopped in his tracks,
"Where's Thomas?" He demanded.
"I'm right here,"
We spun our heads to the right to see Thomas appear out of the smoke... with his hands up. My heart sank. No plan for escape this time.
The boy was immediately disarmed by two soldiers who then walked him over to us and Janson.
"Thomas," Janson smirked while extending an arm out to him as if he was going for a hug. But then as Thomas was pushed close enough, Janson grabbed his shoulder and punched him in the stomach. Tom's knees buckled and he fell forward into the arms of another soldier.
"Hey!" Newt barked while trying to jerk forward but the soldier had a tight grasp on both of us.
"Get off him!" I growled while trying to squirm forward.
"Get him in line," Janson ordered. Thomas was practically thrown beside Newt. My brother looked as if he was about to burst with concern as Thomas breathed heavily in pain, but Newt couldn't touch him.
"Okay," Janson said chirpily before murmuring something to the man typing things into the machine.
And then Janson walked away.
Minho sighed beside me,
"Why didn't you run?"
Thomas looked at Newt with the same eyes of longing and love that he did all that time back in the maze.
"I'm tired of running,"
His eyes flicker to mine. I give him a nod. This has to end. Now.
A moment of quiet blanketed the camp. And then we heard the distant whirring of an aircraft. A big aircraft. And then we saw the lights flashing in the distance. Soon it materialized in the night sky.
The massive engines blew dust and debris everywhere as the ship landed on the piece of clear land in front of us. I closed my eyes trying to keep out the dirt. The main hatch door opened and lowered to the ground. Revealing a squad of masked soldiers. As they walked forward out of the ship, they revealed a figure dressed in all pristine white.
Ava Paige
She stalked closer to the crowd of people where Janson met her. They exchanged a few brief words that I couldn't make out. But then Janson bellowed out,
"Okay. Load em' in. Let's go!"
Shouts erupted as soldiers grabbed kids and started shoving them into the ship.
Ava continued her path and stopped in front of us. The soldiers heaved us to our feet.
"Hello, Thomas. Eleanor," Her voice was just as angelic and soft as I remembered. Her clothes, hair, and skin were pristine but still showing signs of age. No one could tell the devil that lay beneath the exterior.
And then another figure emerged from the swarm of soldiers.
"Teresa," Thomas muttered glancing at me. I nodded to confirm his suspicion.
Ava smiled broadly at her as she came to stand beside her. Her face was emotionless.
"I'm glad you're safe," Ava cooed.
"What the hell?" Minho hissed.
"Teresa?" Fry gasped.
"Wait what's going on? Newt questioned looking at me.
"She's with them," I growled not breaking eye contact with the girl I thought was my friend.
"Since when?" Minho sneered.
"Teresa's always had an evolved appreciation of the greater good. Once we restored her memories, it was only a matter of time," Janson sneered.
"I'm sorry. I had no choice. This is the only way. We have to find a cure," Teresa pleaded, blinking back tears.
"She's right. This is all just a means to an end. You used to understand that, Thomas. No matter what you think of me... I am not a monster. I'm a doctor. I swore an oath to find a cure! No matter the cost," Ava reasoned, "I just need more time..."
"More blood," A female voice said behind us. We turned to see Mary facing off Ava.
"Hello, Mary. I hoped we'd meet again. I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances," Ava sighed.
"I'm sorry about a lot of things, too. But not this. At least my conscience is clear," Sarah responded coldly.
"So is mine..."
BANG!
We all jumped as the familiar sound of a gunshot filled our ears. I checked my chest. Then looked at Newt, Thomas, Minho, and Frypan. We're good.
We looked up to find the gun. Ava's hand? No. Janson's. Aiming for Mary.
A growing blood stain appeared on her stomach.
"Mary? Mary? Mary!" Vince bellowed from behind.
She clutched her stomach as she fell to the ground. Vince dived down and scooped her up in his arms.
"Mary! Mary!" He cried while holding her face. Vince continued to scream but we all turned to look at the man that every single one of us would send a bullet in his head in a heartbeat.
I clenched my hands in fists of rage.
"Come on Janson. Load them up. Let's go!" Ava ordered.
Teresa stared at all of us. Tears glistening in her eyes. I felt no pity. She was pulled by Ava around and they walked away.
"Let's go. Let's go!"
Vince was dragged away. And then Sonya and Aris.
"Sonya! Aris!" Harriet screamed as they were dragged into the ship.
I looked at Thomas as the soldiers started to close in on the rest of us.
What was the plan?
A soldier tried to grab Thomas. But he turned and punched him in the face. Reaching in his pocket to pull out a stick of dynamite. And a detonator.
"Get back!" he hollered.
A gasp erupted from the crowd and everyone retreated. Newt grabbed me and pulled me further back, putting himself and Minho in between. Wicked soldiers aimed their guns at Tom.
"Everyone, stand back! Stand back!"
Janson sprinted back to us and put his hands out to the soldiers.
"Hold your fire!" he ordered.
"Stand back. Let 'em go," Thomas panted.
"Thomas, put it down," Janson pleaded.
"Let 'em all go!" Thomas screamed waving the bomb at them.
"You know I can't do that!" Ava barked.
"Thomas, please stop. I made a deal with them. They promised we'd be safe. All of us," Teresa begged.
"And I'm supposed to trust you now?" he growled.
"It's true. It was her only condition." Ava confirmed.
"Shut up!" Thomas yelled.
"Everything can go back to the way it was. Thomas... do you really want all of them to die?" Ava questioned.
"Listen to her, Thomas. Think about what you're doing," Janson added.
Thomas faltered. I felt the three boys around me tense. And I realized what we had to do. I looked at my brother. Then Minho. And then Frypan. Newt gave us a nod. And we walked to stand beside Thomas.
I was done. Done with Janson. Done with Ava Paige. Done with Wicked. Done with running.
If this is where it needed to end... with me beside my brothers for the last time... for all this to end... then so be it. I was ready.
I gripped Thomas's' shoulder. Newt had one arm gripping Tom's upper arm and keeping his body close. I clutched Newt's hand. Minho on my other side and Frypan behind me.
We're with you, Thomas," Newt affirmed softly.
"To the end," I added with a weak smile.
"No! Don't!" Ava begged.
"Do it, Thomas," Minho said firmly.
"We're ready," Frypan whispered.
Thomas turned to Janson, Teresa, and Ava.
"We're not going back there," Thomas vowed.
"Thomas?" Ava whispered.
"It's the only way..." Tom breathed shakily.
I pictured Gally. Somewhere up there. Waiting. Maybe I was about to see him again. I closed my eyes firmly.
I'm ready...
"Thomas!" Ava yelled.
HOOOONK!
We all swing around to see a truck zooming into the camp. Heading straight for a Wicked helicopter... with Jorge behind the wheel, wearing an enormous grin.