Fluctuating Beats

Chapter 9: Mysterious rescuer

You heaved yourself out of the water, your clothes sticking to you and weighing you down. You rolled onto the stone floor and scrabbled to your feet quickly. It wouldn't be long before the whole area was flooded with guards trying to find you so you had to hurry.

As you looked around you saw the whole area outside Wicked was dark and quiet. No one was around. Crossing your arms over your drenched body, you started to jog forwards. You had no idea where you were going but anywhere was better than where you'd come from, finding somewhere to hide was probably your best bet. Until you could work out a plan anyway.

You hopped down a set of steps and continued through the streets of the city. It was huge, it wasn't clear how big this place was from Emelia's office window but now you were out here you could see. This place was huge, just like the walls of the Maze the streets twisted and turned it strange places, some leading you to dead ends.

A sudden voice rang out over the city and surrounding area making you jump and flatten against the nearest wall.

"Warning residents. Subject AB1 has escaped our facilities and it running lose around the city. If you spot this individual, do not approach, call the Wicked number and we will send someone to get her. Repeat; do not approach." Your Wicked profile suddenly appeared printed on the Wicked building as well as popping up on multiple screens along the path.

"Shit," you breathed sinking down to the floor as the message repeated itself. You shivered trying to ignore the pressing feeling of hopelessness crushing in on you. Minho clearly hadn't thought about what you do after you pushing you out the window.

You had no friends, no food or water, no clean clothes and no plan. You pressed your palms into your eyes taking a deep breath, tears were threatening to spill from your eyes from pure frustration. You felt something hot on your face and pulled your hands away to see one of them was cut up badly, you must've scrapped it on the glass as you fell. Something else for you to worry about, you couldn't tell if there was glass still in there but you didn't think about it now.

What sounded like a rumble of car engines met your ears as shouting voices carried from further down the road. You couldn't stay here, anything out here was better than what Wicked held for you. Maybe apart from Minho, but you wouldn't be able to rescue him if you got caught again.

You stood up and started running in the opposite direction, your hair was stuck to your face and back making you even colder than you already felt. This was not fun. Your bare feet were stinging from multiple tiny grains of stones getting stuck to them, you didn't have time to stop and remove them though.

You sprinted towards a darker part of town as the rumbling of a Berg was heard overhead. Exactly what you needed right now. You looked ahead and saw it coming straight towards you, a spotlight on the ground as if shone by a massive torch. With the cars behind you and the Berg in front, you were completely screwed, there was nowhere to go.

You decided facing the Berg would be easier than getting run over by trucks. You attempted to run right to avoid getting spotted by the second the light touched your body they moved it onto your body illuminating you.

"Subject AB1, you have been caught. Surrender yourself at once!"

"Suck it!" You gave them your middle fingers than continued sprinting. You were out of the Berg's sight for a moment but it caught up rapidly, it's engines blazing.

You did your best to hide from the Berg, sprinting right and left down various roads of the glowing city but nothing worked. It stayed as close on your heels as Minho when you got sunstroke in the Scorch.

This was hopeless. You were just sprinting around tiring yourself out, the cars would be here soon and then you'd be done for.

You were about to stop when an explosion made you stop and turn around. What looked like a missile had shot out from your left down an alleyway and hit the lead truck down the other end of the road.