The Death Cure Rewrite

Part 3

Thomas smacked a large map onto the table, pointing at the circled location. We were back at the beginning, building a new plan from scratch with the valuable information Aris had given. I didn't know much, but I knew that one of these chances was going to be our last. Wicked wouldn't let us get away with much else for long.

"There, that's it. It's a few hundred miles. Based on the railways, everything that Aris has told us, that's gotta be where they're headed. That's where they're taking Minho," Thomas said. Vince didn't seem all that convinced. In fact, neither did Fry, Newt and Brenda, but they looked willing enough to help out.

"We take everyone who can fight, follow the roads where we can. We'll be back within the week," I said, hoping to see the unsure look in Vince's eyes switch to confidence. Or at least resignation.

"A week?" The tone of Vince's voice told me I hadn't accomplished that. "It took us six months to get here. We got over 100 kids now. We can't just hang here forever after what we just pulled. You wanna wander off to some random point on the map. You don't even know what's there."

"I do." Jorge walked in, leaning against the wall, and I hoped he was here to back us up. "It's been a few years, but I've been there. The Last City. That's what Wicked called it. It was their whole base of operations."

I sighed, leaning on my hands on the table. "That...complicates things, but I still think it's manageable." I honestly would have said anything if it got people to agree to help us get Minho out. He was one of us and it didn't feel right leaving him in there.

Jorge pursed his lips at me, tapping his finger on the map. "If that city is still standing, that's the last place you wanna go, hermana. That's the lion's den."

Thomas glanced at me, shrugged his shoulders. "It's nothing we haven't done before."

"Yeah, with months of planning and reliable information, the element of surprise, none of which we have now," Vince said.

I stood and crossed my arms lightly. "We might still have the element of surprise actually. They won't expect another attack from us so soon."

"Vince, we've thought this through. Would you just hear-?" Thomas started.

"The last time we went off half-cocked, I lost everything! You remember that?" Vince stared at us and I lowered my gaze. I did remember, very well. We'd lost some of his friends on that mission. "Look, I know it's Minho, alright? But you can't ask me to put those kids on the line for one man. I won't do it."

He was right. Putting others at risk because I needed my best friend back was an outrageous request, but maybe there was another way. One where the others wouldn't have to risk anything. I looked to Thomas, wondering if he was thinking the same thing while the warbled voices on the radio played quietly. It was Wicked's men. They were scanning for us.

"Shit, hit the lights," Thomas said. Jorge ran to the lever to disconnect the electricity while the rest of us spread out to warn the others. I stood with Thomas and Vince outside, looking up at the sky for the large plane to come flying overhead. This had happened before and they'd missed us, thinking it was just another broken down junkyard. Hopefully we would be just as lucky this time.

The two search lights beamed over the city buildings a few miles away. We were hiding out just on the outskirts of the broken down city, which had proven to be a smart choice since they patrolled them often. But they'd never been quite this close.

"They're getting close," I said.

"You're right, Vince. We can't stay here," Thomas said. My eyes snapped to him while Vince rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. What did he mean? Did he want us to leave with them without finding Minho?