Till The WICKED End | A Maze Runner Story (English Version)

6. A radio message

As fast as my legs carried me, I followed Heath. He was heading for Vince's private tent and slowly I realized what he might have meant by what he had said. There was something about the radio, something I should listen to. I had to hurry before that something was over. So I quickened my steps, overtaking the boy in front of me, leaving him and Gally a little way behind. Briefly I had to think of the injury that had put my right leg out of action, and grinned when I realized that by now I was fully fit again.
Slithering, I reached the tent and rushed inside. Amazed, I realized that not only was Vince there, sitting in front of the radio, but so were my friends. Fry Pan and Jorge were leaning against a table, Minho had an arm around Francesca's shoulders and Thomas and Brenda were standing right next to Vince. When they noticed me, they all looked up and in their faces I could see nothing but concern. Francesca's eyes met mine and my breath caught as I recognized tears on her cheeks.
"What happened?" I asked in horror, stepping up next to Thomas.
Behind me, I heard Gally and Heath reach their destination as well. Questioningly, I looked from Thomas to Vince, but he only pointed to the device on the table that was making a noise. He turned a wheel and a voice became clearer and clearer. Frozen, I listened to what it said.
"- We'll arrive soon. The tower is already in sight. Maybe two or three more minutes. All remaining members of the High Council have been evacuated and are unharmed. I repeat, all members of the High Council still missing so far are evacuated and unharmed."
With my mouth open, I stared at the radio. The connection broke off and it only emitted a hissing sound. My mind was racing and I just didn't want to understand what I had just heard. Confused, I looked around the tent. Everyone was silent, no one seemed to know what to say until Francesca let out a strangled sob and Minho rubbed her shoulder reassuringly.
"That's them. I told you, they're definitely not dead. They're still out there and they're rounding up the entire High Council," she groaned.
Still I looked at her with wide eyes, unable to say anything. All eyes were suddenly on Thomas and me, and Brenda even took a step back as if to get a better look at us. Apparently they were waiting for us to say something.
But why us?
Thomas was the first to regain his composure.
"If it was really them... then we have to find and kill them."
Horror spread across the faces of the others. They didn't seem to have expected this reaction.
"Maybe it was someone else..." Brenda tried.
"The high council? That was WICKED, for sure. Who else is radioing and owning their own flying machines?" Thomas asked her.
"But I thought they were all dead..." Fry Pan said.
"Apparently they made it out before the city was completely destroyed," Minho muttered, scowling.
"This just can't be happening. I thought it was over..." Brenda whispered and I could hear desperation in her voice.
"They'll be looking for us, am I right?" Jorge asked.
"Until they find us," I countered, having finally regained my voice.
"They want me. I'll go."
Horrified, we all looked at Thomas now.
"Are you crazy? It's not that easy this time. Stop talking such Klunk, you hear?" I groaned.
"But we have to stop them. They're not allowed to find this place, ever."
It was as if not a day had passed since the night Thomas had decided to sneak away and look for Minho alone, back when Newt, Fry Pan, and I had been waiting for him. The same determination was in his eyes. Just as he had done so many times before, he had made a decision without thinking twice, and once again it was clear to me that he was right, even if I didn't like it.
"If, then we'll go together. I'll go with you," I said firmly. "No solo efforts, you hear me?"
"I was hoping you'd say that," he admitted, looking deep into my eyes.
I nodded. "Good that."
"Hey, wait a minute, will you? What are you doing?" Vince interjected. "We need to talk about this!"
"Forget it Vince. You can't change their minds once they're looking at each other like that," Fry Pan declared.
I felt dizzy. What was happening here? We had come here to be safe, to live here, not to go back to the destroyed world we had left behind after less than half a year. When we had been on the ship, it had felt so final. And now?
"Those two are right. WICKED will be looking for us until they find us. We have to get ahead of them," Francesca said. "I'll go with you if you want to try."
She wiped the tears from her face and stood next to me. Her reaction didn't necessarily make it seem any less surreal. I still felt dizzy. Minho stepped up next to his girlfriend and once again put an arm around her shoulders.
"Let's finish them off once and for all."
It took only a few seconds before Fry Pan was also with us, nodding even though he didn't look happy with it. Gally came over to us from the entrance of the tent, where he had been standing with Heath until just now, and stood next to his best friend with his arms crossed. Brenda was still staring at Thomas and then turned to Jorge as if waiting for his reaction.
"Well..." the latter began. "I guess you guys need a pilot, right?"
Vince was still sitting there, shaking his head and eyeing us. Heath was standing in the entrance of the tent, looking at us in horror as well. But it was decided, even if that decision had taken only a few minutes - we would have to leave the Safe Haven once again.