𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓-𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙨

XVI-BERTHA

I have to say, it does feel nice to watch as Marcus-who was tied down to a chair-got beat by Jorge. Granted he was being beaten because he wouldn't answer Jorge's simple question.

"Where is The Right Arm?" I almost forgot that was the whole point of us traversing through the scorch.

Marcus would usually reply with a smartass comment, which really didn't benefit him in the long run.

Thomas was laid down in the same bed I woke up in an hour or two ago. I couldn't tell, I lost my watch at some point. Thomas slept through most of the interrogation, but woke up as Jorge punched Marcus for the hundredth time. Teresa was with him, her and Minho congratulating him for waking up.

"I suggest you talk, you son of a bitch!"

"Ow! Dammit! I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave my house."

Thomas stood up and came over to the couch where me, Newt, Frypan, and Aris sat. "Looks like you've been having fun." Newt commented.

"Listen." Jorge continued. "I don't enjoy hurting you. Okay? Where is the right arm, Marcus?"

"Wait, this is Marcus?" So Thomas had no idea. Wasn't he with the group?

Marcus laughed. "The kid catches on quick." His voice changes into mocking. "Are you the brains of the operation?"

Jorge grabbed onto Marcus's hair, pulling his head back to the chair. He yelped in pain. "I know you know where they're hiding. So you tell me, and I'll make you a deal. You can come with us."

Marcus giggled and it was a scary sound. It brought a hazy memory of him on top of me, his blurry face smirking at me. I looked away from him before I could throw up again. The feeling didn't go away. "I burned that bridge a long time ago. Besides, I made my own deal. You're the one who taught me, never miss an opportunity."

"What's he talking about?" Newt asked.

"I'm talking about supply and demand. WICKED wants all the immunes they can get. I help provide that for them. So I lure the kids in, they get drunk, they have a good time," I felt his eyes on me. "And then WICKED comes, they separate the wheat from the chaff." He laughed cockily again. So that's what would have happened to me. Had I not woken up or I was given more alcohol. I shivered.

"I changed my mind Hermano. I do enjoy hurting. There were a couple things that happened simultaneously. Jorge kicked Marcus's chair over, pulled a gun out of his jacket, then got on top of Marcus, aiming the gun at his heart. "Talk! Talk!" Marcus was choking and I wished Jorge would pull the gun.

"Okay. Okay. Jesus. But I'm not making any promises. They like to move around a lot." Frypan helped Jorge pull Marcus up to sitting position. "They have an outpost in the mountains. But it's a long way away. You got half of WICKED on your ass. You'll never make it." He chuckled like he just won.

Boy was he wrong.

Jorge's back was to us, but I'm sure he was smirking now. "Not on foot." He leaned forward. Putting his hands on Marcus' shoulders, patting them. He breathed in. "Where's Bertha?"

"Not Bertha." Marcus was desperate now, looking close to crying. But he still led us to 'Bertha' all the same. Probably because he had a gun held to his back the whole time he was let free. That was what mostly did it.

Bertha turned out to be a truck. Or what looked like a truck, but It looked like a van with the hood on the back. Marcus had taken us outside and to the back of the house. It was small and blue and had horns attached to the grill. Hesitantly he handed the keys to Jorge, but let them fall when the gun was pulled on him again. Jorge ordered for him to go back and join the party.

They all got in, but I stood outside. They looked at me waiting. "Aesara?"

"I can't get in there."

"Why not?" It was Thomas.

I held my arm close to me, tears spilling from my eyes. "Because he was in there."

"But he's not in here now."

"But he was in there. His-his-he was in there and if he was I can't!" Thomas got out and came over to me. He reached his hand out, but I pulled back, scared of what might happen if he did touch me.

He was silent. I didn't look up at him, scared that he might be angry. Softly he said my name. "What did he do to you?"

I shook my head. "Nothing, he didn't-"

"Don't lie to me. What happened?" I can tell that everyone was listening and it made telling Thomas worse. I wanted so bad, wanted to get it off my chest and not feel so afraid. My names dug into my arm, surely creating small crescent shapes, I barely felt the pain. I didn't pull back when Thomas took my hand. "Please talk to me."

The tears fell fast and I couldn't keep the lump from leaving my throat in the form of a whimper. "I don't remember. I just needed somewhere to rest. To clean myself up. He offered me his room. I-I didn't think anything of it. The last thing I remember is passing out and then waking up...w-with no clothes on." I said the last part quietly but he still heard me.

I looked up at him now. His mouth was set in a hard line and his eyes slowly filled with anger. He moved away from me quickly, walking back towards the building. I grabbed his hand, Newt and Minho jumping out to grab Thomas if they needed to. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to kill him." He said it as if it were obvious.

"No. You can't!"

"Why not? He hurt you."

"I don't even remember it."

"It doesn't mean it didn't happen!" It was the first time he yelled at me, but I wasn't scared, he was concerned for me. "Because it did, and what was worse is you weren't even awake while it happened. He needs to be dealt with."

"Jorge did enough. We have to go now though. Who knows how long The Right Arm will stay in the mountains."

"She's right, shank." Minho agreed. "As much as I want to introduce that ugly shit to my fist, we have limited time right now."

Thomas was silent again and then sighed. "Alright. Fine. But Aesara you're not leaving my side." I nodded and they got back into the car. Frypan sat at the middle seat so Teresa could sit in the middle, Newt on the other side of her. Aris sat in the back with me and Thomas.

When the car started moving, Teresa gave me a comforting smile, reaching back to hold my hand. But then she noticed my bandages. "What happened?"

I pulled my hand back and held it to my chest. "Just a small cut."

Her eyebrows came together. "Did you get scratched by a crank?" She didn't ask out loud, but everyone was still listening, they all stared.

"I did. But I'm fine. It was a couple of days ago and I'm still fine."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"We had other pressing issues, if you don't remember. Just drop it please."

Thomas held onto my hand, looking me in the eyes. "The Right Arm will be able to help." I nodded and he stared for a few more seconds before nodding back and looking out the window. He never let go of my hand.