Sanction -Minho-

Chapter 47

Six Months Later

It had been six months since WICKED attacked the Right Arm. It had been six months since Grace had last seen Minho. So much had changed since then. They had spent months at their new location figuring out the best plan to rescue Minho. WICKED was stronger than them. They had more soldiers and guns.

The plan had to be perfect. They only had one chance, which was why it took them six months. They had gotten reliable intel that all of the immunes WICKED had were being transported via train. Tomorrow, they would rescue Minho.

Grace had changed a lot in the last six months. She was sad for the first month after Minho was taken, but then that sadness turned to anger. It was red, hot anger, and it was entirely directed at Teresa. But Grace couldn't sit around and be angry all of the time. Vince took her under his wing. He had lost Mary, and she lost Minho. They needed each other. He taught her how to use a gun and how to protect herself. She bonded with Harriet during that time as well. They became good friends. Grace also got closer to Brenda, who had yet to show any signs of becoming a Crank. Her hair had grown to her shoulders. Her health was a big worry for Grace, who feared losing her friend. She had lost so many others. Ben. Zart. Clint. Jeff. Chuck. Gally. Winston. And Minho.

She said their names every night, wanting to remember them. She wanted to remember her life before and honor the people who helped her get here. Without them, they would never have made it this far.

Grace had changed a lot in appearance as well. Her hair had grown several inches, but she wore it in braids most of the time. The injury to her head had healed nicely. There was only a faint scar.

She stared at the horizon, but it was dark. The sun had disappeared hours ago. In a few hours, they would venture toward the train tracks that were about fifty miles east. They would wait in their assigned sections for a few hours, not wanting to alert WICKED. Once the train arrived, the plan would be set in motion. For some reason, Grace wasn't worried. She was confident in their plan. This had to work. If it didn't, she would never see Minho again.

The group was gathered in a building with a fire, trying their best to relax before the mission. Grace didn't include herself in any conversations. She didn't want to talk tonight. She wanted to rest and be prepared. Nothing could go wrong tomorrow. They couldn't afford for anything to go wrong. This plan had to be perfect.

Her legs were stretched over the cement ledge she sat on. They were inside a condemned building. There wasn't a ceiling, allowing the smoke from the fire to vanish into the sky. Thomas leaned against the ledge. His eyes were on something wooden that he always hid in his left pocket. Newt was sitting beside her. His head tilted back as he stared at the sky. Frypan left to get food a few minutes ago. He should be back any moment.

They had been sitting in silence for over an hour. Vince was by the fire with Harriet, who Grace knew would join them soon. Brenda was with Jorge by the water.

Newt glanced away from the fire, his eyes finding Grace. She was staring off into the distance. That was something he had noticed about her since Minho was taken. She often stared off into space, a distant look in her eyes. It worried him. It worried all of them, but they never said anything. Finally, Newt broke the silence. "What are you gonna do when you see him again?" He was talking about Minho.

Grace had thought long and hard about the moment they were together again. "Slap him." Newt snorted, a smile on his face. For some reason, that didn't surprise him. "I mean it. Who says they love someone as they're about to get blown up and then proceeds to get taken?"

He shook his head. "You guys are perfect for each other." Grace smiled at his words, letting out a faint laugh. The sound of her laughter caught Thomas's attention. He glanced at his sister.

After learning they were related, it took a few weeks to get used to. But it was different now. That bond was stronger than ever. They were siblings. It wasn't just a word to them anymore. They felt the bond. They felt like family.

"Yeah," Grace agreed after a moment. The smile on her face suddenly fell. Newt noticed instantly.

"What's wrong?" Frypan returned, holding a plate of food for all of them to share.

Saving Minho was all she thought about for months. "What if," her voice was faint. "What if he doesn't feel the same way anymore? What if he hates me for taking so long to find him?"

Newt stared at her, noticing the insecurity in her eyes. "If there is one thing I know about Minho, it's that the Shank was bloody obsessed with you. I know he still loves you."

"Amen," Frypan agreed. His eyes were on the chicken in front of him. The chicken he helped cook. His skills as a cook came in handy.

It shouldn't have been a worry of hers. All that mattered was that Minho was alive. Even if he hated her, it didn't matter. He just needed to be alive. "Trust me on that."

"But how do you know?" Grace felt comfortable enough to be vulnerable with her friends. They trusted each other. Grace trusted them with her life.

Newt grinned. "I mean, everyone talked about it in the Glade." Frypan smiled to himself. There wasn't much to do in the Glade besides talk. And he talked a lot. "But it wasn't until Jorge had us strung up over that hole and Minho helped you that I knew for sure."

"How?"

"He was patient. Minho's never patient." That was true. Minho never had much patience for others. "You should have seen him when that building blew," Newt added. "I thought he was going to run in there without a second of hesitation."

"He was," Frypan laughed at the memory. "I held him back." Grace stayed silent, imaging the scene in her head. It seemed like Minho, and that scared her.

"I've never seen him like that before. That scared." Newt recalled Minho's actions the entire time. He was frantic, in a hurry to find Marcus in hopes that she was there. It didn't bring her any comfort. Grace wished it did, but it only made her miss him more. "Hey." Newt placed a hand on her shoulder. "We will get him back."

"I know." Grace was confident. She had to be confident. "And then we will go to the Safe Haven." Newt's expression changed. He seemed sad. Grace noticed, but Frypan didn't. He was too focused on his food.

Her lips part to question him, but someone cut her off. "Hey," Harriet had her hands stuffed in her front pockets. "Want to help me load up the truck?"

"Yeah." Grace stood up. She was happy to help her friend.

"Great." They leave the others, venturing out of the building. "You okay?"

Grace should have known that her friend would question her. She appreciated that Harriet waited until they were alone. "Yeah." It was the truth. "We're going to get them back." It wasn't just Minho that needed saving. WICKED took Aris and Sonya as well, not to mention dozens of other kids.

"I know." Harriet placed a hand on her shoulder. Grace stopped at the truck where the supplies had already been sorted into piles. All they needed to do was pack it into the vehicle. Then, they would head for the tracks and wait for the train.