Like Ashes We Fall

Chapter Nineteen

I felt like the world was slipping out from under me. "Where's Vince? He never gave you the Cure?"

Minho spun me to face him. "That's why you came? You knew Newt was sick and you..." He trailed off, looking at his friend.

Thomas sat back, skin ghostly white. "We must have left before he got there." He whispered. "We didn't know."

Newt gave a muted groan from the floor followed by a wet cough. I looked at Teresa. "All those vials in the lab, go get them now!"

She rose to her feet, turning down the hall.

And then everything exploded. The floor caved in, creating a massive sloping hill. I toppled over and Minho grabbed my wrist. His other hand gripped the ledge of the wall as the entire building began to tilt like a broken carnival ride. My feet dangled in the air. Below me, Thomas had both arms wrapped around Newt's chest as he stood on an outcropping by the window, leaning with the tilt of the building. Teresa was to his left, gripping a railing.

"Climb, Ari," Minho said through gritted teeth.

My body trembled with the effort but I reached for the wall, fingertips brushing the ledge. Then my toes. Sucking in a breath, I let go of Minho's hand and slammed into the ledge, letting out a soft cry. But I held on, panting.

To our right, Newt was groaning in Thomas's grip, the only thing keeping him upright. If Thomas let go, Newt would topple over into the empty space.

There was a screech of metal and then the railing in Teresa's grip moved the slightest inch. Then another. It was tearing from the wall beneath her weight. "Tom!" She wailed, legs flailing in the space below her.

Thomas panted, Newt weightless in his arms. "Teresa! Don't move!"

She clutched the railing with both hands, knuckles white. The railing gave another few inches, lurching downwards. She let out a scream. One of her shoes slipped from her foot, falling and bouncing off the walls far below. "Tom!" She shrieked again.

Thomas looked at Minho and me above him. "Hold on!" He yelled.

I risked a glance up at Minho. His face was expressionless, his gaze blank. But his eyes were hard. Cold. I knew my face resembled the same expression. Thomas must have seen it on both our faces because something in his gaze shifted. He looked once more helplessly at Newt in his arms.

Teresa stared up at him. Then the railing broke free from the wall. She screamed one last time, reaching one hand up and clawing at the air like she could reach Thomas. Then she was gone, plummeting into the smoke and debris below, her body swallowed by the shadows.

Thomas let out a cry, body shuddering. Newt slumped in his arms.

"We have to go," Minho said. He began shimming along the ledge, moving toward Thomas. I looked one last time at the gaping space below and then followed. We reached Thomas, pulling an incoherent Newt from his arms. Then we crawled off the tilting floor and onto a blessedly flat hallway.

"This whole place is going to collapse," I said, my breath coming in short gasps. I was dizzy, everything swimming around me. "We have to get out of here."

"Come on, buddy." Thomas slipped an arm across Newt's shoulders, Minho on the other side. Together, they supported his weight. I began a limping walk for the door at the end of the hall, wincing with every step. I glanced backward at them.

Newt's skin was sweaty and pale. Black veins stood out on his face. His head hung limply forward. His legs dragged behind him as Minho and Thomas tugged him forward. He coughed and black liquid ran down his chin, staining his shirt and the floor.

This wasn't supposed to be like this. Vince was supposed to bring him the Cure and... Newt would be fine. They were all supposed to be gone. On their way to the Safe Haven by now. Not rescuing me.

I gripped the door handle and shoved it open. A stairwell opened before me, the lights overhead flickering to light. I held the door open with one hand. "This way-"

"Ari, watch out!"

With an animalistic snarl, Newt lunged forward out of Thomas and Minho's grip. His eyes were wide and glazed over. His mouth was bared in a horrible growl and he tackled me. I flew backward, hitting the railing behind me and rolling to the floor.

"Newt, stop!" I heard Thomas scream.

Newt climbed on top of me, mouth wide and gaping. His hands wrapped around my throat and I gagged. Minho appeared, wrapping his arms around his friend's torso and lifting him up. "Newt!"

The glazed look disappeared from Newt's eyes. He stared at me, an expression full of horror on his face. "Ari, I'm so sorry- I don't-"

I climbed to my feet. "It's okay. We've got to go."

We started down the stairs, passing bodies of Cranks and WCKD soldiers as we did. Above us the building was groaning, the support beams creaking. I quickened my pace, sprinting down the last few sets of stairs. By feet hit the bottom floor, the area littered with bodies. I spotted the door and ran to it, shoving my shoulder against it. It wouldn't budge. I peered through the little window. A body was on the other side.

Minho reached me and pushed the door hard, grunting with effort. It swung open a few more feet. He did it again and finally, it opened all the way.

"Minho!"

Thomas's terrified yell had us both spinning around. He was crouched on the ground a few feet from Newt.

Who was standing staring at us all with a pistol pressed against his own temple.