Left Behind -Gally-

Chapter 48

Emma picked at her nail, feeling uneasy about the situation. Frypan and Newt were alongside her as they waited for Thomas to show up. They knew him well. It was both a blessing and a curse.

Thomas would go after Minho, and he would try to do it alone. He was always the bravest of the bunch. Always putting others ahead of himself. Emma hated it. Thomas wasn't alone. He didn't have to do everything on his own all the time.

She wanted to help. Emma never prided herself on being the strongest or smartest, but she was a survivor.

Newt and Frypan had been silent the entire time. Both were lost in their thoughts. Emma understood. Currently, she is doing the same. A part of her did wonder if leaving Brenda, Jorge, and Harriet behind was wise. They would be willing to help. At the same time, was it worth the risk? This mission would be different from the last. WICKED would be ready. It would be in their territory if the city was real. There would be an absurd amount of soldiers. It wouldn't be easy. The risk was higher.

There was a chance that they wouldn't come back.

Dying didn't scare Emma. She wasn't afraid to die. It was leaving others behind that worried her the most. Leaving Newt, Thomas, Brenda, and the others to grieve. Selfishly, she was glad that if she did die, she wouldn't be around to see it. After losing so much, all of them had the same fears. Losing a friend, a trusted friend, was the worst type of pain. They were a family. At least, to Emma, these people were her family. The closest thing she would ever have to one, anyway.

The sound of footsteps caught her attention. Emma blinked a few times, coming back to reality in time to see Thomas jogging up the stairs. He had a backpack, a sign he planned to rescue Minho alone.

"Where do you think you're going?" Newt turned on the light, revealing himself and Emma. Frypan was in the front seat, but he wasn't visible yet.

Thomas paused, clearly surprised to see them. However, he shouldn't have been. "Newt. Emma-"

"Don't be twat about it." Newt approached him. "We're already in." He snatched Thomas's bag and walked back toward the vehicle. Emma stared at the dark-haired boy but didn't speak. "Come on."

"No," Thomas said, shaking his head. "Not this time. Even if we find Minho, there is no guarantee we'll make it back from this."

They were aware of the risks. "Well, you'll need all the help you can get." He opened the driver's door, revealing Frypan. Thomas scoffed, realizing they had planned this. "We started this together," Newt added. "We might as well end it that way too."

Thomas nodded before he spoke. Minho meant a lot to all of them, and they were willing to fight. They had just as much of a reason to go after him as he did. "Okay." Emma smiled at Thomas. "Let's go get him back."

Emma tapped on the side of the car before opening the door and getting in the back with Newt. Thomas got in the passenger seat, and Frypan remained in the front. A minute later, he began driving. Frypan waited until they left the compound before turning on the lights.

She knew Vince, when morning came, would not be happy to find them gone. There was a chance that when they returned, the camp would be empty. Waiting for them would be foolish. Emma knew that. She understood.

But she didn't care. Emma knew the risks. She was okay with whatever happened to her. Rescuing Minho was all that mattered. They had to try.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Car rides were never her favorite, especially long distances. It was boring. Emma hated being forced to sit with her thoughts. It made her think about things she had tried to forget.