Destroyer - The Death Cure (Book 3)

Chapter 16: A Way In

Alex was immediately hit with a horrible rank smell. Like a mixture of something damp and molding, dirt, dust and something rotten. Gally led them further into the room, and down a few steps. Half the room was covered in all sorts of plants. That covered the damp and dirt smell...

There was someone at the end of a lush green aisle, he was standing at a workbench, with an IV bag hooked up to a stand. He was muttering something to himself. Alex caught a few of his rambling mutterings and it made her blood freeze.

"Roses are red...violets are blue...red roses...roses are red. Roses.."

It was too similar to the gone crank she had encountered in the underground tunnels back in the scorch.

"No no no no..." she muttered to herself, she took a step backwards, her chest feeling tight and heavy. Her palms started to get sweaty. Gally eyed her suspiciously. But she didn't care. She knew this guy was a crank and you can't ever trust a crank! She took another step backwards, her chest rising rapidly but not filling with oxygen. She bumped into something solid.

"You okay Lil Lady?" Frypan asked quietly.

All Alex could do was shake her head wildly. Frypan placed his large hands on her shoulders, he spun her around and pulled her close. He wrapped her up protectively.

"It's okay, Alex. We're all here, you're not alone. He's not the same one." He said gently to her.

She had wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tight, and buried her face in his chest, trying to get herself under control. Frypan didn't let go and didn't mind she was clutching his jacket tight in her fists. He glared back at Gally, daring him to say anything and shook his head when Gally gave him an inquisitive look.

"Gally, glad to see you made it back. Jasper told me what happened." The man at the desk called.

Gally turned around and gave the man his attention. "It was a slaughter. There's nothing we could do against those guns!" Gally replied frustrated.

"No, but they can only poke the hornet's nest so long before they get stung." He snipped a few branches off his plant.

"Now, pretty roses, who are these people? Why are they here?" He asked, still not turning around.

"We need to get into WICKED." Thomas jumped in, cutting Gally off before he even started. Gally threw his hands in the air, he had specifically told Thomas to let him talk. Gally glanced at Newt who just shrugged his shoulders and put his face in his hand and shook it

"Gally said you can get us through the walls."

The man put his clippers down, "Gally should know better than to make promises that he can't keep. Besides, that wall is only half your problem. Getting inside WICKED is impossible." He was looking out the dirty window in front of his work desk.

"There might be a way now." Gally said, glaring at Thomas. "But it doesn't work without Thomas and Alex." He nodded at Alex, but furrowed his forehead when he glanced at her being bear hugged protectively by Frypan still. He shot Fry another questioning look.

"Is that so?" The man finally turned around to face the group.

Alex still hadn't moved. She had her face firmly pressed into Frypan's shoulder, her eyes clamped shut, focusing on her breathing.

"Do you know what I am... Thomas?" His voice sounded gargled, and wet.

Ya! You're a Crank! Breath in. Breath out. He's not the same crank. Breath in...breath out...

"I am a businessman. Which means that I don't take unnecessary risks. Why should I trust you?"

He had taken a step towards Thomas. Alex sensing danger, her adrenaline rushing through her veins, she ripped herself from Fry's grip, spinning around. Her hands twitching, wanting to grab her knife.