One is the loneliest number - Minho TMR

CHAPTER FIVE

Outside, they are hit with darkness and biting wind. Brie shivers violently before even stepping fully outside. The group yells encouraging words, but her mind is clouded with doubt. Janson's ominous words about survival echo in her head. She never fully understood what kept them inside—the talk of viruses was always abstract to young Brie.

Sand whips through the air as the group scrambles up a steep hill. The bright searchlights intensify the dread pooling in Brie's stomach. They're going to get caught, she repeats in her mind, her hand shaking as she wraps her jacket tighter around herself.

She faintly hears Thomas shouting something about losing their pursuers. Her focus is solely on Teresa, who struggles to keep up. Brie wraps an arm around her waist, Teresa mirroring the action as they climb higher together.

Minutes pass, each one stretching into an eternity. The guards draw closer, their shouts piercing the night. The warmth of the searchlights scans over them periodically, making Brie press herself even closer to the ground.

"Everyone, go, go, go, but stay low!" Thomas repeats for the thousandth time that night. They inch backward, Brie reminding herself to stay low with each cautious step. They cannot get caught again.

The group breaks into a run once more. Teresa and Brie lead, yet they have no idea where they're going. Suddenly, they are descending a hill. Brie's arms flail as she struggles to keep her balance. Teresa faces the same challenge, and they bump into each other.

"Teresa, Brie, hold on! Stay together!" Thomas yells, his voice laced with concern. Brie glances back, nearly twisting her ankle. She hisses in pain—one wrong step could spell disaster without any medical help around.

"Watch out!" Minho shouts as he notices her stumble. Relief floods him when she steadies herself. The darkness makes it hard to see, but as they get closer, Brie makes out an abandoned building. From her limited knowledge of horror movies, she concludes this is a terrible idea.

Teresa has already moved ahead, making Brie frown. Despite her misgivings, she follows her sister, noticing a small entrance. "Come on!" Teresa yells.

"Wait! Teresa, I don't think that's a good idea!" Brie shouts, trying to grab her sister's wrist but failing. Ignoring the protests of the others, she immediately follows.

You're not getting rid of me that fast.

"Get inside!" someone screams. Through a broken window, a steep sand hill beckons. Brie wouldn't be Brie if she didn't accidentally slip and slide down it. She isn't seriously hurt, but her backside aches.

"You okay?" Teresa asks, helping her up. Brie pulls her into a tight hug, welcoming her sister's warmth. The moment Teresa's arms wrap around her, Brie fully relaxes.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she whispers. The Gladers have all entered the building, and the siblings break their hug, exchanging reassuring smiles and ignoring the curious stares. The group doesn't know they are sisters—except for Aris.

Brie surveys the abandoned building. It's dark, the only light coming from the window they entered through. Someone switches on a flashlight, revealing Minho. He's panting heavily, but his eyes soften when they meet hers.

"Where the hell are we?" he asks her. He probably thinks she knows what's going on in the world, but Brie has never been outside the W.C.K.D. building. She has no idea what's happening because nobody ever told her. Every time she asked, she was ignored or brushed off.

"We gotta go!" Thomas commands, waving his hand. Brie agrees—they're still in plain sight. The guards probably anticipated they would come here first. She tries to steady her breathing before stepping forward. The rest of the group follows, but Teresa's grip on her wrist halts her.

"Thomas, stop!" Teresa yells. The group freezes, all eyes on her. She realizes that she hasn't shared everything about W.C.K.D. and the horrors they uncovered. The memories rush back, and she frowns. Maybe the memory retrieval operation went wrong. She remembers her job—well, now her ex-job.

Thomas starts explaining about W.C.K.D. and the bodies they found, making Brie shiver. The group listens intently, asking questions. Teresa presses a hand to the back of her neck, and Brie gives her a concerned look. It seems everything is coming back to her sister at once. She hopes they can have a private conversation soon.

When Thomas finishes, everyone exchanges uneasy glances. Newt puts his hands on his hips, eyes filled with concern. "Okay, so what's the plan?"

All eyes turn to Thomas. Despite his usual confidence, he remains silent, shaking his head slightly. "You do have a plan, right?" Newt asks again, his voice gentler than the situation warrants.

Brie tries to hide her smile when Thomas says, "Yeah, I don't know." The Gladers visibly react, some looking more lost than ever. Wrong time to smile, Brie.

Newt goes on a rant about following Thomas out there with two strangers (Aris and Brie share a glance at that). Brie takes a deep breath before speaking.

"I don't know if this helps, but Janson mentioned something about people hiding in the mountains. Some kind of resistance or army, I can't remember." She finishes, looking at Thomas and Newt, who seem to be the group's unofficial leaders.

Minho snaps his head toward her. "And why should we trust you? You worked for our enemy!"

Something inside her snaps. "Yeah, well, be grateful I did everything I could to make sure you guys didn't die in that maze. Besides, did you ever think I did it to keep my sister alive?" She points at Teresa, making everyone's eyes widen.

"Teresa's your sister?" Winston whispers, shocked. Brie doesn't have time to answer before Thomas interjects.

"She's telling the truth, Minho." Thomas speaks up, sending Brie a grateful look. "They're called the Right Arm. Maybe they can help us?"

"People in the mountains?" Newt says in disbelief, glaring at Brie. "Mountain people? That's your plan?" His voice is filled with skepticism, and okay, Brie has to admit it sounds silly, but at least it's something.

Their conversation is interrupted by Winston asking for a light. Thank you, Winston! The group follows the light as it illuminates footprints guiding them further into the building.