𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿

41.. change of plans!

"Change of plans!" Nancy called out, her voice urgent. "If we head straight to the island, WICKED will spot us right away. We need to go around and approach from the opposite side."

"But won't that take longer?" Aris asked, concern etched on his face.

"It will," Nancy agreed. "But it's our best chance at staying out of WICKED's sight. We need to take the long way around and approach discreetly from the other side."

Thèrèse looked grim. "And we need to be careful. WICKED has advanced technology. They have sensors and scanners that can detect us from miles away. We need to make sure our ship isn't picked up by any of their equipment."

"What if they've already spotted us?" Frypan asked, his eyes darting to the sky, where WICKED's ships were visible.

Nancy shook her head. "We can't assume the worst. We have to hope that we can sneak around undetected. We'll go as fast as we can and keep our heads down."

The group fell into silence as they processed the new plan. It was a risky move, but it was the only option they had to avoid WICKED's gaze.

With a deep breath, Nancy adjusted the ship's course, turning it away from the island and towards the long, winding route.

As they set off on their new path, the mood on the ship was tense and quiet. They all knew that they were risking a lot by taking the long route, but they had no choice.

WICKED was too powerful, too advanced. They couldn't afford to be spotted.

From the skies, the WCKD ships hovered over the island, their sensors and scanners buzzing with activity. The soldiers on board were tense, their faces taut with focus. They had been there for hours, searching the island from above.

"Anything?" Verena asked, her voice cool and calm as she surveyed the landscape below.

A soldier manning one of the consoles looked up from his monitor. "Negative. No sign of them yet."

Doris raised an eyebrow. "Right. We can't lose sight of the Gladers, but let's not underestimate the oldies, either. Those four have been around for a while, they're no pushovers."

"Especially that Jorge," Verena chimed in with a grimace. "He's a loose cannon."

"And let's not forget about Vivian," Doris added. "She's a damn good fighter, and she knows her way around a weapon."

Victor chuckled wryly. "Yeah, guess that old bird passed on her skills to a kid, that girl. She's not bad with a bow, you know?"

"We've met." Vivian said coldly.

Victor raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Verena's tone. "Oh? And how did that meeting go?"

"She took down half my soldiers."

Victor let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. "Well, damn. That kid's got some guts, going up against WICKED like that. How many soldiers did you lose, exactly?"

Verena's glare hardened as she answered. "Seventy-four. All shot down by her arrows."

Victor let out a slow, impressed exhale. "Seventy-four? That's no small feat. The kid's got talent, I'll give her that."

Doris smirked. "And a whole lot of nerve, too."

"Must've learned it from her old man," Victor remarked. "That guy had balls of steel."

"Daniel Miller?" Doris perked up. "Yeah right. That man's in a wheelchair."

Victor laughed, clearly amused. "Oh, don't be fooled by that chair. Daniel may have lost the use of his legs, but his mind is sharper than ever. And he's got the strategic skills to back it up."