Finality | The Maze Runner / Newt ³ ✓

{1.6}

Disclaimer:

[When Brenda and Thomas are split from the gang in TST]

Jorge: I have total faith in you guys!

Jorge: There's like a 30% chance they'll both die.

-✼-

We were surrounded.

That was what Lawrence said. The interval of time between us driving out of the sea of Cranks and reaching a garage that immediately closed as soon as we made it inside was a short one, so short that I was still dazed and my veins were continuously filled with adrenaline. All I could hear was Thomas' heavy breathing from somewhere beside me and my own blood rushing in my head. Fear was starting to grip my senses as I realized what was outside- darkness.

"Who's out there?" Brenda questioned.

"The boss' guards," Lawrence replied in a whisper. "They know this is one of their vans, but they won't approach us until we get out and show ourselves. They need to confirm who we are— I'd guess we have about twenty weapons aimed at us right now."

Thomas' breathing was starting to become more steady as the seconds ticked by, though his voice was still edged with worry. "So what do we do?"

"We get out, nice and slow. They'll recognize me soon enough."

'Soon enough,' didn't ease my nerves at all, but I knew we couldn't wait in the van forever- it was better to just get the confrontation over with. I slipped the handgun into my waistband and gripped onto the back seat, using it to propel myself over the bench and into the middle compartment. Once there was enough room, Thomas did the same.

"Who wants to go first?" I asked, eyes scanning my other three companions. None of them looked eager.

"I will, of course," Lawrence sighed. "Wait until I knock on the window to get out. Ready?"

"I guess." Thomas shrugged.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"It would really suck," Brenda began, "if we went through all that just to have them shoot at us. I'm sure I look like a Crank about now."

"It's not like any of us look any better," I grumbled, examining their faces. Brenda's hair was half-falling out of its ponytail, small cuts on her face from broken glass. Thomas appeared almost the same.

Lawrence eased himself out slowly and surely with his hands in the air. It was an agonizing few seconds that the three of us waited in a tense silence for his signal. Thomas jumped when it sounded, our guide rapping his knuckles on the frame of the windshield.

Brenda soundlessly opened the passenger door. My brother and I shared a reassuring nod before doing the same and climbing out of the side. I felt my foot hit the ground, but there was nothing to see except complete darkness that clenched my throat.

There was a click as blinding light suddenly invaded my sight, causing me to snap my eyes closed. I quickly copied Lawrence's action of putting my arms over my head. Then, as my eyes adjusted to the brightness, I blinked them open to discover about twelve figures surrounding us in a wide circle, all with various weapons in their hands. The source of the light was the biggest spotlight I'd ever seen, aimed at us by two more silhouettes.