Pieces of the Sun

Chapter Twelve

"This is shucking crazy."

"I know." I was sitting facing Minho. The early morning light was still grey, fading into the lightest tint of gold at the horizon. The rest of our group was still sleeping. After my talk with Newt last night I'd only been able to sleep for a few hours before waking up again. My wrist watch read 4:00 AM.

"I mean, run away from WCKD?" Minho shook his head. "Crazy. And insane."

"Isn't this crazy and insane?" I gestured to the wastland around us. "This whole world is done, Minho. WCKD started it and is only trying to cover up their mess."

Minho looked at me. "I'm with you on this, then. I'm not too keen on letting WCKD torture us any more."

I covered my hand over his. "Good. I want to be free, even if it is just for a little while."

Minho understood my hidden meaning. "How does it feel?"

I swallowed. "I don't really know. It burns a lot. I can't really move my arm at all."

Minho pushed down his sleeve to inspect the bite on his forearm. It discoloured from the rest of his skin. Flesh had been torn away and dried blood stained the edges. I watched him look at it for a moment and then he pulled his sleeve back up. "I think its too early to tell anything."

"Look at us, sitting here in the Scorch waiting to see if we're immune to a deadly disease and will eventually go crazy." I heaved a sigh. "When we escaped the Maze I don't think this is how any of us thought it would go."

"I always thought... I don't know. I guess in the Maze we didn't even know what WCKD really was. Or why we were even there. This whole game... these trails... it's so much bigger than just us." Minho said, voice heavy.

"We thought it was just us trapped in that Maze." I said. "But really it was everything the world has been relying on."

~~~

"You've got to be kidding me." Brenda stood, arms folded offensively across her chest. She glanced to me and Minho and then to Newt. "No way."

"I really don't remember asking for permission." I told her, setting my jaw. Newt had already informed the other Gladers of our plan and that had left only Brenda and Jorge to get past.

And they were not in agreement with us.

"All we need- all we want- is to get to that safe-house." Jorge said, voice low. "And you, amigos, are our ticket there."

"So it's time to stop fooling around and get moving." Brenda tugged the straps on her jacket.

"No." Newt spoke this time. "We already told you. We aren't going any further in the direction of that safe house."

"This is ridicoulous." Brenda snarled. She jerked the bag off her back and reached into the pocket. When she withdrew her hand, she held a gun. She pointed it at Newt, who took a step back. "We're going to the safe-house."

"What are you going to do- shoot us all if we don't cooperate?" Minho asked incredulously. "Then there'll be no one to lead you shanks there."

"No," Brenda moved to point the gun at him. "Maybe I'll just give you a flesh wound. Or maybe I'll kill half and let the other rest watch you die." She shrugged. "Either way, Jorge and I are getting to that safe-house."

"You're a stupid bitch."

Everyone's heads snapped in my direction. Minho sucked in a quick sharp breath beside me. Brenda aimed the gun at me. "What did you say?"

I lifted my chin. "You heard me. I said you're a stupid bitch. Listen to yourself. We've already told you multiple time- we have no shucking clue where the damn safe-house is."

Brenda glared at me, the gun not wavering. "Maybe I'll shoot you just to shut you up."

"Maybe you will, maybe you won't." I raised my eyebrows at her. "What you don't understand is that WCKD has already dragged us through hell and back. We all almost died in the Maze Trials. And just when we thought we'd escaped, it all turned out to be a lie. Maybe there is a safe-house and maybe there isn't. WCKD could just be lying all over to get us to corporate. To play their game."

"None of that concerns me." Brenda snapped. "All Jorge and I need is to get to that safe-house and get the cure."

"Don't you get it?" I said. "Safety and food and rest and water- it's a lie. There is no cure! There never will be a cure!" I looked to the city. "And maybe we die running from WCKD and maybe we don't. But at least we'll have tried." I shook my head. "We refuse to play by their rules any longer. I'd rather die escaping, than die trying to find their damn cure."

Brenda's hand shook. She opened her mouth to retort something back but Jorge placed a hand on her shoulder. "No, hermana." She turned to look at him and lowered the gun.

Jorge met my gaze. "They say the safe-house is in the north. We will continue to travel there on our own. We cannot force these them to live within WCKD's boundaries any longer."

Brenda glanced back at me, rage flickering in her eyes. Then she placed the gun back in her bag and turned away from us. Jorge nodded to me. "Good luck, Ari."

"Thank you." I told him. Jorge turned following Brenda down the piles of rubble until they passed out of sight.

I let out a long breath and glanced at Minho. He pulled me into a hug then, careful to avoid moving my shoulder. "You're so damn reckless," he muttered into my hair.

"It worked, didn't it?" I said, breathing in the comforting smell of him.

"Don't do that again, please." He muttered pulling back. He pressed his lips to the top of my forehead. "I can't lose you out here."

"You're not going to lose me," I told him. "Not now and not ever."