The Death Cure: Lab Rats : 3rd Book In The Maze In Her Heart Fic Series :

Chapter 9: Lying Detectors & Gatlinburg

Hello! This week has been very very veryyyyyy  stressful for me. I was sick and I failed a test so it's been kinda crummy. So, I'm going to skip reader of the chapter. I hope you can please understand. However, I have quite a few of you guys lined up for the next few chapters, so don't think I don't see y'all. I love every single one of you guys <3 So enjoy this chapter! You guys are awesome! Don't forget to comment and vote! And keep your eyes peeled for another chapter later in the week. :-)

Chapter 9: Lying Detectors & Gatlinburg 

Roxie sat on the chair and tried to ignore the soft straps of leather keeping her ankles tied to the legs. She gripped the armrests and squinted her eyes. The lamp that Luke had shone down on her was blinding. She saw no need for the lamp other than for Luke to feel important.

He sat down across from her, and nodded. The doctor in the corner walked up, and pinched the needle into Roxie's forearm.

"You know I don't lie." Roxie said with a sigh. Her eyes were more gaunt than usual- they were more empty. Ever since the Scorch, and the look of betrayal on every Galder's face, she couldn't stand to look at herself in the mirror.

She took showers, but brushed her hair, teeth, and dressed blindly. Her appearance didn't matter much anymore anyways- she wasn't out to impress anyone. There was no need for Liam to be interested.

Luke moved the lamp to fall upon the table, and tapped his fingers against the table. Despite trying to hide it, Luke's bruises were pain stakingly obvious. Whichever Glader did that number on him, Roxie had to personally thank. Because sitting across from Luke was intimidating, but seeing his face beat like a sack of meat made it a bit more bearable.

"I know you don't lie. You have done everything asked of you. But your brother was part of the plan."

"He didn't tell me anything. Nobody trusts me anymore, no thanks to you guys making me a variable." Roxie sighed, and flexed her fingers. The pin under her skin gave a slight pinch. A blue screen appeared before her, reflecting onto the wall. On it was a steady graph showing her heart rate and pulse, and a blue box that said neutral in it.

Luke clasped his hands together. "A very valuable variable. We needed someone to 'betray' their friends. You seemed the perfect fit." He smirked when seeing Roxie flush in anger. "Now, hush. Don't mess up now."

Roxie bit her tongue. She wanted to mess up if it meant defying WICKED in any way. She wanted to shout at Luke that the only reason she obeyed to him was to be able to check on Liam. If she remained with other Gladers, then God knows how she could have made sure he was okay.

"Let's make this quick, hm?" Luke looked at the nurse, before clicking a button. A slight buzz came over Roxie, and she found it hard to move her limbs.

"Don't try to resist. You'll only end up more hurt than before." Luke warned, but his lips had curled into a sadistic smile as he swiped across the screen, enlarging the blue box. "Did you know of the plan?"

"No." Roxie said through gritted teeth.

The box flickered before blinking out a word in green: truth.

"Great. Would you have left if you knew?"

Roxie paused, and the blue box wavered. Luke glanced over at her from the corner of his eyes. "Answer the question, Miss Page."

Roxie gripped the armrests even tighter, her knuckles turning white. "Yes."

The box flickered the same green word: truth.

Luke clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Shame. Shock her." He nodded to the nurse. Roxie gasped and turned to look over, but it was too late. Shocks of burning pain came over her, and then blackness.

...

Ethan landed the Gladers after about an hour. When the platform opened, Minho cut Jorge's bonds and let him go with the rest of the Gladers. The group spilled out onto the harsh and dry terrain.

Marie stepped out, stretched out her arms, and glanced up at the mountaintops. It was hard to imagine mountains without snow capped tops, but there they stood. Large and looming, huge slabs of jagged rocks. Clouds swirled around them, and strikes of lightning, as small as hairs from this distance, struck at the marbled mountaintops.

A wind came across the Gladers, dry and dusty. Pebbles and gusts of dust swept the bare ground, causing cracked weeds to give a shudder. Marie shielded herself, as did the rest of the group.

"I feel as if I'm back in the Scorch," Thomas said, coughing into his elbow.

"This is outside of Gatlinburg. Those are the Smokies." Ethan said, pointing up to the mountains. "Believe it or not, where we're standing used to be complete forest."

"Until the sun burnt it up." Jorge said, his voice rough.

"I don't believe it." Newt said, using his hand to shield his eyes as he glanced up at the mountains.

"Are there any civilizations left?" Minnie said, kicking as a rock. It went sailing across the dry ground.

"Used to be. WICKED is located in the only civilized one left. There are survivor camps, but usually the Flare rips it to pieces within a few months." Jorge informed, sitting on a huge boulder.

Marie was about to speak, ask if WICKED was in this place called "Gatlinburg", but a shooting pain erupted from the back of her neck. She gasped and reached up to touch where the pain was. She thought a bug had bitten her, but there was no bump, or bead of blood to say it was a puncture.

Another Glader did the same- Lamar. He rubbed his neck, and then looked over as Minho did the same.

"Are there bugs out here?" Minho said.

"Does it look like bugs can survive out here?" Teddy said, shaking his head.

"I mean, there are sand beetles, but those were in the Scorch. I don't know about out here." Lola said, brushing her blonde hair behind her ears.

"Well, I just felt like something bit me." Minho snapped at her, and looked around. "You too?" He motioned to Marie when seeing her look at him.

"Yeah," She nodded, causing a look of worry from Newt.

"Me too," Aris said, one hand resting on his neck, the other holding the gun. A few other Gladers nodded, including Eleanor, who was squinting from the sunlight while still looking at the mountains.

Jorge paused, hesitated, as if something had dawned to him. But he bit his lip, and shook his head. "Can't be any bugs." He folded his arms across his chest. 

"Then what is it?" Sonya said, causing a few Gladers to exchange looks.

Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.