Divided // The Death Cure [Book 3]

FOURTEEN

Thomas pushed through the crowd outside the city that was surrounded by the towering walls they had spotted earlier. Brenda, Newt, Frypan, and Jorge followed close behind. Thomas stood tall, eager to see what was awaiting them. 

"This place is bunked as hell," Jorge stated. 

"We just gotta stay together," Thomas called. 

A loud voice arose behind them and Thomas was just in time to push everyone aside to let a large truck pass through. A specific man who sat on the top of the truck caught Thomas's eye, but he couldn't uncover his identity as his face was covered by an orange, one-way glass mask. 

The man on the front of the truck continued ranting through the speakers and the truck vanished in the distance. Thomas felt a gentle warmth on his neck and he glanced up, seeing several drones hovering above them. He frowned as he saw one hastily flying away but shook off the unsettling feeling and continued manoeuvring through the streets of the city outside the walls. 

They'd have to find a way to get through those walls without being seen, but that wasn't something Thomas had figured out yet. 

As he turned a corner, his eyes grew at the sight in front of him. A large opening in the walls provided a passage. A large crowd of people was gathered in front of the opening, loudly shouting at the armed guards standing on the wall.

Thomas didn't hesitate to fight all the way to the front, but Jorge tried to stop him. "Thomas, you don't want to get involved in this. All these people are trying to get in. Do you really think you'll be any different?" he shouted over the loud voices. 

"I came too damn far. I'm not turning back now," he called back while he kept swerving through the mass of people. He was so close, he couldn't just give up now. 

Newt and Frypan trailed behind them. "What the hell did we get ourselves into?" Frypan asked. Newt got an unsettling feeling himself as he noticed the guards that started surrounding them. 

Thomas stopped pushing when he reached the front of the crowd and inspected the opening, hoping to find a possible way in. 

"Thomas, this doesn't feel right!" Jorge shouted. 

Newt uneasily glanced over his shoulder to find a particular guard inspecting them. Two more walked a few feet next to him. They had to get out of here. Brenda had managed to reach Thomas and Jorge at the front but Newt caught up to them and grabbed Thomas's shoulders. "We gotta get out of here now," he called, pointing at the guards closing in on them. 

Jorge whipped out his gun and right as they were about to head in the other direction again, a horn sounded through the air. The group slowly turned back with goosebumps covering their skin. 

The large guns on the wall turned on and aimed at the crowd. Thomas was frozen in fear and couldn't move until the first shot hit the ground and multiple bodies flew through the air. 

Thomas whipped around and when his four friends reached his view, he ushered them to run. They sprinted away from the guns and ran for their lives, trying not to get hit by the bombs shot at the crowd. People were killed all around him, but Thomas forced his legs to keep running. 

Frypan led the group into a distant alley where they were out of the aim of the guns. They reached a clearing where they thought they had made it, but it turned out to be an ambush. 

A guard harshly grabbed Newt and threw him in the back of a van, along with Frypan. Brenda and Thomas were tossed in another and Jorge in the last. He didn't stop shouting Brenda's name when the doors closed. 

Thomas sat in the van with his back pressed against the back door and Brenda seated next to him. In front of them sat three masked guards, their identities remaining hidden. The van shook and rocked from side to side as it sped over the uneven roads.

The van eventually came to a skidding stop and the door swung open. Thomas turned around and immediately climbed out of the car. 

Another van came in, shaking heavily and Thomas already heard the sound of punches. The doors broke open and a guard fell out, he landed flat on his back and out came Jorge, threatening to hit him again as he asked repeatedly where Brenda was. 

"Jorge, I'm here! I'm right here!" the girl shouted, stopping the man from assaulting the guard. 

Thomas rushed to help her but he was held back by a guard aiming a gun at his chest. He was quick to raise his hands and back away from Jorge and Brenda.

"Everybody relax! We're all on the same side here!" one of the guards called, his voice sounding awfully familiar to Thomas. 

Thomas harshly shook off the hands of the other guard. "The same side? Who the hell are you?" 

The guard sighed before glancing at Newt. Because of the light, his eyes were visible through the glass and Newt instantly recognized him.

The guard took off his mask and grinned at Thomas. "Hey, Greenie." It was Gally. 

Gally, who had received a spear to the chest, thrown by Minho. Gally, who had despised Thomas ever since he had set foot in the Glade. Gally, who had killed Chuck.

Thomas thrust forward and took a right hook at Gally's face, punching him across the jaw. Gally was thrown to the ground and Thomas crawled on top of him, raising his fist. Newt didn't hesitate to rush forward and hold Thomas's arm back. 

"Stop it, Thomas, stop!" he exclaimed. 

Thomas trembled with anger from head to toe. "He killed Chuck," he seethed. 

"I know, I remember. I was there too, okay? But I also remember that he was stung and half out of his mind." Newt glanced around to see multiple guns raised at them. "Just calm down." 

Thomas dug his fingernails into his palm before harshly turning away, shoving off Newt's arm. 

Gally got up, rubbing his jaw. "I kinda had that coming," he chuckled. He glanced around the group. "Anybody else? Fry? Newt?"

"You know this guy?" Jorge asked from behind Frypan. 

"Yeah, he was an old friend," Frypan sadly said. 

"How-How is this possible? We-We watched you die!" Newt questioned. 

"No, you left me to die. And if we hadn't found you when you did, you'd be dead right now." Gally shot back. He cocked his head at Thomas. "Where's the red-head?" he asked. 

"Wicked has her, Minho too," Newt answered for Thomas, knowing he wouldn't want to talk to Gally after his actions over seven months ago. "And we're looking for a way in."