Divided // The Death Cure [Book 3]

FIFTEEN

"I can help you with that," Gally offered but Thomas started shaking his head. "Follow me." 

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Thomas retorted, his voice still shaking from the anger earlier. 

Gally sighed. "Suit yourself, but I can get you through those walls and possibly to your pregnant girlfriend. Assuming she still is of course." 

"What the hell does that mean?" Thomas growled but Gally already turned away. Newt looked at his friend, silently telling him what to do. Thomas sighed before following Gally. 

"After the Maze, I got picked up by a group heading to the city," Gally chatted as they descended a hallway, leading to an unknown destination. "They realized I was immune, patched me up and brought me here. To Lawrence." Thomas glanced around to find armed people everywhere he looked. "This group has been at war with Wicked ever since they took control of the city, but Wicked can't hide behind those walls forever. The day's gonna come and they're gonna pay for everything they've done," Gally stated and stopped the group. 

"Okay, he doesn't get a lot of visitors so let me do the talking," he instructed and Thomas narrowed his eyes slightly. "And try not to stare." 

The group descended a flight of stairs and Thomas could hear unclear mumbling, a man saying the same thing over and over again. A dark figure stood near a window, light shining down on his body to make him a black silhouette. Thomas guessed that this was Lawrence. 

"Gally!" he called. "Good to see you made it back. Jasper told me what happened." 

"There was a slaughter. There is nothing we can do against those guns," Gally stated plainly. 

"No," Lawrence said. "They can only poke the hornets' nest for so long until they get stung." He held a rose in his hand and sniffed it. Thomas instantly noticed he didn't have a nose. "Who are these people? Why are they here?" 

"We need to get into Wicked, Gally said you can get us through those walls." Thomas stepped forward, catching Lawrence's attention.

The man sighed. "Well, Gally should know better than to make any promises that he can't keep." He turned to the group. "Besides," he continued. "That wall is only half your problem. Getting into Wicked is impossible." 

"There might be a way now," Gally spoke up. "But it doesn't work without Thomas," he said, nodding to the boy on his left. Thomas glanced at Gally weirdly, not knowing what he was suggesting. 

"Is that so?" Lawrence asked. He grabbed the IV holder that was attached to his arm. He pulled it with him and stepped into the light, revealing the face of a Crank. He had a network of swollen veins on his right cheek and two holes replaced his nose. One of his eyes had turned a silvery colour. 

"Do you know what I am, Thomas?" he asked, stepping close to Thomas, who didn't move a muscle as the man stared him down. He leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I am a businessman." His voice was low and his breath fanned Thomas's neck, sending shivers all over his body. "Which means that I don't take unnecessary risks. So why would I help you?" 

Thomas glared back. "Because I can help you," he stated without flinching. "You see, if you can get me through those walls, I can get you what you need." 

Lawrence cocked his head to the side. "And what is it that you think I need?"

"Time," Thomas replied. "Every last drop of it." 

"Is that what I need?" he rhetorically asked. 

"Wicked has something we both want." Thomas lifted his chin at the man. 

"What did Wicked take from you?" Lawrence continued his questioning. 

Thomas tilted his head slightly. "A friend," He stated. "And my girlfriend." 

Lawrence chuckled. "Your girlfriend, how sweet," he said, shaking his head. "I tell you what. Two can go, for now. The rest stays here with me." Thomas narrowed his eyes, not liking the way this plan was headed. "Just a little insurance to make sure you find your way back to me." 

Thomas's eyes immediately travelled to Newt, who sent him a tiny nod. "Do we have a deal?" Lawrence held out his hand. Thomas didn't flinch when shaking the man's hand. Lawrence smirked before saying, "Gally, show 'em the way." 

***

"There it is," Gally said, nodding at one of the tallest buildings in the city. The letters WCKD were plastered on the side. "If Wicked's got Minho and Leah, then that's where they're keeping 'em." He grabbed a telescope from under a rag covered in dust. "Lawrence has been trying to find a way in for years. The place is crawling with soldiers, scanners on every floor, surveillance everywhere." Gally peered through the telescope before stepping aside, leaning his forearms on the railing. 

"It sounds like a bloody fortress," Newt commented. 

"Yeah, I thought you said you had a way in," Thomas shot back. 

Gally let out a huff. "I might." 

"You might?!" Thomas spat. "What do you mean 'might'?" 

Gally exhaled slowly. "Take a look," he said, nodding at the telescope. Thomas hesitantly stepped up to it before peering through it. He saw several windows where doctors and scientists were working, he instantly knew he was looking at Wicked. His eye reached a certain room and his breath stopped.

It was Teresa, writing something on a clipboard. 

He turned to Gally. "I said I had a way in. I didn't say you were gonna like it." The tall boy folded his arms across his chest. 

"Let me see that." Newt pushed Thomas aside and glanced through the telescope. He moved around until he froze in place. He slowly moved back. "You might want to see this." He patted Thomas on his shoulder and stepped away. Thomas suspiciously glanced at him before looking again.

The telescope was pointed directly at the person who he had been longing to see the last six months. It was Leah, sitting against a window, staring outside. 

Thomas nearly forgot how to breathe as he took in her appearance. It wasn't that clear to see but he saw the dark bags under her eyes, her hollow cheeks and the depressed look in her eyes. Her red curls were no longer shining, they were dull and tangled together on top of her head in a bun, a few strands framing her face. The thing that most striking about her, though, was her swollen stomach where her hands were resting. Her thumb was numbly moving up and down over the covered skin as her forehead leaned against the window, her breath visible on the window.

She glanced up and Thomas could swear their eyes locked for a second but he knew that was impossible. It was not possible for her to be able to see him. 

Thomas's vision blurred by the tears pooling in his eyes and he blinked rapidly. He stepped back and rushed away from the telescope with Newt chasing after him.