Pieces of the Sun

Chapter Sixteen

Our plan for the next day was to go looking and ask questions about this mysterious Right Arm we had heard about.

But we didn't even need to step foot beyond our door.

The pounding came, harsh and loud. Minho and I both stopped collecting our few items to look at each other. "Who-" Minho started but was interrupted by another series of thumps.

"I don't know." I cautiously advanced before Minho grabbed my arm and pulled my back. He stepped in front of me and I rolled my eyes but kept quiet. He opened the door slowly and then it was forcefully shoved all the way open. It slammed into Minho, pinning him against the wall. I backed up as men poured in, one ensnaring my wrist. "Minho!" Then a bag was shoved over my head and the world smelled like sour milk and rotting things.

"Ari!" Minho's voice sounded far away as I felt myself being dragged through the door and out into the hall. I stumbled and was righted by someone grasping my shoulders. I lost track of where we were going, sense of direction meaningless. What felt like hours later I felt the cool metal of a chair biting into my skin. My arms were pulled back and tied.

WCKD found us. After all this...

The bag was ripped off and I blinked at the sudden glare of light in my face. Not the sun, a spotlight, aimed directly at me. I shook hair from my face and looked to my left. Minho was there, fighting against his restraints. To my right was Newt, Thomas, Teresa and Frypan. I turned my attention back to the lights.

A man stepped in front of me, silhouetted by the lights so I couldn't make out his face.

"Who the hell are you?" Minho growled before the man could say anything.

"You kids are from WCKD." A statement not a question.

"What's it to you?" I answered, praying Minho wouldn't be brash.

"How did you get out?" The man's voice was gravelly and low. I still couldn't make out his features. "Or did they let you go?"

I glanced at Minho. "They didn't let us go. They'll never let us go. But I'm guessing you know that."

The man was silent.

"We were forced into the Scorch. Supposed to be completing some trials or shit." Minho lifted his chin.

"But we ran. We want out and away from WCKD. For good." Newt spoke from beside me.

"Is that so?" The man paced to the left. "Where do you intend to go?"

"We heard about an organization called the Right Arm." I said. "In the mountains. We were told they could help us."

The man was quiet. Then he walked right up to me and placed his hands on either side of my shoulders. Minho growled from beside me. I could make out the man's face now that he was this close. Dark eyes rimmed by wrinkles. A spattering of grey in his brown hair. "Well then it's your lucky day."

The lights behind him dimmed and the room brightened as overhead lamps flickered to life. I looked around. We were in what appeared to be a large abandoned warehouse. About a dozen men and women were clustered in a semi-circle around us.

"You-you're the Right Arm?" I looked back at the man.

He nodded. "Call me Vince."

"How did you know where to find us?" Newt asked.

"Don't usually get a lot like you wandering around the city these days. You seemed to fit WCKD's type." Vince waved over a young girl. "Harriet, check em'."

A young girl approached Minho, pushing his head forward and scanning that back of his neck with a device. Then she moved to me and down the row. Finally she nodded at Vince. "All property of WCKD."

Vince folded his arms. "As I suspected. Take em' to Mary one at a time. Let them rest when they're done." Then he disappeared through a doorway.

"Wait- what-" Then I was being pulled from my chair and led away. I twisted around, "where are you taking me?"

"Relax," the man on my right said. "You all just need to be checked for signs of the Flare. Or else you can't enter the Haven."

Signs of the Flare. The black veins on my back. My heartbeat sped up as I was deposited into a tent. A woman stood as I entered and frowned. "Untie her! That's not necessary!

The ropes securing my wrists were cut and I rubbed them. "Come have a seat," the woman patted a bed. Her wavy brown hair brushed her shoulders as she moved. "Just need to check you for signs of the Flare."

I started to protest but she was already moving me around, lifting my shirt and such. I held my breath, waiting for her to discover my back but she just clicked her tongue a few moments later. "All clear! Send in the next one!"

I was dumbfounded as I was escorted out of the tent and to a small ring of bedrolls. How had she not seen anything? Was it gone?

Minho appeared a few minutes later, striding to me. "Did they not-"

I shook my head. "Check my back."

He moved my shirt and sucked in a breath. "It's gone. It's like it was never there."

"What the hell," I muttered. "How is that possible?"

"I have no idea." We fell silent as the other Gladers appeared, all cleared for signs of the Flare. Vince came as stood where we were all gathered. "Ya'll are lucky to have come across our radar when you did. We leave at first light." Vince tossed me a bottle of water and I caught it.

"Leave for where?" Teresa asked. She'd been so quiet I'd nearly forgotten she was here.

"The Safe Haven." Vince leaned against a stack of crates.

"Safe Haven? It's real?" Newt unscrewed the lid from his water and took a sip.

"You bet. But very difficult to reach." His gaze settled on me. "You'll want to get some rest now. While you still can." Then he disappeared again.

Minho finished off his water. "This is shucking crazy."

"Yeah," I looked around at our fellow Gladers, most laying down to sleep for a little longer. "But it seems the first stroke of good luck we've probably ever had."

Minho nodded. "So to the Safe Haven we go."

I rested my head on his shoulder. "While simultaneously running from WCKD, the Flare and who knows what else."

He let out a chuckled and kissed my forehead. "Take it one thing at a time. For now, this is a win."

"A win," I echoed.

For now.