Scorched // Thomas (The Scorch Trials)

XI

Moments later, they were surrounded. They started climbing on the beams, and as soon as the song finished, the building started to blow. Thomas managed to get over just before the beams exploded.

"Are you okay?" Brenda asked, after they were safe.

"Yeah, great." He answered, then realized they were trapped. He didn't know how they'd rejoin the other Gladers. "No, no. How are we gonna get back to the others?"

"Relax." Brenda said. "I'm gonna get us out of here. Here." She handed Thomas a flashlight.

"Why are you helping us?"

"Trust me, it's not my idea. Jorge seems to think you guys are our ticket to the safe haven."

"The what?"

"You know, paradise. Safe from the sun, free of infection. Supposedly, the Right Arm's been taking kids there for years. Immunes, anyway." She stood up.

"And you know where that is?"

"No." She admitted. "But Jorge knows a guy. Marcus. He used to smuggle kids up into the mountains. If Jorge made it out, that's where he'll be taking your friends."

"If he made it out? I've gotta get back to Ari."

"You will. You ask a lot of questions." She said, kneeling next to a grate. "Can you just come over here and help me with this? Please."

He did as she asked, doing most of the heavy lifting and they heard a scream. "Well, that doesn't sound good."

"Yeah." Brenda agreed. "Down here they'll be full term. Let's go." She jumped down and Thomas followed.

They walked through a pipe entrance to a sewer. "I think this is the way." Brenda said.

Thomas frowned. "You think?" They walked in the way Brenda thought and he asked, "Do people live down here?"

"The Solar Storms forced people underground. Jorge says there's settlements all over these tunnels."

"So, what about Jorge? Is he your father?"

"Close enough." Brenda replied. "Truth is, I don't really know what he is. He's just always been there. And I've always done what he's asked me to do, no matter how stupid. And what about Ari? Is she your girlfriend?"

"No, she's not. But soon, hopefully. So you don't think the Right Arm is real?"

They heard another scream behind them and turned to look. "I think...hope is a dangerous thing. Hope has killed more of my friends than the Flare and the Scorch combined. Just thought Jorge was smarter than that." They stopped, seeing two possible paths. "Damn."

Thomas walked to the path on the right and said, "Hey, I think it might be this way." He looked back and didn't see his companion. "Brenda? Brenda?"

"I've over here." She answered. "Look at this."

She was looking at something on the wall. "What? What is it?" He followed her and they came to a whole bunch of it. "What the hell is this?"

"I don't know." Brenda admitted.

They heard more screams and a rat appeared and came towards them. Brenda kicked it away. "Jesus."

An arm reached out to grab the rat and ate it. They realized they were surrounded by the diseased people from earlier.

They started chasing them and the two ran as fast as they could. They got out of the tunnel and stopped, realizing they were at a thin ledge. The creatures behind them were screeching and they turned back.

Brenda realized the best way was up, so she started climbing the rubble. "Come on! This way! Thomas! Come on!"

The creatures started following them as they climbed up. Something fell, and crashed the glass below them. They continued climbing. The creatures were fast, and were gaining on them. One almost caught Thomas and Brenda knocked it away.

Brenda was knocked down by a beam and Thomas called out, "Brenda! Brenda! You okay?"

She looked down to see that she was on top of glass that was cracking with her every movement.

Thomas started making his way down to her and Brenda reached for his hand. A few moments later, and she would have been saved, but one of the creatures chasing them knocked her down and started trying to get her.

She got bit on her leg and Thomas managed to grab her just before she fell. The creature wasn't so lucky.