Scorched // Thomas (The Scorch Trials)

XVII

Janson held a gun in his hand.

Vince ran up to Mary calling her name. She fell into his arms before slumping to the ground.

Chancellor Paige turned. "Come on, Janson. Load them up. Let's go. All these people. Get rid of them. Let's go. Let's go!"

"Let go of me!" Vince cried.

Harriet called out for Sonya and Aris.

Thomas pushed a guard back and pulled the grenade from his coat pocket. "Get back! Everyone, get back!"

People stood back and Janson told people to hold their fire. "Thomas, put it down."

"Let 'em all go!" Thomas yelled.

"You know I can't do that!" Chancellor Paige returned.

"Thomas, please stop." Teresa said. "Ariella, tell him. I made a deal with them. They promised we'd be safe. All of us. Ariella, would your mother really hurt you?"

The crowd gasped and Thomas narrowed his eyes. "And I'm supposed to trust you now?"

"It's true." Chancellor Paige cut in. "It was her only condition."

"Shut up!" Thomas cried.

"Everything can go back to the way it was. Thomas...do you really want all of them to die? Do you want Ariella to die? It would devastate me to lose her."

"Listen to her, Thomas." Janson said. "Think about what you're doing."

The boys stepped closer to the two of them. "We're with you, Thomas, Ariella."

Teresa shook her head. "No."

"Don't." Chancellor Paige said.

"Do it, Thomas." Minho said. "We're ready."

"We're not going back there." Thomas decided.

"Thomas? Ariella?" Chancellor Paige called.

"It's the only way." Ariella answered in determination.

She placed her hand on Thomas's, and they readied to pull the trigger together. "Thomas! Ariella!"

The sound of a truck engine caught their attention and chaos ensued once again. Thomas threw the grenade at a set of boxes behind several guards and yelled, "Run! Get down!"

Janson ran up to Thomas and Ariella and aimed his gun at her. "What a waste."

Thomas shoved Ariella out of the way. "Shoot me! Don't hurt her!"

Janson fell and Thomas glanced up to see that Brenda had shot at Janson.

Vince started using a machine gun to shoot at the guards.

Thomas grabbed Ariella's hand and the two of them ran.

Minho shot at the guards and readied to escape, but got tased. Thomas tried to go after him, but was stopped by his friends. He called out for Minho.

"Minho!" Ariella screamed. "No!"

Jorge pulled Thomas back, and Newt grabbed Ariella. The entire time, the two of them were calling his name.

The plane flew off, and Ariella swore she'd get Minho back and give her mother some payback.

The next morning, they packed up, getting ready to go.

"What do we do now?" Frypan asked.

Vince looked at the defeated kids. "Well, we pick up what's left of us. We stick to the plan. We get you kids to the safe haven." Vince stood up. "Then we start over, I guess."

Thomas and Ariella exchanged a look before he stood up, placed his bag around his shoulder and said, "We're not going with you."

"What?"

Ariella stood up. "We made a promise to Minho."

Thomas nodded. "We wouldn't leave him behind. We have to go after him."

Vince frowned. "Hey, kids, look around you. Alright? WICKED just kicked our ass. You think about where you're headed."

Thomas shook his head. "We're not asking for anyone to come with us."

Newt stepped closer to them. "Thomas, Ariella, listen to me. I've know Minho for...Well, as long as I can remember. So, if there was any way that we could help him...trust me, I would be up there standing next to you two. This, what you're talking about...is impossible."

"More like suicide." Jorge said.

"Maybe." Thomas replied. "But I know what I'm supposed to do now. What we're supposed to do now." He glanced at Ariella.

Ariella nodded. "It's about all of us. It's about everyone WICKED's ever taken, or everyone they will take."

"They'll never stop." Thomas continued. "They'll never stop, so I'm gonna stop them. I'm gonna kill Ava Paige."

Ariella frowned a moment before saying, "I'll be right by your side. She's not my mother, as far as I'm concerned. She lost me the moment she sent me into that maze."

Harriet stepped closer to Vince with a hand on the strap of her gun. "I had to admit...I'd like some revenge."

Vince looked at the teens. "Well, that's a good speech, kids. So, what's your plan?"

Thomas turned to Ariella. "Be my girlfriend?"

Ariella smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."

Thomas kissed her and the boys started whistling and several people yelled various comments. "Finally!"

"It's about time!"

[Yay! Thomas and Ariella are finally officially dating! After two freaking books.]