Sacrifice

Chapter Fifty-Two

Present Day 

Minho was unresponsive. 

Teresa would be lying if she said it didn't disturb her even a little bit to see the once proud Keeper of the Runners reduced to a shell of his former self. As he sat across the table from her he didn't move, he barely even blinked. 

"Minho? Can you hear me?" 

Minho didn't hear her, he couldn't process anything that was happening around him. The only sounds he could hear were his own pounding heart, the Griever closing in on him, and what sounded like another set of footsteps. 

"There's a little girl here," Teresa continued. "Her name's Shyanne, she's been infected for three weeks. But, Minho, you're going to save her." 

Minho could hear screams that were too high pitched to be his own. It sounded like someone was calling out to him. 

"And you can save so many others. Everything we're doing here is working, you and Claire are making a difference." 

Claire! 

"Do you understand, Minho? That's why this is so important." 

"Minho, where are you?" 

Teresa waited, hoping for something, anything from Minho. But it was like talking to a brick wall. He sat still, his hands in cuffs and staring off into space. 

"Minho, help me!" 

The gears in Minho's brain seemed to finally start working as he realized Claire was in danger. 

She needed him. He couldn't fail her again. 

Deciding that Minho really wasn't going to say anything, Teresa got up from her seat and turned around to leave. But before she could walk out the door, she thought she heard Minho mutter her name. 

"Minho?" 

His senses finally came back into focus. Minho wasn't in a dark room being chased by a Griever, he was in a brightly lit room, sitting at a table, his wrists in cuffs. The only other person in the room was Teresa. For a split second, he was relieved to see someone he knew, until he remembered what she did. 

"Minho?" Teresa said again, walking over to him. 

"You're a traitor!" 

Catching the girl off guard, Minho sprung out of his seat and grabbed Teresa by the front of her shirt and threw her down on the table. 

"Where is she?" 

"I don't-" 

Minho pulled her up and slammed her on the table again, this time causing the pin holding her hair up in a bun to fall out. 

"What did you do to her?" 

Just then the glass door opened and two guards came in. Before they could pull Minho off Teresa, he grabbed the hair pin before anyone could notice. 

"Get off me!" 

Teresa pushed herself off the table and backed up toward the other side of the room. 

"Where is she?" Minho demanded again as he struggled against the guards. "Claire!" 

"Take him back to the holding cells," Teresa ordered the two guards. 

**************** 

Five Years Ago 

Thomas and Teresa met with Chancellor Paige and Assistant Director Janson to discuss the attempted escape from the other night. 

"We need to make an example of these seven," Janson insisted. "We've been receiving reports of dissent among all the subjects. Group B in particular has become a handful." 

"Is there a point you're trying to make, Janson?" Dr. Paige asked, clearly annoyed. 

"I'm saying that if we don't make an example of these seven we could have a riot on our hands. I just submitted a proposal to the Board-" 

"I've read it," Paige interrupted. 

"What proposal?" Thomas asked. 

"We're wasting time monitoring the subjects in the Maze Trials," Janson said. "There are easier ways to collect the variables we need. My men are trained in a variety of techniques." 

"You mean torture," Teresa cut in, her voice dripping with anger. 

Janson glanced at the two teenagers who were now glaring at him. "Yes torture. I didn't want to say it with two children present." 

Thomas shot up from his seat. "You want to see dissent? Start torturing kids and watch what happens!" 

"Is that a threat?" 

"All of you stop," Dr. Paige ordered. "As long as this falls under my jurisdiction, I won't condone torture. But we have to set an example. These six will be the next to be sent into the Maze, starting with their ringleader, subject A-7." 

Thomas glanced at Teresa. For months they had been preparing themselves for the day they would have to send their friends into the Maze. Tomorrow they were supposed to be sending in a kid named Zart, now it would be Minho. 

"What about Claire?" Teresa asked. "She's supposed to trigger the end." 

"I've discussed it with the Psychs," Dr. Paige answered. "Even if she's the last one of the seven to get sent in, her arrival won't have nearly the same impact as we want it to. It's been decided that A-0 will be sent in the Maze in two years time. Enough time will have passed so that her arrival will be effective." 

Thomas took a deep breath, trying to relax. Nothing had really changed, his friends were still going to be put in the Maze, just sooner than they had originally planed for. It could have been a lot worse, especially if things had gone Janson's way. 

So why did he feel sick to his stomach?