Cranks Descending

Chapter Fourteen

That night, no one slept. Everyone was on edge and every time there was a small noise, everyone would freak out. My mind wouldn't let me rest and I was all out of tears. There was too much pain but I didn't care anymore. Minho was gone and so was the Right Arm. There is no one left. Well, not no one. Just a lot of people dead or taken.

When the sun rose over the mountain, I limped around the camp to see who was missing. Minho was gone for sure, there was no changing that, I watched them take him. I noticed a lot of people missing but most I did not know. The little girl and the teen boy that I had helped last were gone. Aris was gone. Vince was here, talking with Sonya. Jorge and Brenda were sitting against the truck.

That's when it hit me. Sonya, I haven't seen Sonya. My breathing quickened and I rushed to Vince, limping all the way.

"Sonay," I breathed. I could already see the hurt in his eyes and I knew the answer but I still asked, desperate. "Where is Sonya?" I held my breath as he shook his head. I felt a tear fall. Sonya was like a sister to me, I couldn't lose her. "We have to go after her!" I yelled. I was getting dizzy and it was hard to breath. Surprisingly, I still had tears left to cry. My face was drenched and I fell to the floor, sobbing. Vince kneeled down in front of me and I saw his tears too. Vince treated Sonya and me like his daughters. He thought he lost me to the flare, he probably will, but now he has lost his other daughter. To WICKED. The people he saved her from.

I felt arms wrap around my waist and pull me in close. I give up, I'm done hiding my emotions, I just need to let it all go. Just for once.

I buried my head into the person holding onto me. The person stroked my head and just let me cry into their shoulder.

"It's okay. Everything is going to be okay." The second they spoke I knew who it was, Newt. "Hey, Ash, look at me." He put two fingers under my chin and lifted me head to look at him. Everything was blurry from my tears. "Everything is going to be okay. Sonya is a badass. She could kick WICKEDs ass in two seconds. She is going to be fine. Everything will be fine." Our faces were inches away and he kept looking down at my lips. It felt like we were the only ones around, the only ones left in the world. "Everything is going to be okay." I whispered it back, just to try and believe it, although with his saying it, it already felt believable.

"I'm going to go get Minho back from WICKED." Newt and I broke eye contact to look at Thomas standing on top of a rock, adjusting his bag.

"Now, Thommy, you know we can't do that." Newt spoke up, standing and pulling me up with him.

"It's impossible Thomas." Vince stands up too, holding my hand and squeezing it tight, to let me know he's there.

"Minho's one person. I've known Minho for as long as I can remember and I know that he wouldn't want us to risk our lives to save him."

"It's not just about Minho. It's about all the kids that WICKED has taken. We need to save them all. Show WICKED what they are up against."

Vince sighs and steps forward, "I gotta day kid, you make a good speech." Jorge has now joined us with Brenda by his side.

"Let's go save those kids." Harriet says, throwing her backpack around her shoulders.

"Yea, we got this." Brenda says stepping up next to Harriet and Thomas.

"WICKED doesn't know what they're up against." I say it quietly and then louder. "WICKED doesn't know what they are up against!" Everyone that is left cheers and pumps their hands into the air.

"Pack up! We leave tomorrow." Vince yells out and then looks at me. "See ya later Ash." He mocks a salute, smiles and walks back to where the supplies are. The supplies that weren't blown up.

Everyone has gone to pack and get ready to plot our revenge. I walk over to where I had all my things stored and started packing. I roll up my sleeve and see the dark veins. I scuff and pull out the Bliss. I inject it into my arm and let the coolness rush into my veins.

"How are you doing?" Newt asks from behind me. I close my bag and sit against the rock behind me. He sits in front of me and takes my hands in his. He looks in my eyes and sighs. "Ashtrid, you are the strongest girl I have ever met. I thought Teresa was strong but then I met you. You fought back no matter what happened and you protected all of us. I didn't know how to feel but I think I do know now." He goes to sit on his knees, "I love you Astrid." My breath hitches in my throat as he leans in for a kiss. I don't move away or try to fight back, I kiss him back instead. I've always loved him, ever since we were kids back at WICKED. He was always my friend and I thought he could never love me but here we are.

We pull away and he sits back on his knees. His face is red and I have no doubt that mine is the same. His gaze has shifted to his lap and he is no longer holding hands with me.

"I love you too Newt." He looked up, surprise plastered on his face.

"You do?" I just nod in response. He pulls me in for a hug. We sit there for what feels like forever until we hear Vince loud and clear outside. "Listen up everyone." People gather around. "Get a good night's sleep because tomorrow, we are leaving." Everyone cheers and finds somewhere to sleep. Vince comes to me and pulls me away from Newt. Newt and Thomas sit against a rock but Newt's gaze won't leave my body.

"Ashtrid, we're gonna get Sonya back." Vince says, pulling me away from my thoughts about Newt. "Sonya is going to be fine, okay? Just trust me." I nod. "And hey, listen, I really need you to take your bliss and try to control your anger because I can't lose you. Especially not now." I look up to his eyes and see that his are watery. "I can't lose you!" He removes his hands from my shoulders and pulls me into a hug. "I love you!" He kissed the top of my head and then pulls away. "Now, go get your sleep." He smiles, pats my shoulder and then walks away. I watch him leave and then turn on my heel and walk to Newt and Thomas.

I get close and Newt pulls my arm down to sit next to him. I lean my shoulder and fall asleep to Thomas and Newt whispering. Right before I'm fully asleep, I hear Newt whisper, "I love you, Astrid. Don't forget that."