The Reason

Ghosts

Gally and Thomas left for the city again that night. When they returned, they brought Teresa with them. Nikola had suggested they not bring her back to the Right Arm in case it put their location at risk, she didn't want to jeopardize Gally's new home and new friends. Besides, she didn't trust Teresa as far as she could throw her. So they brought her to an old church, one long abandoned by the people who believed that God was dead, a poor attempt to explain the world the around them. Candlelight light danced on the walls while the moon illuminated the stained glass windows.

Gally noticed Thomas and Nikola talking in hushed tones, standing close together where Teresa couldn't overhear them. She was listening intently to what he was saying, not looking a bit pleased, but then she nodded and an eerie calm settled over her face. Without giving him a glance as she passed by, she soundlessly made her way across the room, taking her hair down and standing in the shadows behind Teresa.

"Just act like she's not there," Thomas whispered to Gally who had watched her in curiosity. He had a bad feeling about it.

Newt walked over and slipped the bag off her head. She gasped and pushed her hair out of her face as she looked up and recognized him before she looked around the room. "Gally?" she almost stuttered in surprise when her eyes landed on him.

Gally's face was stone cold. "Here's how this is gonna go," he said, dispensing with any pleasantries whatsoever, mostly because he found her unpleasant. "We're gonna ask you some questions and you're going to tell us exactly what we need to know."

Nikola smiled in the dark. There was the old Gally she knew.

"We'll start off simple," He said as he straightened up and grabbed a chair, bringing it closer to her. "Where's Minho?"

She sounded almost breathless when she looked at Thomas and opened her mouth. "You guys don't seriously think-"

She was cut off by the loud bang of Gally dropping the chair in front of her and straddling it, setting his arms across the back as he furrowed his brows at her. "Don't look at him," he commanded. "Why are you looking at him? Look at me."

Nikola was.

"He's not gonna help you," Gally went on, being the bad cop while Thomas practically moped behind him. "Now, we know you have Minho in the building. Where?"

She was silent a moment too long and Thomas made a sign to Nikola. Gally could see her moving up behind Teresa but didn't look at her as instructed.

"Where?" Gally repeated, harsher.

When she shook her head, mumbling how it didn't matter, Nikola carefully grabbed a lock of her hair, startling her. Teresa looked up at her with wide eyes, almost fearful.

"You have such pretty hair, Teresa," she said in falsely sweet voice as she wound it around her finger. "So nice and shiny and clean. Do you remember, back in the scorch, how that crank grabbed my hair and you just... ran away and left me there?" She'd wound the hair up enough in her fingers to then twist it around her palm and give a good yank, causing Teresa to wince. "Why don't you be that good little coward I know you are, and answer Gally's question," She whispered in her ear.

"He's with the others in holding, sublevel three" Teresa caved.

Nikola released her hair and walked over to stand beside Gally, wishing she could scrub her hand clean.

"How many others?" Newt asked.

Teresa at least had the decency to pretend she was embarrassed. "Twenty-eight."

Gally looked back at Brenda who said she could make that work.

"No, no you guys don't understand," Teresa sputtered. "The whole level is restricted. Y-you can't get in without a thumbprint ID."