Break My Bones

Chapter 14: Wicked End

Rachel yelled as the explosion shattered the glass on their side of the building while flames exploded and came flying through the broken windows. Janson disappeared amidst the smoke and debris while Rachel threw up her arms to shield her face from the blast, and she slowly lifted her head in shock.

"What the-?" She gasped as the whole world appeared to spin before it vaguely righted itself.

"We gotta move."

Thomas was beside her, grasping his side in pain but his eyes were wild with panic as he grabbed Rachel by her arm and hauled her up.

"Come on, Rach, we gotta move! Teresa!"

Teresa appeared beside them, her own eyes wide with terror - but she was grasping something tightly in her hands. Rachel realized it was the same white medical device Janson had been trying so desperately to win from her before, although she had no idea why.

"I got the cure!" Teresa gasped, holding up the device for Thomas to see as well.

'Oh... That explains that.'

The thought crossed through Rachel's mind rather numbly as she tried to shake off the aftereffects of the explosions and ignore the pounding in her head. Thomas was slightly more alert as he nodded at Teresa before he grasped Rachel's wrist and pulled her quickly along with him as he started to run quickly down the hallway, away from the debris and where Janson had disappeared.

"Come on!"

Rachel forced her legs to keep up with Thomas, lest she trip and fall over, and she kept shaking her head as she tried to clear her blurred vision. Teresa jogged beside them, pulling out the small blue vial from inside the medical device. The sight of the cure jerked Rachel back into alertness.

"Newt's alive." Rachel wheezed, only realizing when she tried to speak that some of the dust and smoke must have damaged her voice.

Still, Thomas heard her and he screeched to a halt in shock.

"What?"

He whirled around to stare at Rachel. Teresa looked at the younger girl in similar shock, but they were interrupted as another explosion erupted on the other side of the building. This time, it was too far to break anything nearby but it still shook the whole building and the trio looked around in alarm.

"They're bringing the building down." Rachel realized.

"Shit." Thomas swore before he tugged on Rachel again while urging Teresa to keep up beside him as well. "Come on, come on! We gotta get out of here."

Thomas glanced back as he spoke and suddenly he shoved Rachel down a side corridor at the same time he lunged for Teresa.

"Teresa!"

Rachel whirled around as Thomas grabbed Teresa just as a gun fired and bullets started to ricochet off the walls near Thomas's head. Thomas barely avoided getting shot as he pulled Teresa with him into the side corridor after Rachel.

"Come on!"

Rachel didn't need to be told twice as she broke into a run with the other two, adrenaline pumping through her as they escaped Janson while he chased after them in a fury.

"Why won't he just give up?" Rachel cried.

"He's got the Flare too; he's after the cure for himself!" Thomas spat. Rachel whipped her head around incredulously.

"The son of a bi-!"

A bang and a bullet ricocheting off the wall just to Rachel's left cut her off as she yelped.