I Know Places [Thomas The Maze Runner]

[31: The Cranks]

Just as Elle and Teresa finished packing, the lights flickered overhead. String lights illuminated the room they were standing in, giving it a warm glow that felt more homely than the harsh beams from their flashlights.

"That's better," Elle said happily, sharing a smile with Teresa. "Ready to go meet the others?" she wondered.

"Yeah, let's go," Teresa agreed, walking back to the meeting spot that Thomas set earlier. All the boys were decked out in new jackets, and some found bags with supplies in them.

"Hey guys, I thought it might be time for a formal introduction," Elle greeted when they arrived. "Everyone, this is Teresa." She motioned to the girl next to her. "Teresa, this is Newt, Winston, Frypan, and Aris." Elle pointed to each boy when she presented them.

Teresa waved. "Hello. It's really nice to meet you all. I wish it could be under better circumstances," she added.

"Nice to meet you too," Newt replied happily. "Did you two get everything you needed?"

"Everything we could find is more like it," Elle corrected him. "There wasn't much that was salvageable, but we got some jackets and water, which is all we can hope for. At least the bag I stole from WICKED had medical supplies in it. That will definitely come in handy. Here!" She tossed the boys some old scarves. "You're going to need those to cover your faces when we go out in the sun."

"Good find," Winston complemented, tucking the scarf into his pocket.

A screeching sound followed by several bangs echoed in the distance. Everyone turned their hands in the direction of the noise, brows furrowed in concern. "What's going on?" Newt asked with wide eyes.

"I don't know, but it's coming from the direction Thomas and Minho went in," Elle pointed out.

"Hey!" Thomas's voice shouted in the distance. It was so quiet that they almost missed it. "Hey! Run!" He and Minho shouted, waving their arms at their friends as they rounded the corner and sprinted towards them. Squinting, Elle tried to see what was wrong and saw a group of people chasing their friends.

"Go!" Minho screamed. The familiar snarls and screeches of the Cranks they heard when they arrived at WICKED's facility echoed in the vast room.

Newt pulled his backpack over his shoulders and swore, "Shit!"

"Everyone needs to start running right now," Elle advised, turning on her heel and leading the way.

Thomas approached them yelling, "Hey! Go!"

"Get outta here!" Minho agreed.

"Run!" Thomas called.

Arriving at the group, Minho rushed past them and took over leading from Elle. "Come on!" he waved them after him. Elle was more than happy to let him decide where to go since he had more experience navigating and finding an exit than she did, especially when it came to running.

"Let's go, go, go!" Thomas stayed at the end of the group to ensure nobody was left behind.

With Minho in the lead, the group ran across the floor until they reached an out-of-use escalator. As quickly as she could, Elle scaled the broken stairs and held onto the railing as she ran up them.

"Thomas, Minho, what the hell are those things?" Winston shouted, audibly distressed.

"I don't know. Just keep going!" Thomas replied.

"They're what Janson was warning us about! WICKED calls them Cranks, they have the Flare!" Elle yelled over her shoulder so everyone could hear. "You remember the Griever sting? This is much, much worse!" Everyone in the group was familiar with the Griever sting and the symptoms they gave anyone who was stung. None of them had any interest in interacting with something worse than what they used to banish people for.