Divided // The Death Cure [Book 3]

ELEVEN

T H I R D   P E R S O N   P O V

The truck slowly came to a halt as Thomas, Newt and Frypan reached a barrier. In front of them, lay a dark tunnel that probably held dozens of Cranks within. They got out of the car. Newt placed his hands on his hips before asking, "You want us to go in there?" Thomas studied the map in his hands and didn't reply. "I mean, I don't want to come off as too negative but if I were a Crank that's exactly where I would be," Newt continued. 

Thomas sighed, licking his lips. "Yeah, well, I don't think we have much of a choice." 

Newt huffed. "A'ight, I get shotgun," he stated before claiming his spot in the truck. Thomas glanced at Frypan, who held an amused look in his eyes. 

The two clambered back in the car and Frypan twisted the key in the engine. The engine roared to life and he gently pressed the gas before driving into the darkness. He turned on the headlights, giving them a slight clue of where they were headed. Newt lowered his window and shone a flashlight into the distance. 

"Just take it nice and slow," Newt muttered as they manoeuvred through the abandoned cars and rubble. 

The car came to a stop as Newt's flashlight fell on a man standing in the middle of the road. The two boys in the front turned to Thomas. "It's okay," he mumbled. "It's just one, take it slow, go around him. We'll be fine." 

"Take it slow," Frypan muttered. "Take it slow." Newt pulled his arm back inside the truck and closed the window. Thomas let out a small breath before sinking back in his seat, only to be startled by a woman standing with her hands pressed to the window. 

"Help," she stammered. She looked around anxiously. "Help me. Please. Help me."

Behind Thomas arose a grunting sound and he whipped around to find a Crank with his face pressed against the glass. One by one, more Cranks came out and Thomas exclaimed, "Fry, we gotta go. Just floor it, come on!" 

Frypan slammed the gas and the car sped away from the mass Cranks, leaving behind a trail of dust. One Crank managed to jump on the hood and hissed at the boys like a cat eyeing its prey. He lashed out and smacked the windshield with his fist, causing a large crack to appear. Frypan swerved the car from side to side in an attempt to throw the Crank off but it didn't do much. The man ended up on the left side of the truck and continued slamming the glass.

Frypan saw an opportunity in the distance and took it. He crashed the side of the car into another car and the man was successfully removed, but the two left tires of the car were lifted from the ground by pieces of debris and in just three seconds, the car was turned upside down. 

Thomas grunted as his head hit the roof of the car and he squirmed around until he sat straight again. He coughed from the smoke that came from the car and knew instantly that they had to get out. "Fry, cover your eyes," he said and kicked out the window closest to him. 

He removed most of the glass until he could crawl out, relieved to see the Cranks hadn't followed them yet. Frypan started kicking his door but it didn't open because of a crooked piece of metal from the roof. "Go around, Fry," he told the cook before sprinting to help Newt out. Newt kicked open his door and rolled out, coughing from the amount of dust. 

Thomas shone his flashlight into the car. "Fry, you go-" He was interrupted by an animal-like scream that came from not too far away. The Cranks had caught up to them and were now closing in on their preys. Frypan escaped from the car but dove back in when the Cranks reached his view.

"Frypan, we gotta move!" Thomas called. "Frypan!" he shouted when the boy didn't reply. The Crank was speeding up to them but Frypan was just in time to whip out a shotgun and shoot the Crank square in the chest. He dropped at their feet. 

"Nice shot, Fry," Thomas muttered. 

"Thanks," Frypan replied. 

Loud screams and growls arose, alarming the boys that they needed to start running or else they'd be dinner for the Cranks. Frypan tried to shoot a few but it didn't stop the rest of them. The Gladers turned around to sprint in the other direction, but more Cranks were waiting for them there. 

Frypan continued shooting the Cranks closing in on them, but Thomas already knew they were screwed. He had to stop himself from thinking about what would happen if the Cranks reached them. 

Frypan tried loading the gun again, but only shouted, "Shit, I'm out!" 

"Shit," Thomas cursed under his breath, continuing to look for a possible way out. This couldn't be the end. This couldn't be the moment where it ended. Not after everything they had been through. 

Thomas perked up at the clear noise of a car engine and the next moment, a truck crashed into the four Cranks closest to the boys. Thomas immediately recognized the girl sitting in the passenger seat as Brenda. Jorge was driving, as per usual. Brenda jumped on her seat and started shooting the Cranks. 

"Get in the car!" Brenda shouted and Thomas didn't hesitate to jump in the back of the car, Newt and Frypan soon joining. Jorge floored the gas and they sped out of the tunnel, back into the sunlight. 

As they crossed over the wobbly road, Jorge grinned. "I'm impressed," he called at the boys in the back of the truck. "You guys almost lasted a whole day." 

Thomas turned around in his seat to face the man. He patted Newt's shoulder, who was breathing heavily. "You okay?" he asked. 

Newt exhaled before nodding. "Yeah, fine," he said. 

Brenda turned around in her seat, shaking her head. "And you're about to become a dad," she joked. "Great role model." 

Thomas chuckled and rolled his eyes. It had become an inside joke between him and Brenda that she'd constantly jokingly point out how he was going to be a terrible role model for his kid. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to bring you guys into this," he said. Brenda chuckled and turned back to Jorge.

"What I think he's trying to say is thanks for saving our asses," Frypan chimed in.

"You're welcome," Brenda said with a smirk. 

"Don't get your hopes up. That checkpoint back there is the city's last defence. If that was overrun, chances are the city is too," Jorge stated. 

Newt's eyes fell on something in the distance and his jaw dropped slightly. "Yeah, unless they figured out some other kind of way to keep the Cranks out," he said. Everyone else saw what he did and Jorge slammed the brakes, bringing the car to an abrupt halt. 

The group climbed out of the car and gazed into the distance. There it was, the Last City, completely surrounded by several-feet-thick, tall walls. 

Newt sighed. "Funny, we spent three years behind walls, trying to break out and now we wanna break back in," he huffed. 

"Yeah, it's hilarious," Frypan retorted sarcastically.

Thomas ignored them. "Jorge, how do we get in?" he asked, his mind fully focussed on getting Leah and Minho out of that hell as soon as possible.

"Don't look at me, hermano," Jorge said. "Those walls are new. I guess that's Wicked's answer to everything."

"Well, we ain't gonna figure it out from up here," Brenda stated, folding her arms. "Let's go!"

Most of the group moved to the car, except Thomas. He kept his eyes trained on the city. Newt sensed his friend's nerves and stepped up to him. 

"Do you really think they're in there?" he asked softly.

Thomas let out a small breath. "I guess we'll find out." 

"You know she's gonna be there too," Newt stated, referring to the dark-haired girl who had betrayed them. Even though nothing serious ever happened between Thomas and Teresa, everyone who wasn't blind saw that there was some kind of tension between the two, even though Thomas had been with Leah all along.

Thomas glanced at his friend, sending him a knowing look.

Behind them, Jorge roared the car engine, telling the Gladers to get in.