Trials Together (Book Three): The Death Cure

Chapter 9

Thomas's adrenaline began to dominate over his tiredness around the third corridor. No guards had appeared yet but the alarms were grating on his nerves.

"Why were we even talking to the Chancellor?" He panted to Rachel.

"We were going to interrogate her to learn what we should do but the sirens mean time to run."

"What is going on?" Teresa was just as confused as Thomas, this didn't make much sense, even though their friends seemed to get it completely.

Although Thomas had decided to give up on trying to understand Rachel approximately an hour after meeting her. It had been a wise decision.

"Who else knows about this?" That he did need to understand.

"Everyone from last night excluding you two and possibly Minho. The sirens are an emergency thing and I'm not sure we wanna know quite why." Aris skidded to a halt outside the room where they had only just eaten. It was entirely empty, food and drink scattered and chairs knocked over. No sign of anyone.

There should be people. Thomas realised, but he hadn't seen any except his friends and Paige.

"They have to be playing with us." Teresa was right, any time WICKED let you think you were getting away with something they were hiding behind a corner, lying in wait.

But not this time.

"Where did everyone go?" Rachel mused, wandering over to where they had been sat to retrieve her book. Thomas found the fact that she was reading Nineteen Eighty-Four incredibly ironic considering the circumstances.

"Probably heard the alarms and ran. That was the plan." Aris was chewing on some bread. They were so calm Thomas wanted to scream, he loved them but sometimes they drove him crazier than the Flare might have if he wasn't so lucky to be born immune.

Even if 'lucky' was dependent on opinion.

Teresa picked up a key card on the floor that a guard must have dropped in the chaos they had evidently barely missed.

"Then let's go find them."

They set off at a sprint, the corridors were all empty on the way to the Glader's dorms, it was also close to the hangar, in case of an emergency where the subjects would have to be evacuated. Surely the others wouldn't have left without them.

But instead of their friends they ran into Janson, accompanied by two guards, holding Launchers. Teresa swore.

"Hello children, now what is this, trying to find your friends? Too bad, I think they've already left."

Whether the Rat Man was lying or not Thomas was going to enjoy this revenge.

Aris and Rachel teamed up to tackle a guard, and Aris was holding his weapon in a matter of seconds. The other barely knew what had happened before a grenade slammed into her chest, sending her sprawling and crackling with electricity.

Thomas really hoped he wouldn't get shot with one of those today, he picked up the Launcher the woman had dropped and fired it into Janson's face before the man could try to placate him.

That really did feel good.

They waited for the miniature lightning to disappear from his body then Rachel took his keycard, and kicked him for good measure. Now they had full clearance.

The smell of Launcher aftermath and electrocuted person wasn't pleasant.

They had to keep running anyway, through the infinite white corridors to the hangar.

"Well there you are. We were about to send an exhibition." Miyoko looked completely normal, but with the slightly unhinged look Thomas knew to belong to a sleep deprived Rachel.

A look that inspired fear to Thomas, but other people probably wouldn't notice.

"Come on hermanos." Jorge was shouting. "We want to be out of here in ten." He then ran onto one of the Bergs, its ramp already open.

The Gladers all started to board, almost as frantically as they had left the Scorch. Thomas didn't know how Miyoko and the other Control Subjects had been freed but wouldn't question it, it was one less thing for him to worry about.

The room cleared quickly, everyone acutely aware that guards were coming, and would be fully prepared to shoot them if necessary.

Thomas really had to stop thinking things like that, he resolved when the doors burst open and grenades began to fly.

Rachel cursed and sent several back at them, then bolted off towards the Berg, disappearing up the ramp. Almost everyone had already gone and the engines were starting to roar.

Thomas shot his Launcher at the attackers until it was out of ammunition. Then he took off with Teresa and Aris, following a pair of girls Thomas didn't recognise.

It was around then that the grenade hit him in the back.

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, any tips on how I can read The Grapes of Wrath before 9:30 tomorrow?