In my Blood

CHAPTER 33 - More Blood

I can't utter a single word. 

I'm not exactly surprised; I was expecting this. I look to my right, where Thomas kneels. Hurt fills his eyes and his mouth hangs loosely open while he looks at Teresa. The betrayer. My glance hovers from Thomas to Minho, who's expression is filled with pure disgust. Frypan and Newt share equal looks of complete confusion as they watch the girl step out of the Berg hatch. 

I look behind Teresa, and feel a gasp escape from my mouth. It's Ava Paige, stepping out of the shadows. She is fully clothes in pristine white clothes, ruby red lips and a neat blonde bun - not a hair out of place. Even though we all knew that her death was completely staged, it still feels unnatural to be looking at her perfectly composed body, her face set like a blank slate and hands neatly clasped by her front. She advances towards the group, mutters something to Janson and watches us with beady blue eyes. But there's something more behind her eyes. A sense of empathy, almost.

"Load them into the Berg!" Janson bellows. I shake that thought away as WICKED soldiers begin to grab the teenagers, thrusting them off their feet and shoving them to the Berg. No one here has room for any sympathy. It's all for themselves. 

Our group get to their feet, striding towards Janson, Ava and Teresa, who stand in a close huddle. They turn around as they see us approaching, holding a hand up to the WICKED soldiers, who lower their guns. 

Ava smiles coldly. "Hello, Thomas," she purrs. Ava faces Teresa, putting a gloved white hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad you're safe."

"What the shuck?" Frypan murmurs, his voice growing louder - angrier - with each syllable. 

"Wait, what's going on?" Newt asks, a frown set on his face. 

Thomas gives Teresa a dark, defeated look. "She's with them," he declares loudly. Minho and Newt snap their heads to the boy, who's face falls to the ground. 

"Since when?" Minho whispers, eyes flickering from Thomas to Teresa. 

Janson steps forward, a smirk growing on his face. "Oh, Teresa's always had an appreciation for the greater good." He shoots me a menacing stare when I grimace at those words. "Once we restored her memories, she finally came to her senses." He glares at me with a sadistic smirk. "Unlike this one. You're looking healthy, (y/n). The Scorch seems to have done you good." His eyes fall down my body, lingering on my thighs, and I shake furiously. 

Teresa looks around the group, her eyes glistening with tears. I feel a sudden urge to scream in her face, to tell her that she doesn't deserve to cry. She's not the one who got betrayed, we're the ones who got sold off to WICKED by someone we thought we could trust, someone we thought was a friend. 

"I'm sorry," she finally breathes. "I had no choice, this is the only way... we have to find a Cure."

I scowl at her as a tear slips from her eye. She gives me an apologetic look, but I return it with the coldest glare I can muster - it's not very difficult. 

"She's right," Ava announces, "this is all just a means to an end. You used to understand that, especially you - Thomas, (y/n). No matter what either of you think of me now, I am not  a monster, I am a doctor." Her voice grows with passion, persuasion. "I swore an oath, to find the Cure. No matter the cost! We just need more time."   

Her voice softens at that last word. Time. As if there isn't much left of it, in this ruined, scorched world. 

"More blood!" a voice calls. I spin around. Mary. 

"Hello, Mary," Ava says emotionless. "I did hope that we'd meet again. I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances."

"I'm sorry about a lot of things too," Mary responds, her voice steady. "But not this. At least my conscience is clear."

Ava's eyes narrow. "So is mine." 

Mary staggers backwards with one sudden, uncontrolled movement. I flinch when she lets out a pained, raspy groan. I look to her shirt, as the white fabric begins to be filled with such an intense shade of blood red. I blink in shock, in confusion. What happened? 

"Mary?" Vince mutters. "Mary! Mary!"

She sinks to the floor, blood dripping from her shirt. No one moves, other than Vince, who clutches her arms. I can't tear my eyes away from the scene playing out in front of me; of Mary's eyes misting as she takes her last, wheezing breath. Vince screams her name. Mary. It slices through the dense air like a bullet. 

A bullet. There was a gunshot, there was definitely a gunshot. I finally break my stare to look around the soldiers. But none of them have their guns raised to Mary's level, they all look just as dazed as I do. Then I see him: Janson, a pistol in his stable hand, his mouth turning down at the corners into a growl. Janson shot Mary. I shake with such an uncontrollably rage, biting down on my lip hard to stop myself from screaming in his face. The metallic taste of blood slips down my tongue.

"Come on, Janson," Ava says, "load them up, let's go."

The soldiers pull a screaming Vince away from Mary's lifeless body, then continue to tug the teenagers away into the Berg. I see them take a hold of Aris and Sonya, who are too shocked to respond. 

"Sonya! Aris!" Harriet shouts. A WICKED guard grabs her, so she kicks them and spits in their faces. They elbow her face, and she falls back, blood running down her nose. Screaming and yelling erupts from around the camp as teenagers are separated, taken away from their friends. I see a soldier grab Thomas' shoulder. 

I open my mouth. "No, Thomas–"  

He suddenly punches the neck of a soldier, who falls to the ground, and whips out a small, hand-sized device from his pocket. It makes a high-pitched whirring noise, and he holds it out in front of him. No guards move. A circle forms around the boy as the device keeps making the screeching noise. My hand flies to my mouth, trying to stifle a scream. 

"Stay back!" Thomas yells. "I'll press the button, everyone back!"

Ava and Janson hurry to the edge of the circle, wearing expressions of panic and frustration.  

"Let them all go!" Thomas screams. 

"You know we can't do that!" Ava replies, the panic evident in her voice. 

"Tom, please stop!" Teresa begs, tears flowing down her face. "I made a deal with them, they promised - they promised we'd all be safe, all of us!"

"So I'm supposed to trust you now?!" Thomas retorts, his voice breaking. 

"It's true, it was her only condition!" Ava yells. 

"SHUT UP!" Thomas roars. I grip onto Newt's arm, fearing for all of our lives. If he presses that button...

"Thomas," Ava says quieter. She looks to me, to Newt and Minho and Frypan, standing behind the boy with the bomb. "Do you really want all of them to die?"

"Come on, Thomas," Janson bargains with a low voice. "Think about what you're doing."

Thomas' cheeks drip with tears. He wears a conflicted expression, his teeth gritted together in anger but his eyes showing a completely different emotion. Sadness. Fear. Isolation. 

Minho takes a step forward, closer to Thomas. My eyes widen when he nods to Thomas, holding the bomb in his hand. I look up to Newt's face, who nods too. We both join our friends, hands still wrapped around each other's. Then Frypan. 

"We're with you, Tommy," Newt assures him, his voice strong. I feel a tear fall onto my cheek as I nod, my chin crumpling. 

"Do it," I whisper. "Together."

"Do it, Thomas," Minho mutters. "We're ready."

Thomas shakes his head to Ava, to Teresa. "I'm not going back there." He holds the bomb up. "It's the only way."  

I close my eyes, pressing my head into Newt's chest, feeling his arms wrap me tightly into his body. I open my wobbling lips, my voice a soft whisper:

"I love you..."