SACRIFICE {Newt | The Maze Runner}

vii. Breaking into WICKED

Song: SOLDIER; fleurie

     NEWT pulled the hood from Teresa's head, her dark hair falling messily around her face. He moves to take his place beside me, my arm wrapping around his waist.

"Gally?" she asks.

"Here's how this is gonna go." he cuts across her, "We're gonna ask you some questions and you're gonna tell us exactly what we need to know. We'll start off simple: where's Minho?"

"You guys don't seriously think..."

He slammed his chair down in front of her, blocking her from seeing Tommy, "Don't look at him. Why are you looking at him? Look at me, he's not gonna help you. Now we know you have Minho in the building. Where?"

"He's with the others in holding. Sub level three."

"And Rachel?" I ask, barely holding back the venom from lacing my tone, "How many others?"

She nods at my first question, only just meeting my furious gaze, "Twenty eight."

I turn to face Brenda, who nods, "I can make that work."

"No," Teresa insists, "no, you guys don't understand. The whole level's restricted. You can't get in without a thumb print ID."

"That's why you're gonna come with us." Tommy explains, leaning forward in his chair.

"Well, I don't know." Gally smirks, "We don't necessarily need her. Right? Not all of her. We just need her finger." he pulls a surgical scalpel from the table behind him.

"Gally, back off." Tommy warns, Emmeline rolls her eyes at his statement, Marie cringes beside her.

"What, are you squeamish?" he points the knife at Teresa, "I guarantee she's done a lot worse to Minho and Rachel."

"That's not the plan," Tommy stands beside him, taking the scalpel from Gally, "Back off."

"It won't make a difference." Teresa chimes in, her voice surprisingly confident and unwavering, "Do whatever you want to me. You still won't get through the front door. The sensors will pick up the..."

Tommy cuts in, "We know. We're tagged: Property of WICKED. You're gonna help us with that, too."

*

"She enjoyed that." Gally grunts, holding some paper to the back of his neck, a long incision gently seeping blood.

"You're probably right." Frypan grimaces.

"Here," Newt begins to hand us WICKED uniforms, "see if these fit."

I sunk into the chair beside him, gently stroking the top of his knuckles  where they had gone white from gripping his chair to hard, "Love, try to relax. Don't tire yourself out."

He smiles over at me, placing his other hand on top of mine, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

"I love you, of course I'm going to worry."

Tucking some hair behind my ear, he leans in, connecting our lips for what could possibly be the last time. As we pulled away, my hand cupped his cheek, my voice low, "We're gonna kick WICKED's ass and then we're gonna save you. I promise."

*

Gripping my rifle tight in my hands, Gally and I joined Newt and Tommy in escorting Teresa through the WICKED compound.