The New Horizon ~ A Maze Runner Story

- 27 -

Thomas watched solemnly as the doctor briskly walked back to AFA's main building in the distance, blurting curt replies into the radio com.
Thomas turned, shook his head. His blood, they needed it more than ever. The world needed it. And they wouldn't have it. Not for several weeks, anyway.
Thomas sighed heavily. Shouts continued erupting. The guards continued yelling their own warnings in response, warring against the people to stand back, stay away until the morning. And the hopelessness in the people's voices . . . it was enough to make Thomas sick to his stomach. He had to leave.

Just as he began to make his way to the main building, the booming blast of a shot rang through the air. Thomas spun on his heels, eyes wide with sudden surprise. In the distance, one of the guards held a pistol high in the air, waving it around menacingly. Thomas strained his ears to hear what the man was saying. He quickly realized it was Captain Orders, the guard that'd abducted him only days ago. "Listen--no one, I repeat no one, is coming in tonight. Got it? Cut. This. Out. AFA will allow as many as we can in the morning."
The angry mob burst into a melody of tormented wallows. Thomas heard one specific voice loud and clear--it was the only one shrill enough to slice through the incoherent rambles of the others. And it sliced through Thomas himself; it was a girl's voice and it rang with such palpable desperation that he found himself slowly inching closer. "Let us in--please!"

The silhouetted mountain of guards seemed to ignore the innumerable pleas. Thomas watched, continuously inching his way closer, as they began pressing in on the people. Like what a pack of wild animals would do to intimidate their prey.
Thomas was only several feet away from them, straining his neck over the crowd, when suddenly the guards began exclaiming. "Get back--get back I said!"
Thomas pulled back, panicked by the sudden booms of their husky voices in near synchrony as they yelled orders. "Hey--what the hell are you doing? Stay back--I said stay back!" Captain Orders shouted. Thomas could hear his voice, sharp and commanding. A shiver trickled down his spine. Who was that man yelling at?
"Hey!" Another guard was yelling now, retracting a gun from the holster Thomas couldn't see.

"Stop right there!" That was another guard, and Thomas grimaced. The boom of that man's voice was even louder than Captain Order's. It tore through the air, followed by a shriek. Thomas was on the tips of his toes, curiosity pulsing in his veins, planting him there behind the massive barrier of guards. He could sense some sort of movement beyond the guards. And right as his mind rang with the possibilities of what madness was going on, a dark, silhouetted figure tore through the burly barricade of men. A wild mane of hair flew behind that person as they ran. Thomas could hardly register that the escapee was charging in a straight trajectory for him, almost as if oblivious to his presence. And then he was being screamed at--by the guards.

"Get her!"
"Don't let her escape!"
Thomas stood there, frozen with the inability to act fast; he had just been released from the hospital, was desperately hungry, and full of bewilderment. And those guards wanted him to capture the runaway as if it was his problem someone escaped from dozens of armed men. Whoever this person was, they were damn agile--
The figured runaway hit Thomas's foot, smashing into him with such momentum that he was sent tumbling down with them. He scrambled to gain footing when the person took hold of his arm. Though it was too dark to make out any features, Thomas now noticed the escapee was a female. Her eyes shiny and glistening, but terrified. "I'm sorry, I--"
"Stay right there. Make sure she stays still!" It was Captain Orders.

Five or so guards had encircled Thomas and the escapee. They stood in a firm, unmoving stance, guns trained on the girl, threatening to pull the trigger.
The girl's cold fingers unclasped from Thomas's arm. He stayed there beside her, mid-crouch, weighing what he would do next. He looked to the girl, whose features were unclear and dark from the scant nighttime light. But he could make out the shape of her face, her hair sprawled out against the grass as she laid on her beck, chest heaving violently.
"I told you to secure a solid barricade! How in the hell did you half-wits let her through?" Captain Orders exclaimed, pointing his gun directly at the girl's chest. The guards remained silent, obviously shamed.

"Look here, girl. You get back there, behind that wall. Don't you dare challenge me. I will shoot."
"Hey--hey! No, don't do that, please." Thomas blurted, waving his hands about. "Don't shoot her. She's--"
"I'm not going back there. I'm sorry, I won't." The girl replied. She had now propped herself on her elbows. Even in the dark, Thomas could spot a glare of defiance in her eyes.
"You will obey our orders."
Thomas watched as the girl grunted through gritted teeth, pushing herself off the ground. She squared her shoulders, staring the men on. Thomas was so taken aback by her valor that he almost wanted to smile. Almost. He pushed himself up to stand beside her. On his dead body would he allow them to hurt her. Though he knew she probably didn't need his protection.

"Let me repeat--I am not going back." She said. And that was all it took. Captain Orders cocked his gun and shook his head, shoving the gun ever closer to her chest. And something snapped in Thomas so suddenly that he jolted, wedging his way in between the girl and the guards within half of a millisecond. The barrel of Captain Order's gun brushed against his cheek, and involuntarily, he shuddered.
"Who the hell gave you orders to do that?" Captain Order's questioned, nudging Thomas with the gun.
Thomas felt a swell of courage in his chest. "I don't need orders. Let her go."
"You want a shooting? Keep pushing the envelope, boy. I'll show ya how painful these are."

Thomas flinched, but somehow he fought the fear. Swallowed it down. "I've been shot before--I know that feeling, and I'm not asking for that. Just don't punish her for wanting to live, please."
"She's a violation of AFA's rules!" Captain Order's forcefully shoved Thomas away from the girl, sending him into another guard. Thomas regained his feet and with one stride, rammed into the guard, snatching Captain Order's gun. His chest heaved with triumph, but his hopes came pummeling down when the guard retrieved another gun from the other side of his belt holster. And with one sickening smirk, he aimed the gun at the girl, fingered the trigger, and sent her falling limply to the ground.

Thomas could barely register, he could barely breathe. The girl was flaccid, limbs sprawled unconsciously on the grass, a dart protruding a couple of inches out of her chest, just below her right collar bone. A fury that Thomas could actually taste burned inside as he glared deep into Captain Order's cold, dark eyes. Thomas's hands shook and he dropped the gun. Then, with his empty hand, he pulled it back and sent it hurling with all the speed he could muster, into the guard's jaw.