She's a Runner

Safe?

Annabelle's POV:

The helicopter flies us to a facility.

They tell us we're safe, and we escaped from WCKD. But something doesn't feel completely right.

It's just a gut feeling, you know?

We're all tested, and then we're sent into a cafeteria looking room.

But not Teresa. Apparently she was taken for "extra testing". But I don't buy it.

Something's off about this place. I should feel happy that we've finally escaped, but weirdly I don't.

And not having Teresa here with us is only worsening that feeling.

"Guys I am telling you. I know what I saw." says Tommy.

Apparently he and some other dude from maze B snuck through the vents last night and saw them rolling out body shaped things.

"No we've been over this. You said they were covered up so you don't know what you saw"

This is all the more reason that we need to find Teresa and get the hell out of here.

But I'm brought out of my thoughts when I hear someone calling out a list of names that aren't really immune to the "flare", as they call it.

But I don't pay much attention until I hear a name in particular.

"Newt"

He keeps reading more names, but I don't listen to them.

"What?" I question in disbelief. "What?!" I repeat, loudly.

"Belle, Belle it's fine. I'm fine. Don't make a scene" he tells me, shushing.

"No way that is so unfair! He had to go through three YEARS in the maze, and he's not even—"

"—Annabelle"

"What?" I whisper in a much quieter voice than before.

"What?!" I hear a much louder voice yell out. It's Thomas.

He gets up.

"Tommy what are you doing?" I ask, grabbing onto his arm.

"Getting Teresa so that we can all leave this place"

I'm liking the sound of that plan, so I let go of him. But Minho quickly brings him back to the table.

"Look, it's best if we just keep our heads down and don't draw any attention to ourselves, yeah?" says Newt to Tommy.

But before even Thomas can object, I get up and walk towards the door.

One of the guards there stops me. Why does everything always have to be so difficult?

"You're not allowed out of here, darling"

Oh I am.

"Look I just want to see my friend okay?"

"Back away from the door. You're not even immune. They don't need you. So sit back down while you still can."

I walk away angrily, but then I turn right around and charge into the open door, trying to get passed the guards.

But the guards stop me and push me back, so I punch the leader guard in the face and continue trying to get out.

While we're in the middle of everything, I grab onto his keycard without anyone noticing.

My friends all come up to hold me down, but Tommy goes to give that guard another punch.

So it ends up with our friends having to hold the both of us back.

"Control your friend" the guard angrily says, pointing to me.

I try to break out of Minho, Fry, and Newt's hold, but alas, I'm not that strong.

"Wouldn't want to ruin that pretty face" he says smugly, knowing that I can't hurt him.

"Son of a bitch!" I yell out, wanting to punch him again.

At least I actually did ruin his not-so-pretty face.

The man calling the names came over to us.

"Thomas. I thought we could trust each other. You know we're all on the same team here" he says.

I scoff. "Are we?" I say lowly.

He stares at me for a while and then at Thomas.

"Get them to their bunks." he says.

The stupid, stupid guards then shove us into our bunks.

"Belle what the hell that? You didn't think they were just gonna let you through" says Newt.

"No of course she didn't" Tommy says, knowingly.

He puts his hand in my back pocket and pulls out the keycard I took. I guess he saw me take it, meaning I'm not as inconspicuous as I think.

"We are gonna find out what's behind that door." he says.

"Newt, they're hiding something. Okay? These people are not who they say they are" I say, defending Tommy.

"No Belle you don't know that. The only thing we do know is that they helped rescue us from WICKED okay? They gave us new clothes, they gave us food, they gave us a proper bed. Some of us haven't had that in a long time"

"Yeah but—" I try to say, but he interrupts me.

"—Some of us a lot longer than others." he finishes, directing it at me and Tommy.

I look at him in shock. Where'd that come from?

All of a sudden, a vent opens, and the kid who saw the body shaped things with Tommy yesterday comes out.

"Hey Thomas." he says.

"What the" says Fry.

The dude looks to me. "Saw you swipe that keycard. Let's get going"

What the hell? How did all of these people see that?

"Ok maybe you guys are right, maybe we're just being paranoid. But we've gotta find out for sure." says Thomas.

"Just cover for us. Well be back as soon as we can" he tells them.

"Belle, come on." he says, urging me to go.

I nod, and then he, the other guy, and I go into the vent.