My eyes shoot open. Thomas was over me. Newt and Minho hover-loomed like twin shadows. The world has that hollow, late-night buzz.

"What the hell happened?" I croaked.

"Whatever we drank was a lot stronger than gally's" Thomas said, rubbing his jaw. He sounded sheepish. I rubbed my eyes.

"Looks like you've been having a lot of fun" Minho smirked.

"Shut up, would you?" I shot back.

"Yeah, she's fine" newt laughed. His laugh made the room just a little less sharp.

Then a shout splintered the air.
"I suggest you talk, you son of a bitch!" Jorge roared, hitting someone tied to a chair. I pushed myself up and walked over.

Jorge had a grip on the man's hair.
"Listen- I don't enjoy hurting you. Okay? Where is the right arm, Marcus?" Jorge asked

"You son of a bitch" I said under my breath, stepping closer.

"Did you have a nice party?" Marcus asked, and my jaw tightened.

"I know you know where they're hiding. So tell me, and I'll make you a deal. You can come with us." Jorge offered.

Marcus laughed. Too loud, too easy.
"I burned that bridge a long time ago. Besides I made my own deal. You're the one who taught me never miss an opportunity." He said

"What's he talking about?" Newt asked

Marcus's shrugged again like language was a toy.
"I'm talking about supply and demand. Wicked wants all the immunes they can get. I help provide that for them. So I lure kids in, they get drunk, they have a good time, then later wicked comes in and they separate the wheat from the chaff." He said

My hands went hot.

"He might not enjoy hurting you- but I sure as hell do" I stepped forward and kicked Marcus to the ground. Quick. Clean. I grabbed Jorge's gun and pressed the barrel to Marcus temple.

"Talk. Or I will blow your head off and find them myself" I snapped.

"Okay, okay! But I'm not making any promises. These guys like to move around." Marcus said

"They have an outpost in the mountains. But it's a long way away. You got half of wicked in your ass. You're never gonna make it." He finally tells us.

"Not on foot. Where's bertha?" Jorge asked, almost smiling.

"Not bertha" Marcus murmured.

Turns out "bertha" was a truck.

I was crammed between Minho and Thomas in the bed of the truck. While newt grinned like an idiot up front.

Thomas leaned in closer.
"Re- I need to talk to you" Thomas whispered

"Now?" I whispered, sending him a look.

"Later. We'll talk later" he said. He sounded like he meant it. For once I didn't push. For once I let it sit between us.

We climbed into mountains. Abandoned cars littered the road like skeletons.

"Well- I guess we're on foot" Jorge said, and we all slowly walked forward.

I ran my palm along the rim of metal and touched a neat, black hole. Bullet hole. Someone wanted this place to stay empty.

Before I could say anything-

Gunshots cracked the air. The roof of the nearest car splattered metal rain. I dove behind the hood.

"Get down! Take cover!" Jorge shouted. We scrambled, bodies clattering against rust and broken glass.

"Everyone okay?" I yelled, scrambling up next to Thomas and Jorge.

"Yeah. We're fine" Teresa called back.

"Anyone know where those bloody shots came from?" Newt asked

"Son of a bitch Marcus. He led us into an ambush." Jorge muttered.

Thomas tried to look over the hood of the car. A gunshot rang out right next to him.

I yanked him down.
"Are you an idiot?" I muttered
"Sorry. What do we do?" Thomas asked.

Jorge started to go through his bag.
"Here. Hold this." He held out an object- a bomb.

Thomas reached out to grab it.
"Not you, her" Jorge said. And I let a low chuckle escape my lips and Thomas gave me a look.

"We create a diversion. You get ready to chuck it. Everybody! Get set to sprint back to the truck. And hold your ears" Jorge called out.

Jorge counted. Then a gun clicked behind us.

"Drop it" s girls voice cut the air. A gun clamped to the back of my neck.

I hesitated.
"Now!" She yelled, and I set it down slowly.

"On your feet, let's go. Move let's go! You two over here! Now! On your feet!" The girl barked. She forced us into a line; we obeyed, blinking like sleepwalkers. Then the voice dropped, softer, and a face peeled down.

"Aris?" The girl murmured.

Aris's voice was a broken sound; he stepped forward, stunned.

"Oh my God- Harriet?" Aris asked.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The girl- Harriet asked, bringing him into an embrace.

"Sonya" Aris smiled- as the other girl hugged him as well.

"Aris, you're lucky we didn't shoot your dumb ass" she laughed.

"What's happening?" Minho spoke up first- thinking the same thing we all were.

"We were in the maze together." Aris smiled, glancing back at us.

Harriet whistled out.
"We're all clear guys! Come on out!" She yelled.
Heads popped up all over the mountains.

"Back it up Joe! We're taking them to base" Sonya said, as we followed her through a tunnel.

"Wait- so how did you guys get here?" Aris asked

"The right arm got us out." Harriet answered

"Wait. The right arm? Do you know where they are?" Thomas asked

"Hop in" Harriet said.

I patted Thomas's shoulder.
"You're an idiot" I laughed. Then we climbed in.

The base looked like someone had collected all the stubborn people in the mountains and given them a roof. Tents, canvas, and the smell of frying fat and wet food. People moved like they'd been waiting: for a signal, for rescue, for vengeance. Harriet ushered us into the center.

"You've been planning this for over a year now. This is all for us. You guys are lucky you found us when you did. We're moving out at first light." Sonya explained.

"Where's Vince?" Sonya asked.

"Somewhere over there I think" a man said.

"Who's Vince?" I asked

"He's the one who decides if you get to stay." Harriet said

"I thought the right arm was supposed to be an army" Minho said, skeptical.

"Yeah we were. This is all that's left of us. A lot of good people died getting us this far. Who are they?" The guy- Vince- said, walking up.

"They're immunes. Caught them coming up the mountain." Harriet answered.

"Did you check them?" He asked.

"I know this guy- Aris. I trust him." Harriet said

Vince's jaw tightened.
"Well I don't. Check em" he said

Then- Brenda pitched forward and collapsed. Jorge froze like the world stopped spinning. He dropped to his knees beside her.

"Brenda! Brenda, talk to me" Jorge said frantically.

"I'm sorry- I'm sorry" she gasped out.

"What's going on with her?" Vince asked

"I don't know. Brenda, are you okay?" Jorge asked

Vince moved in, his expression folding into something clinical. He liked Brenda's pants up and found fresh teeth marks, the dark outline of the wound the crank left.

"Shit. Crank, we got a crank!" Vince yelled. Stepping back and pulling out his gun.

"No!" I yelled, stepping forward. Thomas and I made a single wall in front of her.

"Step back!" Vince barked. Men grabbed Jorge's arms and began to haul him back.

"Wait m! Listen. This just happened, okay? She's not dangerous yet" Thomas said

"You shouldn't have brought her here." Vince said.

"We know- we know" I mutter

"We let a crank in here now the safe haven doesn't last a week. Step back!" Vince yelled.

"I understand, okay? I do. I told her we can help. Please there has to be something we can do" I begged.

"Yeah, I can put her out of her misery" he said, voice flat.

"No!" Jorge screamed.

"Vince that's enough! Let him go" a woman approached us, calm and whole in a way that made the air change.

"She's infected, doc. There's nothing we can do for her" Vince said

"No, but they can. Hello Thomas. Reyna." She said, with a genuine smile.

"What?" Vince muttered.

"You know us?" Thomas asked.

The woman's eyes flicker to me. Something like recognition, like puzzles aligning.
"Interesting. It makes sense they'd put you in the maze. Though I must admit, I thought they'd kill you after what you did." She said. Kneeling down to check on Brenda.

"What I did?" Thomas asked.

"The first time we spoke you said you couldn't take it anymore, watching your friends die one by one. The last time we spoke, you gave me the coordinates to every wicked compound, trail, and lab." She answered.

"He was our source" Vince echoed.

"We couldn't have pulled this off without him" she smiled.

Her gaze flicked to me.
"And me? How do you know me?" I asked

"Take her to the tent, get these guys some warm clothes. Thomas, Reyna, please come with me. I need to get some blood from you both." She said.

I felt Thomas stiffen. But we followed her without argument. I needed answers- and right now, following her was the only way to get them.