"Why are you helping us?" Thomas asked as he finished wrapping the bandage around my head.

"Trust me. it's not my idea. Jorge seems to think you guys are our ticket to the safe haven." Brenda said

"The what?" Thomas frowned.

"You know-paradise. Safe from the sun, free of infection. Supposedly the right arm has been taking kids there for years. Immunes anyway." she straightened up and started moving crates aside.

"And you know where that is?" He asked

"No. But Jorge knows a guy. Marcus. He used to smuggle kids up into the mountains." She said, not even looking up as she worked.

"If Jorge made it out, that's where he'll be taking your friends." She added

"If he made it out?" Thomas pressed.

"You ask a lot of questions" she muttered

"He can still ask more somehow" I said, and Thomas shot me a look.

"Can you just come over here and help me with this? Please" Brenda said, and we both helped her pull the heavy gate open.

A scream ripped through the tunnel, wet and ragged- the sound of a full crank.

"Well that doesn't sound good" Thomas muttered

"Yeah. Down here they'll be full term. Let's go" Brenda said, jumping down into the darkness.

I glanced at Thomas.

"After you" he said.

I rolled my eyes and jumped down.

"I think it's this way" I said, sweeping my flashlight.

Brenda walked the opposite direction.

"Oh never mind, let's just not follow the way of the girl who spent five years in a maze" I muttered, rolling my eyes.

Thomas laughed softly.

"Do people live down here?" Thomas asked

"The solar storms forced people underground. Jorge says there's settlements all over these tunnels." Brenda said

"So what about Jorge? Is he your father?" I asked

"Close enough. Truth is, I don't really know what he is. He's just always been there. And I've always done what he tells me to do, no matter how stupid." She said

"Damn I'm good" I muttered under my breath, now knowing I was completely right.

"So you don't think the right arm is real?" Thomas asked

A scream behind us made all three of us whip our lights back. Nothing.

"I think... hope is a dangerous thing. Hope has killed more of my friends than the flare and the scorch combined. Just thought Jorge was smarter than that." Brenda answered quietly.

We came to two branching tunnels.

"Damn" Thomas muttered. We looked down one and saw a faint light.

"Hey Brenda, I think it's this way" Thomas called.

No answer.

"Shit. Brenda?" I moved toward the other tunnel.

"I'm over here. Come look at this" she called

We joined her.

Black vines crawled up the walls, pulsing.

"What the hell is that?" Thomas whispered.

"I don't know" Brenda mumbled.

A noise- just a rat darting out of the drain.
Thomas kicked it away.

Then a hand shot from the vines, snatching the rat and tearing it apart.

More shapes stirred. Cranks, half hidden on the black growth.

"Motherf-!" I choked off the curse and fired my gun, dropping the first one.

"it's time to go! Run!" I yelled

We bolted for the light, only to find the path ending at a cliff. Cranks closing in behind.

"Okay, okay- climb!" I said

"Follow me!" Brenda called, climbing up first.

"Thomas, run you dumbass! Stop looking back!" I yelled

The climb turned vertical. Cranks clawed at Thomas's boots. I spun, kicked one loose.

Brenda reached for another bar. Metal snapped. She fell, crashing through a door into a glass window- facing directly to the ground below.

"Brenda! Brenda, are you okay?" I called down

"Yeah!" she yelled

"We're gonna find a way down, just- hold on" I said. Thomas and I slid down. I reached out for her.

"Grab my hand" I said, one arm holding a pole, the other reaching toward her.

A crank lurched from the doorway above her.

"Brenda!" I screamed as it jumped, knocking her back.

"Thomas, get over here!" I yelled, watching Brenda fight off the crank.

I dropped down, tackling the crank off of her. The glass cracked more beneath us.

"Reyna!" Thomas shouted.

"Get Brenda!" I yelled, fighting off the crank.

He hauled Brenda to safety. I crawled after them- but the crank dragged me back.

"Thomas!" I yelled

He slid down, smashing the glass with a pole just as it broke beneath me. I fell- and his hands caught me. My heart hammered.

"It's okay. I got you." He said, voice steady.

Later, we found a safer descent.

"Hey, you hear that?" Thomas whispered as we crept through another tunnel.

Voiced echoed ahead.

I glanced back, Brenda sat down, clutching her leg.

"You okay?" I asked

She pulled her pants up. A bite.

"Shit" she muttered.

"Brenda-" Thomas started

"Yeah yeah I know. Let's just go find Marcus" she tied it off and stood.

We emerged into a camp. Families, tents, fires.

"Okay, just try to blend in" Brenda murmured.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Thomas asked as we approached a lively building.

"You here for the party?" A girl asked

"No. We're here for Marcus. This is his place isn't it?" Brenda asked

"This is my place" a man said, the girl pushing us toward him.

"Are you Marcus?" Thomas asked

"Marcus doesn't live here anymore." He said

"Do you know where we can find him?" I asked

"Sure sure he's over in zone B." He answered

"What's zone b?" Thomas frowned

"It's where they burn the bodies" a girl whispered

"Okay, well- has anyone been by looking for him? Group of kids around our age? They had a girl with them." Thomas said

"You know I think they might be inside. Here. Drink this" he smirked

"What is it?" I asked

"The price of admission" he answered.

When I didn't take it, he yelled:
"Drink it!" He said.

Brenda snatched it and drank. Thomas followed.

"Your turn" he smirked

I grabbed it, started to drink- the girl forced it up, making me swallow more.

"Okay! You three enjoy the party" the man said, shoving us in.

Inside, people danced around. Music blaring. Lights flashing.

"Maybe we should split up. See if we can find the others. Hey. Don't drink anything else" Brenda called out.

But it barely registered.

I walked around. People danced around a chained crank. Then shot it as people erupted in laughter.

My head spun. The rom blurred.

I bumped into someone. I turned.

Then I saw him.

"Dad...no, no, no..." I whispered.

Janson's hands clamped around my arms.

"You can't hide from me. WICKED will always find you. Our little murderer" his grip tightened.

"No!" I screamed, shutting my eyes. When I opened them, he was gone.

But then more faces appeared- People I'd killed, begging me to let them live.

"I can't- stop. Stop, please!" I gasped, clutching my head, falling to my knees.

Everything went black.