Disclaimer: Still don't own the Series.

Chapter Twenty:

I walked along such a broken road with the others, the heat rose right off the asphalt, making the transit hotter, but so did the sand, each conducting the heat and a magnifying it with such intensity. Had I not drank before departing with Jane and Soc, I would of became dehydrated. But who's to say I still won't. I hate this waste land, but it was the world, hopefully not all of it. Yet somehow if we all drop dead out here, is there a chance a new group would take our place.

Hopefully Thomas and the others are somewhere safe for the time being, Janson was certain our paths would cross. But what if it was a lie to convince me to leave. For all I know there still wanted by WICKED. WICKED at this moment could be hunting them down, I'm forced to return to thinking of finding supplies.

Eight miles later the first shop is encounter but it was in disrepair, probably a restaurant with no way to enter due to the collpase roof. The three of us spread out to the six different shops around the area. When I come across a clothing store. With a little bit of wiggling I was able to crawl in. There was a bunck of clothing for different occasions. In the apocalypse, fashion wasn't dire so it isn't surprising that I came across an abundance of clothing.

Soon the atmosphere of the store got me as the floor board creek even if I didn't move. Maybe it was pests or Cranks. As I go to arm myself I turn around to see a human skeleton being used as a prop. Someone been here, that's definitely true as I end up kicking a tin can into the darkness that surrounding the back half of the shop. What I'd do for a flashlight. People have defied the mannequins of the stores as Help us, the Flare consumes is written on dried blood on one of them. As I reach to pick up the messy mannequins a large hunting knife wiggles loose from the bottom torso which nearly stabs my toe.

With a bit more searching I find serval jackets and clothing and two large back pack. I stuff one with the new clothing, the secondary bag will be used for food. Taking the mannequin I throw it through a window that would provide a easy exit. There no crawling with stuff, before jumping out the window, I pick up the hunting knife and stuff it into a bag.

Reaching back outside I lift up my spear and rejoin the others who been trying to lift up a security gate that leads to what seems a pharmacy. How lucky was that, but if it was looked prehaps people are hiding.

"Hey help us lift up the gate," Soc said grunting.

I rush over gripping the gate that is rusted to the ground, there was no getting it up.

"No use." I said looking for another away in. That's when Jane pointed to the lock on the gate.

'We could pick the lock.'

"Jane says we could pick the lock."

"How did, when did you start hearing her?"

"When we made it to the over pass, guess WICKED kept some sort of filter stoping me to contact my friends when the same telepathic link."

"Alright then! But how do we pick this lock, our spears are too thick to fit.

I take off the full back pack and grab out the hunting knife, but now that I'm with the others I hand Jane the second bag."Will this do?"

Soc took the knife with in a heartbeat and study the shape of the locking mechanism and the shape of the knife. With a confirming nod, he began to fiddle with the lock. I didn't want to ask him how long this would take, so Jane kept watch over him as I wrote about everything I saw, location and distance. I'm hoping that we able to find a bit of antibiotics or painkillers, Jacob and Leon have to see this to the end.

Eventually Soc get the luck undone, but as the gates go up, Jane as she is rather fast and keen on noticing thing's, pushed Soc onto floor along with her as arrows shoot out in rapid succession. If not for her timing, Soc would of bit the dust.

"Shit that was close." I said running up to help them up.

"This was set to keep intruders out, the ingenuity of this device is rather simple yet effective."

'Think anyone in there?' Jane asked me.

Soc had gather the Twenty odd arrows keeping them on him, I guess it was for a weapon he could create. Slowly we each step inside avoiding the device that was once armed. As we pass the threshold Soc ran across to the other side of the room, everything we needed he caught at first sight. He cram down antibiotics and other first aid gear. As he went to reach for canned food that's been left untouched, a sound of gun loaded beside me and Jane.

"Who in the hell are you, this is my joint."

"Don't shoot." I said slowly as turn raising my hands.

"Well?"

"We didn't mean no harm, we just need some antibiotics," i explain to the tall guy with the dark yellow hair who's holding a shout gun.

"Drop your weapon or else!" Soc said coming back around ready to swing one of the arrow tip in some kind of solution. Probably poison.

"You got balls, bringing a arrow to a gun fight." Then the mysterious male paused and stare at us intensely more at Soc as he did the same back. "It can't be? Can it? Socrates is that you?"

"Tes it's not possible."The two drop their weapono and hug another as if it's been forever.

"Jane here to, but how? Aren't you all still supposed to be in the Grove." Tes said as Jane nods and smiles at the male.

"It's a long story, trust me but, what are you doing in the Scorch?"

"I escape the men who came to save us after the Maze was solved, arm only with a stun paddle and a weeks worth of food, I wander around the wastes for two years. Now known as the Scorch. The sun is terribly hot and I've been burned in some places, I'd like not to mention. At first I was in the mountains, more shade but the further I had travel to the hotter things got."

Tes finally emerged from the shadows, he had splotches of white and red over his body, rustic unkempt hair and razor sharp goatee. His Iris are a strange pink color, prehaps from the time in the Scorch. His clothes are tattered and torn. He has a various scars from wear and tear.

"Not to break this reunion up, but we need to get the supplies back to the others. I spoke sternly as time was of the essence.

"Who's the new guy Soc?"

"The names Ross, right now we need to hurry back, if you'd like come with us."

"He's right Tes, some familiar faces might be eager to see you."

"That's sounds fu- Oh no the sun is setting, the dark is dangerous in these parts."

"If we hurry we might make it before the moon rises."

"I hope your right, let me pack some gear and weapons, but we have to move fast, how far is everyone?"

"Give or take eight miles."

"If we walk fast we could make in under an hour and a half."

Tesla was already to leave in seconds, he was always ready to up a leave a location, but this nervousness about the night is concerning. If it was a few Cranks, we could hold our ground I like to think. But then again it was some embedded in his head, he's been out here for years, same old Cranks- although scary he's seen something horrific.

Just as we came we left filled with enough supplies to get us through the next few days, still dressed like ghostly peasants, the incoming night brought a relief of the heat. Unfortunately the desert can drop below freezing at night, but with the whole sloar flares and broken ozone layer, I doubt will be too cold.