Chapter 24

"What the hell was that?!" Julia yelled at Jorge after they feet touched the ground. Before the man could answer they heard a thud.

"What the bloody hell was that?!" She didn't have to look to know who it was. She turned around and pulled himself into him wrapping her arms around his waist and his soon found their way around her back.

"Are you two for real?" They heard Jorge call them out. "Let's go." He moved aside and motioned for them to go straight to a tunnel. They looked at each other briefly before doing as he had told them to. Soon Teresa, Aris, Frypan and Minho joined them, but there was no sign of either Brenda or Thomas. "We have to go." Jorge said. "They'll join us on the other side." He explained, but he sounded as if he were trying to convince himself as they moved deeper into the tunnel.

"We ain't leaving without Thomas, ya shank." Minho yelled at him. Asian's face became red with irritation.

"You wanna go back there, hermano? Be my guest!" Jorge threw his arms in the air. "But if you do WICKED is going to catch you and you're gonna go through hell all over again. You really want that?" Something seemed to click in Minho. Julia noticed a small shadow of doubt appear in his eyes for a second just to be replaced by irritated frown again.

"How do you know they'll find us?"

"Where there is a will there is a way, hermano. Brenda knows those tunnels. She's gonna take your friend with you. We're in the same team now. We all want to get to the Right Arm. They won't take me without you. Besides I made a promise." A promise to take care of Brenda. Julia figured. "And I always keep my promises."

Jorge never stopped. He looked back a few times to make sure they were all there, but he never ever stopped. He never hesitated. It was just like he had said, he knew the tunnels. If Brenda was as well-informed as he then they'd see Thomas in no time.

"You look better." Newt squeezed her hand with a smile.

"I feel better." She gladly returned it. "Aren't you worried about Thomas?" She asked pretending the concern.

"If someone can handle this it's definitely that slinthead." He reassured her. They walked in silence, but Julia noticed that Newt kept glancing at Jorge from time to time, studying him. She didn't ask him why as she thought she already knew. The man helped them, saved her, and even though he told them his reasons they weren't as believable as he predicted. After all he could have just let her die.

Maybe if he had Newt would have not gone with them and the rest of the shanks would have to convince him to keep going. She hoped he would.

After what felt like hours they left the tunnels. It was still dark and most of them doubted the dawn would come any time soon.

"Alright kids." Jorge spoke up. "We're in the suburbs. Tomorrow we'll meet with your fella, but for now we gotta hide and rest." None of them argued for all of them were worn out.

He took them to one of abandoned building or so it seemed. Inside it was quiet clean. There were few en-suite rooms, dining room and kitchen with few boxes of preserves. In every room there were two made beds with boxes of clean clothes on them.

"You can go take a shower or a nap or whatever you want, just don't leave." He ordered. "Meanwhile, I'll make you something to eat, I beat ya must be starving." They all began to spread into the rooms. Newt led Julia to one, when Jorge called after them. "I'd rather you kids are separate."

"Why?" Newt asked with a frown.

"Do I really have to explain, hermano?" Jorge answered cockily with a smirk. Newt was about to answer him rudely as his frown deepened, but Julia overtook.

"It's fine. I'll share with Teresa." She answered with a reassuring smile and pecked Newt on a cheek. "I'll see you at… dinner, I guess." He answered her with a forced smile. His eyes followed her until she disappeared behind door to another room. Suddenly someone patted him on the shoulder from behind and Newt slightly jumped from the abrupt contact.

"Hey, don't worry." He turned around to see Minho. "Everybody knows I'm the best roomie!" He chuckled and went inside their room.

"Yeah, bloody great." Newt sighed, but followed. "If you snore I'll push you off the bloody bed." He threatened.

"Shucking try it, lanky boi!" Was Minho's only reply. Jorge was thankful they closed the door behind them and no sound was heard from them.

"You can shower first if you want." Teresa offered. Julia smiled kindly at her.

"Thanks." She took a t-shirt out of a box along with some fresh underwear and jeans. "Are you alright?" She looked up from the bed at the girl on the other side of the room.

"I'm fine. I'm just worried." Teresa sighed.

"Are the two of you close?"

"I… I guess. I mean we're not like you and Newt, obviously. But I just…" She sighed once again this time not finishing.

"Are you in love with him?" Teresa quickly turned her gaze to Julia clearly taken aback by the question.

"I-I wouldn't go that far, but… I just feel like we have this kind of connection. I truly care about him, I might even have a crush, but I wouldn't say I'm in love. I mean I don't even remember much, I probably know him even less…"

"Hey," Julia came over and put a hand on Teresa's shoulder to calm her. "It's alright." She sat on Teresa's bed and patted a space next to her for Teresa to sit down, too. "Has any of those shanks told you what I did when I first came up in the box?" Teresa shook her head as she took her sit next to Julia. "Well,… Newt jumped into the box and I called his name, then I ran up to him and kissed him. When I pulled back, because I guess he didn't kiss back, I only asked 'You don't remember me?' and fainted in his arms. When I woke up I could remember only my name." Julia explained with a chuckle as she recalled how guys told her the story and as she tried to cheer Teresa up.

"I only called Thomas' name and fainted, so I guess you win." She laughed lightly.

"So where's my medal?"

Teresa was still tensed, but Julia couldn't really blame her. She remembered how she felt after she had left Newt in the maze. The thought still made a shiver run down her spine and brought tears to her eyes. But Teresa and Thomas were far from what she was with Newt. Besides she still couldn't find it in herself to trust Thomas and a thought of him not returning somehow relived her. And Julia hated it. After all he was or at least he claimed to be on their side.