A light flicked on and the silhouette of a female was visible. She stood there for a moment. The group of Gladers instinctively packed together, assessing the threat. Alex slowly reached for her knife on her thigh. The girl from the door walked towards them, head held high, right through the middle of all the yelling angry cranks, who turned their attention to her and tried to grab her. She showed no fear, didn't bat an eye, almost bored.
Total power move! Respect Queen.
She walked right up to the group, and stopped. Looking each one of them up and down. Her eyes landed on Thomas and she smirked a little. Her eyes trailed over Minho, who still managed to have his hair on point even after getting blasted with lightning. Alex clenched her jaw, the girl's eyes stayed on him for a little too long for Alex's liking, her eyes narrowed. The girl's eyes trailed down his arm, to Minho and Alex's intertwined hands.
Her eyes slowly traveled up to Alex's face. Her eyes froze and went wide, her mouth dropped open. Alex glanced at Minho who gave her a confused look back and a little shrug. Alex's eyes went back to the girls. There was something about her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. The girl had short brown hair, and dark eyes. Her clothes were dirty, but definitely cleaner than the Gladers. Her constant stair was getting on Alex's nerves.
"Can we help you?" Alex snapped, nervously twirling her knife in her other hand. The girl in front of them shook her head and then smirked, turned on her heel.
"Come on. Follow me." She started walking back through the chained up screaming cranks. The Gladers didn't move. The girl got to the door and looked over her shoulder,
"Unless you want to stay here with them." She indicated to the monsters.
I'm willing to take my chances. I don't trust someone who just says come, I'm not a shucking dog.
However Thomas followed, which meant the rest of the Gladers followed. Alex grumbled, but followed at the back, holding Minho's hand tightly.
The girl pushed open a big sliding door, into a big warehouse.
"Well shuck me." Alex breathed when she realized what she was seeing.
"Love to." Minho whispered back. Alex rolled her eyes, but felt the blood rush to her face in a very deep blush.
What Alex saw inside the warehouse, was a mini settlement. There were tents set up, and fires burning in barrels or right on the ground. Alex saw middle aged adults and the elderly. Only a few people their age. The Gladers had slowed down to take in the scene around them, this was the first they had seen humans not trying to eat them since WICKED.
"Come on, keep up." The girl called, she was waiting for them by a set of stairs at the back of the warehouse.
The girl kept glancing at Alex. Minho leaned in "Do you know her? She seems to know you...or she thinks you're hot... but you're mine." Alex kissed his cheek.
Alex whispered back frustrated, "I don't remember her. But there is something itching at the back of my brain...and I can't figure out what!"
"Jorge wants to meet you." She called from the front of the group, as she led them up the stairs.
"Who's Jorge?" Thomas asked, he was following her, and hanging onto every word. He was almost tripping over his own feet. Alex rolled her eyes. Teresa looked hurt, and when Alex made eye contact she smiled sadly.
Thomas you shuckin idiot!
"You'll see." The girl teased, and winked at Thomas. She led them to a door that was falling off its hinges, she opened the door and walked through.
Down this hall was a bunch of huge hulking men. All of them dirty, playing with some kind of weapon. They looked up as the girl and the Gladers walked down the hall. They eyed them up, especially Alex and Teresa.
Alex clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes, and started twirling her knife in her hand again, a nervous habit she was picking up. Teresa shrunk back. Newt looped a protective arm around her shoulders, Thomas was too busy making googly eyes at the new Girl. Minho tightened his grip on Alex's hand, she noticed his back and shoulders stiffen when the dirty guys stood up and followed the group. This didn't seem to phase the girl who was leading them.
"No one's come out of the Scorch in a long time. You've just got him curious." She led them up another set of creaking metal stairs, she glanced over her shoulder and looked Alex dead in the eye. "And me, too."
"Anyone else to get a bad feeling about this place?" Alex whispered but loudly.
"I can hear you, you know." She challenged, with an eye roll.
"Ya, you were supposed to, shank." Alex called back with her own eye roll.
Newt gasped and face palmed, Minho sniggered beside her and shook his head.
"That mouth of yours Sunshine!"
She side eyed him, "what about it?" Alex whispered flirtatiously, batting her eyelashes. He smirked back at her and leaned in to whisper back. "I'd like to kiss it, really bad."
Alex smirked back "I know. Sammers."
One of the guys from the hall walked even closer to her, she could feel his breath on her neck, her body stiffened again. She glared at the guy behind her, he just smiled evilly back at her.
"Let's just hear him out. See what he has to say." Thomas said.
The girl opened another door that was falling off its hinges, the paint was peeling. It creaked as the girl opened the door, the Gladers following her, even if they didn't want to, the big dirty guys blocked the door. They had to follow.
"Jorge, they're here." She announced. She walked to a dirty old couch and flopped onto it.
"Quiet!" A middle aged Hispanic man snapped.
He was leaning on a desk, covered in tools, books, a few knives, and papers. He was fiddling with an old radio. Alex caught a few words but it was so staticky you couldn't make anything out. It reminded Alex of talking to Sonya.
She hadn't been able to talk to her sister in so long. She had no idea where she was now, or how she was doing it. Alex was snapped out of thoughts of her sister when he switched the radio off.
"Damn it!" He muttered in frustration. He stood up with a sigh, "Do you ever get the feeling the world's you?"
Alex actually laughed at that. "All the shuckin time, actually." She said, crossing her arms sticking her hip out.
Newt elbowed her, "shh!"
"He asked." She motioned with her head. The girl on the couch snorted in amusement. The man named Jorge tipped his head in approval.
"Three questions." He directed this at Alex, who raised her eyebrow. "Where did you come from? Where are you going? How can I profit?" He picked up a clear glass cup that had some light brown liquid in it. And ice.
Where the shuck is he getting ice in the bloody scorch? And where can I get some?
"Don't all at once."
Everyone looked at each other, no one wanted to answer, how did they know they could trust these new people. Alex opened her mouth to reply but Thomas blurted out, "We're headed for the mountains. Looking for the Arm."
"Jeeze Tommy!" She huffed.
"You're looking for ghosts, you mean." Jorge replied, taking another sip of his drink, as he walked forwards towards them. "Question two. Where did you come from?"
"That's our business." Minho snapped. Alex nodded.
Need to know basis!
Alex had narrowed her eyes when Jorge stiffened at that answer. His jaw clenched. Alex knew something was going to happen, her hand tightened on her knife. She saw Jorge's eyes flick to the guys behind them and his head dipped. Alex spun around, raising her knife. She heard a yell. She tried to slash again, but there were too many and she was exhausted from running in the storm and bringing people back from the dead. Alex was hit on her bloody ear and cried in pain. Stars danced in her eyes, she stumbled and she felt a hand wrap around her neck, choking her. She heard scuffling and shouts. She was shoved to the floor in front of Jorge, beside Thomas who was being held down too. The two were struggling against the men.
"Why is it always us, Tommy?" Alex choked out, "Hey! Get off!" Alex tried to squirm away.
"Get the hell off me, man!" Thomas was also yelling. She heard Minho trying to break free, from the corner of her eye she saw him still when a knife was held to his neck.
"Shut up, you big baby." The girl called as she stood up and walked over to Alex and Thomas, she was holding some kind of scanner gun. She forced his head down and put the gun to his neck, it beeped.
"What is that?" Thomas asked, struggling. The girl looked at the gun, and raised an eyebrow. She turned to Alex and forced her head down, and held the gun to the back of her neck. Nothing happened. The girl shook the gun and tried again. Again, nothing happened. She looked at Jorge with an odd expression, when she looked back at Alex she frowned, she forced her head back down and pulled her shirt back.
"Shuck girl! At least buy me dinner before you take a peek down my shirt!" Alex snapped.
She heard a snort and a groan. Alex smirked.
"Ha!" She said in triumph. "You were right."
"Right what? What is she about?" Thomas asked again desperately.
"I'm sorry, hermano. Looks like you're tagged. You came from WICKED." The girl pulled Thomas' shirt back, seeing the tattoo on his neck. "Which means... you're very valuable.' Jorge said with a hint of a question in his statement. His eyes danced between Alex and Thomas and the Gladers behind them. Alex jaw clenched.
Shuckin shuck face! We can not catch a bloody break! My guardian Angel must be drunk.
She growled in frustration. Jorge nodded at the men behind them and they hulled everyone up, and pushed them out of the room. Before Alex was pulled out of the room, the girl was whispering something to Jorge and both of them watched Alex leave. They both had odd expressions, Jorge almost looked shocked. The girl was frowning.
The armed men brought them to a room that had a big pit in the middle, surrounded by a railing, and a pulley system rigged up, with ropes hanging over the pit.
"Oh shuck no!" Alex protested taking a step backwards. She was stopped by the biggest ugliest of the armed men. He was also the one she had sliced earlier.
"Oh yes!" He growled.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her to the edge, Alex tried to fight him, she managed to get an elbow to his nose. He stumbled backwards. Alex tried to get under him, she had to somehow get to the others, who were all struggling in the arms of the men. Minho was swearing like a sailor. He wasn't as strong as he normally was...he was just struck by lightning. Alex made eye contact with him, only to have her world go black.
Minho POV:
He saw Alex get dragged to the edge of the pit, he fought harder against the beefy arms that were chock holding him. They were going to throw her off or hang her! He struggled and grunted, he saw her throw a well placed elbow. She almost made it around the guy when they made eye contact, he tried to warn her. He watched in horror as the guy smacked her in the back of the head with the butt end of a knife. She crumpled, and didn't get back up.
He was forced to watch as the guy flipped her over, tied a rope around her ankles and tossed her over the edge.
"NOOOOO!" Him and Newt both screamed.
They saw her swinging back and forth and twisting in circles, arms dangling over her head, lifeless. One by one they were all tied up and tossed over the edge to swing and twist. Minho felt his stomach drop as he was tossed over.
Man. I do not like heights. Nope. Nope. This is not okay.
Minho opened his eyes once he had stopped swinging so wildly. He could see Alex if he twisted his head. Her eyes were still closed, and he could see the blood from her injured ear slowly running into her hair.
Shuck. I don't know what to do to make that stop! How do you help an internal ear injury? But man, even covered in blood and knocked out cold, she's hot.
His body twisted away from her. They hung for a while. Just waiting. Minho was tired and frustrated. And Thomas with his curiosity and never thinking things through! He was getting on his nerves now with the constant struggle to try to reach his toes.
"Good plan, Thomas. Just hear what the man has to say." Minho sassed. He could hear distant moaning and screaming and fighting, a rank smell was rising from the pit. He had a feeling he knew what was at the bottom. But he desperately hoped he was wrong.
"Really turned out for us." Minho continued needling Thomas. "You feeling brave now? You and your dumb questions! Always getting us into trouble!"
"Shut up, Minho." Thomas rolled his eyes. "I never said jack about me being brave. I'm sick of hearing people's voices. Yours included."
Minho snickered. "Slinthead, even when you try to be mean, it's just freaking hilarious."
Newt sighed heavily. "Stop you two!" He scolded. There was a loud gasp from behind him. He tried twisting his body, he could hear struggling, and then yelling turning into panic. Alex had woken up.
"Hey, hey! Alex! You're okay. Just upside down over a black pit of doom, with angry hungry cranks at the bottom!" Minho explained.
"Wow dude. Way to calm her down!" Newt complained exasperated.
"How would you explain it then? Definitely not a vacation at some dream spa!"
"Alex!" Newt called, reaching his arm out, trying to grab her.
Uh! . . Turn around! No, not that way. Uh shuck.
He could hear her panicked breathing. Newt couldn't reach her and Minho kept twisting in the opposite direction. He could catch glimpses of her. He saw Teresa had grabbed hold of her hand and pulled herself to Alex, and wrapped her in a hug. Both girls clung to each other.
Thomas, still ignoring everyone muttered to himself, "Maybe I can reach the rope."
"Enjoying the view?" Said an accepted voice. Jorge sauntered into the room, he seemed bored.
Does he hang all his guests over the crank pit? Slint head is shucken crazy! Jacked in the head.
"What the hell do you want?" Minho snapped.
"That is the question." He walked around the pit, looking at each one of them. His eyes lingered on Alex.
"My men want to sell you back to WICKED. Life has them to small." He kept walking. Minho couldn't see him, he was on the other side now, in front of Frypan and Aris.
"I'm not like that. Something tells me that you're not either."
"Is the blood rushing to my head or is this guy not making any sense?" Minho asked the general group.
"Blood is absolutely rushing to my head and leaking out my ear... And this shank definitely does not make any sense." Alex agreed. Jorge ignored their comments.
"Tell me what you know about the Right Arm." He asked, his eyes narrowed.
"I thought you said they were ghosts, unless my other ear isn't working now." Alex asked, her voice dripping in sass. He walked over to stand in front of Alex, his eyes searching her upside down face.
"I happen to believe in ghosts."
"Well aren't you the superstitious one." Alex snarked.
"Especially when I hear them chattering on the airwaves. You tell me what you know, and we can make a deal." Jorge continued talking, walking back over to his starting point. He stood beside the lever.
"We don't know much." Thomas said.
Jorge obviously did not like that answer. He pulled on the lever, making the ropes slack. It dropped them down a few feet, and made them all jerk. There was a collective scream of panic and terror.
"Okay! Okay, all right." Thomas gave in. His hands up in defense, "They're in the mountains. And they attacked WICKED. They got out a bunch of kids. That's it. That's all we know." Thomas said quickly.
It was like his brain needed the jolting drop to shake something loose:
****Ronin breathed one last set of instructions, "get into the scorch, make it to the building by the mountains, tell him CR sent you. And you're trying to get to the Right Arm. It will be hard, but you're a leader, kid. You can do it.
"Wholly shuck!" He breathed out, smacking his forehead. "HEY! JORGE! I'M SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU CR SENT US! HE TOLD US TO COME TO THE BUILDING BY THE MOUNTAINS AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO THE RIGHT ARM" Minho yelled at Jorge and his body twisted again.
Seriously, am I the only one who keeps twisting? Why am I the only one moving?
But out of the corner of his eye he saw Jorge freeze and look at him. His face was frozen and his eyes wide, then narrowed and flicked back to Alex. And then to Thomas. Minho couldn't figure out what he was thinking, and that frustrated him. Jorge opened his mouth to say something, but clamped it shut and looked over his shoulder. The big ugly guy who knocked out Alex came stomping up to Jorge.
He was eyeing him suspiciously, "What's going on?"
Jorge looked him over and smiled, then back to the hanging Gladers. Minho recognized the look, he was full of mischief, whether it was for their benefit or his... he really hoped that Captain Ronin gave him good information. And he really hoped that this was the right building by the mountains!
"Me and my new friends were just... getting acquainted. We're done now." He left without a backwards glance at them or at his man.
"Hey, wait. You're not gonna help us?" Thomas yelled after him.
"Don't worry, hermano. We'll get you back to where you belong." He said as he waved a hand and laughed. "Hang tight!"
"Okay, 1." Minho held up a finger, "That was an awful dad joke. I'm almost impressed. And 2." He held up another finger, "That doesn't sound promising" he said drily.
"Nope. I agree." Alex agreed.
Alex POV:
"We gotta get out of here!" Thomas informed them, as he tried to reach the rope that was tide around his feet. Alex laughed.
"Tommy, what would we do without you? Seriously. I'm so glad we have you to point out THE SHUCKIN OBVIOUS!"
"Thomas, would you bloody cut that out? If you do manage to untie the rope, what will you do? Drop to your death and be eaten." Newt scolded him as he tried to reach his feet again.
He fell back in a huff. Alex was watching Minho twist around again when she saw him slowly swing in front of the lever. She gasped.
"Okay. Guys! I got it!" She called.
"I'm going to push Tes to you, Minho, and then you're going to push her over to the lever thing. Tes, grab onto the railing, get yourself some slack, untie yourself and pull us over and do the same. Got it?" Tes looked frightened, but nodded her head slowly.
"You got this Tes. Remember what I told Chuck? Can you be brave?" Tes gulped and nodded.
"Ok, ready?"
"Yes." She squeaked out.
"Minho, ready?"
"Yeah." He nodded, arms out, ready to catch her. Alex gave Tes a shove in Minho's direction.
"Gotcha." He caught her in a hug. He turned her around so she was facing the lever.
"Okay. One, two, here we go." Minho took a deep breath, bracing.
"Ready?"
Teresa nodded.
"Three."
And with a grunt he pushed her. She swung towards the railing and lever...but she was about a foot too far and swung back towards the middle of the pit.
"Oh, shuck." Frypan muttered.
"Come on, Minho. Push her harder!" Newt called.
"Seriously? You think I'm not? You get struck by shuck lightning, then hang upside down for who knows how long. Jeeze, you bunch of slint heads." Minho snapped. He got Teresa back into position and pushed her again.
"Shuck it!"
"This is it. You got this, guys!" Alex encouraged them. Her head was really hurting, definitely been upside down for too long.
"One..." Minho counted.
"Two..." Alex and Frypan joined in.
"Three!" Everyone called.
Minho yelled as he shoved her. This time Teresa grabbed onto the railing.
"YES!" Everyone cheered.
She pulled herself and wrapped her arm around the railing, she reached her other one for the lever. As she reached she slipped. The Gladers all gasped.
"Tes! Be careful!" Alex called. She managed to hold onto the railing. She pulled the lever. Everyone dropped at least 10 feet. Alex shrieked as her stomach was left behind. Her head was now pounding. Her stomach was feeling sick. Teresa was sitting on the edge, trying to untie the rope.
"Teresa, hurry!" Thomas called. Alex looked at Minho, and held a hand out to Thomas.
"Seriously, what is with his Captain Obvious remarks? Like what would we ever do without his input?" She asked Minho seriously.
Minho shrugged. "Probably not ever know what's going on. We wouldn't know when the situation calls for urgency. Or when to run."
"Very true. Glad we keep him around."
"HEY! YOU TWO! CUT IT OUT! NOW IS NOT THE TIME." Newt yelled.
"Newt. Slim it. Now is definitely the time. We're all just hanging out." Alex retorted, folding her arms as she twisted away from him.
"Guys? Shut up." Thomas pouted. Teresa had pulled Frypan to the edge with a long pole, and they were working on getting Aris to the edge.
As Alex twisted around again, she saw a light flash through a broken part in the ceiling.
The storm stopped a little while ago, was that lighting? It can't be the sunrise...
There was another flash.
"Good evening!"
The voice Alex hated the most in this world spoke through a loudspeaker.
"This is the World in Catastrophe Killzone Experiment Department. We have your compound completely surrounded."
His voice sounded excited. And it made Alex feel sick. His voice made her feel a mixture of terror, rage and nausea.
"Rat Man?" Minho asked, shocked, "How did he find us?"
"Tes! In the wise words of Tommy. HURRY!" Alex yelped. Teresa ran to Thomas and started to pull him over to the edge.
"You find yourselves, through no fault of your own... in possession of WICKED property. Return them to us unharmed and we'll consider this a simple misunderstanding."
Janson continued with his megaphone. Alex could hear panic from the warehouse, where the people were camped.
Did they even know what he was talking about? They are probably just trying to survive! And here these slint heads come and destroy your home! They really are just the worst!
Alex's burning rage bubbled up again.
Ruin all these innocent kids' lives, sacrifice a whole generation for some cure, and now they will rip these innocent people's homes, probably kill a few in the meantime, all to get a few defiant kids! Those people probably lost everything already!
"Or you can resist..."
"Newt!" Teresa called. He reached for the pole and was pulled to the edge to untie his feet.
"...and every last one of you will die. It won't be long before the Flare wipes out the rest of us."
"Minho!" He was pulled to the side, he pulled himself up to sit. Alex was the last one hanging over the crank pit.
"The hope of a cure lies in your hands. The choice is yours." Janson finished.
"He can't be serious? Threaten the people to be killed now by bombs and guns or later by the Flare! Dude has some shucked up ideals!" Alex complained.
"When has anything WICKED done have good ideals?" Minho asked from the ledge. Alex pointed at him, "true."
"Last but not least. Here. Grab on!" Teresa with the help of Minho pulled her over to the ledge. Minho pulled her to sit. Alex's head spun.
"Ooooowww. Not good." She moaned, holding her head. She slowly stood up and backed away from the edge. Alex could hear the panicked people growing louder. She could also hear the helicopter blades. Thomas helped Teresa to her feet, Minho helped Alex.
"Okay. Let's go, let's go." Thomas led them to the door they saw Jorge leave through. Before they got there the door swung open. Everyone took a step backwards. The big ugly guy from earlier blocked their way.
"We're not trying to cause any trouble, okay?" Thomas pleaded.
Alex scoffed, "too late. I cause trouble everywhere I go." She muttered under her breath. Newt made a noise in the back of his throat, and Minho snorted, they obviously heard her.
"We just gotta get out of here." Thomas tried to push past him.
When has that ever worked? This guy does not look like he wants to let us leave quietly.
"Is that so?" He asked, he had an evil glint in his eyes, he raised a walkie talkie up and his mouth.
"Janson, I got 'em for ya. I'm bringing 'em down. Don't shoot us." He was looking directly at Alex.
"Shuck," she whispered.
He raised a gun and pointed it directly at Alex's face.
"A little kinky..." Alex cocked an eyebrow.
"You have no idea."
"Eww. Gross." Alex replied in disgust.
"Come on. Let's go."
No one moved, no one wanted to go back to WICKED. Honestly, she would rather have her brain splattered on the ground than back in Rat Man's clutches.
"I said let's go."
"And I respectfully disagree " Alex crossed her arms.
He motioned with the gun, to move. Alex kicked, and hit him in the stomach. He stumbled back. That sharp movement made Alex dizzy and she stumbled back into Minho. Thomas jumped forward and pushed the gun up, making it go off.
"You little bastard!" He yelled.
Thomas put up a good struggle, but hanging by your feet for a few hours, makes you a little light headed, and the guy was stronger. He shoved Thomas back and cocked the gun, holding it at Thomas now.
BANG.
Teresa screamed, Alex flinched. She pulled Thomas back, ready to catch him when he fell. But he stood there with a confused face. There was no bloody bullet hole. Alex looked up and saw the guy drop. Standing behind him was...
"BRENDA!" Alex yelped.
Alex stood stock still, eyes wide. The girl from earlier winked at her.
"Come on Alex and friends. Come on! Let's go!"
She spun around and darted off down the hall. Alex followed without hesitation. Everyone followed behind. Alex glanced over her shoulder and saw Teresa still standing by the dead guy.
"TES! COME ON!"
Her dark head jerked up and then jerked forward, she was stumbling after the group. Alex noticed her eyes were wide and terrified, but she was following, so that's good. Alex turned back around, when Minho grabbed her hand.
"HOW DO YOU KNOW HER?" He called as they ran down the hall.
"Remember I told you, I snuck info from WICKED after they took you? After I couldn't take it anymore? I had a 'contact'? Ya...BRENDA WAS THE SHUCKEN CONTACT!" Alex yelled back, excited. "Tommy and Tes helped me gather the info, Captain Ronin got a mission out of the building into the scorch crank city, and he covered for me when I snuck away, I gave the info to Brenda..." Alex explained, as they stormed up the stairs.
"And I gave it to someone...who got it to the Right Arm!" Brenda finished.
"HA! WE ACTUALLY SUCKEN DID IT!" Alex whooped. Punching the air.
They were scrambling up another set of the stairs, they could hear gunshots and yelling.
"Who did you give the info to?" Alex yelled at her. Brenda glanced over her shoulder and winked again, "Jorge. Of Course!"
Minho facepalmed. "Of course. That's why The Captain told me to say he sent us! He knew Jorge would help us get there."
"Well, this wraps up nicely...but if we don't get out of here we're all dead!" Brenda hollered.
She stopped dead when there was loud classical music blaring from somewhere.
"Oh shiiii..." She trailed off.
"MOVE IT!" She screamed.
"What is that?" Frypan asked from the back of the group.
"Not good is what it is!"
Brenda led them back to the room where they first met Jorge, he was swinging a pack over his shoulders.
"Brenda! Hurry! We don't have much time!"
He pointed to their bags, everyone grabbed their bags and weapons. Alex quickly bucked her belt and shoved her arms through the holster and swung her backpack over her shoulders, and grabbed her bow and arrows. She turned to Jorge.
"Before we leave, tell me. How did you get the information Brenda gave you to the Right Arm." Jorge paused and looked at her then glanced at Brenda.
"She remembers." Brenda said simply.
"Well Hermana, Brenda used to work for WICKED, trained as a field nurse. I was a Burg Pilot. They used to make me fly guards into the city to pick up new immune kids. Once I realized what they were doing with those kids, I would do my best to find out which kids they were recruiting, I would inform the parents and give them the Right Arm information. I had a contact in the group. The night Brenda and I left WICKED I met him and handed the information over."
Alex didn't say anything, she just threw her arms around him. "Thank you!" she whispered.
He patted her head. "All good Hermana. We all risked a lot to get that information to them. Now. We need to risk some more to get out of here."
He pulled away from Alex, over to the window. He pushed it open and leaned out for a second. He then pulled on something above his head. A rope pulley homemade zipline system appeared.
"Plan B, hermano. You kids wanna get to the Right Arm? I'll lead you to them. We go into the city, meet up with a guy named Marcus. I haven't been in contact with the Right Arm in a few years, I lost contact with them, so not sure where they are now. But Marcus will know." He pulled a cloth over the rope and jumped out the window, "Follow me!" he yelled as he slid to the other building.
"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Brenda yelled. "Once the song is finished, we're done!"
She passed a cloth to Frypan.
"You gotta be kidding me!" but jumped, and yelled all the way down.
"Right this way!" She said as she passed a cloth to Newt, he hesitantly pushed out the window. Aris went next, he was white as a ghost. Teresa was supposed to go next, but she backed up, eyes wide in terror, shaking her head. Alex grabbed her shoulders.
"Hey, Tes look at me! You can do this! You have to do this! We will be right there! Tes! Be brave, K? Minho will go first and he'll catch you at the bottom, and I'll be here to help you and right behind you. Okay?"
Teresa's eyes were wide and full of tears, her jaw was clamped shut, and her movements were jerky. Alex wasn't sure if it was from fear and trying to hold herself together, but she brushed it off.
She turned to Minho, who also had a look of fear in his eyes. He reached for her cheek. Alex pushed into it for a moment, his hands were warm and gentle. She looked into his beautiful brown eyes, "I'm right behind Tes. Catch her, she's not really cut out for life on the run, apparently. And I'm right behind her!'
He nodded. He gave her a quick kiss and wrapped the cloth around his hands and was gone. Alex helped Teresa up onto the window ledge, her body was still jerking, her eyes staring into Alex's, tears still in her eyes, but she wouldn't open her mouth to answer anything. Alex wrapped the cloth around the rope, made Teresa hold the cloth.
"Okay, Ready? I'm going to give you a push. One, two..three!" Alex gave her a shove. She lost sight of Teresa in the black. She heard commotion behind her and turned around, Brenda had run out of the room
"BRENDA! GET YOUR SHUCK BUTT BACK HERE!" Alex screamed, Thomas looked at her then out the door where she ran.
"Go. I'll get her and be right behind you!" Alex was skeptical, "Tommy..are you-"
"GO ALEX!" He cut her off.
A spotlight had shone onto their zip line. WICKED would be on them in a minute.
"FINE! BUT IF YOU DIE I'M GOING TO KILL YOU TOMMY!" She yelled at him.
He gave her a quick smile, "NOTED! I'LL TRY NOT TO DIE THEN!" He yelled back as he ran out the door.
Alex was left alone in the room. She double checked herself, backpack, bow, arrows, knife, Chuck's gift, Minho's promise. Okay, here goes!
She wrapped the strip of cloth around her hands and pushed off the window ledge. The rush of wind in her hair was exhilarating! The adrenalin rush was amazing! She was speeding up as the zipline shot down. The other building came into view. She could make out the shapes of people in a window. She heard the music blaring from the speakers cut off. There was an explosion behind her. She felt the zipline rope go slack.
Alex screamed as she fell towards the ground with the collapsing building around her.