Alex's eyes fluttered open, she let out a groan. Everything hurt. But she wasn't dead. She closed her eyes again.

Everything hurts and I'm dying!

She groaned again when she opened her eyes a second time.

My eyelids even hurt! Would dying be better at this point? Maybe dying would be better... everything shucken huuuuuurts! Uhg, I feel like a building collapsed on me... Wow Alex, really? No wonder everyone gets annoyed with you. A building literally exploded on you. Oh shuck!

Her eyes shot open. Everything was dark, Alex couldn't tell if it was still night or if the cement around her was blocking the sun. All she felt was cement and rubble. It surrounded her, she couldn't even straighten her arms in front of her or out to the side.

Oh no no no no! Not good. Not good. Don't panic.. don't panic. Hold yourself together. It's not a tight small space...your fine...don't panic keep that anxiety to yourself.

Her breathing came in short shallow gasps. She squeezed her eyelids closed, her hands formed fists, every muscle in her body was tense. She could feel her heart beating, it got louder and faster, taking over her hearing.

Tight spaces...enclosed spaces. No no I hate this I hate this! I can't...I can't...

She heard a voice from her past bounce around her head. A low deep voice growling at her, "You are a soldier now. Soldiers don't cry. Soldiers don't panic. Act like one! Take inventory of yourself and your supplies. Pick yourself up and get the job done."

Her breathing still came in shallow gasps, tears still made a path down her dirty dusty face, but her muscles unclenched. Alex closed her eyes again trying to calm down. But it wasn't helping. A memory from the Glade sprung up. She mentally grabbed onto it, holding it for dear life.

"Alex. Feel my heart, feel the rhythm, focus on that." He let go of her hand when he knew she would keep it there, her desperate eyes still wild and searching for something, anything. Minho grabbed her face in his hands and gently turned it so she had to look at him, he placed his forehead on hers. He let go of her face with one hand and placed it back over her hand, which had grabbed his t shirt in her fist, he gently unclenched her fist so it was flat again over his heart. And he sat there holding her while her body and mind panicked. He over exaggeration his slow breathing, that seemed to help, gave her something to focus on. Her wild eyes found his steady ones. She felt his heartbeat, it was slow. It was steady. It was strong. It was her anchor. It brought her back, she could feel his chest rising and lowering in long slow breaths. Hers slowly slowed down, and became regular, matching his rhythm. Her wild heartbeat slowed. She came back. She closed her eyes, letting the exhausted tears fall.

"I'm here. I got you Sunshine. I can't say it will be ok, I don't know that, but I'm right here, beside you. Cross my heart." She smiled through her tears. "I know." she whispered. He sat up, concern still written on his face. He wiped a stray tear from her bruised check.

The memory made Alex smile. "Thank you Min. I can always count on you...even if you're not here" she whispered out loud. She sighed. While her mind focused on the memory, her body relaxed.

Time for soldier training. Mental body assessment: arms? Working, hurts, nothing broken. Legs? Sore, but moveable, knees and ankles, nothing is in immediate danger or reason for panic...well aside from the tight enclosed space.. All good. Can I get out of here?

Alex moved her head, trying to see around her. When the building collapsed the rubble fell, piling up. Somehow it fell around her, forming a pocket.

Wow, that was lucky! Shuck sakes, how many times have I cheated death?! Maybe my guardian angel isn't that drunk. Or maybe Chuck helped out. Thanx Chuckles, I owe ya!

There was enough space around her to roll from her back onto her side, it was tight but manageable. Her backpack broke her fall, and it felt like...a huge canvas cloth...maybe a tent? She slowed down when she hit the tent and landed on her back, and the walls falling down around her.

Alex squirmed onto her stomach, and wiggled forward, she could see a lighter darkness ahead of her. There was a small opening ahead of her, an arm's reach away. She would have to take her backpack off and shove it through the hole first, and then wiggle out, hoping not to shift the rubble.

It took a while, but managed to wiggle it off, and shove it through the opening. She then wiggled the sheath of arrows off and her bow, and pushed them through. She wiggled her head and one shoulder out. Alex froze as the cement around her groaned and shifted. There was a piece of metal wire sticking out of the cement, her jacket snagged on it, cutting her jacket and arm. She hissed with the sharp pain. She shimmied over as best she could and pulled herself free. Just as some cement shifted and fell. Causing a cloud of dust to rise around her.

She sat up on her knees, coughing. She assessed her situation again, now that she was free of the rubble. If she had fallen even a few feet over she would have been squished. She shuddered at the thought. She didn't want to look like a griever pancake. Alex looked up to the buildings around her. The moon was still up, but it was getting lighter out. She wasn't sure how long they were in Jorge's place or how long she was knocked out.

I'm surprised I don't have brain damage from the amount of times I've been knocked out...or maybe you do, but how would you know? Minho would still love you. Right? SHUCK! MINHO!

She scrambled to her feet and spun around trying to see the other buildings and the windows. Everything was empty and dark.

No no no no...they wouldn't just leave me. He wouldn't do that to me! Unless...they think I'm dead!

Her stomach dropped out onto the floor and her heart stopped.

They all think I'm dead! That's the only reason they would leave me behind...right?

Alex sat down and hugged her knees tight. She could feel her heartbeat pick up its pace, and her breathing was becoming short.

Breath Alex. Alex, breath...BREATH DAMMIT!

She closed her eyes, trying to picture Minho holding her hand over his chest, feeling his steady heart and his deep inhales and long slow exhales. It was a few minutes of deep breathing and her heart rate slowed down.

Alex opened her eyes and looked around, assessing her situation again.

Alone. Definitely alone. WICKED must also think I'm dead. Well that's a plus!

Captain Ronin was right. She didn't have the time or luxury to cry, or panic. She pulled her backpack into her lap and started taking things out, seeing what she had, what was useful and what wasn't. 2 flashlights and extra batteries, an extra t shirt- could be used for strips of cloth if need be, white gauze bandages and a small bottle of cleaning alcohol, an empty water bottle, her bow and quiver of arrows. Only one snapped, but the sharp arrow head was still a weapon, her knife, rope and a few matches, her little gift from Chuck and her promise necklace from Minho.

Okay, I can work with this. First step, clean this cut.

She took her jacket off and cleaned the cut- hissing through the sting. And wrapped it as best she could. She tried to wipe the blood off her face and ear. It was still buzzing. She slipped her jacket back on, repacked her bag and slung everything back on, she got to her feet.

She heard Captain Ronin in her head again, "What now Soldier? What do you do? You have no food or water, alone in a desert with monsters chasing you and an evil corporation who wants to drain you for your blood. What do you do?"

Alex took a deep breath.

Step one, find water. Building this big had to have a water source...

Alex slowly climbed over the fallen building rubble. It took her a while to climb to the middle of the rubble, she had come across a few bodies. They were broken and squished in ways Alex knew she would never be able to unsee.

This is all WICKED! WICKED did this to them!

Alex was making a mental list of all the things she hated WICKED for.

She eventually found a broken pipe that was dripping water. She filled her bottle up. No food though. Alex cupped her hands and drank as much fresh water as she could right now. She used the water from the pipe to wash her face and rub the blood off, wasn't great. But better.

Okay, step one complete. Step two, where do I go..? I need to find Minho and the Gladers. But with no way of knowing how long I was out, I don't know how far they got. Or where they went. Shuck.

Alex climbed to the highest point in the rubble, trying to see where she was.

It's brighter in that direction, so that's East, meaning that way is West..Jorge said something about finding a guy in the city... And the...city is...? There, that must be the city.

Alex turned and saw a bunch of dilapidated buildings, sitting up against the mountains.

Next steps Captain, is I get to the city and find this...Marcus guy and find the Gladers. Mission accepted.

She shouldered her pack and headed towards the dilapidated buildings. If she thought climbing up here was bad, climbing down towards the city was harder. The building on this side seemed more unsturdy and what was left of the walls teetered dangerously in the wind. Alex took her time, being extra cautious. The howling wind made her hear things.

She wasn't sure if it was the wind or if there were other noises mixed in. The dark sky was lightning, but that didn't mean being alone in a crumbled building was a stroll in the park.

A walk in the park. Jurassic Park maybe... It's just the wind Alex. Get yourself together.

She tried to pick up her pace anyways. The wind was picking up too, ripping at her jacket and blowing her hair everywhere. She finally made it to the bottom. Now, how to get across this huge sinkhole? Bottomless pit of doom?

Shuck sakes. I can not catch a break. Ugh.

Stretching in front of her was a pit. Cement walls crumbled along with twisted metal. There was also a fire burning on one side of the pit.

This must be the crank pit we hung over. Only way is over. Or I go back the way I came.

She heard the eerie howl again. She was positive it was more than the wind now. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and she was getting a shiver of apprehension.

Okay. Across the pit of death it is. Great.

She found a long skinny piece of steel, and she dragged it over. She did her best to get it across the hole. Thankfully the hole wasn't very big, but still she had to walk across it. She was working up her nerves to take a step when there was a shriek from behind her.

Alex froze. Terrified to look over her shoulder. She knew it wasn't just the wind. Those things were scavengers, like crows after a bloody battle. Coming to pick what they wanted to eat. Bile rose up in her throat at that thought.

"MOVE SOLDIER" she heard the Captain bellow in her head.

She was very thankful she could remember her training, or at least remember the Captain's voice. Her terrified brain formed something tangible, so she could follow something. She placed her foot gingerly on the steel beam, it creaked. Alex placed her other foot, and slowly made her way. She could hear the screaming growing closer. She could hear the scraping of rocks and rubble now. They were close.

She still had to make it the other half and then somehow climb up the other side. She tried moving faster, but that just made the beam shift and she almost lost her balance. She could feel her heart thumping against her ribs, and her hands were sweaty. A small piece of rock came tumbling down and landed at the edge of the pit. Alex froze. She tried to steady her breathing. She knew that they had found her.

One came bounding over the hill of rubble, she scrambled down to the edge of the pit. Alex and the female crank made eye contact. She smiled at Alex. Alex saw missing teeth, and her tongue looked swollen and bloody, like she used it to chew on, her hair was long, but chunks were missing and it was knotted and matted. Alex noticed that her eyes weren't as black as some of the others she had seen, but one eye was twitching.

"Hello pretty girl." she cackled. "So pretty. Pretty girl. So alone. Why is she alone? All alone!"

Alex tried to shuffle further along the beam. She knew this crank was just as crazy. Alex took another slow step away.

"NO! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!" She screamed all of a sudden, her eyes changed from insane to pure terror.

"THEY WILL KILL US! DON'T LEAVE ME!"

The crank jumped onto the beam, making it rock dangerously.

"STOP!" Alex screamed.

The crank didn't listen, and took another wild step forwards. The steel beam shifted on the far side.

"IF YOU KEEP DOING THAT WE BOTH FALL!" Alex yelled.

The crank wasn't listening, she kept coming. The beam shifted again. Alex screamed as she lost her footing. She managed to grab onto the beam. She was holding on with one hand, dangling over the pit.

This is how I die. Officially. Death by dropping into a crank pit.

Her sweaty hand was slipping. She tried to grab it with her other hand. Just as she was slipping, a face appeared and a hand shot out and grabbed onto her wrist. Her life was literally hanging by the hand of a crazy crank.

"Please. Help." Alex pleaded.

The crank was looking at her, her eyes almost looked normal. She was a young woman, in her early 30's maybe. Maybe with a family of her own, maybe a husband and child.

"They're coming," She whispered. Her eyes slipped back into the wild insane unsteady ones.

"They can't find a pretty girl! A girl all alone! She's all alone. But they can't find you. I must hide you. Yes, hide the pretty girl who is all alone."

She threw her head back and laughed. It was a loud and wet cackle.

"Please help me," Alex pleaded again.

The woman was still holding her wrist, the only thing keeping her from falling into the black. The woman's eyes met Alex's and an unsettling smile twisted onto her face.

"I will, pretty girl who is all alone. I will help you, I will hide you."

She let go.

Alex shrieked as she fell into the crank pit.

Alex's stomach dropped. The wind whipped her hair, she flailed her arms, trying to grab anything. Her hands grasped a rope. With all her strength she held on.

Rope burn sucks. But breaking my back is worse.

She slowed her fall enough that when she hit the rocky bottom nothing broke, but she heard something snap. She felt pain shoot up her leg from her ankle, and her hip and elbow were all scraped and scratched, definitely going to leave bruises. Alex slowly sat up breathing fast and heavy. She looked up, seeing the light from the hole, there was an outline of the woman at the top who was still cackling. Alex saw the rope she had grabbed. One end was trapped under a fallen piece of building, probably the rope that Jorge's goonies tied them up with. Alex looked back around her, trying to get her eyes adjusted to the darkness again. She took her backpack off, and rummaged around and grabbed a flashlight. She turned it on.

She was alone at the bottom of a rough rock pit, with what looked like a tunnel that crossed right through. Alex tried to stand up, but her ankle shot pain up her leg. She sat back down and pulled out the extra shirt, and ripped it into strips, she took her boot off and wrapped her ankle tight. She also wrapped her palms, keeping them from any other injury. She slid her boot back on, and shouldered her pack. She tried to pick up her bow, but it was snapped in half. She growled and threw the broken pieces at the cement and stone walls.

That was the snap I heard.

She took her quiver off her back and tied it around her belt, at least she could use the arrows... She picked up the flash light.

Which way? Left or Right? Well I was trying to go towards the city..and that was..

She looked up, trying to see which way the beam was facing.

That way...to the right it is.

Alex took an unsteady breath and limped towards the cold dark tunnel.

The tunnel was dark, and cold. It was silent. Alex could hear her feet creeping lightly, and her heart thumping wildly. Her breathing seemed to echo around the dark dank walls. The floor was damp, the walls were slimy and the air was stale. Alex crept down the hall, her flashlight held up.

She knew at some point she would come across cranks. She didn't know when or where. So far this was a straight tunnel. Alex kept holding her breath, it was so quiet, her nerves were strained. Every muscle was tense. Her foot stepped into a puddle making a little splash and she jumped a mile into the air. Her breathing in gasps. She stood with her back pressed against the slimy wall, trying to get herself under control.

I hate it down here. I want out! I want to be in the sun, even if it's hot as hell. I want Minho and Newt. And Tommy and Tes..and Frypan! I don't want to be here.

She squeezed her eyes closed, trying desperately not to slide down the wall and fall apart.

That's not what a soldier does.

She took a shuddering breath, opened her eyes and continued forward. Holding both her flashlight and her knife now, up at the ready.

She swung the light back and forth, making sure she could see the hall ahead of her. She would turn around every now and then. She had an uncomfortable feeling she was being watched or followed. But her light never picked up on anything. Maybe it was just her imagination. Maybe...

She came to a fork in the tunnel.

She pressed her back against the wall and peeked around the corner, left, right or straight. The left was not in the proper direction of the city. And the right tunnel was black. Straight had a few bare light bulbs, and it was in the same direction as the city. As best as she could determine. She swept the halls one last time with her light and then sprinted across the intersection.

The light bulbs made eerie shadows that made Alex even more unsettled. She turned her flashlight off, saving the battery. She had walked for what seemed like a few hours when there was a soft pop and a tinkling of glass. Alex spun around, panting, her adrenaline rushing through her. Her mouth was very dry all of a sudden and it was hard to swallow. She flipped her flashlight back on. The beam of light revealed nothing.

It was a rat..it was a rat.. that's all it was...a rat climbed up the wall and broke the light bulb...

She repeated this over and over, inching down the hall. A few minutes later there was another pop and tinkling of glass. Alex spun around, her heart in her throat, her eyes were watering now, her breathing fast and shallow. She was absolutely terrified. She sped up, limping faster down the hall. When there was a third pop and glass tinkling she let out a whimper.

Minho, I really need you. Captain, what do I do? It would be nice to have someone right now.

A single tear slid down her check. Her hands were shaking.

No more looking behind. Time for moving. It's a trap. I'm being followed. There was no glass on the floor. They are trying to scare me and it's shucking working.

She took off running as fast as her ankle would allow. Her flash light flashing all over the place as she ran. She had to turn right as the tunnel came to a dead end.

This tunnel had a few doors along it, each one locked.

Why doors? Who would ever want to meet down here?! WHAT IS BEHIND THESE DOORS?

She didn't bother trying all of them. Too afraid of finding more cranks behind them. She jinxed herself. After being alone in the dark tunnels for who knows how long, she heard the sounds of foot falls echoing down the hall. She stopped, holding her hand over her mouth, trying to quiet her own breathing. Her footsteps stopped, but there was another set. Behind her. She wasn't alone. She let out another whimper. Her legs were frozen. She heard the feet coming closer. Yet Alex couldn't get her body to move, fear flowing through her.

She never found out who they belonged to because a hand clamped over her mouth.

Alex tried to scream but the hand pressed tighter. She felt the other hand grab her arm and pull her towards their body. Alex struggled. She dropped her flashlight in the struggle. It was kicked and it spun away on the floor. Alex could see the shadows of herself and the person attacking her on the wall. Alex jabbed her elbow back into the person holding her. They grunted and loosened their hold on Alex's arm, giving her enough room to twist and jab her other elbow. She stomped on the person's foot, twisting and wiggling the whole time. She managed to break the hold on her arm.

The person holding her still had their hand clamped on her mouth, making it hard to breathe. She clenched her hand around her knife, one last wiggle and she turned and slashed. The person holding her let out a scream and dropped their hand from her mouth, staggering backwards. She pulled away and turned, holding the knife up, ready to fight. She was breathing hard, her jaw clamped shut, her knuckles turning white from holding the knife so tight.

She finally got to see who had taken hold of her. It was a young man. Early twenties maybe, with short brown hair. He looked relatively sane, except the black veins running up his arms and neck. His eyes looked a little wild, his face and clothes were dirty. He was holding his arm, where she had cut him.

"You idiot!" He hissed. "Now they will know where we are! Why didn't you stay quiet?!"

"Excuse me? You expect me to stay quiet and passive when some rando grabs me from behind in a dark creepy tunnel full of monsters who would love to eat my eyeballs. You're one sick twisted shank!" Alex growled.

"I was helping!" he insisted. "What's a shank?" He asked, his face went from frustrated to curious way to fast, and it made Alex uncomfortable.

He's a crank...just not as far gone as the others around here...he hasn't tried to kill you...yet.

Alex took another step away, glancing down the hall where she thought she had heard the footsteps.

If I can keep this one talking I might be able to slip away.

"A shank is an idiot." She said bluntly.

Anger flashed on his face. "Did you call me an idiot?" He asked, his voice raising. Alex's jaw clenched, and her muscles tensed.

"Yes. You called me one first. No one touches me without my permission. Do it again, and you'll have worse than a cut." She threatened. The guy in front of her smiled.

"Feisty." he laughed. "And mouthy."

"Look, I'm trying to get to the city, if you point me in the right direction, I will be on my way." Alex said. She didn't want to be alone, but this is not the company she was hoping for.

"I can help." He said with a shrug and turned around and walked away.

The shuck? This guy is definitely losing it. But it's follow him down the way I was going or find who or what belongs to those footsteps from the way I just came.

"Shuck my life." Alex muttered. She picked up her flashlight and followed the crank.

He walked down the hall, Alex crept behind him. She was on edge, all her muscles tense, ears straining to hear anything behind her, her one buzzing ear didn't help. Her head was constantly moving, she was not going to have anyone else sneak up on her.

How was this guy so quiet?

"Hey..what's your name?" Alex whispered.

The guy stopped, he turned to face her, anger on his face. "My name was taken from me. I was only known as Soldier 327. So call me whatever the hell you want. I don't care!" This peeked Alex's interest, despite her unease.

"Who stole your name?" Alex asked. She had a feeling who, but she waited for him to answer. She could hear him growling, Alex slowed, cautious of his growing anger. She gripped her knife tighter.

"THEY DID!" He yelled, his chest heaving, but continued in a quiet sinister voice, "They are evil. They are wicked!" He snarled, he looked over his shoulder at her, his face was twisted with rage.

Alex stopped her hands up in defense, "Look. I understand. They took everything from me too." Alex said quietly. "I was just a test subject to them." She slowly turned and moved her hair. She was nervous to turn her back on this guy. She didn't trust him, but she trusted his anger towards WICKED. She turned anyway, showing him her tattoo. He had stopped growling, he came closer to look at the tattoo.

"You're immune." He stated.

Alex dropped her hair and turned back to face him. She nodded. "Yes, that's what I'm told anyways. WICKED used me like a guinea pig, and stripped all my humanity. And branded me with a shuck bar code."

He was looking at her with a blank face. She wasn't sure what was more unnerving, his growling and anger or the emotionless nothing, or how fast he could flip between them.

"They dropped me here to die. Come. I'll help you. You help me." He turned and walked down the tunnel again.

Alex followed, she didn't have much of a choice. Time was hard in the dark damp tunnels, she could have followed him for an hour or four. She thought she kept hearing footsteps, but whenever she stopped, there was nothing but hers and this ex soldier's. He turned to a door that was in the wall, he knocked on it twice then three times and then once. A code.

"Who's on the other side?" Alex breathed.

She was not ready to meet more cranks. The door creaked open and a dirty face peeked out behind it. Alex was not expecting to see a child. The door opened a little more, "Who's that?" It was a little girl.

"Help." Was all the ex soldier said. The girl opened the door all the way and stepped back. Alex slowly and cautiously walked into the room. The girl closed the door and locked it quickly. Alex looked around the room, there were two sleeping bags on the floor, a few cans of food, bottled water, two backpacks and a few weapons beside the sleeping bags. There was a worn out stuffed bunny sitting on one of the sleeping bags. Alex's eyes went wide. They lived down here...or at least made a camp here.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" The girl demanded, there was a fierceness to her. She was maybe 11, her long dark brown hair was stringy, greasy and matted. She had big brown intelligent eyes, but they looked a little haunted. She was holding a small knife in her hand.

Smart kid.

"My name is Alex. I'm running away from WICKED. I got separated from my friends, I fell...well I was dropped actually, down a pit, and landed in the tunnels. He found me." Alex addressed the girl. The girl was direct, so Alex gave her straight answers. The girl looked at the corner where the soldier was trying to find something in his pack.

"She's going to help us?" The girl asked.

He just nodded and muttered "Help you."

The girl's eyes softened when she looked at him, her lower lip trembled a little. Alex was still very confused. The girl turned back to Alex scrutinizing her.

"Fine. If he trusts you, I guess so do I." She said, and tossed her knife onto her sleeping bag.

"Come sit. The Past Goners will be out soon, don't want to be out there." The girl sat down on her sleeping bag and motioned for Alex to come over. Alex slowly slid her backpack off and slid down the wall to sit. This was the first time she actually remembered sitting in such a long time. She had done so much klunk in the last 2 days...well in the last week. It was only a week and a half ago when she took on 2 grievers alone in the glade.

The girl passed her a can of beans and a bottle of water.

"Food!" Alex moaned.

"You haven't eaten?" The girl asked, her big brown eyes got big and round. Alex shook her head.

"Not really since we escaped WICKED. Stale granola bars aren't really filling."

Alex cracked the can open with her knife, and shoveled about half the can into her mouth before she looked back at the girl.

"So. What's your story?"

The soldier came to sit with them, quietly eating his own can of beans. He had wrapped up the arm Alex cut.

"We were taken about a year and a half ago from our village, along with some other kids. We were tested. I was immune, then placed in a dorm with a bunch of other kids. Zach wasn't immune, but because he knows how to use a gun and stuff they kept him as a soldier. He was bitten on a mission, and tried to keep it a secret. But when they were ready to dump him here to die, in Crank City, I snuck into the truck. No way I was staying in that place alone! They aint going to take my brother away!" She explained through bites of beans.

"I can't help much longer. I can feel it in my brain. She can't stay here. Can't stay with me. I don't want to hurt her. I can't." He said sadly.

Alex looked between the two. Her stomach twisted with anger and despair. This disease was tearing families apart. This child had to watch her brother turn into a crazy inhuman monster.

And instead of trying to help, WICKED was ripping families apart and killing off children. Why didn't they use their money and resources to help the immune and uninfected? Surely there was a better way to help those who were sick?

"Zach, right?" Alex asked quietly, cautiously, his eyes flicked up to her, they didn't seem so wild now, they were tired, sad and desperate.

"Zach...How can I help?"

His face was a mixture of relief and sadness.

"Take Chloe with you. I can't keep it away much longer. It gets harder and harder to stay."

Alex kept his eye contact for a second longer and then nodded.

"I'll get her to the Right Arm." She promised, "that's where me and my friends were headed."

"Thank you." he whispered, tears forming in his eyes.

"WHAT? NO! Zach! I can't leave you! Please! No!" The girl, Chloe yelled, flinging herself into her brother's arms. He wrapped her in a hug.

"Chloe, we talked about this. I can't much longer, you see what the Gonners are like. That's going to be me soon. I don't want to hurt you. I promised mom and dad to look after you. This is the best I can do, she can help you. She can take you to a safe place. They can give you a life I can't." He said quietly, rubbing her back.

"Why?" she asked, tears falling down her grimmy face.

"Because this world is shucked up and WICKED is jacked." Alex answered. Zach nodded his head, "What she said."

Alex stayed awake long after her two new allies fell asleep. Chloe wouldn't let go of her brother's hand, they fell asleep with Chloe's head resting on her brother's lap. He was leaning up against the wall. Alex got up and pulled a blanket over them. She sat back by her pack. She pulled out the little statue from Chuck.

"Well Chuckles, this is quite the adventure I'm on. You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Hope you're okay over the rainbow. Are you playing fetch with Bark? What kind of pranks have you gotten up to, hope you have Matt as the brains of your operations, you were never one for strategic planning... ha." she sat quiet for a moment, rubbing her thumb over the little wood carving, she felt the sting of tears and her throat get tight.

"Hey Chuck... can you do me a favor? Can you say sorry to Alby for me? I said some nasty words to him...and I never got to apologize. I don't even know if he would want to talk to me. He told me to get them out.. I didn't do so good. There are only a few of us left." She was quiet for a little, rubbing the statue with her thumb. Alex lent her head back onto the wall, a single tear slid down into her hair. "Alby. I'm sorry."

She held the little statue in her hands and sang quietly, Somewhere over the rainbow and You are my Sunshine.

"Who are Chuck and Alby?"

Alex jumped at Zach's voice.

"Oh, I thought you were asleep. Sorry if I woke you." Alex roughly wiped the tear away.

"I don't sleep well anymore. Who is Chuck? And Alby?" He asked again. Alex looked down at the statue.

"They were brothers." She took a shuddering breath, and looked up to meet his eyes.

"WICKED threw 60 of us into a giant unsolvable maze, with stone walls hundreds of feet into the air. It was patrolled by these biomechanical monsters that would mangle, maim and kill you, given the chance. Once Ava Page decided they had enough, they sent them into the Glade- where we made a home. They killed so many of my friends..my family. Alby included. He was our leader. He was a brother, a father figure. The monsters killed more of us when we escaped, there were only a few left. And then..then-"

Alex had to stop and swallow a few times, her throat was tight. Zach was watching her blankly.

"Chuck. He was like my..no he WAS my little brother. I loved him. He was only about 12. Same as Chloe. He was shot in the chest. He bled out in my arms. WICKED just watched, they did nothing."

Alex saw anger flash across his face.

"What do you mean see him over the rainbow?"

Alex smiled sadly. "It was a song I used to sing for him by the campfire. 'Somewhere over the rainbow, Way up high There's a land that I heard of Once in a lullaby.' I'll eventually get to see him again, somewhere over the rainbow."

A tear leaked out of her eyes again. Zach looked down at a sleeping Chloe, she looked younger sound asleep.

"Will you sing that to her? Will we see each other over your rainbow?" He asked, the desperation in his voice.

Alex nodded, "Yes Zach. I promise to sing it for her. Cross my heart."

Alex had to hold back a sob. Minho...cross my heart, the last time was right before he went down the zip line. She missed him so much. Zach looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed.

"That also means something to you, crossing your heart.."

"Yes" was all she could whisper. He didn't push it.

"I have one more favor." He changed the subject. His face was serious, his shoulders tense all of a sudden. Alex was quiet, waiting for him to go on. She was fiddling with the necklace Minho gave her.

"Before I turn, when it comes to it. Shoot me."

Alex blinked.

"What?" she whispered in disbelief.

"Shoot me. Shoot me Alex. I don't want to turn into a fully gone crank!"

She had Winston flashbacks. Alex clenched her jaw but nodded.

"What about her?"

He shook his head, "I don't want her to see me as a full monster. There's a letter. In her bag, give it to her after." Zach sighed. "She has seen too much. I want her to remember me before I turn."

"We have all seen too much." Alex whispered, lowering her eyes to the statue again.

"Tomorrow we leave. I'll get you as far as I can." Zach announced.

During the night Alex could hear the screaming and fighting of the Gone cranks on the other side of the locked door. As creepy as Zach had been, she was glad he found her. She wouldn't have been able to survive out there alone.