Chapter One
Jack
Jack woke up in darkness. He sat up, gasping for breath. His breath came in ragged, shallow breaths, and he threw up some sort of blue, translucent liquid from his mouth.
He staggered to his feet, and blood smeared across the ground, as his left hand was cut by a shard of broken glass. "HELP ME!" he roared, pounding against the metal walls that were all around him. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"
Jack was suddenly thrown to his feet as the world stopped moving. Suddenly, a mechanical sound came from above him, and two doors lifted themselves up and over him, showering him with light. Jack saw a crowd of boys and girls gathering around the small, metal box that he was in.
A blonde boy in a T-shirt and blue jeans jumped down and grabbed Jack by the scruff of the neck. "Day One, Rookie," he said, and he roughly tossed Jack up to the other boys who were waiting there for him. They heaved him up and threw him to the ground, where he was examined from above, with lots of laughter. Jack scrambled to his feet and broke through the crowd of mixed boys and girls. He began to run as fast as he could. He didn't know where he was going, just that he needed to run. Or else he'd die.
"We've got a runner!" shouted a British girl's voice, and there were lots and lots of appreciative whistles and catcalls from the crowd behind Jack. "Zara, how long d'you think he'll run for?" asked another British voice. "I dunno, George," replied the first voice, the one belonging to Zara.
Slowly, Jack came to a halt. The boys and girls behind him were cheering, clapping, and whistling. "Take it all in, man!" shouted one of the voices from behind him. "That's it, Rookie, that's it!" yelled another voice.
Jack turned in a full circle, his eyes widening. He was stuck inside of a giant field, with four large, stone walls on every side of him. Suddenly, two pairs of hands grabbed him from behind and dragged him back towards the others. Jack was twisted around. It was a redheaded boy that Jack had seen at the forefront of the crowd, along with a black-haired girl in a T-shirt and jeans, like the rest of the teenagers in the crowd. "Bloody hell, that was some run you just had, Rookie," said the girl, throwing Jack into a caged sort of pit in the ground and slamming the grate-like, wooden door behind him. She crouched in front of the pit with the redheaded boy standing behind her. Both of them spoke in British accents, so they must be Zara and George. "What d'you think he'll turn out to be?" asked a girl's voice, this one with a slight tinge of annoyance to it. "I dunno, Scarlett. Go and get the Rookie calmed down, will you? Tom's coming; he just needs to finish up the preparations for tonight," Zara replied, and a pair of feet appeared in place of Zara and George.
"Hey, Rooknook," said a blonde girl with streaks of violet in her hair. She was beautiful. One of her eyes was golden, while the other one was violet. "You're not gonna run again, okay?"
Jack nodded slightly, taken by the girl's beauty.
A black boy with dreadlocks crouched down next to the girl. "Scarlett," he said. "Yeah, Max?" replied the blonde girl, who must be Scarlett.
"There's still no sign of Charlie. Do you think he was taken by the Grievers?" asked the boy. "I dunno, Max. We'll have to tell Tom about this, then, won't we?"
The boy peered down at Jack, and Jack saw recognition briefly flash in his eyes before the boy shook his head, looking confused.
"Do you remember anything at all?" asked Scarlett. "Anything that might help us tell you who you are?"
Jack thought, racking his brains, but other than the recent events since waking up in the dark, metal cage, he couldn't remember anything. "I can't remember anything," he muttered. "Why can't I remember anything?" This was said louder, and several people gathered around the cage.
"Relax, Rooknook," said Max. "That's normal. We all come up in the Entering without any memories of who we are. Your name, that'll come back to you in a day or two. Come on, let's give you the tour."
Max turned around and told the gathering crowd to keep on working, and they dispersed. "Max, go with George and Zara to find Tom, okay?" she said, and Max nodded, casting Jack a confused look before jogging off into the forest.
Jack followed Scarlett towards a tower. "Come on, Rooknook," she said. "Hope you're not afraid of heights."
Jack looked up at the tower, and then gasped as Scarlett started to climb the ladder, causing the tower to shake and sway from side to side. "Isn't that a bit dangerous?" asked Jack nervously, but Scarlett simply grinned and shouted down to him, "Come on up and enjoy the view."
Once the two of them had reached the top of the tower, they leaned against the railing on the edge of the platform that had been placed on the top of the tower. Jack stared down at the various boys and girls who were milling about.
"Welcome to the Field, Rookie," said Scarlett, her hair blowing in the wind. "We only have three rules around here. Number One. Never hurt another Fielder. We can't do this without trust. Number Two. No lollygagging. We don't have time for any freeloaders. And Number Three is the most important of them all."
Jack gulped, dreading what would come next. "What is that?" he asked, a chill running down his back.
"Never, and I mean never, ever go beyond those walls." Scarlett jutted out her chin at the walls that were at the front of the Field. Just then, some movement from below caught Jack's eye. "Hey, Rooknook! Come on down here!" shouted a tall, blonde boy. He wore a brown T-shirt and blue jeans, and had several pouches strapped around himself. He was wearing a necklace with an iron circle upon his chest. Next to him stood a shorter, skinnier boy, this one also blonde.
"That's Tom and Ben," Scarlett said. She started back down the ladder leading down to the ground. "Come on, they'll help give you the Rundown."
Ben was the shorter boy, while Tom was the one with the necklace. Tom appeared to be the leader. With him were George, Zara, and Max. "Hey there, Rooknook," said Tom, shaking Jack's hand. "Remember your name yet?"
"No," replied Jack, frowning at the question. He'd been in the Field for less than an hour! How could he have remembered his name during that short amount of time?"
Jack shook his head when he saw Tom's skeptical look. "Well, come on, then, Rookie," Tom grinned, clapping a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Let's give you the Tour. You've already met some of the Fielders. That rough kid who got you out of the Cage, that guy was Theo. You've already met George and Zara, two of the captains here. And whenever I'm not around, Scarlett here is in charge."
"It's a good thing you're always here, then," Scarlett said, grinning. "Who's he?" Jack asked, nodding at Max. "Oh, Max? He's one of the Racers here. He's the Deputy of the Runners. Brooklyn and Sammy should be back at any moment now. Here they come now," Tom said, pointing at the the entrance to the Field.
A brown-haired girl was jogging through the crowded area, followed by a blonde with green eyes. "How does it feel to be promoted, Ben?" the blonde asked Ben, passing by them as the others dispersed. "Feels great, Sammy," Ben replied, shooting the girl a thumbs-up and a grin. Jack felt the brunette—Brooklyn, Tom had called her—eye him as she passed; he saw Scarlett's eyes narrow slightly when she saw Jack grin nervously back at Brooklyn.
"Hey, where are you going?" Scarlett asked, as she and Ben followed Jack towards the entrance. "Those are the Gates, we can't go out there," Ben said, putting a hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack shrugged it off. "Well, then," he shot back, looking at Ben first, and then at Scarlett. "What about little old Brooklyn and Sammy there, huh? If we can't leave, then why do they get to?"
Scarlett folded her arms across her chest and jutted her hip out to one side. "That's because they're Racers. They go out into the Labyrinth to search for ways out of here," she said. Jack looked back at her, his eyebrows raised. "And? Have they found any yet?"
Scarlett and Ben exchanged exasperated looks. "If we had, do you think any of us would still be here in the Field?" asked Scarlett, her voice testy. Jack threw up his hands, saying, "No need to attack me about it; I'm just curious."
Scarlett sighed, uncrossing her arms and standing up straight. "Well, here in the Field, curiosity is a dangerous thing. It often gets you killed." She stared at Jack for a few moments, and then turned around and walked away. "Think about that."
Jack stared after her seemingly-radiant figure, eyeing the way her blonde hair turned red in the sun. The streaks of violet glowed black against the evening light. "What you staring at, man?" Ben asked, nudging him and smirking. Jack started. "N-nothing," he muttered, blushing. "Nothing at all. Why? Why would you ask me that?"
Ben grinned even wider. "I'd say that 'nothing' can take care of herself easily, wouldn't you?" he asked, elbowing Jack's side and winking. "Oh, shut it, you," Jack said, slapping Ben on the side of the face lightly.
He'd only known Ben for a little while, but already the young boy was beginning to feel like family. Like a little brother.
And then Jack remembered that whatever family he'd had before arriving in this place was gone. That he would never remember them, and that all memories of them were gone forever. His heart sank slightly at this thought, but he refused to get low on his first day here.
Ben saw Jack's face fall briefly, and he grabbed him by the elbow. "Come on. Let's get you situated. We've already decided that you'll sleep in the same cabin as I do. There are about sixty of us here in the Field, so there's six cabins, each with room for ten Fielders. The guys and the girls sleep together, with five guys and five girls in each of the cabins. Cabin Eight's the one where George, Rupert, and I sleep. Max and Tom sleep in Cabin Two, and Scarlett sleeps in Cabin Ten, with Drew, Brooklyn, and Sammy."
Jack followed Ben towards an wooden cabin that was eighth in line. Scattered all around it were similar cabins of the same size and material, each of them holding several bedrolls or hammocks. There were showers set up in a line in front of the forest, and Jack saw a pavilion where people were gathering about, passing each other plates of food and murmuring about the things that had happened to one another. Jack frowned when he saw several of them pointing at him.
"Just ignore them," Ben said. "They did that when I was sent up here, too. They're just naturally suspicious of any new Rookie, ever since Evan."
Jack frowned, catching up with the younger boy. "What? What happened? Who's Evan?"
"Who was Evan, you mean," Ben corrected him. "That's not a story for me to tell. Ask Scarlett or Tom about it when you get the chance. You're gonna have to learn it some time or another ifyou're gonna survive in the Field. Ah, here we are."
Ben patted the side of a wooden cabin, the eighth one in line. "Who else is in our cabin?" Jack asked. "let's see. George, Rupert, me, you, and Bart are the boys who sleep in Cabin Eight. Then there's the girls…Brittany, and four other girls who I haven't talked to yet. Come on, let's get you situated. It's almost time for the main event of the month."
"Main even of the month?" echoed Jack, stopping short. "First Evan, and now this? What is it with this place and its secrets?"
Jack was given no answer. He sighed, throwing up his hands, and then followed Ben inside of the cabin.
Inside of the cabin, there were eight or nine bedrolls spread out, five on each side of the room. Jack saw a curtain dividing the rooms. "Partitions for the boys and girls, I presume?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at Ben. "Yeah," said Ben, smirking. "Just in case any of the sleazier boys get any ideas."
Jack snorted. "Well, that's not gonna be me, I tell you."
"Yeah, I'm not sure if the Ice Queen would approve, anyways," Ben added, sniggering as Jack blushed. "Why did you call her that?" Jack asked, after he had stopped blushing, and after Ben had finished his bout of laughing.
"What?" asked Ben. "Oh, 'the Ice Queen?'" He grinned. "It's just a nickname George came up for her. Some of the others have nicknames, too. I gave George his. 'Papa Georgie.'"
Jack doubled over, snickering loudly. "'Papa Georgie?'" he spluttered, sitting down to contain his laughter better. "And we call him that because he's the one who seems to take care of us all. He's like our mother, actually," Ben informed him. "And Scarlett?" asked Jack, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. Ben's face darkened. "That's not my story to tell," he said, looking away.
"Does…does it have to do with this Evan person?" Jack asked. "Like I said, that's not my story to tell," Ben repeated. He got up. "Come on. Tom and Scarlett and the rest of the Fielders will probably be wondering where we are. Let's go."
Jack watched as Ben left the cabin, lingering in the doorway for a bit before leaving. Jack hesitated, and then, promising himself that he'd ask Scarlett about Evan later, got up and followed him outside.
Jack joined Ben in the center of the Field, where the entire population of the Field was watching him come towards the center of the field. Tom was standing in front of a pyramid of sticks, along with four other boys. He slammed his flaming pole against the ground, and everyone who was talking fell silent.
"Well, here we are again," Tom said in a loud, carrying voice. "We've all survived another month. But first, let's take a moment to remember those that we've lost this month. This dedication is for Harrison."
A girl spoke from the back of the crowd. "For Tim."
Voices began to rise from the crowd, calling out names.
"For Baxter."
"For Sandy."
"For Jonas."
A total of ten or eleven names was called out, and Jack saw a wall behind Tom and his four friends, one that was covered in names. Some of them were scratched out and flickered eerily in the torchlight. The night sky above the group was pitch-black.
Finally, the moment of honor ended. "Now, for our new Rookie!" Tom shouted. He raised the flaming pole that he was carrying up above his head, like he was about to throw it. "LIGHT EM UP!" he roared, hurling the pole headfirst into the pyramid of sticks. At the same time, the other four boys did the same. The pyramid ignited, having been doused with something flammable beforehand.
"Come on, everyone!" Tom shouted, and the wild festivities began. Jack sat down by George. George handed Jack a cup of some sort of liquid. Jack drank it, then spit it right back out. George and several other Fielders burst out laughing. Jack wiped his mouth; his throat was stinging, burning painfully.
"What the hell is that?" Jack spluttered, retching and causing Bart and Jim to scramble back, still snickering loudly. "It's Theo's own concoction," said George, grinning. "He's a skank," Jack muttered. George bumped him in the shoulder, smirking slightly. "He was only trying to get you out of the Cage, Rooknook."
Jack grimaced. "Well, he's still a skank."
George got up and held out his hand to Jack. Jack looked up at him, and then accepted the older boy's hand, heaving himself up. "Come on, let me make you some introductions," George said. Zara walked over to join them, along with Ben.
"Over there's Rupert," said George, nodding at a Mexican-looking boy chatting with Max and Scarlett. "He's the Head of the Tillers. They do the farming around here." He jutted his chin out at Brooklyn, who was sitting by herself, her burly frame casting a shadow out before her. "That's Brooklyn; you've already seen her. She's the Head of the Racers. I've already explained their job to you, haven't I?"
Jack nodded, following George and Zara as Ben split off to watch Theo and another Fielder play some sort of wrestling game in a sandy circle. Jack saw a black boy, a bit taller than Max, wave over at him and George and Zara. "The kid who just waved at us, he's Peter. He's the Head of the Bloodworkers. They do anything to do with animals around here."
Jack nodded at the black boy, who had a rather large afro. "And then Theo's the one who's the Head of the Builders."
Jack made his way over towards Scarlett. "I need to ask her something," he informed George and Zara, who nodded and turned to watch the game.
Jack moved until he was right next to Scarlett. "Scarlett," he said, causing her to turn around, her face an icy mask of calm. "Ben's told you, hasn't he?" Scarlett asked, sighing. "Yeah," Jack said. "Who was Evan?"
"Evan was…the only person I've ever let myself get close to in the Field," Scarlett said, her voice breaking slightly.
"Oh." Jack felt his neck flush red slightly. "What—what happened to him?" he asked, holding the glass of liquid that Theo had concocted with who-knew-what tighter in his hands. "He—he died," said Scarlett. "I don't like to talk about it."
Jack opened his mouth to say something, and then yelped as he was bumped forwards as Theo's opponent came crashing out of the circle. Scarlett reached out to steady him, and Jack instinctively put his arms on her shoulders, just like she was doing to him.
The crowd fell silent. Theo said from behind them, "Ooh, look at the two little lovebirds." Scarlett went red in the face and looked away. Jack could smell her breath; it smelled like wildflowers and wood shavings.
Theo put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Hey, Rookie," he said. "Wanna come into the circle?"
Slowly, the crowd began to clap as one, shouting, "Rookie, Rookie, Rookie, Rookie, ROOKIE, ROOKIE!"
Jack threw up his hands. "No, because I saw how rough you were with me before," he said. "I'd rather stay here and talk to Scarlett, actually."
Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Scarlett flush even more, bypassing red and turning pink. She hid her face behind her drink, trying to stuff down the color in face.
"Your loss, Rooknook," said Theo. As Jack turned around, he heard Theo add, in a snide sort of voice, "coward."
For some reason, that made Jack snap. He wheeled around and set down his drink. He could feel Scarlett's wide eyes on him. Jack stepped into the circle, and Theo whistled. "Looks like the Rooknook does have a spine, after all!" he taunted.
"The rules are simple," said Theo, cracking his knuckles. "First one to be pushed out of the circle loses. Last one standing is the winner. Oh, and if you fall down onto the ground, you lose, too."
Jack charged at Theo, taking him by surprise and unbalancing him. However, Theo managed to flip Jack onto his back and send him crashing into the sand. "Nice try, Rookie," Theo taunted.
Jack scrambled to his feet. "Stop calling me that," he growled, circling Theo. "What do you want me to call you, then?" he asked. "Shack?"
That was funny amongst the rest of the boys and girls.
"Good one, Theo!" shouted one of the girls from the front.
"Hah, call him hack, he said!" added another voice from the crowd, this one towards the back.
Jack snorted, ignoring Theo's jibe. He charged at Theo, darting back as Theo lunged forwards to meet him. Theo stumbled, and Jack caught him, then whirled him around and threw him out of the circle. Everyone went "OOOH" and gasped, pushing, jostling, and shoving each other.
"Not bad for a Rookie, eh?" he asked.
Theo lashed out his feet, tripping Jack. Jack's head slammed into the ground, causing stars to pop into his vision.
Then something echoed throughout his mind.
Jack.
"Jack," he gasped, sitting straight up. "Jackson. My name." He stood up, looking around at everyone else. "My name, it's Jack!"
Everyone was silent for a second. And then:
"JACK!" Tom roared, raising his hand in the air, and the crowd erupted. Everyone crowded around Jack, patting him on the back and congratulating him.
"Welcome home, Jack."
"Nicely done, Jack."
"Jack! Jack! Jack!"
"Jack, huh? Nice name!"
"Nice performance out there," said a voice behind Jack. Everyone fell silent as Scarlett made her way through the crowd, cutting a path in front of her. She stopped until she was right in front of Jack. "You almost had me thinking you would lose there."
Jack scratched the back of his neck. "Just kiss him already!" shouted someone from the crowd. Scarlett went red in the face, but her face remained impassive. She turned towards the person and said, "Slank it, Jimmy!"
The crowd sniggered, and was about to continue their festivities, when:
A shriek cut the air, coming from the Maze. Everyone turned around and stared at the Gates, which had already closed long ago, before the sun set.
"What the hell was that?" asked Jack, frowning. "That, my friend," said Tom, "was a Griever. Come on, shacks. Let's get you all to bed."
Jack caught Scarlett's eye, and was surprised to see her smiling slightly, still a bit red in the face. The black boy named Jimmy leaned over and whispered something into Scarlett's ear. Scarlett blushed even redder, casting a glance back at Jack. When she saw him watching, her face went even pinker. She looked away quickly.
Jack was sitting in front of a row of tubes with water in them.
"We have to do this, Jackson."
"For the cure."
"WCKD is good."
A scream cut the air, and then it broke off suddenly. Jack was standing in front of a monitor, staring at the Field.
Jack woke up to find Tom's hand clamped over his mouth. Jack froze immediately. "Hey, Rooknook," said Tom, letting go of Jack's mouth. Jack gasped for air. "Come on. I've got something to show you."
Tom headed towards the area of the wall that Jack had seen last night. Jack followed, and he saw again that several of the names had been crossed off in places. One of them caught his attention. "Evan," he read. He looked over at Tom. Tom's face had just darkened. "We don't talk about Evan," said a voice from behind the pair of them.
It was Scarlett. Scarlett was walking towards him. Without a second glance at Jack, she strode to Evan's name and put her hand on it. She frowned, and Jack thought he saw a tear fall from her eye. Then she turned, and Jack lost sight of the girl's face.
"Come on, Jack," said Scarlett, handing him a machete. "Put your name up there, too. Hopefully we won't have to cross it off, too. Like we did with so many others."
"The Grievers got them?" asked Jack. Scarlett and Tom exchanged looks, and then they both nodded. Jack sighed, then started to chisel his name into the wall.
Jack was working with Bart, Jimmy, and George.
They were working in the garden with the Tillers, and were planting some more food. "So doesn't the Labyrinth make you even a tiny bit curious?" Jack was asking. "Nah," George replied. "The Racers take care of that. Whatever important things they find, they report to Scarlett and Tom. So far there hasn't been anything like that in months, not since Evan arrived."
"What exactly happened with Evan?" asked Jack. George sighed. "To answer that, you'd have to ask who Evan was to Scarlett."
"A friend? A brother?" Jack guessed.
"Your first guess was close, but your second one was off," George said. "He was…more than a friend, actually." He shot a pointed look at Jack, who went red.
"Evan was the only thing that Scarlett's ever admitted to loving," said George. "Not that she doesn't care about the rest of us, she just…doesn't feel the same way about us as she did Evan. Although, now that you're here, that might be starting to change.
See, Evan, he got stung by a Griever one day. And he came back into the Field, telling everyone how they were supposed to be trying to escape the Labyrinth, not coexist with the Grievers. And then he went all crazy, started attacking people. He would become sane whenever Scarlett was around, though," George said, leaning on his shovel. "Until one day…he attacked Scarlett."
"What?" Jack asked, straightening up and staring at Jack.
"Yeah, it's exactly what it sounds like," Bart jumped in. "Well, George and Jimmy were in the forest when this happened, but I was one of the people who actually know what went on after that. So Evan went all mad, right, and he jumps on top of Scarlett, beating the junk out of her. Then he starts screaming something about a disease, and how we were the last ones. Well, Tom couldn't have that, see? We can't work together unless we all have trust. And we can't all have trust if we're all attacking one another. So he did what he had to. Banishment wasn't an option at the moment; he had to act quickly. So he picks up a spear, right, and flips Evan over. Scarlett yells at him, says that Evan's okay, that he's just not in his right mind, but then Evan tried to cut off Tom's leg. That's why Tom's got that limp, even now. Even all these years later. Well, then Tom has no choice but to defend himself and Scarlett. So he throws a spear, and—!"
Bart gulped, looking over at Scarlett, who was deep in a heated argument with Theo, Jim, and Peter. "Well, the spear went through one side and out the other."
Jack shuddered at the image that had just appeared in his mind.00
"Hey, could you get us some fertilizer?" asked Jimmy, leaning forwards on his shovel. "Anything else I can help with?" asked Jack. "Nah, just get us the fertilizer, Rookie," said George, grinning.
"Get the fertilizer, Jack," Jack muttered to himself, as he stepped through the forest. "'Are you sure there isn't anything that I can do to help?' 'No, just get the fertilizer, Jackson.'"
Jack paused at the patch of fertilizer. He saw a cage-like contraption made of wood and sticks. A large, flattened piece of bark was placed in front of the contraption, and there were pieces of cloth hanging from the sharpened points of the stick. A wooden spear lay lodged in the contraption, with brownish bloodstains all over the point. The piece of bark had a name engraved into it."
"Ella," Jack read aloud. He heard heavy breathing from behind him, and he turned around. There, standing in front of him, was the blonde from yesterday.
"Sammy, right?" Jack asked. "Look, I know we didn't—!"
"AARGH!" Sammy screamed angrily, suddenly tackling Jack and pushing him to the ground. "This is all your fault!" she yelled, trying to strangle him. "I saw you!"
"Get…the hell off me!" Jack gasped, as Sammy gripped his throat. Jack grabbed a piece of wood and slammed it into Sammy's head; she toppled off of him, yelling in pain.
"HELP!" Jack yelled as he tore through the forest, Sammy hot on his heels. "HELP!" Jack and Sammy tumbled down a slope, and Sammy crawled towards Jack, her fingernails digging into his skin. She began to pummel every inch of him that she could find, and Jack felt her nails slice open his skin. He hissed in pain, surging up with a rush of adrenaline that sent Sammy flying off of him.
Jack scrambled back to his feet, yelling. "HELP!"
George was working in the garden when he saw Jack tear out of the forest, yelling for help. "Bloody hell," he muttered, standing up as Sammy appeared behind him. Sammy tackled Jack from behind and flipped him onto his back, wielding a dagger in her hands. She raised it above her head, and—!"
"HEY!" Scarlett and Drew ran forwards, Scarlett holding a shovel in her hands. She slashed it across Sammy's head, and the girl flew onto the ground. Jack gasped for air, scrambling upright. Sammy tried to get at Jack, but Bart, Jimmy, Drew, and several of the other Fielders who had seen what was happening held him down. Tom moved forwards, his face grim.
"What the hell happened out there?" Tom asked Jack, studying the struggling figure of Sammy with deep concern. "I don't bloody know, shack," Jack said, rubbing his throat and taking a step backwards. "I was just there, and I turned around, and then she just attacked me! What the hell is that all about?"
Tom's eyes widened. He turned towards two of the girls holding Sammy down. "Roll up her shirt," he ordered. Brittany rolled up the girl's shirt, and she gasped. A puncture wound was glistening with blood down on Sammy's left flank. Blackened and pinkened veins spiderwebbed their way outwards, starting from the puncture wound and traveling outwards.
"She's been stung," Tom said, and several of the Fielders gasped and moved backwards. Jack stepped forwards, however; he saw that Drew and Scarlett were exchanging looks. "We haven't gotten someone who's been stung since…" Tom trailed off, his eyes flicking towards Jack. "Since Evan," Jack guessed. Everyone turned towards Scarlett, who was hugging herself, her eyes wide and her face pale.
"Scarlett…" Jack said, stepping forwards and putting his hands on each of her shoulders. "What's wrong?"
"Evan…he did the same thing…" Scarlett trailed off. She looked up into Jack's eyes. For the first time since meeting her, Jack saw a flicker of fear in the Ice Queen's Eyes. "Drew, get her to the cabin," Jack said, turning to Drew. "Get Jess and another Med. Tell them to give her something for shock. We'll take care of Sammy."
Scarlett was shivering now, and Drew took her by the hand, leading her away. She cast a worried look over her shoulder, back at Jack, and then turned back around, moving towards the circle of cabins that had been placed in the center of the Field.
Jack turned back towards Tom, who was staring down at the struggling form of Sammy. "Take her to the Pit," he ordered. "Get her patched up, and then try to find out what happened." Tom looked shaken a bit.
Jack, Ben, and Tom were sitting on a log near Council Hall, on the edge of the forest. Jack was being tended to by Jess, one of the Meds.
"How's Scarlett?" Jack asked, and Ben and Tom both smirked at him. He felt heat creeping up his neck, but he kept his face calm and impassive.
"She's recovering," Jess said, a bit slowly, as if she were afraid of something. "This happens to her sometimes. Something happens that brings back memories of Evan, and then a little while later, she lapses into unconsciousness. She'll be fine in an hour or two, though."
"And Sammy?" Jack asked. He saw Tom and Ben exchange grim looks with Jess. "What's gonna happen to her?"
"It's called the Morphing," said Tom quietly. "When you get stung, you regain some of your memories."
"We haven't been able to get a single straight word out of Sammy since this morning. She keeps on saying that 'this is his fault; Jack did this to us.'"
Jack frowned. "I don't remember anything about doing anything to you guys, and believe me, I'd tell you if I did."
That evening, the entire Field gathered at the Gates. The Heads and Deputies, along with Tom and Scarlett, stood closest to the gates, their poles at the ready. Jack saw the girl named Brooklyn pushing Sammy forwards.
"Brooklyn," Sammy said through gritted teeth. "Listen to me. Brooklyn, listen to me!"
Brooklyn ignored her, and instead sliced the bonds keeping Sammy's hands tied behind her back. Sammy fell to the ground, sobbing. She coughed up some sort of black fluid that splattered onto the ground. With a creak, the gates started to close, and Ben turned around and started to walk away.
"POLES!" Tom shouted, and everyone lowered their poles and began to push at the girl, moving her backwards and into the Labyrinth.
"Stop, no, stop," Sammy pleaded. "I'll get better, I promise, it won't happen again!"
"PUSH!" Tom roared, and Sammy was pushed into the Labyrinth, just as the Gates closed. Jack stared at the people who had just banished Sammy. "She belongs to the Maze now," Tom said. Jack met Scarlett's eyes. Scarlett looked at him fiercely, as if daring him to call her out. She was the first one to move. She stalked away, throwing her pole down to the ground as she passed Jack. Jack thought he saw tears in the girl's eyes as she passed.
"What's gonna happen to her?" Jack asked Ben and George, as they, Bart, and Rupert lay in their bedrolls on the floor of Cabin Eight. Brittany spoke from the girls' side. "No one survives a night in the Labyrinth," she said. "She's probably dead by now."
Jack nodded grimly. Ben was carving something into a piece of wood. "How many banishings have there been, Tom?" Jack asked. "Since I've come up? Well, starting with Kent, there'd be about…seven."
"Seven in the past three years," added Brittany from her spot on the other side of the partition. Jack shuddered. Seven people had been stung. Seven people had been sent out into the Maze. And now Jack knew the names of two of those people.
"Evan and Sammy," Jack said. "And…who else?"
"Just go to sleep, Jackson," Tom said, rolling over.
Chapter Two
Scarlett
Scarlett woke up to find herself crying. She noticed that the other nine occupants of her cabin had already woken up. Hiding her face as Drew walked by, Scarlett dried her tears, thinking back to last night.
She had cried herself to sleep that night, right after Sammy's banishment
Tom, Scarlett, and Drew stood over Evan, who was writhing around on the ground. "Evan, listen to me!" Scarlett said, as Evan screamed in pain. "IT'S EATING ME!" Evan screamed, and suddenly, he went quite still.
"Evan?" Scarlett asked, her voice cracking. As she lowered herself down to check Evan's heartbeat, the boy suddenly surged up and tackled her to the ground. "It's his fault!" Evan yelled. "It's his fault it's his fault it's his fault! He sent us here! It's all him it's him it's him!"
Scarlett screamed as Evan took out a knife and stabbed at her. Drew, however, tackled him, and Bart knocked the knife out of Evan's hands.
"Evan, what the hell's wrong with you?" roared George, as he, Zara, Max, and Brooklyn came running up to the commotion. A crowd of teenagers had now gathered, and Evan was pacing back and forth, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, growling like an injured animal.
"Scarlett, stay back," Tom said. Evan grabbed his knife suddenly, and he lunged at Tom, swinging his knife. "It's his fault it's his fault it's his fault!" he screamed, and Tom yelled in pain as the knife cut into his leg. Stumbling backwards, Tom grabbed a spear off of the ground.
"He's acting just like Ella," he grunted, as Jess rushed forwards. "Jess, stay back. I'll be fine. Evan, calm down. Listen to me!"
Evan was frothing at the mouth; he coughed up blackened saliva. He licked his lips, grinning crazily. Then he lunged. "Sorry about this, Evan," Tom whispered, and then he hurled the spear.
Scarlett turned away, but she still heard the wet, splattering sound as the spear came out one side and went in through the other.
"SCARLETT!"
Scarlett's eyes flew open. She was on her back, lying on the floor of her cabin. "What the hell…?" she muttered, getting up. Drew, Taylor, and Brooklyn were crowded around her, as were Jay and Peter. "I—I think I blacked out again," she said, as Drew and Brooklyn helped her up. "What time is it? How long was I out?"
"You were out for about three minutes. Come on, Jack wouldn't want to see you beating yourself up like this," Drew said, and Scarlett blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about," the Ice Queen said frostily.
"I've seen the way you two look at each other," Brooklyn said, nudging her friend. "Besides, it's cute. Almost like Drew and Rupert."
Now it was Drew's turn to blush. "We're—we're just friends, Brooks," she said, hiding her face behind her curtain of darkened hair. "Come on, the Racers should be leaving just right about now. And now that Sammy's gone, Brooklyn's gonna need a new partner. Max runs tomorrow, remember? And the Trials have just finished, so let's see who they've got for the new Runners."
To Scarlett's surprise, the new Runner was Jack. He was scheduled to head out with Tom after he was prepped for an hour or so.
"Jack outran everyone else," Theo was telling some of his friends bitterly. "Man, that shack can run. Left us in the dust like we were just a bunch of piles of junk or something. The Grievers will have a hard time getting that one, they will."
Finally, Scarlett saw Jack and Tom emerge from the Racer's Hut. "Why is Tom going, instead of Brooklyn?" asked Scarlett worriedly.
Scarlett wasn't looking where she was going, so she tripped. Jack caught her, and the two of them stared up at each other. Jack was holding Scarlett in his arms. "What?" asked Jack, smirking slightly. "Falling for me already?"
Scarlett felt herself blush, and she accepted Jack's hand up, and then stepped away, letting go. "Not even close," she said sweetly, and Jack laughed. Scarlett then hung back as Jack and Tom passed her. Jack winked at her, and Scarlett blew him a kiss. Jack blushed, then blew her one back.
"What was that all about?" asked Rupert, looking at her with a smirk on his face. He had his arm around Drew, who rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "Nothing," Scarlett said, blushing furiously.
"Looks like the Ice Queen has lost her chill," said Drew, ruffling Scarlett's hair in a sisterly sort of way. Scarlett watched as Jack and Tom said goodbye to Brooklyn and Max, and then started running into the Labyrinth.
At noon, Scarlett began to feel worried. She frowned over at Rupert, who had the day off, and was directing a renovation of the tower. Jimmy, Bart, Jim, Jay, Peter, and George were all adding new pieces under Rupert and Theo's direction.
"He'll be okay," Drew said, tracking Scarlett's gaze from Rupert all the way back to the Gates.
By evening, Scarlett knew that something was wrong. It started to rain, and Scarlett had a gnawing sensation in the pit of her stomach. "They should be back by now," she said, as the Fielders watched from the Pavilion.
Finally, when the rain stopped, they all gathered around the Gates. Suddenly, the Gates began to close. "Wait, look!" shouted Bart. "There he is!"
Jack's black hair came around the corner, and then George said, "Wait a bloody second. Something's wrong."
Tom was unconscious, and Reyna, the youngest of the Fielders, was at the Gates, shouting for them to run, to hurry up.
"They're not gonna make it," George said next to Scarlett. Sensing what Scarlett was about to do, George and Fred both grabbed Scarlett, holding her back as she lunged forwards. "NO!" Scarlett screamed, the Gates almost closed.
Just before the Gates slammed shut, Jack looked up and met Scarlett's eyes. He made a sign across his heart. "I'll get back to you," he mouthed.
Cross my heart.
Then he was gone.
When George and Fred let go of Scarlett, she fell to the ground, sobbing. The entire group of Fielders turned to look at her, their eyes wide. "No, NO, NO!" Scarlett screamed angrily, and she rushed over and began to pound her fists against the Gates.
"Slank it!" George shouted, pulling her back, but Scarlett fought him. Fred and Rupert both had to come and help George carry her; the girl was fighting and crying so much.
The next morning, Scarlett and the rest of the Fielders gathered around the Gates. Scarlett stared ahead, her eyes deadened.
George turned to Ben and Reyna, who were looking crestfallen. "I told you guys," he said. "They're not gonna make it."
And then:
"JACK!" shouted someone.
"TOM! SAMMY!" shouted someone else.
Jack
Jack and Sammy turned the corner, and they heard people shouting their names. "Welcome home, Sammy," Jack said, grinning over at the older Racer. Sammy and Jack heaved Tom down from the vines and slung his arms over their own shoulders.
Jack could see her at the forefront; next to George, Rupert, Ben, and Reyna. Ben and Reyna were both jumping up and down, positively screaming with excitement. "I told you they'd make it!" Reyna was shouting, as she jumped up and down, Ben's hand in her own.
Sammy and Jack made one last heave, and they crossed the border from the Labyrinth, and back into the Field. Fred, Rupert, George, and Bart all rushed forwards to help put Tom gently down.
Sammy straightened up and looked around. She caught sight of Brooklyn, who nodded at her, a small smile on her face. Sammy collapsed against Jack, who gently sat down, both of them panting heavily.
When they saw the bloodstain on Tom's shirt, the Fielders looked over at Jack and Sammy. "You saw a Griever?" asked Ben.
"He didn't just see it," Sammy said, clapping Jack on the shoulder and kissing him on the cheek. "He killed it."
Jack got up, and everyone fell silent. He looked around for her. The crowd parted for him; he slowly walked over to her. She stared down at the ground, her eyes deadened on the inside. "Hey," Jack said, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind the girl's ear. She started, looked up, and gasped.
"I told you I'd come back to you," he said, grinning.
SMACK!
A red mark appeared on Jack's cheek. Several Fielders winced or gasped in sympathy. "OW!" Jack laughed, rubbing his cheek. "I guess I deserved tha—!"
But then Scarlett seized him, wrapping her legs around his waist. She pulled him close and kissed him. Jack was stunned into silence. Then he heard everyone cheering and roaring. They were hooting, hollering, screaming, and stamping their feet in jubilation. Loudest of them all were Drew, Fred, and Ben.
Pulling away, Scarlett traced her finger over Jack's cheekbone. "I love you, you junk-faced moron," she whispered, and this time, Jack kissed her.
Everyone stood in Council Hall, staring at the Heads, Deputies, George, and Theo, who were in the center of the gathering.
"We have rules for a reason," said Theo, standing in front of everyone. "And this shack has just gone and broken one of them."
Jack was holding Scarlett as she leaned back in his arms. "What, not to enter the Labyrinth?" Jack asked, letting go of Scarlett and gently pushing her back behind him. Drew and Rupert stood behind them.
"No, I'm fine with you entering the Labyrinth," Theo said, folding his arms across his chest. "It's the fact that you attacked a Griever. For three years we have peacefully coexisted with these creatures."
Jack scoffed. "They tried to kill Sammy, Tom, and I last night. And they caused Sammy to go crazy and attack me." He turned towards Sammy. "No hard feelings, though," he told her, and she nodded. "No hard feelings," she replied, grinning as she sat next to her best friend, Brooklyn. "I wouldn't call that peacefully coexisting," Jack added, turning back towards Theo and his Builders, as well as a few of the Bloodworkers.
"Well, whatever you'd call it, you've just destroyed the bridge between—!" Theo broke off as the alarm began to ring. Jack stumbled as the ground began to shake, and he exchanged a look with Scarlett, then raced out of the door, leading the Fielders outside.
"The Rookie alarm isn't supposed to sound for another month," muttered George, as the doors slid open. "George, go down there!" shouted someone. "Fine, but next time this happens, Jimmy, you're goin' down, you junk-faced shack," George replied. Several people in the crowd sniggered nervously.
George jumped down into the Cage. "Well?" shouted Fred. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"It's a girl!" shouted George back up to them. "And…and I think she's dead."
Rupert and Fred jumped down with him. "What's that in her hand?" asked Rupert, pointing. Fred leaned down and took the slip of paper that was crushed in the girl's hand out. "She's the last one…ever," he read.
"What the bloody hell does that mean?" asked Zara, her normally calm British voice now a bit shaky and wobbly.
Suddenly, the girl gasped and sat straight up. "Jackson…" she breathed, and then her eyes rolled up into her head, and she fell back against the metal floor of the Cage. Everyone turned and looked at Jack. Theo snorted. "Well, now do you think I'm crazy?" he asked George. "Now's not the time, Theo," George snapped back, and Theo shrugged, stepping back as Fred, George, and Rupert picked up the girl's body and heaved her up onto the grass.
"Jess, come over here and help us with this," said George, and the Med came running over. "She's only unconscious," she said, checking the girl's temperature and her pulse. "Bart, Jimmy—let's get her to the Med Hut. On three. One, two…"
Jess, Jimmy, and Bart all heaved after Jess said "three" and started to carry the new girl to the edge of the forest, where the Med Cabin was.
Theo and Jack eyed each other, and then looked away. Scarlett stood protectively next to Jack, holding his hand. Sammy looked worried. Everyone turned towards her. "Sammy, do you remember anything about this girl?" asked Tom. "No," replied Sammy. "All of my memories have to do with Jack and the Labyrinth, not some black-haired girl with freckles."
"I saw the way George was looking at her!" shouted someone from the back. "Thought she was hot, he did!"
"Slank it, Jim!" George snapped, turning red and looking like he was about to explode. "Come on. Let's get back to work."
Jack, Scarlett, Brooklyn, George, and Jess stood over the two occupied cots. One of them held Tom, who was struggling through the pain of the Morphing. Sammy was also there, as were Ben and Drew. "What's wrong with her?" Jack asked, frowning.
"Hey, I got my job the same as you did," Jess said, and she crossed her arms. "What about the Cage?" asked Jack.
"Yeah, what about it?" shot back Brooklyn. She spat a strand of hair out of her mouth and shook it out of her face. "We should listen to Jack," Jess said. "If the Cage isn't coming back up with any new supplies, then how long do you think we can last?"
"Relax, Jessa," said Sammy. "Let's not jump to conclusions. Just because the Cage isn't coming back up with any new supplies doesn't mean that it's the end of the world."
Jack sighed, and then turned and left the cabin, Scarlett right behind him.
"Hey," said Sammy, as she and Brooklyn followed them. "Where are you going?"
"Back into the Maze," Jack said. "Tom and I, we found something that might be of interest. It's a Griever hole. And I need to revisit the sight where the Griever was killed last night, okay?"
Brooklyn sighed, looking at Sammy, Jack, and Scarlett as the three of them looked determinedly back at her. "Meet me in the forest in five minutes," she said.
"Got it," said Jack.
Jack, Sammy, and Scarlett entered the forest, where they ran into Brooklyn and several other Gladers. Jess, Fred, Rupert, and Drew were there, too.
"This enough for you?" asked Brooklyn. Jack stared at them. "Yeah. Come on, let's go."
Jack, Sammy, Scarlett, Jess, Fred, Rupert, Drew, and Brooklyn entered the Labyrinth. "Come on, follow me," Jack said. When they had reached the spot where the Griever's body was, they found the walls squishing the remains of the mechanical creature.
"Don't worry, it's dead," Jack said, stepping forwards. Brooklyn shoved her hand into the gap where the fleshy parts of the Griever were. She felt around for something. Suddenly, the Griever shuddered, kicking out. Drew and the others yelped in terror, jumping back.
"I thought you said it was dead!" Rupert said.
"Was that just a reflex?" Drew asked.
"You wish," shot back Rupert.
Brooklyn smirked. "Well, I have what I came for, anyways," he said. "Look." She held up the Griever stinger. "That has the same number engraved on it that the top of the Griever hole did," Jack said, taking the Griever stinger from Brooklyn.
Suddenly, Fred screamed. Jack looked up just in time to see a Griever dragging him off. "RUN!" Brooklyn roared, and the remaining Fielders broke into a run, Jack and Brooklyn and the front.
"Come on, come on!" Jack shouted as they reached the Gates. "Come on," he panted, stopping when he realized that they had lost them.
"What'd you find?" asked Ben, as he and Reyna ran up to them. "Wait, where is Fred?" asked Reyna, frowning. "The Grievers got him," Jack said grimly. "But aren't they supposed to be nocturnal?" asked Ben, grimacing.
"Guys!" The new girl, Selena, had woken up just before Jack had left for the Labyrinth. "It's Tom. He's awake."
Selena, Jack, Brooklyn, and Scarlett entered the Med Hut, Theo behind them. Tom was shirtless, and he was crying.
"Tommy," Jack said, putting his hand on the other boy's shoulder. "Hey, man. We think we found a way out of the Maze."
Tom looked over at him, tears pooling into his eyes again. "We can't go back," he said, in a choked sort of voice. "We can't. Why did you come here, Jackson? I remember."
"What do you remember?" Jack asked, dropping his hand back to his side.
"You," said Tommy simply. "You were always their favorite."
Jack stared. "Look, I—!" he began, but just then, a commotion from outside caught his attention.
Theo, Brooklyn, Selena, and Scarlett all followed Jack out of the Med Hut. Boys and girls were running from the Gates, and they were shouting to one another.
As they neared the Gates, Jack caught sight of movement at the entrance. "Rupert, hey, man, what's going on?" asked Jack, stopping Rupert, who was carrying a torch, a lot like the rest of the boys and girls.
"It's the Gates," Rupert replied. "They—they're not closing."
Jack and his group followed Rupert to the Gates, where there was already a large crowd there. Jack stared, then thought he heard the telltale, mechanical clanking of Grievers.
"Ben," he said, turning towards Ben. "I want you to get to Council Hall, start fortifying everything you can, go!"
"Rupert, you go with him!" George ordered.
Jack turned towards Brooklyn and Reyna.
"Grab every weapon you can find, go, go!" he ordered. Brooklyn, Reyna, and several of the other Fielders broke into runs, just as Max turned around and said, "I don't see anything."
"Selena, Scarlett, we need to go and get Tom," Jack said. Everyone whirled around, just as the Gates on the other three walls groaned opened. Jack saw a Griever lunge out of the darkness and drag Tam off. Jimmy stumbled; a Griever grabbed him, too.
"RUN!" Jack roared, and he and Scarlett broke into a run, Selena right behind them. "Come on, go go go!" Jack shouted. As he did so, he heard Bart screaming from behind. "HELP ME!" he screamed, then abruptly stopped.
"Into the cornfields!" Jack ordered, making sure that his group had made it safely into the field. "Shh," Jack said, as everyone crouched down, hiding. Peter crouched down in front of him. Suddenly, a Griever tail slammed Peter into the ground, and tossed him up into the air, screaming.
"PETER!"Jack roared. "Run, run, run!" ordered Scarlett, just as Jim was seized. Jack saw Taylor stumble; he helped her up. "Come on, run, Jess, run!" he roared.
They reached the pavilion just as Zach joined them. Two of the Meds had Tom in between them. "What's going on?" Jess asked. "The Grievers, they're invading," said Jack. Jess's eyes widened. "Jack, what do we do?" she asked.
Suddenly, a girl was dragged off—Bryce. "It's got me, it's got me!" she screamed, as several more Fielders were suddenly grabbed by the Grievers.
"GO!" George roared, and the group of Fielders ran out of the pavilion, heading towards Council Hall and the Safe House.
A girl screamed from behind, then stopped suddenly as a Griever tackled her. "That was Brittany," Scarlett yelled from next to Jack.
Selena led the way into the Safe House; Tom tripped, and Jack and Jess both grabbed him, heaving him up. "COME ON!" George roared, standing in front of them and the Griever. Suddenly, an arrow came whizzing into the Griever's eye; the creature keeled over, dead. Brooklyn, Reyna, and the three Fielders who had come with them ran out of the darkness, weapons in their hands.
"COME ON!" Rupert roared from the Safe House, as the Fielders ran inside.
"Rupert! Ben!" Jack shouted, helping Tom inside. Once everyone had made it inside, Jack and the others barricaded the doors.
They felt the slam as a Griever slammed its tail against the roof. "WHOA!" they all gasped, jumping back. Suddenly, the front door caved in, giving way to a hole that let in a Griever tail. The tail grabbed a log that was supporting the roof, and then tugged it back out of the Safe House. "HELP!" Tiffie from underneath the door. "Someone help her!" shouted Jack, but as he and Tom rushed forwards, Tiffie screamed as she was tugged out.
"NO!" George shouted, but Selena held him back. Suddenly, another Griever tail grabbed Ben. "HELP!" Ben shouted, and Jack and Selena rushed forwards. "Hang on, Ben!"
"I'm never gonna get to give this necklace to my parents!" Ben shouted, the necklace around his neck glittering.
"Hang on, Ben!" Jack repeated.
"No shit!" screamed Ben.
Tom roared angrily, slamming a club into the Griever's tail and knocking the stinger loose. He roared angrily, as the tail retreated, scaring off the last Griever.
"Thanks, Tommy," said Ben, getting up and dusting himself off.
Jack caught a glint of metal out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly, Tom had been seized, and Jack was now grabbing onto his hand.
Tom looked behind him, and then back at Jack. "Jackson," he shouted over the Griever's shrieking. "Get them out!"
And he was gone. He screamed as he was pulled out, and Jack shouted, "TOMMY!"
"No, Jack!" Scarlett and Selena shouted. "Don't go out there!"
Jack, Drew, Selena, Scarlett, Jess, George, Ben, Reyna, and the rest of the Fielders ran outside after him.
Theo and two of his fellow Builders were heading towards them.
"Theo…" Jack began, but Theo punched him in the face.
"THIS IS ALL YOU, JACKSON!" he shouted. "IT'S ALL YOU! LOOK AROUND, JACK! IT'S ALL YOU!"
Jack took the Griever stinger from Ben, who was holding it in his hand. The surviving Fielders pushed him back, holding him at bay while he tried to get at Jack.
"I don't know, Lena," he said, looking at Selena, who was silently shaking her head. "I have to remember."
And just as the others turned back, Jack stabbed the stinger into his thigh.
Jack was standing in front of the Cage. Jess was being prepped to be put inside of the Cage. "I'm sorry, Jess," Jack said, crying. He was about thirteen. "If I could stop them, I would but…"
Jess hugged Jack. "Don't worry. I'll remember. They can try whatever they want to, but I'll remember you. I promise."
Jack watched as a gray-haired man walked past the rows of teenagers. "And…take him, too," he said, gesturing at Bart. "He'll be in the first group."
Jack watched as Bart struggled, but was eventually sedated.
Jack woke up in the Pit. Jess was sitting next to him, along with Selena. George, Ben, and Scarlett were crouching in front of them.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Ben shouted the moment he saw that Jack was awake.
Jack frowned.
"I had to remember," Jack muttered.
"And? What did you remember?" George asked.
"That the three of us—Jess, Selena, and me—we used to work for WCKD. That's who sent us into the Labyrinth," Jack replied.
"Jess—you're my sister," Jack said.
Jack stood up.
"We need to go through the Griever hole," he said.
"So?" asked Brooklyn. "What's the plan?"
Slowly, the group began to grin as Jack told them his plan.
Jack, Selena, and Jess were brought to the three poles that were sticking out of the ground. "I hope you've enjoyed yourself, Rooknook," Theo said.
Jack watched out of his slits of the eyes as Selena and Jess were tied to the poles. "Do you really think that banishing us is gonna solve anything?" Selena asked.
"No," said Theo. "That's why this isn't a banishing. It's an offering."
"What!?" Jess yelled, kicking at her captor.
"Theo," said Rupert. "It doesn't seem right, man."
"Tie them up!" Theo ordered. The captors hesitated. "Did you hear me?" Theo yelled, turning towards them. "I said tie them up!"
Brooklyn looked behind the crowd, where Ben and Reyna were moving forwards, the supplies over their shoulders.
Suddenly, as Jack was dragged up to his feet, the boy kicked at the two captors who were holding him, punching them and knocking them out. Drew and the others rushed forwards, cutting Selena and Jess free. Theo moved forwards; Brooklyn put a machete on his shoulder and shook her head.
"You're full of surprises, aren't you?" Theo said spitefully. "Look, I don't know about you guys, but I'm scared," Jack told the Fielders who hadn't joined him and his friends and sister in front of the Field. "Those Grievers aren't gonna stop coming back until they've killed all of us. And that's gonna be a bloodshed of a sight. So come on. Let's get out of here." He paused. "Who's with me?"
Rupert looked back and forth, and then stepped forwards, avoiding Theo's gaze. Taylor hesitated, and then joined him. "I'm sorry," she said, looking over at Theo as she passed him. Several more Fielders joined them, including Bill, Zach, and Brittany.
"Theo," Jack said. "Come with us."
Theo pondered this for a few seconds, and then shook his head as he looked at the remaining Fielders who had decided to stay with him. "Good luck against the Grievers," he said, and he and the Fielders turned to leave.
"Come on," Jack sighed, and he led the group out of the Field and into the Labyrinth.
They passed the Slicers, and then they approached the Griever hole. There were several Grievers there, waiting for them.
"LET'S DO THIS!" Jack roared, and the rest of the Fielders roared with him. They all rounded the corner, Selena herding Ben and Reyna with her at the back.
The first casualty was Bill. The Grievers swung their tails, causing everyone to duck. Bill ducked to late; he was thrown off of the side. "BILL!" shouted Drew, as the boy's screams faded into the darkness.
Fielders were being killed left and right. Zach was crushed by a falling Griever, and Brittany was dragged over the edge.
"What's the sequence?" Selena shouted from the Griever hole. Brooklyn shouted out numbers, but just then, a Griever fell down on top of her. The girl held the mechanical monster at bay by placing her spear in between herself and the Griever.
Taylor roared angrily and rushed forwards, stabbing her own spear into the Griever's mouth and causing it to back away. The next second, she was screaming in pain as a crunching sound came, and the Griever dragged her away, its teeth digging into her stomach.
"TAYLOR!" roared Rupert.
Suddenly, the sequence was completed. The surviving Fielders all yelled as the wall slammed into the Grievers, crushing them into a glutinous sort of pulp. The next second, the ground gave way beneath their feat, the Fielders were sent plummeting into the ground.
Jack got up, helping up the other survivors. "Where are we?" he asked the empty hall. Scarlett slipped her hand into his. Drew and Rupert stayed close together, while Jess kept close to Jack and Scarlett.
The remaining Gladers—Jack, George, Drew, Scarlett, Ben, Reyna, Rupert, Jess, Selena, Brooklyn, and several others—moved forwards.
Jack darted forwards; a computer screen was playing a video. It described the evolution of a disease called the Flare.
Suddenly, a voice spoke from behind them as the video ended.
"No. We can't go back," Theo said, lifting up a gun. The Griever stinger in his hand clattered to the floor.
"Theo." Scarlett said, as Theo's fingers started to pull the trigger. "What are you talking about, man?"
"I belong to the Labyrinth," Theo choked out, tears streaming down his face.
And he pulled the trigger.
At the same time, Brooklyn threw the spear at him, lodging it deep inside of his chest and making it come out of the other end. Theo dropped the gun, gasping for air, and then collapsed, the spear still firmly lodged within his chest.
"Jack…" Ben said, and he began to fall.
Jack and Jess caught Ben and gently laid him on the ground, their hands shaking. "No, no, Ben," Jess said, tears forming in her eyes. "Jack…take—take it," Ben said, tucking the necklace into Jack's hands.
"No, no, you were gonna give it to them, remember?" Jack asked. Ben smiled sadly. "Thank—thank you," he gasped. Then he gave another little gasp.
"Ben?" Jack asked, his voice cracking. "Ben, come on, Ben, wake up!"
But Ben was dead.
"BEN! NO!" Jack sobbed. "Ben, come on, man! We made it! We made it out of the Labyrinth!"
Jack sobbed into Ben's blood-soaked chest.
"DAMMIT!" he roared. "GOD DAMMIT!"
Suddenly, the doors at the far end of the hallway opened, and soldiers came rushing in, grabbing the surviving Fielders and taking them with them. Two of them grabbed Jack, who struggled free. "NO! We can't leave him!" he sobbed, but the men caught hold of him again and dragged him back outside.
Jack twisted around, seeing his friends getting back into a helicopter, and he was suddenly inside.
"You kids all right?" asked one soldier, taking off his mask.
There was no response. The surviving Fielders stared back at him.
"Don't worry," said the soldier. "Everything is going to change."
As they lifted off, Jack and Scarlett and Jess looked out the window. They saw that the Labyrinth that they had been stuck inside of for all those years was just a contraption, a man-made tool of deception and torture.
"You're going home now," said the same soldier.
