Chapter One
The boy woke up in utter darkness.
He scrambled to his feet, feeling the floor beneath his boots trembling as he moved upwards. The boy's eyes were squinted against the dark; his head hurt for some reason. Images flashed past his eyes—a blue light, some sort of slug-like creature, a flashing siren—and then a humming sound slowly filled his ears.
The boy looked up, and was immediately thrown to the floor. There was a red light bathing him and the various objects that were in the box. Suddenly, the light was replaced with a green light, and a mechanical hiss sounded as two metal doors above him opened, showering him with light.
A crowd of boys and girls were looking down at him, their eyes squinted against the sunlight. Jack covered his eyes, seeing a blonde boy jump down and crouch so as to get a better look at him.
The blonde boy smirked, then grabbed the boy around the scruff of his neck. "Day One, Rookie," he said, grinning. "Rise and shine."
The boy was thrown to the grass, the smell of earth assaulting his nose. He heard muffled laughter, and then sat up. A redheaded boy was standing above him, his blue eyes shining with curiosity. A blonde girl with streaks of violet in her hair was examining him with interest. The boy propped himself up on his heavily-muscled arms and looked around.
There was a field in three directions, and behind him, the boy saw a forest. The crowd of boys and girls parted as the boy stood, dusting himself off. "What—what is this place?" he asked no one in particular. Voices called out to him.
"Nice fall there, Rookie!"
"Damn, the shack's hot!"
"Hey, move over, I can't see 'im!"
"Welcome to hell, Rookie!"
"DUDE! You can't say that!"
"Is he hot? If he's hot, I got dibs! Drew got the last one!"
At this, there was an outbreak of laughing, and an Asian girl off to the boy's left blushed. The Mexican boy standing next to her rolled his eyes, and the boy saw that they were holding hands.
"All right, slank it, you shacks!" yelled a tall, blonde boy with a blue hoodie. He seemed to be the leader of the group. The redheaded boy flanked him. "Who—who are you?" the boy asked the two of them.
"Kid's got a British accent," said the redhead. He crouched down to look and talk at eye level. "Hey, there, shack. My name's George." The boy stared at him, his eyes wide. "Back there's Tommy, he's our leader. He's been here the longest. The girl over there's Scarlett. If there's anything you need help with, come to one of the three of us. We're the boss around here, okay?"
The boy nodded, and then felt himself lift off of the grass as someone heaved him to his feet. "Drew, get this shack to the kitchen," the blonde boy named Tommy said. The Asian girl nodded, and she and the Mexican boy moved through the crowd. Scarlett, Tom, and George herded the boy after them, keeping him from answering awkward questions from the other teenagers.
"Can you tell me about yourself?" asked Tom. The boy shook his head. Ever since he'd been taken out of the box, his head had been pounding. "What about your name, can you tell me that?"
"Jack." The boy saw the looks of surprise on their faces. "My name's Jack. That's all I can remember. Why can't I—?"
"Relax, Jack," said the blonde girl named Scarlett. "That's normal. Your name is the only thing they let you keep."
The four of them had stopped at a sort of roofed plaza, where there were tables and chairs set up. The furniture seemed to have been hand-crafted. Jack looked around, spotting various boys and girls sitting or reclining in their seats while they ate.
Drew and the Mexican boy rushed over to join them. "Try the bacon," Drew suggested, as Jack looked at the plates of food in front of him. "It's really good. Gourmet."
"Drew, all the food in this place is gourmet," said the Mexican boy, and Drew rolled her eyes at him, bumping him in the waist with her own hip. Jack took a tentative bite of the bacon. He tasted the deliciousness as it exploded on his tongue, and he hastily crammed the rest into his mouth, devouring it in seconds.
After that, none of the food stood chance. Jack wiped his mouth after finishing with a glass of orange juice. "Good, now that you're properly fed and watered," said George, standing up. "Tommy here's gonna give you the tour. The rest of us need to get back to work."
George headed off, followed by Scarlett and a group of rowdy-looking boys. Jack stared after Scarlett, red tinging his cheeks. Tommy nudged him and smirked. "Got your eye, I see?" he said, and Jack tore his gaze away from Scarlett's long, swinging curtain of hair. "Hope you're not afraid of heights, Rookie," Tommy said, ascending the ladder that led up to a wooden tower.
Jack hesitated, and then scrambled up after Tommy.
Tommy and Jack stood at the top of the tower, leaning against the sides. "This is the Field," Tommy said. "What we need, the Cage provides. Every month it comes up with fresh supplies and a new Rookie. Today that's you. Congratulations."
Tommy clapped Jack on the shoulder. Jack frowned. "We only have three rules around here," said Tommy. "Number One: Never harm another Fielder. We can't do this without trust. Number Two: Do your part. We don't have time for freeloaders. Number Three—never go beyond those walls. Ever. Do you hear me?"
Jack nodded, and Tommy grinned. "Respect this place, and we'll get along just fine," he said. Jack nodded hesitantly, and then jumped when a girl's voice came from the ground below. A short, auburn girl was standing there. She couldn't have been older than nine or ten. Her hair fell around her shoulders, and she had a very innocent, cute-looking face.
"Jack, this is Emma. She was the Rookie before you," Tommy said. "Em, show him the ropes.
Jack, Emma, and Rupert—being the newest to the Field—were set to work on fixing the hammocks. "It's basically the same story for all of us," Rupert said. "We come up in the Cage. Tommy gives us the tour. And then here we are."
"You're already doing better than I did," Emma admitted. "Scrapped my pants twice before I got out of the Cage. Then I fell back in."
Rupert smirked. "The tumble was pretty funny," he said, snickering a little.
"Rookie?" asked Emma, turning when she heard no response. She and Rupert turned around, and they both saw that Jack was headed out towards the Doors.
"Oh, shit," Rupert and Emma said at the same time.
Rupert headed after Emma, who was racing after Jack.
Jack was stopped by a pair of girls standing in front of the Doors, one on either side. "They're on guard duty," said Rupert, jogging up to him. "Hey, Dawn," he said, nodding at the girls. "Tiffie."
A boy jogged into the Field, after turning the corner. Behind him were two more girls. "All right, you two are dismissed," Rupert said, after the two girls exited.
"Pablo!" said Dawn, shaking the boy's hand. "What'd you find out there?"
"Nothing, really," admitted Pablo. "I keep hoping that Section Five's gonna open up, but it doesn't. Guess we're just gonna have to wait, I guess."
A black boy with dreadlocks appeared around the corner, and he joined the other three people in vests. "There's the last Racer," said Tiffie, relief creasing her face. While the others were distracted, Jack moved forwards, heading for the Doors.
"HEY!"
Theo appeared, pushing him onto the ground. Jack stared up at him. "We gotta stop meeting like this, Rookie."
Jack scrambled onto his stomach and got to his feet, heading around Theo. "All right, calm, calm, calm," said Theo, his hands outstretched in a sort of placating gesture. Fielders ran over to stop the commotion.
"Hey, calm down, all right?" asked George.
"What's your problem, huh?" asked Jack.
"We're just trying to protect you," a brown-haired Fielder named Cecily said.
"Why won't you tell me what's out there?" Jack roared.
"You can't leave!" Tommy shouted.
Suddenly, the Doors began to groan as they moved in towards one another. Scarlett folded her arms as the closed. "See now why you can't leave?" the girl asked, her voice testy.
Jack stared up at the closed Doors.
"Next time, I'll let you leave," Theo said.
Jack and George sat in front of the campfire. Tommy had set up the night's celebration as their annual monthly festivities, as George put it.
"How do you guys get anything done out here?" Jack asked Scarlett as George got up to get some food. Scarlett sat down next to him. "We've got different groups around here to help with what they're best at. Over there are the Builders." She pointed over to a group of burly-looking boys and girls. "Theo's the Head."
"Figures," Jack muttered drily. Scarlett barked a laugh and handed Jack a mug full of something amber. "It's beetlejuice," said Scarlett, and a spicy, stinging sensation burned down Jack's throat as he swallowed. "Theo made it."
"He's vile," Jack gasped, spitting out the drink. "He was only trying to get you out of the Cage, Rookie," said Scarlett, smirking.
"He's still vile," Jack muttered, rubbing and massaging his throat.
"And over there are the Tillers. They work with the farming around here. Pete's the Head of the Tillers."
A tall, black boy with an Afro was telling a joke to the rest of the Tillers, who were laughing uproariously.
A pair of girls passed. They could have been no younger than twelve or thirteen. Jack saw the blonde one wave over to him, and he waved back. Something about her felt…familiar. "Those girls you just waved at," Scarlett said, smirking. "They're our Meds. They're basically the doctors around here. Get hurt? They'll do their best to patch you up."
Jack nodded. He stared after the blonde girl and her brunette friend. "Reyna and Jess, that's what they're called," Scarlett said, and then she moved on to the next group. "And there's the Cooks. They're led by Drew, who keeps everyone fed around here. Then Rupert's the Head of the Cutters. They do anything and everything to do with animals around here. They work in the Bloodhouse. Our last Head of the Bloodworkers died after Rupert came up, and he was the best man for the job."
Jack nodded. "How do you know what's in the Maze?" Jack asked, frowning.
Scarlett turned around and pointed towards a group of people, including the four people in vests that Jack had seen exiting the maze earlier. "See them?" Scarlett asked. Jack nodded. "Yeah." Scarlett steepled her fingers underneath her chin and said, "They're the Racers. Every morning, when those Doors open, they go into the Maze. Mapping it. Memorizing it."
"That shack over there?" Scarlett added, pointing to the black boy. "That's Max. He's not the oldest or strongest, but he's the best Racer out there. Head of them all. He gives them all instructions. George used to be one of them. Then something happened."
Jack frowned. "What happened?" Scarlett grimaced. Jack saw a look of sadness cross her face before she shook her head. "Not my place to tell. You should ask George, Max, or Tommy about it."
Suddenly, a shriek lit the sky, and the festivities paused, everyone growing silent.
"What the hell was that?" muttered Jack.
"That, my friend," said Theo, "was a Griever."
Jack woke up to find Tommy standing over him. Jack made to scream, but the boy clamped his hand over Jack's mouth. "Shh," Tommy said, putting a finger to his lips. "We don't wanna wake up any of the late sleepers, now."
Releasing Jack, he beckoned for Jack to follow him. "Come on. I've got something to show you. We're meeting Scarlett at the Doors."
Jack and Tommy walked across the Field, heading towards the opening Doors. Jack saw names inscribed into the stone as he grew closer. Tommy handed him a machete and a chisel. "Pick one to put your name up onto the wall. It's our way of remembering."
Jack nodded, and then put up his name. Scarlett appeared, coming out of the Maze. Jack jumped. "What? Why'd you go in there?" he asked, heat rushing up into his face. "I'm a Mapper," Scarlett said. "Mappers are the only ones besides Racers allowed to go into the Maze. Brooklyn said that she'd seen something up a few corners into the Maze, so she took me into the Maze and showed it to me. It was this."
Scarlett dug into her backpack and took out a piece of fleshy-looking metal. Pink and black flesh grew around the metal. "I think it's part of a Griever. See? This must be one of the quills."
Jack watched Tommy take the quill from Scarlett and run his fingers along the jagged edges of it. Something wet dripped from the metal, and Tommy yelped, dropping it. "It's got venom, I know," Scarlett said, picking it back up carefully. "A little prick probably won't hurt, but you'd better get to the Med Cabins, just in case. I can take care of Jack here until you get back."
Scarlett, after mapping the place where she'd found the Griever quill, joined Jack in the gardens. "Have you tried climbing the ivy?" Jack was asking George and Peter when she came by. "The ivy doesn't go all the way to the top," George said.
"What about going through the Cage?" Jack asked.
"Tried that, too," Scarlett said, hacking away at a tree stump.
"Didn't work, did it?" Jack asked. For some reason, his accent became thicker for a split second. Scarlett paused where she was crouched, staring up at Jack. His muscles rippled as he worked, and beads of sweat dripped down his handsome face.
Handsome?
Scarlett felt heat rush up her neck and into her cheeks, and quickly looked away before anyone could catch her staring at him. For some reason, Jack made her feel…light-headed, and giddy. The way his mouth twitched into a sort of smile whenever he laughed. Or the way he looked at her, with those golden eyes of his.
Scarlett shook the boy out of her head.
Jack had gone a few minutes ago to get some fertilizer, and hadn't been seen since. Scarlett was just getting up to go and look for him, when Jack's voice came roaring into hearing.
"HELP!" Jack roared, and he burst out of the forest. "HEY! HELP!"
"Oh, shit," George muttered, scrambling to his feet as a second figure burst out after Jack. The girl tackled Jack and began clawing her way up his chest. Scarlett grabbed a shovel, hearing the girl shout, "I'LL KILL YOU!"
"HEY!" she yelled. The girl looked up, and from the glint of the gray eyes, Scarlett knew that it was Sammy, one of the senior Racers. Scarlett swung the shovel, catching Sammy on the side of the head. Sammy went flying, tumbling into the ground. Scarlett dropped the shovel and knelt down next to Jack, who was gasping. Blood ran down his neck; a gash had appeared in his shoulder and was dripping blood and pus.
"Are you okay?" Scarlett asked, cradling Jack's head in her arms.
"I am now," Jack said softly, and Scarlett helped him up, her face burning for some reason. I am now. What did that mean?
Jack and Scarlett moved over to the ring of people around Sammy. They broke through to find Tommy squaring off with the girl. Even though Sammy was bigger and obviously stronger, the leader of the Fielders didn't flinch. Jack looked at Scarlett.
Scarlett watched as Sammy was flipped onto her back. She wriggled out from underneath Tommy and went barreling for another girl, catching her with the butt of Scarlett's shovel. The girl collapsed; it was Cecily.
Jake, Cecily's boyfriend, moved forwards angrily, tackling Sammy as she struck out at Pablo. Jack inhaled next to Scarlett as Sammy's head struck the ground, and a trickle of blood came from underneath her hair. "Help me," Jake called to Tommy and the other Fielders. Three of them broke away from the crowd of girls and boys, and they helped him pin down the girl. "Brittany, roll up her shirt."
The auburn girl named Brittany, who had been the Rookie before Rupert, stepped forwards. Sammy began to struggled, screaming angrily. "She's been stung," Brittany said, looking up from the patch of exposed skin that was Sammy's stomach. Jack frowned next to Scarlett.
"That explains a lot, doesn't it?" Scarlett asked, stepping forwards. Jack was an inch from her shoulder, and she felt herself leaning towards him, inhaling his scent. He smelled of freshly-mown grass, and dirt, and sawdust, and—!"
"It's his fault!" screamed Sammy. She broke free with one arm and punched Brittany in the chin, then scrambled up to her feet, breaking through the crowd and rushing past them, heading for the forest.0
"Don't let her get away!"
Pete grabbed her and slammed her to the ground. "Calm down, Sammy!" he yelled, but the girl shouted, "Let me kill him! Let me kill him!"
"Who the hell are you talking about?" asked Jake, supporting Cecily, who still looked a bit woozy from being knocked out. "Kill who?"
Jack grabbed Jake as he made to punch her. "YOU!" Sammy cried, struggling underneath Pete's weight. She slipped out a knife and stabbed Peter in the knee. The boy howled in pain. Jack knocked the knife out of Sammy's grasp. "What the hell was that for?"
"This is all your fault!" Sammy screamed angrily. "I saw you! I SAW YOU!"
"Get her to the Pit," said Tommy, beckoning Jess and Reyna forwards. The Meds started tending to Peter's injured knee. They gently pried out the knife, and then fixed up the wound. Jack watched as a group of boys and girls lifted up Sammy and took her towards the Pit, as Tommy had called it.
Jack was being tended to by Jess and Reyna. "Your neck is fine," Jess said, after finishing up the process. "it's your shoulder that's worrying me. There was something on Sammy's hands when she attacked you. I think it might get infected unless we keep it covered. So…I'm suggesting a cast, or at least some medicine."
Jack nodded. "That sounds great."
Reyna got up to jog back to the Med House, while Jess stared up at Reyna. "Pardon my asking," the British girl asked, tucking a streak of black hair behind her ear, "but you seem familiar."
"I was about to say the same thing!" Jack exclaimed.
Scarlett looked from Jack to Jess. They were talking as if they had known each other before the Maze. A lump rose in Scarlett's throat. She pushed it down, forcing herself to push all thoughts of Jack and Jess away.
"What's gonna happen to her?" Jack asked finally. "Sammy, I mean. Is she okay?"
Tommy, who had been standing next to them, sighed. "She's going through the Grieving."
"What's that?" Jack asked, frowning.
Emma sighed. "It's what happens when someone gets stung by a Griever. They regain their memories—or at least, some of them. It's like being given your old life and then having it whisked away again. Those who make it through all right are different. They're…"
Tommy trailed off. Jack nodded, and then took a vial of medicine from Reyna, who had offered it to him.
Jack drank the medicine, and then wiped his mouth.
"We haven't been able to get a word straight out of Sammy since it happened," Tommy said. "What did she say to you?"
Scarlett peered at Jack, also interested. What had Sammy said to Jack that had made her so angry?
"She said that she saw me." Jack sounded troubled; fear was showing in his eyes. "That I did something. This. Whatever that meant, it made her really angry."
Jack shuddered.
"Well, the best we can do for now is hope it comes out all right," Tommy said, clapping Jack on the back. Jack nodded. "Get some rest." Jack nodded, moving over towards his hammock.
Jack stood, watching as Scarlett, Tommy, Rupert, Peter, George, and the rest of the Heads waited for Max to stop pushing Sammy forwards.
"Max," Sammy growled through her teeth. "Listen to me."
Max drew a knife and cut the bonds restraining her arms behind her back. Sammy fell to the ground, sobbing. She coughed up something black and wet. Jack winced, feeling bile rising in his throat.
"Please, no, no, no, please don't," Sammy pleaded. "Please, Tommy, please."
The Doors started to close. "POLES!" shouted Tommy. The Fielders pushed forwards, pushing at Tommy with their poles. "Push!" Tommy ordered. Sammy slapped away the poles, shouting that she would get better, she was out of her mind.
"NO!" she screamed, running into the Maze to avoid getting squished by the walls. Jack stared in horror, as the Doors closed on Sammy, trapping her in the Maze.
Tommy turned around, resting his pole against the closed Doors. "She belongs to the Maze now," Scarlett said finally.
Jack, Emma, and George sat in their hammocks.
"What's gonna happen to him?" asked Jack.
Emma looked at George, who sighed, sitting up.
"She's not coming back, Jack," the older boy said quietly. "No one survives a night in the Maze. Not with the Grievers and such."
Jack nodded.
"Get some rest," said George finally.
"WCKD is good."
A girl stares at Jack, her brown eyes and black hair like chocolate. "We did this to protect them," the girl's voice says. Jack is standing over a boy, who is screaming, writhing on the ground. A Griever appears in front of Jack's eyes, snapping and shrieking at the bars that were in between the two creatures.
"WCKD is good."
"WCKD is good," Jack's voice said.
Jack gasped, waking up. He sat up and tumbled out of his hammock.
He saw Tommy and Max in front of the Doors to the Maze. In a second, they were gone, having run through the Doors and entered the Maze.
Jack sighed, getting to his feet.
Later, he was with George, Emma, and several of the other Fielders, hacking away at the tree stump from yesterday.
"Why'd Tommy go in if he's not a Racer?" asked Jack finally. Emma was whittling something onto a board of wood. George looked up, hesitating. Pete nodded to him, and Cecily shrugged. "I'll tell him," the girl said. She spoke with a Scottish accent, but was still able to speak so that Jack could understand her.
"We all came up in the box, right, mate?" she asked. Jack nodded, keen on paying attention. "But someone had to be the first, right? Someone had to spend an entire month in the Field by themselves." She paused, probably for effect. Then she said, "That was Tommy."
Now George spoke.
"I don't know how it must have felt," he said, "being the only one in the Field for an entire month. But when those boys and girls started came up, he saw the truth. That we all have each other. That we're in this together. So, that's why he's gone into the Maze. Because he knows what's going on around here. Knows better than any of us. Max, Scarlett, Drew, me—we were the original Fielders. I was the second. Next was Scarlett. Then Theo, and then Max, and then Drew. Everything seemed to have a pattern. Until Reyna came up."
Jack looked up, frowning. "Why? What happened when Reyna came up?"
"All of us who had come up until then were teenagers, or else young adults," said Pete. "But Reyna—she was only ten. She was the youngest by far to come into the Field. Before that, Max had been the youngest. So then he realized that, no matter how old or strong we were, we had to stick together. Because a team is only as strong as its weakest link. And none of us could afford to be that link, because out here in the Field, you either survive or you die."
Jack nodded. Then he got up and moved towards the stump. Suddenly, someone ran into the Field from the Maze, shouting and waving their arms.
"HEY! EVERYONE!" It was Pablo, the first Racer that Jack had met. Pablo had gone out shortly after Tommy and Max had, and then Brooklyn had gone. Jack, Emma, George, Cecily, and Pete all moved forwards.
Jack stared down at Jess and Reyna, who were both tending to Pablo. Pablo had twisted his ankle on the way back. "I found something," he said. "Some kind of hole. I'm not sure what exactly it is, but it's something we haven't found yet. I had to come back and tell you, because I don't know where it leads."
"Guys," Jess said, looking up at the group of boys and girls gathered around her, Pablo, and Reyna. "I think we may have just found our way out of the Maze."
Everyone looked to George and Scarlett, who were Tommy's lieutenants, and therefore were in charge while he was gone. "We'll have a Gathering when Brooklyn, Charlie, Tommy, and Max get back. We need the Head of the Racers for this."
The rain started falling before long. By noon, Jack began to feel worried. He and the rest of the Fielders stood underneath the Dining Pavilion's roof, watching the Doors. "They should be back by now," Jack yelled over the pounding rain. Brooklyn and Charlie had returned, without either of them knowing where Tommy and Max were.
"What happens if they don't make it?" Emma asked Georg worriedly. "They're gonna make it," said George. "But what if they don't?" Jack asked. "They're going to make it," repeated George firmly.
Finally, as the evening drew to a close, and the rain stopped pouring down on them, Jack, George, Brooklyn, Charlie, Emma, and the rest of the Fielders were staring at the Maze's front hallway, in front of the Doors. Suddenly, the Doors began to close.
"Wait, there!" Jack said, pointing.
Max and Tommy appeared around the corner.
"Something's wrong," Cecily muttered.
Jack watched as Max dragged Tommy. The crowd of boys and girls were shouting for Max to either leave Tommy or to hurry up.
"They're not gonna make it," Scarlett muttered. And at that moment, Jack knew that he had to choose.
Stay and watch them die.
Or risk his life to save them.
Jack chose.
Jack burst forwards, slipping out of Scarlett's grasp. He heard Emma yelling, "NO! JACK!" just as the Doors slammed shut behind him.
With a start, Jack realized that someone else had moved with him. To his surprise, Jess was there, too. Jack got up, then helped the younger Fielder up. The two of them ran forwards, helping Max set Tommy down.
"Why'd you do that?" Max panted. "You just killed yourself."
"I'm not leaving anyone to die," Jack said. Jess nodded. "Especially not you, Max," Jess added. She leaned over and kissed Max on the cheek. Max reached up to touch to spot where she had kissed him.
Suddenly, a shriek cut the air. Jack gasped. "We need to get moving," Max said. "But what about Tommy?" Jack asked. "I've got an idea!" Jess said.
Hours later, the three of them were pulling the rope of ivy, hoisting Tommy up onto the wall and up into the air. Jack heard a guttural shriek, and then a girl scream a second later.
"Sammy," he heard Jess mutter. "Stay with me, Max," Jess growled.
"Sorry about this, Rookie," Max said. Just as the Griever turned he corner, he let go of the rope and put on a burst of speed, rushing past the Griever and catching its attention. Jack and Jess finished pulling Tommy up into the ivy, and then let go, their hands scraped and bleeding.
Suddenly, something wet fell onto Jack's shoulder. He reached up and brushed it off. Then he looked up.
"RUN!" Jess screamed a moment later, as the Griever leapt at them. Jack and Jess rounded a corner, skidding against the ground and slamming into the wall. Jack rushed forwards, pushing Jess in front of him.
"Come on, go, go!" Jack shouted. He pushed Jess into a little hole, and then put a finger to his lips, following her. The Griever rushed right by, shrieking and roaring.
"Come on," Jack ordered. He and Jess rushed back around the corners, searching for Tommy. Suddenly, they came to a corridor. The Griever was back. Max appeared. "You're a crazy son of a bitch," the boy gasped. The Griever shrieked, scrambling after Jess and Max as they ran through the corridor. Jack saw the walls slowly sliding towards one another; he rushed forwards, shouting over his shoulder. "COME ON!" he roared.
The Griever charged after him; Jess and Max shouted encouragement.
"Come on, Rookie!"
"Don't look back!"
"Move your ass!"
"JACKSOOOOON!"
Chapter Two
The Doors opened. George, Scarlett, Emma, Reyna, and the rest of the Fielders stood in front of them. Nothing greeted their eyes.
"I told you, Em," George said sadly. "They're not coming back."
Scarlett, who hadn't spoken since Jack had gone into the Maze, blinked twice. Then she suddenly burst out crying. Sobs racked her body, making her chest heave as she cried. She fell to the ground, her knees up to her chest, rocking herself back and forth.
Suddenly, Pete gasped. "No way!"
The Fielders turned around, their expressions hopeful. Jack, Jess, and Max were carrying Tommy out of the Maze, grinning and covered in Griever slime, but still grinning.
Scarlett heard people shouting over her sobs. Suddenly, someone picked her up and wrapped her into a hug. Scarlett drew back and, through her tears, saw the boy she loved. She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his chest, and Jack let her. The crowd fell silent, and the two of them stood there, Jack holding Scarlett in his arms.
But it wasn't enough.
Scarlett jumped up, cinching her legs around Jack's waist. The boy easily held her, despite having run for the entire night. Scarlett rushed forwards and kissed him.
Their lips crashed together, and Scarlett felt tears running down her face.
Finally, they broke apart.
"AW, YEAH!" Emma and Drew were among the loudest of the people cheering. They high-fived each other. Scarlett, despite having just cried a ton, felt a laugh bubbling up in her throat, and she kissed Jack again, this time throwing her arms back around his neck.
"You saw a Griever?" Emma asked suddenly, pointing to the puncture wound in Tommy's side. "Yeah," Jack said.
Jess shook her head. "He didn't just see it," she said. "He killed it."
Scarlett stared up at him, her hands on his chest. "Really?" she asked softly. Jack smirked. "Would I lie to you?" he asked, a smile dancing across his lips. Scarlett laughed again, and she kissed him again. Jack eagerly kissed her back.
Theo, George, and the rest of the Fielders stood in the Big House. Jack was in a chair, while the Heads were lined up against the wall—Rupert, George, Scarlett, Theo, Pete, Drew, Max, Reyna, and several other Fielders.
"We have rules for a reason," said Theo angrily. "And these two shacks have just gone and broken them. They ran into the Maze. And that is a violation of the rules. These shacks need to be punished. Clearly, they have no respect for the rules."
"Clearly, you're an asshole," Reyna muttered, and Jack smothered a snicker. Theo glared at him. "Well? Any suggestions?" he asked, turning towards the Heads.
"Max?" George asked, turning towards the boy. "What do you think? You and Jess were out there with him last night, after all."
Max stood up, and Rupert eyes him warily. "I think that in all of our time here," Max said, his voice firm and strong, "that no one has ever killed a Griever. When I ran off, this dumb shack stayed behind to protect Tommy."
"What are you trying to say?" asked Fred, leaning against the walls.
"I'm saying we should make him a Racer," said Max.
The room burst into uproar almost immediately.
Jack frowned.
"Whoa, whoa," said Drew, raising her hands. "Let's not jump the gun here, Max!"
Emma, on the other hand, started pounding her fists against the wooden table she was sitting as, chanting, "Jack, Jack, Jack!" Then she trailed off, as no one else had joined in.
"If you wanna throw the Rookie a parade, that's fine," Theo shouted angrily. "But if there's one thing that I know about the Maze, it's that—!"
Suddenly, a horn blew. The Fielders all looked towards the Doors. Jess came running into the room. "It's the Cage," she said. "I left the Med hut to see what was going on, and halfway here, I heard the horn going off. It's coming back up."
The Fielders all jumped to their feet and raced out the door. Jack grabbed Scarlett's hand to keep her from being tugged away in the rushing crowd.
"That's impossible," George muttered. He and Rupert exchanged panicked looks. "The Cage wasn't supposed to come up for another month."
Then the two of them raced out of the Big House.
The group of Fielders had gathered around the Cage. Theo and George broke through the crowd and opened up the doors.
"Well?" called Fred from the back of the crowd. "What is it? A boy or a girl?"
"It's—it's a girl," said George. He had jumped into the box, and was know staring up at them. This caused an explosion of comments and exclamations from the guys.
"Is she hot?"
"I bet she's hotter than Scarlett!"
"I call dibs!"
"Dude, you can't call dibs!"
"Welcome to hell, Rookie!"
"DUDE! You still can't say that!"
"I called her first, she's mine!"
"GUYS! We can't talk about the new girl like that, Scarlett's gonna stab us in our sleep!"
"Absolutely right, Jonathan," said Scarlett firmly from next to Jack and Max. "If any of you talk about the new girl like that, I will murder you in your sleep!"
Several boys snickered.
"Ooh, she used your full name!"
"You're in big trouble now!"
"Shut up, shut up!"
"Jonathan's in trouble!"
Suddenly, the girl gasped, opening her eyes. "Jackson…" she made out, before her eyes rolled into her head and she passed out once more. The boy stopped arguing and jostling one another. Everyone stared from the girl, up towards Jack.
"Well?" Theo asked. "Think I'm crazy now?"
Jack looked around.
"Now's not the time, Theodore," Jess said testily.
"Ooh, she used your full name, man! You in big trouble now!" one of the girls called, and the crowd snickered nervously.
Theo threw up his hands angrily and stormed off. "Theo," Zara said, racing after him, but Theo pushed her away. "Nah, Zar," said Theo, shaking his head.
"All right," said George, once Jess and Reyna had lifted the new girl up and out of her spot in the Cage. "Take her to the Med hut."
Jack, George, Max, and Jess stood in the Med hut. They stared down at Tommy, who was shirtless. Blackened veins ran through his left flank, where the Griever had stung him. He was breathing heavily, and sweat was pouring down his face and neck.
"What do we do?" George asked, gesturing at Tommy.
"Hey, I got my job the same as you," Jess said, shrugging.
"What about the Cage?" Jack asked. "It's been a bloody hour since the thing came up, and it hasn't gone back down. Doesn't it usually go back down right after the Rookie is taken out?"
"What about it?" Max snapped, his eyes on Tommy, worry flickering in his irises.
"Hey, Jack has a point," Jess pointed out. "If the Cage isn't going back down, then what will we do for supplies?"
"Relax, Jessa," Max said, putting an arm around her. "Just because it's not going back down doesn't mean that it's the end of the world."
Jack shook his head and headed outside.
Max and George exchanged looks, and then Max went running back after him. "Hey," he said, stopping Jack. "Where you going?"
"Back into the Maze," said Jack. "You got a death wish or something?" asked Max incredulously. "Look, for three years you haven't been able to kill the Grievers," Jack said. "And now we have. You're telling me you're not even a little bit curious?"
"Not really, no," Max said. "But that's not gonna stop you, is it?"
Jack shook his head, folding his arms.
"Meet me in front of the Doors in three minutes, okay?" Max asked. Jack nodded, and then headed off towards the Doors.
Jack waited for several minutes before four figures appeared around a building. Max, Rupert, Drew, and Pete. "This enough?" asked Max. "Yeah," Jack said. "You guys sure you wanna do this?" he asked.
"Hey, if Tommy trusts you, then that's good enough for me," said Rupert, and Pete and Drew both nodded in agreement.
Jack nodded. "Then come on."
Max, Jack, Drew, Rupert, and Pete took off, heading into the Maze.
Jack stared at the mass of flesh and machine.
"That," said Pete, "is disgusting."
Max reached into the crack in the wall and started feeling around. Suddenly, the creature shrieked, moving its leg up and down. Max leapt back.
"Was that a reflex?" asked Pete.
"You hope," shot back Rupert.
"Here, help me pull out the tail," Jack said, and the five of them got in a line, pulling on the metal tail.
There was a fleshy ripping sound, and then the tail came loose. It clanged against the ground.
Jack watched as Max reached down and picked something up, peeling the wet, sticky flesh off of it. It was a metal stinger with the number seven on it.
"What's this?" the Racer muttered, turning it over in his hands. "WCKD," Jack read over the younger boy's shoulder.
"Whatever this is," said Drew. "Can we take it back to the Field? 'Cause I don't wanna meet this guy's friends."
Jack nodded.
Jack and the rest of the Fielders raced back into the Field. Emma, who had been left behind as a lookout, ran up to them. "Good, you guys are back," she said. "Theo found out you went back into the Maze. He's holding a Gathering."
"That son of a…" Max muttered angrily, and he led the rest of them into the Big House.
"Theo, what the hell is this?" Max demanded upon entering the room. "You know we can't call a Gathering unless all the Heads are present."
"Oh, you guys are back," Theo said angrily. "How'd you enjoy your little field trip?"
"We found this," Jack said, handing George the stinger. George turned it over in his fingers. "WCKD," he read aloud. "Those are the same letters that we get our supplies from."
"Yeah," Jack said. "And this is the first clue, the first real clue that anyone's found in three years, right Max?"
"Yeah, it is," Max agreed.
"This shack needs to be punished," Theo said heatedly.
"You're right," George said. "One night in the Pit."
"Oh, come on, George," said Theo springing to his feet. "You seriously think that's gonna keep him from going back into the Maze?"
"No, I don't," said George. "So why don't we just make it official. As of tomorrow morning, you're a Racer."
"Wow," Theo said sarcastically, storming out of the room.
"Theo—!" Drew began, heading after him, but Theo said, "Nah, D. I'm good."
Jack looked at George. "Thanks."
"Don't thank me yet," George said grimly.
Jack, Scarlett, and Max were headed towards the Mapper and Racer's hut, out in the woods. They were just entering the room, when Jess and Reyna appeared. "What are you guys doing?" Max demanded. "You guys aren't supposed to be here!"
"It's the girl," said Jess, doubled over.
"She's awake?" Max asked, frowning.
"In a manner of speaking," Reyna added.
Jack, Scarlett, Max, Jess, and Reyna took off.
When they arrived at the tower, they saw Emma doubled over with laughter. "Hey, Em, what's going on?" Jack asked.
"This girl is epic," Emma said, snorting with laughter.
Objects were flying down onto the boys and girls around the tower.
"Leave me alone!" shouted a voice.
"Hey, it's Jack!" Jack yelled.
The rain of objects stopped.
"I'm coming up," Jack said.
He looked at Theo and the rest and said, "Just me. It's just me."
Jack climbed up the ladder, and almost fell off when he saw the knife being pointed at him. "Why can't I remember anything?" the girl asked. She had long, black hair, and chocolate-brown eyes. "That's normal," Jack said. "Your name, that'll come back in a few days, it's the only thing they let us keep."
"Selena," said the girl.
"What?" muttered Jack.
"Selena. My name, it's Selena."
"Are you hurt or anything?" Jack asked. "You do know that these people, they won't hurt you. Not unless they have to."
The girl nodded. "I found these in my pocket when I woke up," she said, taking out two vials of blue liquid. Jack took them from her. "WCKD," he muttered. "That's the same thing that was on the Griever stinger."
"What?" asked the girl.
"Nothing," Jack said, handing the two vials back to her.
"You guys coming down yet?" asked Theo from below.
"Yeah," Jack said.
He held out his hand to Selena. She took it, hesitated, and then kissed him on the cheek before following him down the ladder.
Jack, Scarlett, Theo, Max, George, Jess, Reyna, and Selena stood in the Med hut.
"Are you sure this is gonna work?" asked George. "That stuff—we don't know what it is. For all we know, it could kill him."
"Look at him, Georgie," Max said, despair flashing across his face. "He's already dying. We need to help him."
Suddenly, Tommy woke up and grabbed at Jack. His face was livid. "You shouldn't be here," he growled, his fingernails digging into Jack's arms. "Hey, let him go!" Scarlett yelled, grabbing Tommy. "Stand back!" Selena ordered, and she raised her arm and plunged the syringe into Tommy's chest. Tommy fell, limp, against the ground.
Theo looked outside, and then tapped Jack on the shoulder. "Pit time, Rookie," he said. Scarlett stepped forwards. "I'm comin with him. I'm spending the night with him."
"Fine," Theo said, throwing up his hands and sneering in disgust. "You're too lovesick to see that he's killing us all, but fine, if you wanna lie with this shack, then I'm not gonna stop ya."
Scarlett grabbed Jack's hand, and then followed Theo out the door.
The two of them sat together in the Pit. Footsteps came, and they looked up. It was Emma. "Here," she said. "I brought you guys some food."
She opened up the door and tossed them a plate of food each. "Hey, what's that," Jack asked, as Emma took out a wooden carving. "It's a picture of my parents," said Emma. "What I think they look like, anyways."
"That's really neat," Jack said, grinning up at the girl. "I wanted to give it to them," she said, after hesitating. "If I ever got out of the Maze."
"When," Scarlett said. She looked up at the girl, love in her eyes. "Not if, Em. When."
"Yeah," Jack said. "We'll get you to your parents."
Tears welled up in Emma's eyes.
Jack smirked slightly. "We promise."
Jack and Scarlett sat, Scarlett slumped against Jack's chest. "That was really nice of you, you know," Scarlett said. "What you did for her."
Jack had taken off his shirt, as the night had grown hot, and Scarlett rested her cheek against Jack's bare skin. Jack rubbed circles in Scarlett's upper back, and she murmured in pleasure.
"I know," Jack said. "I'm not leaving anyone behind. We're gonna get out of here together, or not at all," he said finally.
Scarlett looked up at him. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" she asked softly. Jack chuckled. "You're stuck with me, sweetheart," he said.
"Good," Scarlett breathed, brushing her lips against Jack's. "Because I wouldn't have it any other way."
Jack kissed the top of her head, and then drew her close to him, closing his eyes.
Jack woke to find Max and Pablo grinning down at them.
"Scarlett," he said. "Time to get up."
Scarlett nodded, untangling her limbs from Jack's. She handed him his shirt, and the boy slipped it back on.
"You sure you wanna do this, Rookie?" asked Pablo. Jack nodded. "I'm sure."
Seconds later, the four of them—Pablo, Max, Jack, and Scarlett—stood in front of the Doors. As soon as there was enough space in between the two stone Doors, Max burst into a run, followed by Scarlett and Pablo. "Let's go!" he called over his shoulder.
Jack tightened his Racer's vest, and then broke into a run, heading after the other three.
The four of them turned corners, passing various numbered sections. "Come on, only a little way further to the inner ring," Pablo told the others. Finally, they reached an open space. Scarlett stepped on something. She and the others looked down. Ripped and tattered pieces of bloodied clothing lay on the ground, along with bits of torn-up rock and rubble.
"It's Sammy's," Max said, picking up the bloodied shirt. He dropped it.
"What are these things?" Scarlett asked. "We call 'em the Slicers," said Pablo. There were rows and rows of vertical, metal slabs sticking out of the ground.
They turned a corner, and Pablo stopped. He and Max exchanged worried looks. "That's strange," Pablo said. "What?" Scarlett asked. "This section isn't supposed to be open for another week," Max said.
Suddenly, Pablo rushed forwards. "Here it is," he said. There was a darkened hole in the wall in front of them. Something dripped down onto Jack's shoulder, and he wiped it off, grimacing in disgust.
"Griever slime," Scarlett gasped. "This must be where the—!"
Suddenly, the Griever stinger in Jack's hand beeped, and a red laser scanned the four of them, then blipped back off. Then the horn sounded, and the ground began to rumble.
"We'd better get going," Pablo shouted, and the four of them turned and rushed towards the corner.
They made it just in time. Jack tumbled to the ground, and then accepted Scarlett's hand up.
"What'd you find?" asked Emma, as she and the crowd of Fielders followed them away from the opened Doors.
"We found out where the Grievers go in," said Jack.
"Wait," Emma said. "You want us to go into the hole with the Grievers?"
"Their way out could be our way in, Emma," said Max.
"Yeah, or there could be a horde of Grievers waiting for us on the other side," snapped Theo. "The point is, Jack doesn't know what he's done, as usual!"
Jack whirled around, getting into Theo's face. "Well, at least I've done something, Theo," he growled. "What have you done, huh, aside from hiding behind these walls?"
"Guys!"
"Lemme tell you something, Rookie. You've been here three days. I've been here three years."
"GUYS!"
"Yeah, three years, and you still haven't found anything! Maybe that tells you something!"
"GUYS!"
It was Selena.
Jack and Theo turned towards her.
"It's Tommy. He's awake."
Jack, Theo, Max, George, Scarlett, Jess, Reyna, and Selena gathered around Tommy. "Hey, man," Jack said, putting his hand on the older boy's shoulder. "We think we found a way out of the Maze."
"Why did you come here?" Tommy asked, tears streaming down his face. "What?" Jack frowned. "I remember, Jack," Tommy said tearfully. "I remember them. And I remember you. You were always their favorite."
Suddenly, yells and shouts came from outside.
Jack, Theo, Max, George, Scarlett, and Selena hurried outside.
"Hey, Rupert," Jack said, stopping the boy. "What's going on?"
"It's the Doors, they're not closing," said Rupert, holding a torch. The Fielders rushed towards the Doors, holding torches.
As they stood there, a gust of wind came from inside the Maze. Jack frowned. Suddenly, the other Doors opened, sending a murder of crow cawing away.
"Did you know that there were other Doors?" Jack asked Pablo.
Pablo shook his head. "No, I didn't," the boy said.
"Emma," Jack said. "I want you to go to the Big House, start barricading the Doors."
"Rupert, you go with him!" ordered George.
Theo turned towards Drew, Zara, and several other of the Fielders. "Go and gather everybody, tell them to get into the forest, go hide!" he ordered.
Jack turned towards Max and Pablo. "Max, Pablo," he said. "I want you to get every weapon you can find, go, hurry!"
The three groups rushed off.
Suddenly, a shriek sounded, and a Griever rounded the corner.
"All right, everybody HIDE!" Jack shouted.
Selena was frozen in terror behind him. "Selena, come on!"
He grabbed her hand and tugged her after him.
Boys and girls started to scream, mingling with the shrieks of the Grievers. "Go, get to the cornfields!" Jack shouted.
Pete crouched down in front of the others, his torch on the ground. Jack put a finger to his lips. A girl screamed. Then a boy yelled in pain, only a few yards away. Another girl screamed, followed by a third girl, and then a second boy.
Suddenly, a Griever tail slammed down onto Pete, slamming him into the ground. "AH!" Pete gasped. "PETE!" Jack yelled, lunging for the boy's hands. But it was too late. The Griever tossed Peter up into the air, screaming.
"Go, go, get to the village!" Jack roared, pushing May and Connor in front of him.
The group of Fielders raced towards the Dining Pavilion. When they made it there, they were greeted by a group of Fielders. Among them were Jess, Reyna, and Tommy. Reyna and Jess each supported Tommy with their own weight.
"Jack, what's going on?" asked Tommy.
"It's the Grievers," Jack said. "They're invading."
Tommy's eyes widened, and then suddenly a boy screamed. Brittany was dragged out of sight. "It's got me!" she screamed.
Jake yelled, "No, no, no, no!" He was cut off as a Griever tackled him, pinning him against a tree.
Jack took a machete out of the holders on the wall. "Go, go!" Jack roared.
Pablo screamed suddenly. A Griever had gotten him, and was now digging into his stomach, ripping it open.
"Help!" Pablo screamed. Jack and Brooklyn rushed forwards, driving the Griever off. Brooklyn turned to help Pablo up, but a Griever slammed into her, carrying her off. Her screams faded off into the night.
"BROOKLYN!" Jack roared, picking Pablo up. Scarlett and George appeared, along with May, Connor, and several other Fielders. "Come on!" Scarlett shouted, and they burst out into the Field, heading for the Big House.
Jonathan, who had been injured, limped behind the others. A Griever tackled him, and and he screamed, only to be cut off quickly.
A Griever broke through one of the buildings, and Selena rushed forwards, tossing a grease-filled jar at it. The Griever burst into flame, and Jack saw it shudder before falling still.
Another Griever burst from the forest, carrying off Connor. "CONNOR!" May yelled, as the Griever finished him off and turned towards the rest of the Fielders. Almost to the Big House, Tommy tripped and fell. "Tommy!" Jess yelled, and she and Reyna pulled him to his feet. "Get behind me!" Jack yelled, stepping in front of them. But then a spear slammed into the Griever, piercing it in the mouth. Another one sliced off its lower jaw, and the Griever shrieked, then slumped to the ground, dead.
"Come on!" It was Max, Drew, and Zara. Rupert was with them. "Come on, let's go!" shouted Max.
The group made it to the Big House. "Emma!" Jack shouted, as the girl slammed the door shut just as the last Fielder made it in. The others barricaded the doors, and then fell silent, moving to the back of the hut.
Something slammed into the door. Everyone screamed in terror, then fell silent as the force moved away. Suddenly, a Griever tail slammed in through the roof, dragging Dawn and pulling her out before anyone could help her. The roof collapsed.
"Everyone okay?" Jack asked.
"HELP!" shouted a girl's voice. It was Tiffie. "HELP!"
"Someone help her!" shouted Jack, reaching for her hand. The next second, the girl screamed as a Griever pulled her out. There was a banging sound and a scream, and then silence.
Suddenly, a third Griever attacked, grabbing Emma. "EMMA!" Jack roared, grabbing her hand. Selena, Zara, and Cecily jumped forwards. A boy Jack didn't know roared angrily, slamming his club into the tail and knocking the stinger loose.
The tail dropped Emma and retreated.
"Thanks, Trevor," Emma said, panting. Suddenly, a glint of metal caught Jack's eyes.
"Trev, look out!" a girl shouted, but it was too late. Jack grabbed the skinny boy's hand and tried to pull him back in. "Jack," said the boy. "Get them out."
Then he was pulled out with a scream, and his screams faded into the darkness.
Hank, Trevor's best friend, rushed outside.
"No!"
"Hank!"
"Don't go out there!"
When everyone else had gotten out of the Big House, Jack saw three figures coming. Jack squinted, and then Theo appeared out of the smoke. "Teddy, we thought—!" Jack began, but a fist connected with Jack's chin, and he stumbled backwards.
"This is all you, Jackson!" Theo yelled, as the Fielders rushed forwards to restrain him. "This is all your fault! Look around, Jack! It's all you!"
Jack took the stinger from Emma. "I need to remember," Scarlett heard him say. "JACK!" she shouted, and she rushed forwards, catching her boyfriend as he fell, the stinger in his thigh.
"WCKD is good."
"Jackson, we're doing this for the greater good."
A boy screams.
A Griever tosses Pete up into the air.
Connor is dragged off.
Jack and Selena are standing in front of several metal tubes with blue liquid inside of them. Boys and girls are yelling angrily, pounding against the doors.
"WCKD is good," said Jack
Jack woke up, gasping. Scarlett was in the Pit with him. "Hey," she said, stroking his hair out of his face. Jack groaned, sitting up.
George, Max, Emma, Tommy, and Jess were all crouched in front of him. "What the hell were you thinking?" Emma demanded.
Jack sighed. "I had to remember, Em. And it came back. Theo and Sammy—they were right. This is my fault. WCKD—they're the reason why you're in the Maze. Selena and I—we sent you here. And…Jess—you're my sister."
Jack saw a tear streaking down Selena's face. She shook her head. "No," she said. "That can't be possible."
"If the others were still here, they'd—!" Jack began, but Jess cut him off. "If the others were here, they'd tell you to get off your sorry little excuse for an ass and start working on a way to escape," she said.
"Yeah," said George. "So, Rookie. What's the plan."
Jack and Selena were dragged out of the Pit. Jack was feigning unconsciousness. He heard some exchange between his friends and Theo.
Then Rupert spoke.
"It doesn't seem right, man," the Head of the Cutters said.
"Yeah, what if Jack can get us home?" asked Reyna.
"We are home!" Theo yelled. "I don't wanna have to cross any more names off that wall!"
He turned towards his friends. "Did you hear me? I said tie them up!"
Jack sprang to his feet, grabbed the spear, and whacked Mike over the head. The boy stumbled backwards. Jack then jabbed the butt of the spear into Fen's stomach, then flicked the end upwards, causing the boy's head to snap back.
There was a commotion, as Jack's friends hurried forwards. Max put a machete on Theo's shoulder, moving until he was all the way around him.
"You're full of surprises, aren't you?" Theo asked spitefully, but doubt was creeping into his eyes.
"This isn't our home," Jack said, as he and his friends stood in a line. "Do you really think that staying here will work? Those Grievers will come back tonight, keep coming back every night, until they've killed all of you!"
"He's just trying to scare you!" Theo said.
"No, they're already scared," Jack said. "I'm scared. This isn't our home. We weren't meant to stay here. Who's with me?"
Rupert hesitated, and then moved forwards. So did Reyna. May and Cecily both moved forwards, supporting Pablo. Gradually, the Fielders began to move towards the group, until only ten Fielders were left, counting Theo.
"Theo," Jack said. "Come with us."
Theo sighed, and then nodded. "Fine. I'm coming."
That seemed to be the final straw. The last nine Fielders sighed, then jogged after their friend. Jack grinned at Scarlett. "That's everyone," he said. "COME ON!"
Jack and the Fielders stood behind the corner.
"All right, Rookie," Theo said, grabbing a spear. "What's the plan?"
"Once we're through, the door will activate," said Jack. "We get through, we stick together."
Jack took out the stinger. "Emma," he said. "I want you to have this. Stay at the back."
"Don't worry," said Max. "She'll be with Selena and I."
Jack turned towards Pablo.
"Pablo, you able to walk?" he asked. The boy shook his head, grimacing. His wounds had been tended to, but they were still bleeding quite a lot.
"Okay, Reyna, Jess, you two help Pablo," Jack ordered. He studied the crowd. "May, Cecily, and Rupert—I want you three to go with them, protect them from any Grievers that might be there."
"Got it," said May.
Jack turned to the rest of the Fielders. "All right. We either get out, or we die trying," he said. "LET'S GO!"
Jack and the Fielders turned the corner, where they were faced with a Griever.
"Everyone," Jack yelled. "Distract them so the others can get through!"
The Griever swung its tail around, and everyone ducked. It lunged at a girl, who stumbled, and the Griever slammed its tail down onto her. She went screaming over the edge. The Fielders roared angrily, and they began to push the Griever off the edge. Jack saw a second Griever coming up the side.
"George!" he shouted. "Take some of the others and take care of this one!"
George nodded, breaking off to lead his own group towards the second Griever. The first Griever swung its tail a second time, catching Billy and sending him plummeting over the side. The Fielders yelled again, and a pair of boys went tumbling off the edge as they avoided the Griever's sharp teeth.
George's group must have taken care of their Griever, because they were suddenly back with Jack's group, heading towards the first Griever. Just as they pushed it off the side, the Fielders all roared happily.
Selena yelled from the door. "What's the sequence?" she shouted. "WHAT?" Max shouted back. "The sequence, what are the parts of the Maze?"
Max began to shout out numbers, but just then, a Griever slammed into him from above. "Get. Off. ME!" he roared.
Jack saw a girl yell angrily, charging forwards. "Taylor, no!" he shouted, but the girl was suddenly screaming in pain. The Griever dragged her off.
"I've got it!" shouted Selena suddenly. The remaining Fielders hurried back towards the doors, just as the stones began to drop.
Jack hurled his spear at a Griever that was coming, and it fell back, only to get squished by the stones.
Suddenly, the doors closed, and everyone yelled as they were plunged into darkness.
Jack got up, as did the rest of the Fielders.
Jack, Scarlett, Max, Tommy, George, Reyna, Jess, Rupert, Drew, Theo, Cecily, May, Pablo, Emma, Selena, Zara, Hank, and the other ten Fielders gathered around the door they were standing in front of.
Jack opened the door up. Bodies met his eyes. Blood had smeared the wall. Jack stared at a screen that was in front of them. A woman was standing in the screen. Suddenly, the doors sprang open. "Is it over?" asked Emma, hiding behind Jack.
Suddenly, a Griever lunged out of the darkness. It pierced May with its stinger. Jack saw a spear fly from Max's hand and impale the creature in the throat, killing it instantly. May fell to the ground, blood bubbling in her mouth.
"Maia?" Jack asked. "Hang on, we'll get help!"
But it was too late.
Maia was dead.
Jack stared at the dead body of his friend. The other Fielders suddenly gasped, as a door burst open. Soldiers rushed in, grabbing various kids and shoving them through the doors.
Jack was shoved into a crowded helicopter with the surviving Fielders.
"Don't worry," said a soldier, ripping off his face mask.
"Everything is going to change."
