Aris heard a pained cry somewhere below. They were just traveling through another filthy, dark, and terrifying tunnel. A boy with a filthy shirt and stink was struggling to hang on, lashing out with his knife, as the inhuman humans tore at him. Newt. He was desperately battling, and that was when Aris recalled that Newt had already been infected, was already ill. Without thinking, he chucked his knife at the creature and seized Newt's body.
"You think I want you to rescue me?" Newt spat out in disgust as Aris grabbed the boy and hauled him along. "You might be one of them who thrust us--" He winced slightly, raising his upper arm, chucking knives along, as he hauled the blond-haired along, noticing the shafts of sunlight glinting in his hair as soon as they were out of the tunnel.
.Aris released his grip on Newt, who sneered slightly and stepped back. He was dripping in sweat, either from fear of the humidity of the desert searing through his body. "You all right, Newt?" Thomas asked. Newt laughed and propped himself up, the sneer still on his face, a forced laugh out of his throat.
"Never been better. Our new shank decided to rescue me," he said, dusting himself off. He glared at Aris, and he just remained quiet, shuffling along the sand. The other Gladers trudged after him, gasping and coughing, recovering from the fear and astonishment.
***
Sand and dust particles swirled around them. They trouped along the sloped sand, hurriedly lifting their packs up to shield the sand from descending on them. Gasping and mumbling, they finally reached what looked like another space, as a sandstorm seemed to brew up, sand cascading and roaring through the city.
"Quick, everyone inside," Minho commanded. "Go on in before you are blown away." He flipped on a light. "Shuck it, people who've inhabited here must be pigs."
"It better not be another Crank-infected space...." Aris muttered, turning on his own flashlight,Newt stepped on his foot purposefully.
"Better than remaining out there and getting baked, isn't it?" He reached around and settled on a bed. Aris didn't agree, he'd rather be baked than eaten alive and tortured. "Okay, someone keeps an eye out." They worked out a guard schedule, and fortunately Aris wasn't on the first shift, so he dozed off. When Minho shook him awake, he passed a canned beef and corn into his hands.
Aris stared into space. He watched as a tingle of sunrise colored the sky, then rose to his feet. Now? he called out to Teresa. She confirmed with her voice, and he leaped up, slung his backpack across his shoulder. He also retrieved a spear from Minho and then sprinted as far as he could from the band.
***
Where are you? he inquired, halfway through the sand.
There's a den there, Teresa responded. Do you see me now?
Aris squinted into the shafts of sunlight and said, Yeah. Then, Teresa told him he must go to the mountains with her and told him that even though it lacked in signs of life, they still had to go directly there right now. He strode over to her and offered her a tender smile, then noticed a spear in her hand.
"We have to do this," she said. "Or--we'll be in trouble. Tortured, no doubt. Let's go now." She started striding down the sand path, and Aris hurried behind her, as she told him to use his knife. "But we'll need to wait for a few minutes, then locate them. You tell me now, where are they? Are they near?"
Aris told her everything. About knowing Thomas, about discovering their telepathy connection, about Minho branded as leader by WICKED and him as her partner. Teresa continued nodding, frowning, and then they both set off.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
