I'm back from my holiday, so here's a new chapter my lovelies.

Q: Who's read 'Red Queen', by Victoria Aveyard? If not, find it, buy it, and read it god damn it! It's amazing!
Also, it's going to be made into a movie, and directed by Elizabeth Banks!

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They had been traveling for what felt like ages, when finally, they reached their destination. Yesterday, Frypan had come running back to the group, after they had all separated to find Thomas and Brenda, along with food and supplies. He told them all, that he had seen three people pull a gun on their friends, and take them into a building.

So before that building, they stand.

It is a real roughed up place. It seems to be a warehouse, and there are a lot of people hanging around it. Jorge believes that this is where Brenda might be, because they needed to find someone who could help us find the way to the Safe Haven.

"So, this is the plan. The people in here, they aren't going to go down without a fight. I need you all to understand, that there is gon' be some blood being spilt. If you're not okay with that, you best stay here, ladies and gents." Jorge stands before us all, looking ready to charge into this building.

Lori smiles, he really cares for Brenda. He must have taken her in after the sun rays turned their city into the Scorch.
When you first meet him, he seems kinda like the guy who would rip your throat out, but I guess he does care for someone.

Everyone has someone they care about. Don't they?

Minho looks around at his companions, before smirking at the Crank. "We've seen enough blood to last a life time. A little more ain't gonna hurt any of these shanks." He turns to Newt for reassurance.

The blonde nods, "Let's go save Tommy," he chuckles under his breath.

They all walk towards the building at what would be considered a normal rate, so as not to draw attention to themselves. They all crowd around the door, and Jorge holds up his fist, pointing a finger up one at a time.

One. . . two . . . three . . .

He kicks the door open, and they all storm into the main room, where there are many Cranks standing around.
The boys separate, leaving Clara and I to guard the door. Punches are thrown and voices are raised as bodies are thrown around the room.
God, why is fighting always so loud? Lori thinks to herself with an internal sigh.

When a Crank comes lunging towards the two girls, they react immediately, to both their surprises. Clara takes her knee to the man's stomach, and when he's down, Lori ball up her fist and punches the man right in the nose.

The man goes down with a thud, hitting the dusty, wooden floors.
Lori looks the man over. Definitely becoming a Crank.
His hair is already beginning to fall out, and the drool oozing out of his mouth has a pinkish tinge. Though that's probably from being punched in the face.

"Come on," Lori grabs Clara's arm, and leads them both further into the room. They go along the skirting of the room, trying to find another door. Weaving between Cranks and Gladers alike, they finally find what they were looking for.

Clara turns to the boys, "Minho! I think we found where they might be." Minho looks up for the slightest second, nods, then takes out the Crank he had been fighting in one swift movement.

The room is silent, with only the Gladers to make any noise. They had taken on a room full of Cranks. Some lay on the ground, dead or alive, Lori wasn't entirely sure. As they walk, Newt, Frypan and the other Gladers stand guard of those who are not unconscious.
Minho walks over, before opening the door slowly, knives at the ready. The girls follow close behind, walking down a small staircase.

The room below is dark, with only a small bulb and rays from between the floorboards giving any form of guidance. As they move deeper into the room, Lori outlines to shapes in the centre of the room.

Getting closer they realise, without a doubt, that they have found Thomas and Brenda.
"You guys look comfy," Minho smirks.

Lori runs over, starting to try to untie the ropes binding Thomas to the chair.
"What . . . how . . ." Thomas is at a loss for words, obviously shocked to see his friends standing before him.

She mutters select words under her breath as she can't get the rope untied. Minho chuckles a little, handing her one of his knives, before turning back to Thomas. "We'd just found you. Did you think we were gonna let these bunch of shuck-faces do anything to you? You owe me. Big-tune."

"What do you mean you'd just found us?"

Minho goes over and begins to free Brenda, whilst explaining in short their journey. "Jorge's been leading us through the city - avoiding Cranks, finding food. Yesterday morning, we kind of spread out, spying here and there. Frypan was peeking around the corner into that alley up there just as those three shanks pulled a gun on you. He came back, we got mad, started planning our ambush."

Both the captives were free, and now stand beside the two girls and the Leader. Well, accept Brenda, who shoved herself out of her chair and basically stormed over to the staircase.

Lori takes a deep breath, before using the trick that Thomas had taught her in the Maze.
'Thomas?'

'Lori? Why are you talking to me like this? We're in the same room?' She looks over, to see the boys face scrunch up.

'I didn't want to ask out loud.' She cocks her head tot he side, trying to gesture to Brenda, 'What's up with her? Did something happen?'

Thomas doesn't answer, just stands there looking confused. Then suddenly, as if he had been hit by the lightning realization poured over his features, twisting them into a look of mere horror.

'What? Thomas, what happened?'
But her doesn't answer, just walks over to Brenda. Lori knows it's wrong, but she drowns out every other sound in the room, so that she can hear what he's about to say to Brenda.

The boy walks over, looking like he might actually be shaking. "Brenda? You okay?"

She nods, not looking Tommy in the eye. "I'm fine. Let's go. I wanna see Jorge."
Even though she's saying that she's fine, Lori can tell she's annoyed about something. What that is, she is currently unsure of. What could Thomas have possibly done, for her to blow him off like that?

"Come on, dude," Minho interrupts. Seriously? It was just about to get interesting! Lori internally moans.
"Headache or no headache, we need to go. No telling how long we can keep the shuck prisoners up there quiet and still."

"Prisoners?" Thomas questions.

"Whatever you wanna call them - we can't risk letting them go until we get out. We've got a dozen guys holding more than twenty. And they aren't too happy. They might start thinking they can take us pretty soon."

"Once they get rid of their hangovers," Clara adds. "They're all pretty wrecked."

Lori's eyebrows rise in surprise, that is the most she has said in front of more than two people. They all head for the staircase, Minho and Clara leading the way. They had all went up, leaving Brenda and Thomas at the stairs.

Too interested by the drama to leave it be, Lori stands beside the doorway, listening in.

"I'm sorry," she hears Thomas' voice. It's so difficult listening into a conversation, she sighs. "I think I said something kinda mean-"

Brenda cuts him off, "You think I give a crap about you and your girlfriend?" Teresa. "I was just dancing, trying to have some fun before everything went bad. What, you think I'm in love with you or something?" Sounds like it. "Just dying till the day you ask me to be your Crank bride? Get over yourself."

Lori could feel by her tone, that that was as far as the conversation was going, so she quickly runs away from the door way, bumping into Newt.
Shuck.

"Lori? What were you just doing?" His eyes narrow in curiosity. Lori takes a second to notice his eyes, how nice the light shines off of the chocolate brown. Had his eyes always been that colour?

Lori's feels her brain go slightly numb, before her vision darkens slightly.

|_|_|_|_|

Just as Lori is a few meters from the threshold of the Maze, she hears someone call her name from behind.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Lori?" she hears the voice shout. Newt.

Pursing her lips, the strawberry blonde turns to see she was correct. Newt is limping quickly towards her, anger almost fuming from his being.

"What? I'm just takin' a look. No need to get your panties in a twist" Lori smirk as she looks him in the eyes, noticing a shade of pink paint his cheeks.

He has chocolate brown eyes. Beautiful eyes.

She shake the thought from her head. Now it was her turn to blush.

He continues to walk "Lori, the doors are closing soon. You can't be near them."

Lori looks from the doors, and back to Newt. "Yes, because people trip and fall three meters forward all the time" She shoots at him sarcastically. "I can take care of myself."

He sighs and mutters something under his breath.

"What was that?" Lori asks him.

"Nothing. It was nothing. Just, they're waiting for us at the Gathering. Please step away from the doors and come with me. Please" He pleads. She basically give in immediately, and walks alongside him towards the Gathering.

|_|_|_|_|

She feels a wave of emotions overcome her. Was that a memory?
But what of it's the Creators, just trying to trick me again?

"Oh, uh, nothing. I was just . . . yeah." She attempts to walk away, but he just grabs her shoulders and spins her around.

He leans in close, and Lori can feel her breath hitch in her throat. "Next time you try to listen in on someone's conversation, try to be more inconspicuous. That's kinda the point of eavesdropping," He smiles.

Lori attempts to laugh, but it just gets caught in her throat. "I gotta go. Clara's waiting for me."

Regret rips at her heart, and in fear that she might burst into tears, she turns away from the boy with the chocolate brown eyes, and walks away.

She hears Frypan across the room, shouting, "Hey, it's Thomas! As ugly and alive as ever!"

Newt came up beside Lori, who stands near Thomas. He looks her in the eyes, giving her a look which seems to say, 'I know you're lying to me', and she feels like she's going to be sick. "Glad you're not bloody dead, Tommy. I'm really, really glad."

"You too. Has everyone made it so far? Where'd you guys go? How'd you get here?" Thomas says all in one go.

"Still thirteen of us. Plus Jorge."

Even after answers, Thomas continues to spew out questions, like he was going to lose his voice at any minute, and he had to know the answers. "Any sign of Barkley and the rest of them? Were they the ones who set off the explosion?"

Jorge appears out of thin air, as usual, answering Thomas' question. He needs to teach us how to be that sneaky. He stands at the doorway, holding a machete sort of weapon to the throat of a fairly tall and Flare ridden man. A woman with a ponytail is also accompanying them.
"Haven't seen 'em since. We got away pretty quickly, and they're too scared to come deeper into the city."

Lori looks over to Thomas, who looks as if he's about to hurl. "Thomas? What's wrong?"

He turns to her, fear coating all other emotions, before craning his view to Minho. "Marcus, the guy with the really short blond hair. Seemed like the leader. What happened to him?"

Minho just shrugs in reply, leaving Newt to respond. "Must've got out. A handful did - we couldn't stop all of them."

"Thomas," Lori says slowly. "Why are you so worried about this guy."

Thomas' tone of voice drops low as he glazes over the all, "He had a gun. He's the only one I've seen with something worse that a knife. And he wasn't very nice."

Minho scoffs. "Who gives a klunk? We'll be out of this stupid city in an hour. And we should go. Now."

"Okay," Thomas agrees, sounding calmer. "I want to get out of here before he comes back."

"Listen up!" Minho calls to all the 'prisoners' occupying the room, walking among us all. "We're leaving now. Don't follow us, you'll be fine. Follow us, you'll be dead. Pretty easy choice, don't ya think?"

When no one answers Minho, everyone begins to leave in a flurry of movement, trying to get out so they can leave the city as soon as possible.
Lori heads towards the door, finding Clara and grabbing her had, so that they don't lose each other. Clara tosses her a grateful smile, and Lori is quick to return it.

On the way out of the room, he eyes catch Newt, who is guarding the door. He peels his gaze away from the crowd to stare intently at her. Her face warms as she feels the weight of his attention on her.

They all meet in the alley, Minho addressing them all. "We're not staying to see if any of these shuckfaces will retaliate. We need to move, now. Everyone stay together, and let's make a run for it."

No one argues with the 'fearless' leader, breaking out of the alleyway. But, just to their luck, as they are running out of the alleyway, Minho jinxes what little fortune they had been having. "There's only about a mile left. These Cranks aren't so hard to fight after all. So let's -"

But someone shouts, cutting off his rant of happiness. "Hey!"

They all pull to a halt, to see where the jagged scream had originated.
On the steps where they had left, stands the blond man which Thomas had described. And he's holding a gun.

Aimed at Thomas.

Lori lets go of Clara, trying to get over to Thomas so she can push him out of the way, or something like that. "Thomas!" She screams. But it's too late.

The noise of the shot rips through the air like thunder, amplified by the small alleyway, only to be silenced as it finds itself hitting Thomas.