The Death Cure || 1

Chapter Five

"Follow me."

"We're not going anywhere with you." Thomas was as arrogant as he was adamant, that he would not move from his spot in the truck bay, his booted feet clamped to the surface below like a stubborn toddler not getting his own way.

He snarled through gritted teeth, his voice filled with fury, his anger not nearly satisfied with the one go at Gallys jaw, causing him to redirect it elsewhere, keeping his jaw tightly clenched and his hands balled into fists, his dirty nails creasing into his palms surprisingly not bleeding under the sheer force of his wrath.

"Suit yourself." I shrugged, nonchalantly looking around at him, keeping a civil expression. "But we're the only ones who can get you through those walls."

Thomas' expression wavered ever so slightly, his harsh facade hesitant under the uncertainty of his unknown surroundings.

Nevertheless, we were his only hope, and he knew it as well as anyone. Eventually he gave in, motioning to the rest of the gladers, confirming his decision to follow us, bumbling behind him like a collection of stray dogs, making me scoff, beginning to lead the way with a roll of my eyes.

We made our way up to Lawrence's office, Gally explaining his miraculous recovery as we briskly walked through the fortress.

"After the maze I was picked up by a group headed to the city. They realised I was Immune, patched me up, and brought me here to Lawrence."  My eyes wandered idly behind me, taking in Gallys light smirk slyly sucking up to me. 6 months suddenly feeling like 6 seconds.

"Jack, here convinced him it was a good idea to keep me around, having been in the maze for three years."

"Yeah, and I'm still waiting for you to return the favour." I smirk, turning back to the path.

"She's joking right?" I heard Frypan murmur, only broadening my grin.

"Uh he doesn't get a lot of visitors so just let me do the talking, ok?" Gally recited, word for word what I had said to him the first day I brought him here. I shoved him.

I scoffed, gaining another smile from him as he threw his arm around me. The Gladers looked between our banter at the door, clearly not as relaxed as we were.

My smile fell, examining each one of their judgemental looks, clearing my throat. "Just, try not to stare."

"Hey, Lawrence." I chimed, leaning myself on a table next to his garden. He was muttering under his breath as he usually did, wheeling his squeaky IV cable around with him.

"A rose took my nose I suppose, Jackie, Gally, glad to see you both made it back." He greeted, tentatively snipping his plants to perfection.

"Jasper told me what happened." He continued, acknowledging one of the older soldiers beside him.

"It was a slaughter." Gally murmured, shaking his head in dismay, recounting the horrific events. "There's nothing we can do against those guns."

"No. But they can only poke the hornets nest so long before they get stung." A loud inhale radiated through the greenhouse, Lawrence taking a deep breath of a perfectly grown red rose, it's petals inching up towards the holes in the dying man's face, his nose long gone.

"Who are these people? Why are they here?" He didn't turn to us, only hoarsely grunting under his breath, ashamed of himself, but I'd always seen him as a socially inept character, even before he got the flare.

Gally gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze, catching my attention, turning my face towards him only to see his bruised jaw, the purple storm of blue and yellow already brewing. I shot a quick glare at Thomas, who was opening his mouth to speak. Shit.

"We need to get into WCKD." This guy had no sense, or he just had a death wish, one or the other. "Gally said he could get us through the walls?" Gally in question was looking between Lawrence and Thomas, his eyebrows raised in disbelief, anxious in anticipation for a response.

"Gally knows better than to make promises he can't keep." Gally breathed harshly, looking down at his answer.

"I said it, I just meant that-" I tried in vain, cut off at the knees by Lawrence's husky voice.

"And I certainly know you know better. Besides, that wall is only half your problem. Getting inside WCKD is impossible, they proved that after today."

"But we can-"

"Getting inside WCKD is impossible." Lawrence reiterated, his tone harsh, silencing any other remote thoughts on the subject.

"There might be a way now," Gally interjected, standing up, sheepishly throwing his head towards the tan boy still staring at Lawrence, probably more intently than if he hadn't been explicitly told not to stare. "But it doesn't work without Thomas."

"Is that so?" Lawrence was slowly edging his way closer to Thomas, lurching over him as he had with Gally the first time they had met. "Do you know what I am, Thomas?" Rhetorical question Thomas. Rhetorical.

"I am a business man." He hissed, his face morphing into an expression of distaste. Unlike Thomas' which had unwaveringly remained the same. "Which means I do not take unnecessary risks. Why should I trust you?"

"Because I can help you." He spoke softly, ear splittingly quietly. Although his words had come out confidently, at least they weren't the worst last words.

"You see if you can get me through those walls, I can get you what you need."

I looked cautiously over to Lawrence, who sighed airily, smacking his lips before continuing. "And what is it that you think I need?"

"Time." Thomas answered immediately, his response calm and calculated. "Every last drop."

"Hm." Lawrence was just as surprised as I was, looking between me and Gally, somewhat unimpressed, but it couldn't go unnoticed that Thomas could negotiate. "Is that what I need?"

"WCKD has something we both want."

Lawrence took a moment, engaging in some sort of mental debacle with his festering brain. "I'll tell you what, two can go for now the rest stay down here with me. Just a little insurance to make sure that you find your way back." He assured, his rotting mouth crinkling up into a coy smirk.

"We have a deal?" Thomases eyes darted between the gladers', their own eyes frantically questioning their safety with Lawrence as opposed to being inside WCKDs most fortified facility.

Still, a skeletal hand trembled its way up to Thomas's, who shook it firmly. Scoffing in satisfaction, Lawrence pointed out the door.

"Gally, show them the way."