|My heart’s beating faster. I know what I’m after

|Runnin', Adam Lambert

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Lisa's P.O.V.

We spent the next twenty minutes or so dividing everyone into groups and getting them into long lines. Thomas told us to keep the groups even in terms of age and strength. It surprised me how well they listened to us but they seemed to have no problem following our orders once they realised we came to rescue them.

Once the entire crowd was organised Thomas made us line up in front of the East Door and then waved his hands to get everyone's attention. I ended up standing next to Dawn who had her eyes focused on the crowd before her.

'Listen up!' Thomas began. 'Wicked is planning to use you for science, your brains. They've been studying people for years, collecting data to develop a cure for the Flare. Now they want to use you as well, but you deserve more than a life as lab rats. You are, we all are, the future. And the future isn't going to happen the way Wicked wants it to.' He took a deep breath and gestured to the Gladers. 'That's why we're here. To get you out of this place we'll be going through a bunch of buildings to find a Flat Trans that'll take us somewhere safe. If we're attacked, we're going to have to fight. Stick with your groups and the strongest need to do whatever it takes the protect the weaker. Only then will we make it out of here alive. Now let's go show Wicked what we are made of!'

The crowd started applauding and cheering and I felt Dawn shift next to me, making me turn to her. Her eyes were glinstering with tears as she turned to look at me. 'Great, we're all bloody inspired,' she whispered, the corner of her lip turning slightly upwards.

I remembered the words, as she had told me the story of their escape out of the Maze and I felt myself smiling back at her and I pulled her into a hug. Her arms held me tightly before she pulled away from me, quickly wiping away her tears and I felt myself frowning.

'What aren't you telling me?' I asked her quietly.

She looked at me, another tear rolling down her cheek as she took a deep breath. 'I-I,' she stuttered then exhaled slowly. 'He's-' but she was interrupted by a violent crack, the sound of stone splintering and then nothing but silence, only an echo bounching off the walls.

'What was that?' Minho yelled, looking at the sky for the source.

Dread spread through my stomach, a shiver crawled down my spine as suddenly another crack sounded, then another. A thunderous rumble sounded through the Glade as a sudden realisation struck me.

'The bombs!' I yelled, turning to Thomas. 'They must've set off the bombs!'

The ground started shaking and screams came from people in the crowd. A defeaning roar sounded through the Glade as a large portion of the wall on our left broke loose, sending great chunks of stone flying everywhere. There was no time to even shout as much as a warning as the massive piece of rock landed on a group of people, crushing them as it broke in half.

I felt myself gasping for air, watching blood spread out from under the edges of the rock and into the grass of the Glade.

The Maze was falling apart around us, we had to leave. Now.

'Run!' Thomas yelled at Sonya. She didn't need to be told twice as she turned and disappeared into the Maze, the group that been assigned to her followed without hesitation. Then Thomas ran over to Minho. 'Bring up the rear! Teresa, Brenda and I need to get ahead of the pack!'

Minho nodded and gave Thomas a push to get him going, then he turned to run away but I called out his name, making him look at me. I sprinted towards him, reached for the collar of his shirt and pulled his lips down towards mine. When they connected the whole world seemed to stop, the rumbling of the Maze, the thunderous echoes of the bombs, it all stopped and for a wonderful second it was just him and me. His arms around my waist, my hands curled up against his chest as his soft lips moved against mine.

I had to force myself to step back, my hand going to his face, cupping his cheek and tracing his jawline. 'Be careful,' I whispered, breathlessly.

A small smirk appeared on his lips. 'Aren't I always?' He gave me no time to respond as he turned and ran towards the end of the line, followed by Jorge and Gally. I watched him leave, taking a deep breath before turning to walk to the group of people that been assigned to me.

Another splintering crack sounded through the Glade. I stumbled on my feet, caught my balance just in time to see the Homestead split down right in the middle. Even though I had always hated the Glade, somehow it stung to see it fall apart like this.

I turned around to see Thomas, Teresa and Brenda disappear into the Maze, running fast to run catch up with Sonya her group. Clenching my jaw I turned to Dawn and gestured for her to run. She nodded at me, her tears from earlier gone and replaced with a fiery determination. 'Let's go!' She yelled, gesturing for her group to follow her. She started running, followed by the Immunes.

I only had to wait for them to be around the corner to send the next ground, or else we would only be in each other's way. When the last man of her group disappeared in the darkness of the Maze I screamed for Frypan to follow. The cook sprinted into the Maze without any complaining, his group following him.

Stone shattered around us like glass and my eyes widened as I watched pieces of it hit people, one man fell down, not getting back up again. Exhaling slowly to try and remain calm my eyes trailed back to the Maze, noticing Frypan's group had disappeared around the corner. Exhaling deeply I started running.

I didn't have to turn around to know my group was following me, no one wanted to stay in this place a minute longer. Stumbling I ran on, regaining my balance by reaching out to the wall, recalling on my memories to lead the way.

Another explosion sounded, sending a rain of stone and dust upon our group. Holding my hand up to my mouth I coughed, pushing my legs to run faster. The world was shaking around me as stone crumbled and people screamed. We went left, then right and I spotted Frypan's group before us. A low rumble echoed through the sky and I looked up to see a crack in the fake sky above us. My stomach turned inside of me as I realised the ceiling could collapse and fall right on top of us any minute.

'Hurry up!' I yelled at the people that followed me as I ran around another corner. Finally the Cliff came in sight and my eyes fell on Frypan helping people down the Griever Hole. I bit my tongue as I ran towards him, sending him a small smile as I spun around and started helping people from my group go through the Hole as well. I had to trust the others were okay and handeling the situation down there. I had to trust we were going to be okay but my rational thoughts seemed to have shut down as I kept on yelling for people to move faster as I watched them disappear through the Hole.

When the last of my group had gone through Clint arrived his group, which was significantly smaller than it had been at first. Pieces of stone were flying around our ears as we helped the Immunes go down the Hole. It took all of me not to go down with them and instead I kept pushing them, encouraging them and yelling for them to move faster.

Harriet arrived and I told her, Frypan and Clint to move through the Hole as well. Naturally, they refused and stayed behind to help. Biting my lip I helped a woman with a baby in her arms step off of the Cliff and through the Hole. When finally the last person had gone through Minho, Jorge and Gally arrived. I took Minho's hand as we went through the Hole ourselves. Down the slide we went as the world rumbled and fell apart around us.

The hallway was even darker than before, the lights were flickering and in the distance the occasional boom thundered through the air and the building shook on its foundations. They were far enough for now but I had no idea how long they would stay that way.

'Lisa!' A voice suddenly called out.

I came to a halt, turning on my heels as my eyes widened by the sight before me. Carter came running towards us, surrounded by five other people.

Finally he reached us, bending over to catch his breath. 'D-did it help?'

'Did what help?' I asked, pinching Minho's hand to remind myself I was awake.

'I managed to give you twenty minutes before they would set off the bombs,' Carter explained.

'I-I,' no words seemed to come to me as I shook my head to pull myself together. 'Why?' I finally asked him.

His gaze went to the ground as he replied. 'Because you were right and I should've realised that sooner. I used to believe in you and these people reminded me why I should do so now.' He gestured to the people behind him.

My eyes scanned their faces, my heart leaping in my chest as I recgonised them. People who had been with the Right Arm from the very start, people I never thought I would see again. Daniel, Eve, Tyler, they were all here.

'Vince is wrong to destroy this place,' Daniel said, a small on his face. 'When I saw you running away I remembered how you managed to built this army from nothing. That's when I told Carter we had to try and help you. So, did it help?'

I nodded slowly, still at loss for words.

'It did,' Minho spoke up from next to me. 'But now we have to hurry slintheads, let's go.' And he pulled me along after the others.

I honestly couldn't believe there were still people who believed in me enough go against Vince. I couldn't supress a smile from appearing on my lips as I squeezed Minho's hand once again.

We followed the group up a flight of stairs and soon my body was begging to stop, my legs feeling like cement as we climbed higher and higher. Minho's hand was still tightly in mine as we ran after Gally, Jorge, Frypan and Harriet. Through a doorway we went, through a hallway, left then right and finally up another set of stairs.

One foot in front of the other as my breathing was heavily and uneven and I stumbled over my own feet a few times. Minho pulled me up each time, his usual remarks staying out as his jawline was set with determination to get us all out of here alive.

Finally we reached the maintance room. An explosion rattled the walls and the metal racks, dust and debris raining down from the ceiling. 'Hurry!' Thomas's voice sounded somewhere in front of the crowd of people. And I spotted him as he came running through the crowd, telling people to make a row. Dawn was right behind him, running up to us.

'They better be quick about it up there,' Minho said. 'The explosions are getting closer and closer.'

'The whole place is gonna fall down,' Gally added.

Thomas his eyes went to the ceiling as if he expected it happen right then and right there. 'I know. I told them to hurry. We'll all be out of here in a-' 'Well, what do we have here!' A voice shouted from the back of the room, cutting Thomas his words short.

My body trembled as my gaze crossed that of Dawn, who was already staring at the man the voice belonged to, her bow loaded in her hands. Turning on my heels my eyes fell upon him. My father. Rat Man.

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It's about to go down people!

You see, Carter didn't turn out to be all that bad in the end. :) I honestly love his character even though he plays a very small part in this story, he played a pretty big part in Lisa's life, which I think makes him only more interesting.

Also I have a question for you guys. I was thinking about maybe changing the covers. Do you agree or do you want them to stay the same? And if I do change them, do you have any ideas for what would look awesome? Let me know in the comments!

Only three chapters left to go!

xXx

UYM