Finally bundled back up in our layers with our sweaters, coats, and, for some of us, scarves, and, carrying our own packs, Jorge contently leads us down the stairway, returning to the party of the nearly undead.
"Who exactly is Bertha?" I ask, utterly confused as we follow behind.
"You'll see." He says, grinning widely, his eyes lit up with excitement.
Jorge leads us along the wall as we do our best to avoid the drunk and dancing ill. Just as we had been doing all through the early AM, he leads us out the back doors.
Eyebrows drawing together, I look around with a puzzled expression. We seem to be in an abandoned back lot, the area enclosed by fencing. Various cars are parked along the fence, others in the middle of the lot with raised hoods or the back ends lifted, obviously getting worked on.
"Here she is!" Jorge exclaims, rushing to an old, beaten up, blue car, and, what looks to be, a pair of bull horns on the front of it.
Minho lifts a brow. "This shank, Marcus, and Jorge gave a car...a name?" He asks, arms folded.
"That's a thing people do." Brenda says, laughing lightly. "You guys really have been kept from the outside world for too long."
"Why would you name a bloody inanimate object?" Newt asks.
"Because it has life, hermano." Jorge says in awe, taking the keys out of his pocket and unlocking the car. "You kids get in, and let's get going!" He turns to go open the gate.
Aris walks over to the car, opening the left back door and peering inside. "There's only eight seats, but we have nine people..."
Minho scoffs. "No, we don't, shank." He laughs, rolling his eyes as he counts his fingers, but his cocky smirk fades when he realizes that Aris is right. "Oh."
"What are we going to do about that?" Aris asks.
Minho ponders for a moment before ruffling Aris's hair. "I guess we'll have to tie you to the roof of the car, shuck-face."
"What?! Why me?!"
"Because you're the smallest one here. Duh."
"No one is getting bloody tied to the roof." Newt mutters, rubbing his temple.
Brenda rolls her eyes, walking to the front passenger door and swinging it open.
Confused, Thomas watches her. "What are you doing?"
Through the front window, Brenda looks at us with an unenthused expression before lifting the center console of the car. Turns out, it's a middle seat in the front.
"Ohhhhhhh," the group lets out in unison.
Jorge, after having opened the gate, rushes back to the car. "Hermanos, I said get in!"
After a moment of silence, the group does not move, unsure who's going to sit where; Newt speaks up. "I call shotgun." He says, a childish grin growing on his face.
"You don't know about naming cars, but you know the call for shotgun?" Brenda asks as she lowers the left seat in the middle row, climbing into the back.
Thomas follows behind, along with Teresa, who climb into the back row, too, Teresa lifting the middle row seat back upright.
Fry climbs into the center row from the left door, and I wait behind Aris as he climbs into the car from the right door.
As I step up into the car, a hand suddenly yanks me out by the back of my coat, shoving me behind them. "Oops. Sorry, (y/n)." Minho says, not genuinely, and shrugs, smirking at me before climbing into the car and closing the door loudly behind him.
I gape in offense. "I'm this close to slapping you, Minho!" I exclaim, showing him through the window how close that is by a small gap between my pointer finger and thumb, and I can see him laughing in response.
Newt opens the front passenger door. "I guess you're sitting between Jorge and I." He chuckles.
Turning to Newt, I sigh softly with a light laugh. "I guess so." I say, climbing into the vehicle and sitting beside Jorge as he starts the car, Newt shutting the door behind him once he's climbed in.
"And off we go!" Jorge says excitedly, suddenly jolting the car backwards before I can buckle up, nearly throwing me forward as he backs out. As he shifts gears, I quickly buckle into my seat before Jorge drives out of the wire fencing, speeding down the empty road.
Minho leans forward in his seat, patting Newt's shoulder. "Road trip!" He laughs.
• • •
After about an hour, we drive out of the city that's falling into ruins, riding off into a long stretch of vast desert.
"Jorge," Brenda calls from the back, "does the stereo work?"
"I think Marcus has got some tapes in here." He says. "Newt, check the glove-box."
Newt pulls the latch in front of him, opening the compartment to reveal an abundance of music tapes, taking one out and examining it curiously.
Jorge reaches over to the stereo and pushes a button, making a tiny compartment for the tape pop open.
Careful and hesitant, Newt slides the tape into the player and closes it.
After a couple seconds, the tape begins to play some kind of classic country song.

Jorge sighs happily, obviously content as he drives.
"So, now that we've got a long ways ahead of us, I think now is a good time to share stories." Minho says. "Newt, would you care to continue where you had left off?" He smirks.
Newt looks back at Minho, frowning. "No. I would rather not share."
"What? But you were gonna share with (y/n) earlier this morning?" He says, patting Newt's shoulder.
Newt maneuvers his shoulder away from Minho like a kid avoiding cooties. "That's different."
Minho rests his chin on the top of the back of our seats, a conniving smile stretching from ear to ear. "Care to explain why that is?"
Creasing my forehead, I avert my eyes from Minho to Newt, puzzled.
Newt, eyes wide and face beet red, opens his mouth, inhaling deeply. "So, about that story." He says quickly.
Leaning back in his seat proudly, Minho chuckles.
"As I said, Minho swore up and down that new clothes came in the Box, and he told me that they were in the Homestead and that I could change in the bathrooms. When I made my way inside, I discovered that they weren't there, but Nick, this other equally conniving kid, just so happened to be in the bloody restroom at the time, washing his hands." He explains as everyone listens intently, Frypan already laughing in the back of the car as he recalls the story.
"And then what happened, Newt?" Minho asks in an overly innocent voice.
Scowling at Minho, Newt mutters, "He said he'd get the clothes for me and to just change in the stall."
Thomas's face falls as he begins to catch on. "Wait... Don't tell me that you...?" He starts laughing.
A huge frown stretches across Newt's face as he folds his arms. "I undressed in the stall, hung my clothes on the shucking stall door, and, standing there in my bloody underclothes, I waited for Nick, only for my sweatshirt and pants to be yanked off of the bloody stall and to hear the bathroom door slam shut because Minho thought it'd be a bloody hilarious prank!" He exclaims accusingly.
I clasp my hands over my mouth in attempt to muffle my laughter as the others burst into a fit of giggles.
Minho, struggling for air in the midst of his laughter, says, "Then- Then what happened?!"
Newt, facial expression completely unenthused and irritated, mutters under his breath. "...I ran out to get them..."
"What? I didn't hear what you said." Minho lies.
"I RAN OUT IN MY UNDERCLOTHES, YOU BLOODY DEAF SHANK!" Newt exclaims, suddenly unbuckling and turning to sit backwards on his seat, hitting at Minho as everyone is rolling in uncontrollable laughter."STOP ACTING LIKE YOU DON'T BLOODY KNOW WHAT I DID!"
"I remember that like it was yesterday!" Frypan chuckles, shaking his head. "Minho and Nick took your clothes to the Deadheads, right?"
Minho nods proudly as he shields himself from Newt's blows. "Shuck yeah, we did!" He laughs, high-fiving Frypan.
"This is the stuff a Maze of boys do to pass the time." Teresa laughs, rolling her eyes.
I look back at Teresa, nodding as I giggle.
Newt huffs as he turns back around, buckling up in his seat and pouting like a little kid.
Patting Newt's shoulder, I smile widely. "It's alright, Newt."
Looking to me, he manages to smile weakly, but his face is red with utter humiliation.
The car eventually quiets down, but only for a mere minute before Minho exclaims, "Now, let's talk about the time Fry gave us all food poisoning!"
• • •
After another three hours of driving, everyone is quiet, either from growing tired due to the lack of sleep or to simply listen to the music that Jorge plays.
I stare at the moving horizon outside the passenger window, watching various desert plants and mountains pass.
Newt, breaking his daze on the scenery, turns his head to look at me. "(y/n)?" He mumbles quietly.
"Hm?" I mumble, meeting Newt's eyes.
"Do you think that we'll actually find the Right Arm?"
Pondering on it for a few moments, I look back out the window, shrugging with a soft sigh. "I honestly don't know... But, like you said, I trust that Thomas knows where he's gotten us so far, and, now that we have Jorge and Brenda, things are a bit easier."
He nods, fumbling with his hands as he looks down. "(y/n)?"
"Yeah?"
"I, uh... Would you mind if I talk to you in private when we stop somewhere to rest?"
Although I'm a little confused as to why Newt would want to talk alone, I nod, smiling reassuringly. "Sure."
He nods in response, taking a deep breath as he sits up a little taller, silently looking back out the window.
Worried, my smile fades. What could he possibly need to tell me?
• • •
As I jog through the doors, the ground quaking as they close behind me, I slip my Mapper's pack off, carrying it at my side.
However, I slow to stop, catching my breath, when I spot Helen, the Leader of the Gardeners, sink to her knees in the middle of her work.
"Woah, Hel?" I call, rushing to the Gardens and crouching down in front of her. "Are you alright?"
Panting softly, her face red and sweaty, she nods. "Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine..."
Leaning in closer, I examine her appearance. "Helen..." I mutter, sitting upright with a sigh. "When did you last drink water?"
She wipes the sweat from her forehead, shrugging. "At breakfast..."
"And, let me guess, it was one cup?"
She nods tiredly.
Rubbing my temple, I mutter, "How many times do I have to tell you that you need to stay hydrated while working in the sun all of the day long? Your work is just as arduous, if not more, than us Mappers'."
"Sorry..."
Sighing, I open up my Mapper's pack and take out my water, handing it to her. "Drink. Now."
As she takes the bottle, I look back over my shoulder to scan the Heart, spotting our Medics, Billie and Cathrine, chatting by the Shelter. "Billie! Cat!" I call, waving them over.
As I watch the girls pick up their medical packs and jog across the Heart, Harriet marches over. "(y/n), we need to talk." She says, her voice laced with stress.
Averting my eyes to her, I furrow my brows together, tilting my head to the side as I examine her state. She looks too well to have finished her run within the past hour. "When did you get back from the Maze?" I ask suspiciously.
"I'll explain that, but we need to talk right now." She repeats.
Frowning, I ask, "What's wrong?"
"Come with me to the Mapping Room." She says. "Now."
As my stomach turns with slight anxiety over Harriet's tone, I order the Medics to aid the nauseous, dehydrated girl before getting to my feet and quickly following after Harriet as she steps in urgent, quick strides, walking out into the Woods, making our way through the trees.
"What's wrong?" I ask again.
"Wait until we get to the shelter." She orders, rushing through the leaves.
"Harriet," I groan, "if it is truly urgent, you would be explaining it to me right now."
"Just trust me."
Sighing heavily, I tread behind her through the leaves.
Once we get to the Mapping Room, Harriet opens the door for me, and I walk inside, only to be encountered by Rachel; Sonya, who also obviously finished her run much earlier than ordered; and Susan. "What the- What's going on?" I ask, turning to face Harriet as she closes the door.
"We found a way out of the Maze." Sonya says.
I turn, staring at Sonya with widening eyes. "What?" I whisper in shock. "H-How in the world did you find an exit?! And why wasn't I immediately told?!"
"We were hesitant to share because, knowing you, you'll be convinced that what we've found is only more dangerous." Susan says, her dark, long, straight hair falling in front of her fair-skinned face.
I distort my face in confusion. "Why would I think that?" I ask, hesitant. Their worries are likely justifiable
"Because it's where the Grievers come from." Harriet says, pacing around the table that's cluttered with various papers and notes and maps.
Gaping at the girls for a moment, I struggle to find the right way to respond before I let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing my temple. "Before I even begin to list how that is an absolutely horrendous place to go, I have to ask... How exactly did you find all of this out?"
"We snuck out into the Maze for the night last night." Sonya explains.
It takes a moment for my brain to register what she had just told me. "You what?!" I exclaim.
"We're here, safe and alive, so why are you upset?" She asks.
"Are you serious?! Obviously, I'd be upset, Sonya!" I exclaim, throwing my hands in the air. "I was put in command, and I set rules! The biggest two rules being, one, not to go out there in the Maze at night, and, two, only Mappers are allowed in the Maze, and, newsflash, Rachel here is not a Mapper, last I checked!" I gesture to the girl as she stands in silence. "Did you forget the consequences of this?!"
"(y/n)," Susan chimes in, "it's not a major issue-"
"Susan, as second in command, you of all people should know how enormous of an issue this is!" I snap. "If people find out, they will expect us to follow through with the rules, and we would have no choice but to banish them-"
"The rules weren't broken because I let them go out there!" Susan exclaims suddenly, frustrated.
Taken aback, I stare at her as I close my mouth.
She sighs, looking at me with apologetic eyes. "I let them go... Like you said, I'm second in command, and I figured that they could handle it."
"Besides, it was my idea." Rachel finally speaks up.
I struggle to conjure up words that would properly express how I feel at this moment, breathing picking up with anxiety and frustration. "Well, what's the point in telling me all of this now?" I ask, running my fingers through my hair. "You all can apparently do whatever the heck you want since you've got approval from a leader. The levels of hierarchy obviously don't matter to any of you..."
"We're telling you because you always know what to do." Harriet says. "You're the first in charge, and that does matter to us."
Exhaling heavily as I run my hand down my face, I look to her sternly. "Harriet, you know very well that I'm in the last person to give advice in the matter that would be in favor of you girls. There is no way in the freaking Heart that I would ever approve of sending our girls out into the home of the Grievers in slim hopes of finding the escape."
"We know that. Which is why we are asking you of all people." Harriet says, narrowing her eyes.
"We need to know if you think this unlikely escape is worth the risk." Sonya explains in a soft voice.
I sigh, rubbing my head. "You girls know that I don't like big risks like this..."
"Which is exactly why your opinion matters." Harriet says as she stands taller. "Because, if you think it's worth it, then it definitely is."
I sigh heavily, taking a seat on a lone chair in the corner, burying my head in my hands. "I have a lot of blood on my hands; I don't think I can bear staining them red for much longer..."
"The blood will be on ours this time, (y/n)." Susan says softly. "We won't let you take the fall."
My heart pounds rapidly against my chest as I sit in silence, mind racing at a rapid pace, trying to evaluate all of my options.
"(y/n)," Harriet says, causing me to lift my head, "the final call is up to you."
Trailing my eyes to the table, I think for a a moment longer.
'Get them out of here, (y/n)...' The last words of my old friend, Annie, echoes in my head.
Pursing my lips tightly together, I take a deep breath. "I guess, after three years, it's time we get out of here..."
"(y/n)?" A gentle voice whispers as I'm lightly shaken awake.
Eyes fluttering open, I groggily look around with my tired eyes. "Hm...?"
"We have to travel on foot..." The voice says, and I recognize the accent to be Newt's.
After registering my sideways perspective, I realize that I'm resting my head on Newt's shoulder, quickly sitting up with a gasp. "S-Sorry."
He chuckles softly. "It's alright. You needed to sleep anyways. Now, come on, we've got to get going."
Rubbing my eyes, I climb out of the car after Newt, hopping onto the road, waking up completely as soon as I feel the cool breeze. Examining my surroundings, I walk to the railing alongside the road, looking down at the massive drop before the ground curves upward to the next mountain.
Newt quietly walks to the ledge beside me, but his eyes widen once he's spotted the immense drop, and he takes a step backwards, clearing his throat nervously.
"You alright?" I ask, furrowing my brows together.
He forces a light laugh."Yeah... I've just never been a fan of heights..."
And yet he dove towards the edge to save my life when that undercover WICKED agent shoved me to my death back when we met Jorge. That explains why he was so fearful.
I nod quietly before turning to look down the road in the direction that we were headed, only to see that the tunnel is blocked off by several abandoned cars. "What happened here...?" I mumble to myself.
"Looks like we'll be walking the rest of the way, hermanos." Jorge sighs.
Nodding, I look to the others in concern, eyes locking onto Brenda, who seems flushed as if she's ill, but, before I can go up to her to check on her, Jorge pulls her aside to talk to her privately.
Silent, our group disperses a bit along the road, taking in our surroundings.
"(y/n), look at this." Aris calls me in a low voice, waving me over to an abandoned vehicle.
I quietly stride over to Aris, who's leaning on the hood of the car, examining the front window. "What's wrong?" I ask.
Aris quietly points at a shattered hole in the glass.
"What the...?" I mumble, leaning over the hood to get a closer look, only to see that, in perfect alignment with the one in the window, there's a second hole in the seat of the car.
Aris gulps, lifting his eyes to me. "Is it just me, or does that look like-"
"A bullet hole." I finish his sentence, looking him dead in the eyes with worry.
He nods, troubled.
I anxiously stutter. "But...why would anyone shoot-"
As if on cue, a loud gunshot cuts me off, the sound echoing on the sides of the surrounding mountains.
"Take cover, ya'll! Take cover!" Frypan shouts, diving behind a car.
"(y/n)!" Aris exclaims, grabbing my arm and yanking me down behind another car with him as the other's take cover.
I can hear Newt's accented voice asking frantically from behind another car, "Where's (y/n)?!"
"I'm here!" I call.
"Good that!" He responds.
A few moments pass as our group settles down in