Sonya and Harriet lead our group through the short tunnel in the mountainside, calling for the drivers in the cars ahead to pull out of the way to open the exit.
Once we pass through to the other side of the open mountain, I notice that there are several people working, either storing supplies or driving around in their vehicles.
"So you're with the Right Arm?" I ask as we follow closely behind.
Harriet nods, laughing lightly to herself. "That's right." She says.
"Who's your leader?" Thomas asks.
"(y/n)." Sonya jokes, causing herself and Harriet to giggle as she looks back at me.
All of the blood drains from my face the second she says that, and I feel Newt's eyes fall onto me.
"What do they mean by that, (y/n)?" Newt asks, furrowing his brows.
Shuck shuck shuckity shuck-shuck. I'm getting caught in both lies back to back; first with Aris, and now with Newt.
"I have no idea." I laugh nervously, struggling to lie.
Harriet stops in her tracks, turning around to give me a confused look. "Now don't tell me that you and your new friends have failed to share what you all did in your own Mazes? Jobs and all."
"We did." Newt slowly shifts his eyes from Harriet to me. "I thought you said you were a Runner...?"
"I'm assuming you mean Mapper, and she was." Harriet says. "But she was also first in charge. That's what made Sonya's joke funny, but, now that I've had to explain it, the humor is dead."
I squeeze my eyes shut, cursing under my breath.
Sonya, although there is no chance that she knows why I didn't tell Newt the whole truth, obviously trusts that I have justified reasoning to not have done so. "Vince is our leader." She says to Thomas in attempt to bring us back to the important matter.
I refuse to look back at Newt, feeling his eyes locked on me still.
"Can we speak with him?" Thomas asks.
Harriet nods as she turns on her heels, walking to a car and opening the back left door. "Hop in." She says simply.
"We've got five seats total in my car, and six in Harriet's, so we'll have to split your group up." Sonya explains. "Aris, you go with Harriet, and I'll take (y/n). The rest of your friends can split up however they'd like."
With that, I follow Sonya to her jeep, silently climbing into the front passenger seat and closing the door behind me.
Once Sonya is seated in the driver's seat, she closes the door and looks out the window to watch the Gladers discuss how they'll divide up. "So the blonde boy..." She says simply.
Looking to her with a puzzled expression, I mumble, "Hm?"
Her eyes meet mine. "You told him about the Heart, and about being a Mapper, but you avoided mentioning the fact that you were the first in charge?"
Sighing heavily, I bury my head in my hands. "Yeah..."
"Why?"
"Because being the leader proves that I'm to blame for everything. I'm to blame for all of the lives lost in the Maze, for the girls left behind at the Heart, for the division of our group when we reached safety, for Rachel and the other survivors being left at WICKED..."
Sonya clenches her jaw. "I may not know what's happened with Rachel and them at the headquarters, but I am certain that you are not to be blamed for any of that. Just because you were in charge does not mean you were necessarily in control of everything. You couldn't help that the others chose to not join, and you couldn't help that Rachel and Harriet couldn't decide what to do at the facility."
I frown, shrugging as I sit in silence, slumping back against my seat.
She checks the group through the window again. "That boy's special to you, huh?"
My face feels warm again, and I look at Sonya in puzzlement. "What?"
"Oh, come on, it's obvious he is." She laughs. "In the past five minutes, I've watched him shield you from our guns, you worry over him thinking less of you for somehow being responsible for losses, and, now, you're blushing."
I let out a slight gasp, clasping my hands on the sides of my face. "That's what that warm feeling is?"
She laughs, nodding before her eyes flicker to the window. "We'll talk more when we arrive to our camp." She whispers quickly before the door behind mine opens.
Looking over my shoulder, I see Frypan, Minho, and Newt climb into the back of the car.
"Alright, everyone, buckle up. We've got a bit of a ride ahead." She says, shifting gears.
Once we're all bucked in, Sonya does a three-point-turn before driving down the mountain.
• • •
There's a heavily awkward silence that weighs us all down, and Minho clears his throat. "So... You are the Sonya girl (y/n) has mentioned before?"

Glancing at Minho through the rearview mirror, Sonya nods. "Yep! And you are?"
"The name is Minho." He says. "This is Frypan, and this is Newt." He says, gesturing to them one at a time.
Fry grins widely, nodding at Sonya as Newt smiles awkwardly and waves.
She smiles warmly. "Nice to meet you." She says. "And I'm sorry about us shooting at you guys earlier. We just don't want to risk dangerous trespassers."
"Understandable." Minho mumbles with a nod.
I manage to laugh lightly, looking out the window.
• • •
After about an hour or two of driving through more desert, Sonya slows the car to a stop, taking the key out of the ignition. "We're here!" She exclaims, hopping out of the jeep.
I unbuckle and climb out of the vehicle, taking in the scene. People. So many people. All walking around and talking and eating together, tents set up around the grounds, cars driving farther up and down the road, fires keeping others warm.
A hand gently touches the small of my back. "(y/n)?" Newt whispers.
I turn to look over my shoulder at him with a questioning look.
"Can we talk about this secretive stuff that apparently has been going on?" He asks.
I sigh heavily, but, before I can answer, I'm cut off by Harriet calling from her parked car ahead of us as the others pile out. "Hey, this way!"
Giving Newt a somber look, I shrug before walking ahead to catch up with the others.
As our groups reunite, and Sonya and Harriet lead us along the dirt path ahead through the outskirts of the camp, I catch a glimpse of Brenda, a horrified expression shaping on my face.
She looks terrible! Her eyes are dark and sunken in, her skin is pale and shining with sweat, and she looks as if she is on the verge of passing out.
"You guys came at the perfect time. We're preparing to leave at dawn." Sonya explains as we make our way down the road. "Hey!" She calls to one of the men passing us by. "Where's Vince?"
"Down that way." He says as he points in the direction we're heading. "Past the Supply Tent C."
She nods, smiling. "Thanks!"
The two girls lead us down the road, and we slow to a stop as we approach a rather burly man a few tents down.
"We've got some new arrivals, Vince." Harriet says to the bearded man standing before us, the strap of his pack across his chest.
He creases his forehead, suspicious. "Are they all Immunes?"
Harriet looks back at our group. "I know Aris and (y/n), and I trust them." She says simply as she gestures to the two of us.
Some curious men and women that pass us by stop to examine us, watching their leader intently to see what he has to say about us new arrivals.
Looking each of us up and down, Vince frowns. "Well, I don't. Check them." He orders some of his men surrounding us with the wave of his hand.
I glance at Brenda worriedly, gulping. "Brenda?" I whisper as low as possible, trying to check on her before she can get spotted.
However, one of Vince's men looks at Brenda with furrowed brows just as I attempt to get her attention. "This one doesn't look too good, boss."
As if perfectly on cue, Brenda's eyes roll to the back of her head, and she collapses to the floor with a forced gasp for air.
"Brenda!" I exclaim in shock as Jorge catches her just as her body is about to hit the cold dirt ground.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Brenda chokes out weakly as Jorge attempts to sit her upright.
"What? What for?" He asks frantically.
Vince crouches down beside Jorge. "What's wrong with her?"
"I don't know." Jorge says, shaking his head.
Vince, not having it, eyes her ankle that's wrapped in bandaging before leaning forward and yanking it down. His face immediately drops. "We've got an Infected!" He shouts, jumping to his feet and pulling out his gun without a moment of hesitation.
As soon as I manage to get a good look at the gnarly bite in her leg, the flesh seeming to rot away around the injury, Newt yanks me back, away from Brenda.
"No, no, no!" Jorge shouts, immediately standing on his feet and rushing towards Vince, but one of his men gets ahold of Jorge's arms and pulls them behind him.
"She has to be put down before she infects all of us! She's going to turn before we know it!" Vince shouts, keeping the gun pointed at Brenda as she wheezes heavily on the ground.
Thomas, hands up as if in surrender, immediately jumps in front of Brenda as Jorge lashes in the man's grasp. "Wait! Wait! She- She hasn't turned yet- She's been fine until now!"
"I'm sorry, kid, but we've got no other choice!"
"Please!" Thomas pleads. "It has not been that long! I told her you could help; there has to be some way you can help her?"
Heart pounding against my chest, I attempt to peek around Newt as he protectively stands in front of me, trying my best to get a good look at our new friend.
When did she get bit?
Vince eyes the sick girl, pursing his lips as he ponders on it for a few seconds before nodding. "There is one way..." He mumbles, cocking his gun. "I can put her out of her misery."
My heart leaps to my throat. "WAIT, DON'T!" I exclaim, failing to shove past Newt.
"NO!" Jorge screams, lashing.
"That's enough, Vince!" Another unfamiliar voice shouts from behind him, and, as Vince steps out of the way, a brunette woman is revealed, hurriedly making her way towards us.
Vince, hand shaking as he keeps the gun pointed at Brenda's nearly unconscious body, turns back to the sick girl. "We've got an Infected, Mary. We can't help her."
The women, however, locks her eyes on Thomas, a smile of a familiar sense growing on her face. "You're right. But he can." She says. "Hello, Thomas..."
Confused, I look over to the brunette boy, who looks just as puzzled.
"You probably don't remember me, but I definitely know you." She says as she crouches down beside Brenda, examining her as the girl lets out quick, shallow breaths.
Struggling to find the proper response, Thomas manages to get out, "Am I supposed to remember you?"
"How could you when they took your memories and put you in the Maze trials?" She pauses in her work, looking up at Thomas. "Luckily that was what they did to you rather than kill you."
Thomas draws his brows together. "What do you mean...?"
"When I had first spoke to you, you told me that you couldn't take it anymore, watching your friends die." She explains.
I slowly avert my eyes to Thomas, taken aback. Watching us die?
"What am I missing here?" I ask.
Newt, clenching his jaw, looks over his shoulder to me as he whispers in a low voice, "Tommy was one of them..."
Distorting my face in confusion as I look into his narrowed eyes, I ask, "One of who?"
"WICKED..." he mumbles. "Long story."
Creasing my brows together, I shift my eyes back to Thomas and Mary.
"The last time we spoke, you gave me the secrets and coordinates to every WICKED trial and compound that you could get ahold of." She says, smiling proudly.
"Wh-What? What do you mean?" He asks.
Returning her eyes to Brenda, she begins to examine the girl again. "We can talk about it while I help your friend, but I will need your assistance with that, Thomas." Mary averts her eyes to Harriet and Sonya. "You two girls take the rest of your friends to get some proper coats and food. I'm sure they're cold and hungry."
Now that I think about it, I am starving! And we left our packs in Bertha... Well, all of us did except for Jorge, but, at this rate, I'm sure his pack is strictly full of weapons.
Harriet nods. "Come with us." She orders, waving for us to follow Sonya and herself.
Slowly, the group files behind them, but, as I glance over my shoulder, I notice that Jorge is staying behind with Thomas, too.
Silently following the girls along the dirt road, I look at the people staring at us as we walk past, shuddering as I make eye contact with people who must be on edge due to the commotion we have just caused.
"When do you think she got bloody bit?" Newt whispers anxiously, leaning closer to me as he limps alongside me.
I look up at the boy as we make our way inside of a tent. "It had to have been while our group was broken apart because we haven't seen any Cranks since we were at the old hotel that Jorge used for storage."
Nodding slowly, he opens his mouth to say something, but is cut off by Harriet.
"There are several coats on the rack here," she explains, gesturing to it, "so everyone take one and follow us out."
The six of us stand still for a few awkward moments, staring at the cozy clothes ahead of us, hesitant on actually taking them, our minds scattered from the chaotic event that just took place and the abundance of supplies we are now welcome to take.
Minho takes a deep breath, breaking the silence. "I don't know about you shanks, but I'm definitely going to warm the shuck up." He chuckles as he walks over to the coats, taking a black jacket with fur along the edge of the hood, sliding his arms in and zipping it up with a shiver.
Following Minho like a herd of sheep, the rest of us grab coats of our own, bundling up as quickly as possible.
"Let's get you guys something to eat." Sonya smiles as she and Harriet lead us back out of the tent, having our group file behind as they guide us to a table just a few tents down that has plates of various foods lying out, bottles of water stacked in a small pyramid beside the stack of empty tin plates and silverware.
Smirking at our dumbfounded expressions as we gape at the food in amazement, Harriet chuckles. "What are you all waiting for? Help yourselves."
This time, Fry does not stare in hesitation. In fact, he runs to the table faster than the speed of light, chuckling heartily as he grasps a tin plate and starts to fill it.
Grinning widely, the rest of us quickly rush behind.
In a single file line, we hurriedly make our way down the table, filling our plates. I pile on bread and potatoes and beans and veggies, stomach growling and mouth watering. I grasp a bottle of water, sighing in contentment.
This is luxurious.
"Man, I am ready to get all of this food into my belly, I can tell you that!" Frypan chuckles as Minho laughs lightly in agreement, nudging him slightly as he takes a bite of his bread with his free hand, not even waiting to take a seat.
"It's going to be nice having a full stomach." Newt chuckles as he looks to me, smiling weakly. "Would you like to share this wonderful meal together and chat?"
I smile pathetically in return, but I gasp when a hand suddenly grasps my shoulder, not getting a chance to reply.
"Excuse me," Sonya says, grinning innocently, "but, while I'm sure you would like to talk to (y/n), Newt, Harriet and I would like to eat dinner with our friend, if you don't mind?" She says, but it's obvious that she's taking me, regardless of how Newt feels.
Smile hindering slightly, Newt nods. "Oh, yeah, of course..."
Minho, smirking, pats Newt's back. "Come on, shank. We've got some food to eat and my stomach isn't going to wait any longer."
With that, the two turn to go with Frypan to find a place to sit around a fire and eat, though I catch Newt glance back at me once more.
"Come on, (y/n)," Sonya grins, "Harriet has already gotten us a place for herself, Aris, you, and I to eat."
I nod, quietly walking after her.
Following her towards a fire outside of a nearby tent, I take a seat on a supply box between Harriet and Sonya, Aris sitting across from me.
As I begin to scarf down my food, Harriet sighs with a soft smile growing on her face. "I still can't believe that you two are here."
"Neither can we." Aris says with a full mouth. "What even happened with you girls, anyways?"
Sonya gives me a worried glance.
Sighing, I temporarily set my plate on my lap, swallowing down my food and looking to Aris. "Well, about that... There's something I should tell you."
He gives me a confused look. "What do you mean?"
I look down in shame, taking a deep breath. "Remember how I said that Sonya and Harriet disappeared after the second night?" I ask.
Frowning in concern and suspicion, he nods. "Yeah... You said that WICKED might have taken them."
"I lied. I knew where they went."
His face falls. "You what?"
"Harriet and Sonya had a bad feeling about the facility." I explain. "They didn't think it was safe to stay, and, after trying to convince the other girls to join, they left through the ventilation system... That's how I had gotten the idea for you to search the building through the vents..." I explain, shrugging as I fidget with my hands. "I was hoping you'd find them somewhere in the facility safe or, at least, locate them... And, I figured, if you didn't see them, then they were gone for good."
"So...you lied to me?" He asks, a bit of pain laced in his tone. "But... Why?"
I bite my lip anxiously, unable to look him in the eyes. "Because I was afraid you'd be angry with me. Either for not stopping them or for the fact that I should have encouraged Rachel to join, and I should have gone, too, or... I don't know..." I mumble, shrugging. "However, I do understand if you are upset with me, given that I've kept this from you this whole time. I just- I was worried that they were dead out in the real world or held captive by the guards, and I didn't want you to carry that weight or try to save them and end up getting taken, too... I'm sorry..."
Aris, after staring at me with an unreadable expression, looks into the fire as he finally speaks up. "It's alright, (y/n)." He says as I lift my eyes to meet his. "We're with them now, and that's all that matters."
I nod, sighing heavily.
A long stretch of silence passes.
"I'm sorry, too." Harriet suddenly says.
Drawing my eyebrows together, I give Harriet a questioning look. "What?"
"I'm sorry, too." She repeats, locking her eyes on mine. "When we had left... I had said some really hurtful things, things I never really meant, and I'm sorry." I can see her eyes getting glossy by the firelight. "I'm sorry I said that you flee from danger. I know that you think you're a coward for what happened when we had escaped the Maze, and for me to imply that just because I was hurt was uncalled for."
"Harriet, it's alright, I-"
"It's not. I gave up on you too early, and I was a little jealous of Rachel for having the others side with her, and I took it out on you."
I laugh weakly. "I mean, that's understandable, and you weren't wrong when you said I flee from danger."
"(y/n)," she says, giving me a stern look, "you were our leader. You ran the Maze, made rational choices, and were willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of our group. Sure, you ran from the Griever when we escaped, but you also bravely guided us those long years in the Heart, lead us when we had escaped the Maze, and broke out of WICKED yourself, obviously doing your best to survive and protect your friends as they protected you. You are the farthest thing from a coward."
I sigh softly, giving her a small smile. "Thanks, Harriet..."
She nods slightly, smiling weakly in return.
As she returns to her food, I suddenly pull her into a hug. "And... I'm sorry, too."
Taken a little aback,