“I’ve tried to do this as little as possible,” Alec said, “but it’s time to look at the workpad and make sure my scribbled map is still accurate. Let’s hope my aging brain hasn’t failed us.”
“Yes,” Lana added. “Let’s hope we’re not in Canada or Mexico by now.”
“Very funny.”
Alec powered on the device and pulled up the maps feature, finding the one that had the Berg’s voyages documented, all the lines converging in one spot. He also retrieved his compass. While everyone else stayed quiet and observed, he spent a minute or so studying the workpad, running his finger this way and that, comparing it to his handwritten copy, pausing every once in a while to close his eyes and think. Mark thought he was probably retracing their path in his mind, trying to match it to what he was reading on the maps. Finally he stood up and turned in a full circle, looking up at the sun, then checking his compass.
“Yep,” he grumbled. “Yep, yep.”
Then he crouched back down and studied the maps for another full minute, making some small changes to the paper version. Mark was getting impatient, mainly worried that the man had concluded they were way off course. But his next words put that to rest.
“Oh, I’m good. Seriously, after all these years, you’d think I would stop amazing myself. But here I am, still doing it.”
“Oh, brother,” Lana moaned.
Alec tapped the map just to the left of the spot that marked the center of the Berg routes on the workpad screen. “Unless I’ve got that virus eating my brain and don’t know what I’m talking about, we’re standing right here. Probably five miles from the place this Berg parks every night.”
“Are you sure?” Trina asked.
“I know how to read maps and I know how to read the lay of the land. And I know how to read a compass and the sun. All these mountains and hills and valleys may seem exactly the same to your pretty little eyes, but trust me. They aren’t. And look here.” He pointed to a dot on the map. “That’s Asheville, just a few miles east. We’re close. I think the next few days could be very interesting.”
Mark had a feeling his good mood wouldn’t last much longer.
They moved about a mile closer, heading deep into one of the thickest areas of woods they’d crossed yet. Alec wanted the cover in case the people they were planning to confront sent canvassers out at night. They settled in, had a quick dinner, then sat around an empty spot in their tight quarters—no fire for fear of being seen. There’d be no chances taken of being discovered so close to the Berg’s headquarters.
So they sat in a circle, staring at each other as the light faded into dusk and the crickets began chirping out in the forest. Mark asked about plans for the next day but Alec insisted they weren’t ready yet. He wanted to think, then talk things through with Lana before laying it out for the others.
“You don’t think we can contribute?” Trina asked.
“Eventually,” he responded gruffly. And that was that.
Trina let out an exaggerated sigh. “Just when you started getting likable again.”
“Yeah, well.” He leaned back against a tree and closed his eyes. “Now let me use my brain for a while.”
Trina looked to Mark for consolation, but he just smiled in return. He’d gotten used to the old bear’s ways a long time ago. Plus, he kind of agreed with him. Mark didn’t know the first thing about what they should do in the morning. How were they going to gather information from a place—and people—they knew nothing about?
“How’re you doing, Deedee?” he asked. The girl was sitting with her legs crossed under her, staring at a spot on the ground. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
She shrugged and gave him a half grin.
He realized she might be worried about her role the next day. “Hey, listen, you don’t need to be scared about tomorrow. There’s no way we’re going to let anything bad happen to you. Okay?”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
Trina leaned over and gave the girl a hug. If there’d been any doubt before that Alec and Lana had given up the battle on people getting close to each other—much less touching—they were washed away. Neither one of them said a word.
“This is all grown-up stuff,” Trina said to the girl. “Don’t you worry, okay? We’ll put you somewhere safe and then all we’re going to do is try to talk to some people. Nothing else. Everything is going to be perfectly fine.”
Mark was just about to add to Trina’s words of comfort when he heard a noise off in the distance. It sounded like someone singing.
“Do you hear that?” he whispered.
The others perked up—especially Alec. His eyes snapped open and he sat up straighter.
“What?” Trina asked.
“Listen.” Mark held a finger to his lips and tilted his head toward the distant voice.
It was faint but definitely there. The sound of a woman singing some type of chant, not as far off as he thought at first. Chills ran up his skin—it brought back the memory of Misty singing as she began to succumb to the illness.
“What the hell is that?” Alec whispered.
No one answered; they just kept listening. It was high-pitched and lilting, would almost have been pretty if it didn’t seem so completely out of place. If there really was someone out there singing like that, well … that was just weird. A man joined in, then a few other people, until it sounded like a full-blown chorus.
“What in the world?” Trina asked. “Is there some kind of church out here or what?”
Alec leaned forward, a grave look on his face. “I hate to say this, but we need to check that out. I’ll go—you guys stay here and keep quiet. For all I know this is some kind of trap.”
“I’ll go with you,” Mark said, almost blurting it out. He couldn’t stand just sitting there. Plus, he was madly curious.
Alec didn’t seem so certain. He looked at Lana and then at Trina.
“What?” Trina asked him. “You don’t think we womenfolk can handle ourselves? You guys go—we’ll be perfectly fine. Won’t we, Deedee?”
The little girl didn’t look so well; the singing really seemed to have freaked her out. But she nodded up at Trina and tried her best to smile.
“Okay, then,” Alec said. “Come on, Mark. Let’s go check it out.”
Deedee cleared her throat and held her hands out as if she wanted to say something.
“What is it?” Trina asked her. “Do you know something?”
The girl nodded vigorously, still with a mask of fear, then burst out talking—saying more than she had in all the time since they’d found her. “The people I lived with. It’s them. I know it’s them. They turned weird, started … doing things. Saying trees and plants and animals are magic. They left me because they said I was … evil.” She broke into a whimper on the last word. “Because I got shot and didn’t get sick.”
Mark and the others looked at each other—things had just gotten weirder.
“We better take a look, then,” Lana said. “You need to at least make sure they’re far enough away from us, or not heading our way. But be careful!”
Alec nodded, seeming anxious to go check it out. He lightly slapped Mark’s shoulder and was about to walk away when Deedee said one last thing.
“Watch out for the ugly man with no ears.”
She leaned into Trina’s shoulder and started sobbing. Mark looked at Alec, who shook his head not to press the girl. He gestured to Mark, and without a word, the two headed out into the forest.
CHAPTER 23
The singing didn’t stop as they marched through the woods. They tried their best to be quiet, but every once in a while Mark would step on a twig or fallen branch and break it, the crack of wood sounding like a little bomb in the relative silence of the forest. Alec gave him a sharp look each time it happened, as if such an act were the single dumbest thing a human had ever done.
All Mark could say was “Sorry.” He tried his best to step carefully
but he seemed to be drawn to things that made terrible noises.
There was almost no sign of sunlight left as they crept among the trees, closer and closer to the chorus of creepy chanting. The trees became standing shadows, ominous and tall and pressing. Almost as if they leaned toward Mark no matter where he was standing or walking. And it was harder for him to stay quiet, which drew more reproachful glares from Alec. At least he couldn’t see the expressions as well in the dark. He kept moving, following the old bear’s lead.
They’d made their way through the woods another few hundred yards when it became obvious that there was a source of light up ahead. It was orange and flickering. A fire. A big one. And the volume of the singing had gotten louder and louder. As had the … intensity. These people were really getting into whatever it was they were doing.
Alec crept up to a fat, old tree and squatted behind it. Mark was right at his back, doing his best to keep silent. They knelt side by side with plenty of room to spare.
“What do you think about the things Deedee said?” Mark whispered.
He must’ve said it too loud, because the man gave him his standard Be quiet look, just visible in the faint light. Then, in a soft voice, he spoke back. “This could very well be the people who left her behind. And they sound like they’ve got scrambled eggs for brains. Now try not to make any noises, would ya?”
Mark rolled his eyes, but Alec had already turned away and was leaning forward to peek around the edge of the tree trunk. After a few seconds he faced Mark again.
“I can’t make out all of them,” he said, “but there’s at least four or five yahoos dancing around that fire like they’re trying to call back the dead.”
“Maybe that’s exactly what they’re doing,” Mark offered. “Sounds like a cult to me.”
Alec nodded slowly. “Maybe they’ve always been that way.”
“Deedee said they called her evil. Maybe the virus or whatever it is has made them a lot worse.” A cult with a disease that drove them even crazier. That sounded fun. “Gives me the creeps and I haven’t even seen them yet.”
“Yeah, we better get closer. I want to get one last glimpse, make sure they’re not something we have to worry about.”
They bent low and inched out of their hiding spot, slowly walking from tree to tree, Alec checking each time to make sure it was clear to move on to the next one. Mark was proud of himself—he hadn’t made a loud noise in quite a while.
They continued until they got within a hundred yards or so—the singing was crystal clear and the shadows from the flames circled and flashed in the canopy of branches above them. Mark squatted behind a different tree from Alec this time and leaned his head out to take a look down the long slope.
The fire roared, at least ten feet wide with its tongues of flame licking far up into the air, almost threatening the lower limbs of the trees surrounding it. Mark couldn’t believe how these goons were risking burning the whole forest down. Especially with how dry everything still was in the aftermath of the sun flares.
Five or six people were dancing and gyrating around the bonfire, throwing their arms up and bringing them down again, bowing toward the earth and then shuffling to the side, where they started all over again. Mark half expected them to be wearing crazy robes or be flat-out naked, but they wore simple clothes—T-shirts, tank tops, jeans, shorts, tennis shoes. A crowd of a dozen or so others were lined up in two rows on the other side of the fire, singing the weird chant that Mark had been hearing. He didn’t understand a word of it.
Alec tapped him on the shoulder, making him jump.
He turned to face the man and had to restrain himself to keep his voice low. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry. Look, I have a bad feeling about these people. Whether they’re a threat or not—the people at this bunker we’re headed for have surely noticed them by now and are going to be on high alert.”
Mark wondered if maybe that would be a good thing. “But if they’re a distraction, it’ll be easier for us to sneak up on the place. Don’t you think?”
Alec seemed to consider his words. “Yeah, I guess. We should probably—”
“Who’s up there?”
Mark froze, as did Alec. They stared at each other with open mouths now. Mark could see the light from below flickering in the reflection in Alec’s eyes.
“I said who’s up there?” It was a woman, calling from the group at the fire. “We mean you no harm. We just want to invite you to join us in our praises to nature and the spirits.”
“Hoo boy,” Alec whispered. “I think not.”
“I definitely think not,” Mark said back.
There was the crunch of footsteps and before they could do anything two people were standing over them. Their backs were to the fire, so Mark couldn’t make out their faces. But it looked to be a man and a woman.
“You’re welcome to dance and sing with us,” the woman said. Her tone seemed way too … calm for the circumstances. In this new world, strangers should be met with more caution.
Alec stood up straight—there was no point in crouching there like kids spying—and Mark did the same. Alec folded his arms and stuck his chest out like a bear trying to defend its territory.
“Look,” he began with his typical bark, “I’m flattered you came here with an invite, but we’ll have to respectfully decline. No hard feelings, I’m sure.”
Mark grimaced, thinking these two people were far too unpredictable—maybe even unstable—to risk being sarcastic or rude to them. He wished he could see their faces for a reaction, but they were still hidden in shadow.
“Why are you here?” the man asked, as if he hadn’t heard the comments from Alec. “Why are you here, spying on us? I would think you’d be honored that we offered an invitation.”
Alec sucked in a short breath, and Mark sensed him tensing up.
“We were curious,” Alec said evenly.
“Why did you leave Deedee behind?” Mark suddenly blurted out, having no idea where it came from. He didn’t even know for sure if these people really were from the same village or not. “She’s just a little girl. Why did you leave her behind like a dog?”
The woman didn’t answer his question. “I have a bad feeling about both of you,” she replied. “And we can take no chances. Seize them.”
Before Mark could process her words, there was a rope around his neck, cinched tightly, yanking him off his feet. He croaked and threw his hands up to try to relieve the pressure as he fell on his back and the wind was knocked out of his lungs. Alec had been restrained the same way; Mark could hear him cursing through his choking sounds. Mark kicked and twisted his body, trying to turn and face his attacker, but strong hands gripped him under the arms and yanked him off the ground.
They started dragging him down the slope of the mountain.
Toward the fire.
CHAPTER 24
Mark finally stopped struggling when someone punched him in the face, sending a burst of pain through his cheek. The effort to escape was pointless, he realized. He relaxed and let them drag him wherever it was they wanted to take him. He saw Alec struggling against two large men and watched as they tightened the rope further around his neck. The old man’s choking sounds made Mark’s heart want to break open.
“Stop it!” he yelled. “Alec, just stop! They’re going to kill you!”
Of course the old bear paid no attention, just kept fighting.
Eventually they were dragged into the clearing where the fire still roared. Even as Mark saw it he noticed a woman step up and throw two more logs on top of the inferno. It flared and spit out glowing red sparks. His captor dragged him around the bonfire and dumped him in front of the two rows of people. They stopped chanting, and all their eyes focused on Mark and Alec.
He coughed and spit, his neck burning from the rope, then tried to sit up. A tall man—probably the guy who’d dragged him down there—put his big boot on Mark’s chest and pressed him back to the ground.
It had taken two men to bring Alec down the mountain, and Mark was shocked they’d succeeded even then. They dumped him next to Mark. The soldier grunted and groaned but didn’t resist because they still had the other end of the rope that was tied around his neck. He went into a long coughing fit, then spit a wad of blood into the dirt.
“Why are you doing this?” Mark asked no one in particular. He lay flat on his back and stared up at the canopy of branches and the reflection of the flames on the leaves. “We’re not here to hurt you guys. We just want to know who you are, what you’re doing!”
“That’s why you asked about Deedee?”
He looked and saw a woman standing a few feet away. By the shape of her body he could tell it was the lady who’d spoke to them higher on the mountain.
Mark was incredulous at her lack of emotion. “So it was you who left her. Why? And why are we prisoners now? We just want some answers!”
Alec suddenly burst into a flurry of movement, grabbing the rope and pulling it as he leapt to his feet. It came loose from the men holding it and Alec jumped at them, hurtling forward with his shoulder out like a battering ram. He slammed into the side of one of the men, tackling him to the ground. They landed with a heavy thump and Alec punched away, landing a couple of shots before two other men were on him, jerking him off the guy’s body. Another one came in as well, and between the three of them they were able to throw Alec on his back, pin his arms and legs down. The guy he’d tackled scrambled to his feet and came at the old man, kicked him in the ribs three times in a row.
The Maze Runner Series Complete Collection Page 100
