< this song is very on point for this chapter and the last one >

< Thomas >

Thomas came running into the meeting room. It was just one of the fishing warehouses they had taken over. A big table was set up in the middle with maps and charts and supplies cast about. Old tin coffee mugs sat forgotten. On a long work bench in the side was a big generator and a radio coma, walking talkies, a tv and a bunch of other tech that the Right Arm had accumulated over the years. A mix between high tech WICKED gadgets and tech and old school home made stuff.

Everyone was milling about. Jorge and Tim were leaning on the table looking at the maps as Vince and Thomas came in. Sonya and Teresa sat in the corner, with blankets and mugs of warm tea. Jill, who was an amazing medic, was tending to Teresa's split lip.

"So what happened?" She asked.

"Would you believe, I fought back?" Teresa gave her a small attempt at a smile. "Well, tried to, anyway."

Sonya placed a hand on her back, Sonya has a good shiner too.

"We both did." Sonya said, looking at Jill.

Thomas felt a stab of guilt for not carrying as much as he should. Vince walked up to the table. Tim and Jorge nodded.

"Okay. Everyone is here." Jorge nodded, clapping his hands. "Okay. As we can clearly see, Jina wasn't in the train car."

"Neither was Flossie!" Harriet pointed out.

"We never saw them." Sonya said quietly.

"Right." Tim nodded. "While we were out, new Intel came in."

"Which is?" Thomas asked, leaning forwards.

"Okay." Tim said, he stood up and folded his arms across his broad chest. He was rather short and stocky. Thomas was taller than him. "Well Flossie hasn't been with WICKED for quite some time. The Resistance, the other rebel group on the outside of Denver, Laurence, their leader, has been hard to get a hold of. But we finally got through, and they confirmed Mary and Clint arrived there and have been working with Doctor Hans, a defector from WICKED."

"Great. Where's Floss?" Harriet demanded.

"Getting to that. Well, Captain David and his team inside Denver got Flossie out and into the Resistance. She's been with Mary there for a while."

The girls all let out a breath. Thomas tried to smile, but he just couldn't. He wanted to hear about Jina. But he kept his jaw clenched so he wouldn't say something he regretted. Minho looked about the same. His arms folded and jaw clenched. Thomas had flashbacks to when Jina stood looking at him in the scorch, arms folded, eyes narrowed jaw clenched. Thomas knew without a doubt they were siblings. They looked exactly the same. Though Jina was absolutely cuter when she did it. He could pick her up when she got like that, she could absolutely hit him and it would hurt...but she was still cute.

He blinked a few times and shook his head, he realized he had been staring at Minho for longer than he should be. He forced his brain back to the conversation.

"...Jina has been in Denver the whole time." Tim was saying. "Janson seemed to realize having all the assets in one place was not a good idea. Especially with people on the inside and us out here."

"We did move around a lot." Teresa said quietly, nodding. "They were pissed after you guys busted out. They cracked down hard."

Sonya was nodding. "You're lucky you found us at all. They had us on the move a lot."

"Janson and Ava are paranoid." Tim nodded.

"Okay...what does that have to do with Jina being held inside Denver?" Yelena asked.

"I didn't know there were any cities left?" Frypan asked, looking around.

"They call it the Last City." Jorge said flatly.

"Why?" Thomas asked.

"That's the last big WICKED occupied city. All the other cities have fallen into ruin by disease and famon. The more the world crumbles, the more WICKED pulls away and hunkers down behind their own walls. There are still cities, but none like this one. It's their highest guarded, maximum security facility. Where all the bigwigs are now. They moved them from Alaska to Denver after we breached Alaska when we got the girls out." Tim explained.

Thomas didn't like the sound of this.

"And my sister is still there?" Minho asked.

Tim nodded.

"Fuck." Minho and Sonya cursed at the same time.

"Minho! Sonya!" Newt gasped.

No one paid him any attention. Vince ran a hand down his face.

"That brings me to the next thing. The Resistance was going to try do an extraction. But their plans were discovered and one of their guys on the inside was killed. So, she's still stuck. It's been now almost three months. And...as WICKED's elite candidate for the trials and cure...they have spared nothing on the poor girl."

"What does that mean?" Thomas asked, he was now leaning on the table, wishing Tim and Vince would just get on with it. They seem to be setting this up, talking slow and gentle and soft. Thomas knew something terrible wa going to be dropped, like a gernaid. But he has no idea.

"Now with that said. While we were prepping and getting into position for our great train snag... She had a psyche evaluation...and somehow David got a hold of the footage..." Vince said quietly, he was watching Thomas and Minho.

Thomas didn't like the way the three leaders were watching him, like they were walking on egg shells, what weren't they saying?

"Okay...and? What about it? What's wrong? Why aren't we going right now to get her? Why are you looking at me like that?" Thomas finally blurted.

"Thomas...Minho. We have the video... And it's not good..." Jorge said gently.

"Just play the damn video!" Minho yelled, he was shaking with controlled rage.

"Whatever the problem is, I'm sure we can fix it." Thomas said with more confidence then he actually felt.

"Just do it." Jorge said, and gestured to Tim.

He walked to the TV and pushed some buttons. Everyone crowded around the screen. The TV was fuzzy for a minute and then the footage showed up. Thomas sunk into a crouch, his legs had become shaky. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

It was Teresa. Before he could think, he took her hand, holding it as tightly as she held his. He glanced at her, she was pale and had tears in her big blue eyes, but she was staring horrified at the screen.

Jina sat at a metal table, her wrists in cuffs and chained to the table. It looked like she had just had a shower, her hair was still wet but it was tangled. She was in a simple white tank top and white cotton pants, her feet were bare.

Minho growled, every muscle was tense and coiled. The girls gasped. Thomas's heart broke. She has lost so much weight she was just skin and bones. She had bruises all up the inside of her arms- Thomas recognized those as bruises from needles and IVs. She had her eyes closed and she was swaying slightly with the song she was singing. It sent a shiver down Thomas's spin as he listened to the words.

"Are you, are you, coming to the tree?
Wear a necklace of hope. Side by side with me. Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be, if we met at midnight in the hanging tree..."

The door to the small room opened and closed with a sharp snap. Everyone in the room had similar angry reactions.

Janson walked in.

He pulled out the chair across from her and he sat down.

"Jina."

Jina's eyes snapped open, and everyone in the room sucked in a sharp breath. Her eyes were wild and full of madness. And her face twisted into such a creepy smile Thomas actually made some kind of whimpering noise.

Jina's head twitched strangely to the left. "Oh! A rat has come to visit us, Precious!"

Her head twitched to the right. "Yes. He does look like a human rat." She let out some kind of burst of hysterical wild laughter.

Her head twitched to the left. "Yes, we sees the way his nose twitches. Just like a rat."

Her head jerked to the middle, her eyes staring into Ja sons soul with that malicious twisted smile and madness in her eyes. "Shh. We're important now, we got to leave our room."

Her head jerked back to the left. "Yes, Precious. Shut up. I like being out of our room."

Her head snapped to the right. "Why does the human rat want to see us?"

Jerking her head back to the left. "Hmm. Good question, Precious. Something important is happening."

"Jina." Janson said, his voice was sharp and demanding. Minho, Thomas, Newt and most of the girls flinched at his voice. "You will be silent and listen."

Jina bit her lip, and nodded. But a snicker escaped. And then the giggles started. Janson sat at the table, his long fingers folded, his nose twitched and his dark eyes observing the girl in front of him. Her laughter slowly faded and Jina started singing again. This one was a simple children's song. But as she stared at Janson with her wild dark eyes full of madness it was unnerving.

"London Bridge is falling down. Falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down. My fair lady... Build it up with iron bars. Iron bars, iron bars. Build it up with iron bars. My fair lady..."

Janson suddenly got up and left the room. A moment later a different person came in. They were dressed in all white. He was so old and bent with a head of white fluffy hair. Thomas was surprised he didn't need a cane to walk.

"...Iron bars will bend and break. Bend and break, bend and break. Iron bars will bend and break. My fair lady..."

The old man sat down. Flipped a file open and clicked a pen. He held the pen over the paper and started to write. Jina was completely oblivious to the old man. She continued to sing her song and then somehow managed to transition into the first song she was singing, about the hanging tree.

"Jina, I have some questions for you."

Jina stopped suddenly and froze. Her wild eyes snapped open and looked at the bent old man.

"We knows him, Precious." She hissed, her head facing the left.

"Oh we know him very well." She agreed with herself. She cocked her head, the other way.
"What sneaky poisons does he take to stay alive?"
"Shh, precious, he knows... He always knows."
"He's not the rat. The rat always watches... Yes... He's always watching."

Her body shook and her head twitched and then she became still. She blinked a few times, her eyes became clearer.

"Janson watches me. Do you monitor my killzone patterns, Doctor?"

It floored Thomas how wild and unhinged she was a moment ago and now how sane her voice sounded now. She sat still, watching the man.

"Your killzones are exemplary! Always were my dear-"

"Don't call me that!" She spat, her face twisted in furry. "I'm not your dear. Or darling. Or sweetie."

"Then what are you?" The old man asked.

Jina's head twitched and the madness was back, her eyes were dark and the twisted smile was back.
"I am... Me."
"Yes, Precious. You are. And you do it wonderfully."
"Me. Myself. And I."
She let out a burst of wild laughter.

"I'd like to speak to Jina, please." The old physche said calmly.

"The old Jina can't come to the phone, Precious!"

"And why is that?"

"Why?" Jina smiled, but it made Thomas shiver and want to cry. "Oh. 'Cause she's dead!" Jina screamed.

She leapt up, the chair toppled backwards, she tried to lunge at the old man, screaming like a wild deranged animal. He yelped and fell backwards off his chair. She couldn't reach him with her hands chained to the table. She ended up collapsing onto the table and laughing. It was full of madness, close to hysterics.

The old psyche scrambled backwards and banged on the door as Jina rolled back and forth on the table laughing. The door was opened and the old man shoved his way through and then someone else was in the door.

Jina stopped laughing abruptly and started growling, like an actual wild animal.

"Now we know why we is leashed like a fucken dog!" She screamed. "Traitor! You're a fucken traitor, Aris! Get out of here!"

"Jina...please can you listen to me?" He pleaded. "Ji..."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" She screamed.

She tried lunging again, but the table was anchored down to the floor and she was heavily chained to the table. She wouldn't get far. Aris stood flat against the door. He looked terrible. His face was pale, his hair was disheveled and greasy, his eyes looked puffy and red. He stood with his chin trembling.

"Jina. Please! Please! I need you to calm down and listen, they'll take you to sector B if you don't stop. Please, Ji! I can't let that happen."

"Oh sector B, Precious, where they took his mommy and his Rachel."
"Yes yes yes. Sector B...where all the bodies are burned."
"Oh, we're not wanted anymore."
"No, precious. Can't us had a broken brain. Because they is too fucken stupid to sees the answers in front of their noses. They make us see terrible things."
"We are broken?"
"Shhhh. No, my Precious. You is perfect."
"Shut up, dumb dumb. We are very broken."
"Yes the madness takes over!"
"Mad! Hahaha. Broken! Subject! Dear. Honey. B3. Jina. All fake names."
"Who calls us Honey, precious?"
"Someone who left us behind."

Thomas felt a cold claw squeezing his heart and lungs. She was referring to him. And that almost broke him. His eyes filled with tears.

"Jina? He...he didn't leave you behind. He was in a different facility then us."

"The traitor is talking like he thinks we're going to listen!"

"Thomas, was in a different facility." He went on, desperately trying to get her to listen. "Jina...there was a mass break out...a lot of them got out." Aris spoke as his chin trembled and his eyes filled with tears.

Jina stopped trying to break the chain restrains and stood still. Her head down, her dark hair falling down around her shoulders.

"Ya...that's right. Thomas and Minho and Newt...Frypan, Flo, Harriet and Taylor...they escaped the facility they were in..."

Jina didn't say anything, and after the screaming she was just doing, it was unnerving. The camera couldn't catch her face. But Thomas noticed her hands were clenching and unclenching. And her body trembled. Thomas felt his anxiety rise. Something was going to happen. She was waiting for something.

"They...they escaped." She whispered so quiet the surveillance camera hardly picked it up. But it was Jina. His old Jina that had whispered it. He knew her voice anywhere.

"Ya, that's right Ji."

"They left me behind." She whispered.

"No...they were in a different facility, on the other side of the country." Aris tried to reason. "They were in different places and didn't know where we are."

He had slowly stepped closer to the table.

"Are you happy?" She suddenly asked. Her voice was so soft and quiet.

She finally looked up. Thomas could see the tears in her eyes. She was broken and he could see it clear in her eyes. This was his girl and it sent a stab into his heart, Aris did this to her. Thomas had no idea what they were doing to her, but clearly they were breaking her. If he didn't get to her soon they would break her completely.

"Ji... we're trying!" He deflated. His shoulders slumped. "We're trying to help..."

"Are you happy?" She repeated, her voice wavered slightly as a single tear slid down her cheek. Aris shifted from foot to foot. He didn't answer her he fidgeted with his hands and he kept his head down. "Look what you did to me. All you had to do was fucking listen. So I ask again. Aris, my friend. Are you happy with your choice?"

Aris kept his head down.

"Answer me you fucken traitor!" She suddenly screamed. Spit flying from her mouth. He flinched. Jina took her opportunity, Aris had been standing right at the table beside her. She grabbed him, slamming him into the table.

"I trust you! You fucken traitor! I trusted you!"
"Kill him, Precious! Kill him!"
"We can't kill him dead, he was your best friend."
"Shut up! He did this to us!"

She just screamed nonscense. She snarled and hissed like a wild animal. She tried to grab at Aris's neck, trying to choke him or gouge his eyes, scratch, bite. She tried it all.

The door burst open. Captain David rushed in followed by another person Thomas recognized. Doctor Crawford was there. David ripped Jina off as she kicked and screamed, snarled and fought. Her hands were still chained, but David wrapped her up and held her tight. Doctor Crawford injected something to calm her down and she immediately slumped.

"I trusted you...we were friends...Why Aris...." She whispered as tears slid down her face and her eyes fluttered closed.

Jina was unchained from the table and carried out of the room, the screen went fuzzy and then black.

Thomas sat on the floor in the Right Arm camp, safe, healthy and mostly whole, while Jina was going though absolute hell.

"We take everyone who can fight." Minho said suddenly. Thomas looked over at him. He was surprised how calm Minho's voice was. "We follow the roads where we can. We can make it back within a week."

Thomas nodded slowly. He slowly got himself up off the ground.

"Yeah. We can't leave her."

"A week?" Tim asked.

"It took us two months to bust the train. It took us months to get what we have!" Vince said slowly, his voice was controlled. "We got over two hundred kids here now. And how many more families and other civilians?! Guys... We can't just hang out here forever after what we just pulled."

"You want to go to The Last City?" Tim asked,
"To their whole base of operations..."

"That's the last place you wanna go, hermano. That's the lion's den." Jorge said slowly, looking hard at Thomas and then at Minho.

"It's nothing we haven't done before." Taylor added, coming to stand at the table, frowning at the maps and charts.

"Exactly." Minho nodded.

"Yeah, with months of planning, and reliable information, the element of surprise, none of which we have now." Vince pointed out.

Thomas frowned, staring at the maps, Jina's heartbreaking words 'they left me.' His resolve hardened. He would rather die trying than giving up on her. He was going for her. He caught Minho's eye. They both would.

"When was the last time our plans actually played out properly?" Thomas challenged.

"Look, I know it's Jina. But-"

"But nothing. Fuck you. That's my little sister." Minho snapped and spun on his heel and stormed from the warehouse.

Thomas watched him go. He turned back around and looked at everyone in the warehouse. Vince looked skeptical. Tim was staring at the maps with a frown. Jorge looked like he knew exactly what Thomas was thinking. Frypan and Newt exchanged a quick glance before looking at Thomas. The other girls looked ready to go to war. Even Sonya and Teresa looked ready to fight.

Thomas turned on his heel and left after Minho. He stopped at the kitchen storages, grabbed two brown bottles and found Minho up on the roof of one of the garages.

He sat down beside his best friend. And held out a drink. Minho chuckled cynically and held a half finished one up. Thomas gave him a half hearted smirk. Twisted the lid off and took a long swig.

"So we going after her alone?" Minho asked.

"I'm pretty sure most of the girls will be ready to rain down hell for her."

"Good that." Minho nodded taking a swig of his bottle.

"We just wait for Vince and Tim to fall asleep." Thomas added.

"Good that."

Minho held his drink out, Thomas clinked the bottle with his own.

"Good that." Thomas repeated. The knot of anxiety was still tight in his chest, but with Minho beside him, they would get Jina back.

< • >