| chapter 25: the code |

DAWN

The Maps were hidden in the weapon room just as Minho had told us. I couldn't help it but to scan the room with my eyes, and stopping by the bow and arrows. My heart began beating faster when eyes fell on the weapons and I clenched my hands, as if they couldn't wait to take the weapon and try them out.

'There's a hidden storage closet back here,' Minho said, taking me out of my thoughts. 'Only a couple of us know about it.'

A creak of a wooden door sounded through the room, Minho dragged a cardboard box across the floor towards us. The scrape of it made me wince. 

Thomas bent down his knees and opened the trunk. 

Curious I walked forwards to see what he was going to do. 

He took one of the maps. 'Okay,' he said. 'The Runners have always compared these day to day, looking if there was a pattern that would somehow help figure out a way to an exit. You even said you didn't really know what you were looking for, but you kept studying them anyway. Right?'

Minho nodded, arms folded. He looked as if someone were about to reveal the secret of immortal life. 

I sat down next to Thomas and the others followed my lead. With a frown on my face I heard him continue, determined to solve this thing.

'Well, what if all the wall movements had nothing to do with a map or a maze or anything like that. What if instead the pattern spelled words? Some kind of clue that'll help us escape.' 

Minho pointed at the maps in Thomas's hand, letting out a frustrated sigh. 'Dude, you have any idea how much we've studied these things? Don't you think we would've noticed if it were spelling out freaking words?'

'Maybe it's too hard to see with the naked eye, just comparing one day to the next. And maybe you weren't supposed to compare one day to the next, but look at it one day at the time?'

It seemed a bit far-fetched. 

Newt laughed. 'Tommy, I might not be the sharpest guy in the Glade. But sounds like you're talkin' straight out of your butt to me.' 

'Okay, okay,' Thomas said, taking my attention again. 'You've always had one Runner assigned to one section, right?' 

'Right,' Minho replied. He seemed just as determined as I felt.

'And that Runner makes a map every day, and then compares it to maps from previous days, for that section. What if, instead, you were suppose to compare the eight sections to each other, evey day? Each day being a separate clue or code? Did you ever compare sections to each other?' 

Minho rubbed his chin, nodding. 'Yeah kind of. We tried to see if they made something when put together-of course we did that. We've tried everything.'

I leaned my chin on my hand while staring at the maps. Somehow I had a feeling that this could actually bring us somewhere, but it was just like with those words on the wall and with that song. Every time I thought I was getting somewhere the clue seemed to fade further away.

'Wax paper,' Thomas suddenly said.

'Huh?' Minho asked. 'What the-' 

'Just trust me. We need wax paper and scissors. And every black marker and pencil you can find.'

Frypan wasn't really happy having a whole box of his wax paper rolls taken away from him, especially with our supplies being cut off. Newt and I had to explain him a lot before he let us get it. After ten minutes of hunting down pencils and markers all of us sat down around the working table in the Weapon Room. We hadn't found any scissors, so we had to use a sharp knife.

'This better be good,' Minho muttered, but his eyes showed interest. 

Newt leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. 'Get on with it, Greenie.' 

I bit my lip, eager to find out what Thomas was trying to show us.

'Okay,' Thomas said and he handed both me and Minho a knife. 'You two, start cutting rectangles, about the size of the maps. Newt and Teresa you can help me grab the first ten or so maps from each section box.' 

'What is this, kiddie craft time?' Minho held up the knife and looked at it with disgust. 'Why don't you just tell us what the klunk we're doing this for?'

I hit Minho on his arm and he raised his eyebrows at me. 'Just do it slinthead,' I said, growing tired of his behaviour.

'I'm done explaining,' Thomas said, standing up. 'It will be easier to show you. If I'm wrong then I'm wrong and we can go back to running around the Maze, like mice.'

Minho sighed, clearly irritated but started cutting anyway. 

I helped him and it surprised me how easy this went. After a few minutes I lay the fifth rectangle away. Suddenly it was like a light was put on in my head. I stopped cutting and stared at the map on the table, then back at the wax paper.

'What?' Minho asked. 

'I think I know what we're doing. Or what Thomas is trying to do,' I said slowly, staring at the maps.

Minho sighed annoyed. 'Just keep cutting, gorgeous.' 

Feeling suddenly excited I went on with cutting. 

Meanwhile Thomas, Newt and Teresa had taken a lot of maps out of the basement. Thomas sat down and grabbed a few pieces of the wax paper. 

I stared curiously at the maps and watched as Thomas grabbed a marker. 'All right, everybody trace the last ten or so days onto a piece of this stuff. Make sure you write the info on top so we can keep track of what's what. When we're done I think we might see something.' 

Okay, so I was right. Feeling a wave of excitement inside of me I went on with cutting the wax paper. So that the others could draw the maps on it.

'What-' Minho said.

'Just keep bloody cutting,' Newt ordered. 'I think I know where he's going with this.'

We got to work, tracing from original Maps to wax paper, one by one, trying to keep it clean and correct while working as fast as possible. I went on cutting rectangles, and every ten seconds I heard Minho sigh next to me. I decided to ignore him and went on with working. This had to give us something. I was almost sure of it.

'I've had enough,' Newt finally annouced, breaking the silence. 'My fingers are bloody burning like a mother. See if it's working.' 

Thomas put his marker down and flexed his fingers. 'Okay, give me the last few days of each section-make piles along the table, in the order from Section One to Section Eight. One here-' He pointed at an end '-and Eight here.' He pointed at the other end.

We made piles from the maps until eight low stacks of wax paper lined the table. Thomas grabbed a paper from each pile, making sure it was from the same day. He then laid them one on top of the other so that each drawing of the Maze matched the same day above it and below it, until we were looking at eight sections at once.

I bit on my lip until I felt blood as I kept my gaze focused on the maps. 

Lines were crossing each other but in the middle there was definitely something. Sitting in exact center of the page was the letter F.

A shaky laugh escaped my lips. 'Unbelievable,' I whispered.

'Could be a coincidence,' Teresa said. 'Do more, quick.'

Thomas did so, putting together the eight pages from the same day. Each time an obvious letter formed in the middle of the little crisscrossed mass of lines. 'Look,' Thomas said pointing down at the paper. 'It spells FLOAT and CAT.'

'Float cat?' Newt asked. 'Doesn't sound like a bloody rescue code to me.'

'We just need to keep working,' Thomas said and after a few more pages we realised the second word was actually CATCH. So we had FLOAT and CATCH.

'Definitely not coincidence,' Minho said. 

I nodded, getting more excited by the second.

'Definitely not,' Thomas agreed. 

Teresa gestured toward the storage closet. 'We need to go through all of them-all those boxes in there.' 

'Yeah,' Thomas nodded. 'Let's get on it.'

'We can't help,' Minho suddenly said, making me look at him with raised eyebrows. He returned my glare. 'At least not me, Dawn and Thomas here. We need to get the Runners out in the Maze.' 

'What?' Thomas asked. 'This is way more important!'

Actually I agreed with Thomas. Now we had found this I saw no more use in running my butt off.

'Maybe,' Minho answered calmly. 'but we can't miss a day out there. Not now.'

'Why, Minho? You said the pattern's basically been repeating ifself for months-one more day won't mean a thing,' Thomas said.

Minho hit his fist on the table, making me jump in my seat. 'That's bullcrap Thomas! Of all days this might be the most important to get out there. Something might've changed, something might've opened up. In fact, with the freaking walls not closing anymore, I think we should try your idea-stay out there overnight and do some deeper exploring.'

I narrowed and thought about it. It was a good idea, although I didn't really like meeting a Griever again. My hand went to my shoulder were the nasty thing had stung me. I took a deep breath. Hiding in here was useless, not when the doors didn't close anymore. 

'But what about the code?' Thomas broke my thoughts.

'Tommy,' Newt said in a consoling voice. 'Minho's right. You shanks go out there and get runnin'. I'll round up some Gladers we can trust and get workin' on this.'

'Dawn?' Minho asked, making me look at him. 'You're coming with us.' 

I nodded, feeling suddenly totally ready. 'Let's do it,' I said, making Minho smirk.

Teresa suddenly spoke up. 'I'll stay here and help Newt.' 

Thomas looked at her. 'You sure?' 

She folded her arms and smirked. 'If you're going to decipher a hidden code from a complex set of different mazes, I'm pretty sure you need a girl's brain running the show.' 

'If you say so,' Thomas said with a smile, folding his arms as well.

I raised my eyebrows at the two of them and then turned to Newt. 'Maybe you can ask Lisa to help, the few times that I spoke with her about the Maze she had a pretty good look on it.' 

Newt nodded. 'Good that.' 

Minho suddenly stood up. 'Everything's fine and dandy. Come on.' He walked towards the door and I followed, but Thomas didn't. 

'Don't worry, Tommy,' Newt said, a slight smirk forming on his face. 'Your girlfriend will be fine.'

Minho gathered all the Runners to tell them about the plan to stay out there at night. It surprised me when none of them protested. They all agreed with it, every single one of them was ready to finally stay out there. Once we were done talking we packed our backpacks with more supplies than usual. No one knew how long we were going to stay out there. It terrified me but at the same time, it made me feel good that we were finally onto something. Something big.

We were just stretching our legs by the West Door when Chuck walked to us.

'I'd go with you,' he said in a far too jovial voice. 'But I don't wanna die a gruesome death.'

I smiled and Thomas laughed. 'Thanks for the words of encouragement,' Thomas said.

'Be careful,' Chuck replied, his tone melting into genuine concern. 'I wish I could help you guys.'

This little kid kept on surprising me and I was sure that if it would came down to it, Chuck would actually follow us into the Maze. 'Thanks Chuck, you good luck here.' 

The kid nodded at me, wringing his hands.

Turning to the Door I took a deep breath. A shiver went down my spine as the thought of facing Grievers and empty hallways crossed my mind, but we had no other choice.

'Let's go,' Minho said. 

And while shaking all the doubts and all the fears off me I followed the boys into the Maze. Ready to find a way out.