Captain Jaz led them around a few more corners and turns. Sonya and Amy were carrying Evelyn at this point. Evelyn was having a hard time staying conscious. She just wanted to lay down and sleep.

"Come on Eve, stay with me!" Sonya encouraged.

"Just around the next turn!" Captain Jaz called.

"Oh good!"

The group rounded the corner and at the end of the short passageway was a ladder. An old black metal ladder with rusty rungs. Captain Jaz told them to wait, and she climbed the ladder and with a grunt moved the heavy metal grate. Bright light poured down. Some of the girls hissed and threw their hands over their eyes.

"Dang!"

"We on the surface of the sun?"

"I think I'm melting!"

"This is how vampires must feel!"

Evelyn however removed her arms from around Sonya and Amy's shoulder and staggered into the bright hot sun. She closed her eyes and tilted her face up letting the sun heat up her face. She could feel it warming her whole body. It was like the cold icy claws that had gripped her heart and soul were melting away. She actually smiled.

"Okay. Girls, one at a time up the ladder." Captain Jaz called down.

Evelyn waved a few of the girls up. She counted the. As they went. Amy was first, holding a long knife in her teeth as she climbed. Then Kennedy, now that she was bathed in sun her blond curls had red in it and her cheeks and nose had a splash of freckles. She had a little mischievous smile. Hannah, Meagen, Jill, Olivia, Avery and Rossa. Harriet came over and nodded with her head.

"Up ya get Healer."

Evelyn took a deep breath and ground her teeth as she started to climb. Her arms were shaking, her legs felt like jelly, having a hard time supporting her weight. Captain Jaz reached down and helped pulled her up. Evelyn clawed her self over the edge and collapsed onto the ground, she rolled onto her back and just lay in the hot sun.

Evelyn grinned. They made it through the Underneath! She lived. She felt lighter, more hopeful in the bright sun. Sure there were cranks up here too...they were in the middle of crank city, but she felt like it was doable now that they had lived through the dark silent tombs of the Underneath.

Sonya, Teresa and Harriet climbed up the ladder and made it to the surface safely.

"Wow. Sunshine and fresh air!"

"How hot is it?"

"It's either the surface of the sun or were in bloody hell!"

Evelyn and Teresa both snorted.

"Something Newt said!"

"Great minds think alike!"

"So Captain...where is this Marcus?" Evelyn asked, slowly proping herself up onto her elbows. The sun gave her a bit of strength. She needed a nap, so badly she wanted a nap and a shower.

"Well...about half a days walk." She shielded her eyes and looked around, "it's still early in the day, we can get a few blocks in before we rest during the heat of the day and then continue in the late afternoon and evening, rest for the night."

"Sounds like a plan. Let's go." Harriet nodded.

She hefted her backpack, picked up the spear she had and turned to lead the group. Sonya and Teresa both held out a hand for Evelyn. She greatfully took them and they hefted her to her feet. The girls all followed after Captain Jaz and Harriet.

It was a long and hot trudge. At least in the open desert there was a breeze. Inside the city there wasn't much air circulation, surrounded by enormously tall buildings in every direction. All the builders had broken windows and missing doors. A few had fallen over completely. The heat just intensified the smell of dirty people, garbage strewn over the streets and the dead rotting bodies.

Sweat, rot, dust and heat.

But no people. None living, anyway. Evelyn felt a moment of alarm that some of the dead might be her boys, but that wasn't the case. Teresa gave her hand a squeeze, the look on her face told Evelyn she thought the same thing for a moment. But the scattered bodies were older men and women, and decay had already set in.

As the group trudged down the long and lonely street, Evelyn kept her eyes peeled, scanning every broken window, every alley, every crumbled doorway. Hoping to see some sign of Newt and the Gladers. And hoping not to see any Cranks. Teresa's head was also on the swivel.

They traveled until the sun was at its peek, avoiding contact with anyone. They did hear the occasional scream in the distance, or the sounds of things crashing inside a building now and then. Once, Evelyn saw a group of people scurry across a street several blocks away, but they seemed not to notice their group. Though Captain Jaz shoved them all down the back alley until the group was out of sight again.

"Okay. We find a place to make camp for a few hours and then set out again for a bit."

It took the group another fourty five minutes to find a building that had a room with a functioning door. Captain ushered them in and closed the door. It must have been some kind of storage room. There were shelves and tables scattered. A few were knocked over, crates and boxes ripped open and the contents dumped, someone or a few people had stripped the room bare of all useful items. Jaz pushed a shelf infront of the door and sat down against the shelf. Her gun in her lap.

"Rest girls." She said and indicated they sit.

Evelyn had already sunk down to the floor and curled into a ball. Her back to the wall, her bag as a pillow. Her sore and exhausted body was asleep within minutes.
_________________________

She was woken again by Captain Jaz shaking her awake. Her eyes quickly took in Evelyn's appearance. Concern flashed in her eyes but it was gone when she blinked. Evelyn groaned. Captain Jaz went onto the next girl. Evelyn slowly pushed herself up, pain shot through her arm and she sucked in a sharp breath. Her arm just about gave out.

"Shuck!" She cursed under her breath. Her infected arm was worse, and thanks to the crank who bit her, she could feel the infection in her shoulder. She clamped her eyes closed for a few seconds, trying to squeeze the tears away.

"Hey Evy? You alright?"

Evelyn looked up, Sonya was looking at her with concern. Evelyn just forced a smile, and nodded.

Leaning gingerly in the wall she pulled her water out of her bag with her food arm. The group was ready to continue after a quite can of cold food.

"Ya know? Brenda was right...this stuff gets old pretty quick..."

"Ya? You'd push Chuck's mom down the stairs for a salad?" Teresa teased, making Evelyn chuckle while the other girls frowned in confusion.

Captain Jaz for them up and they slowly and carefully left the room and the building. Sticking close to the walls, in the limited shadow, Captain Jaz led them further through the city. Closer and closer to the other side. Evelyn could see the mountains slowly rise from behind the buildings.

She gapped as the mountains rose in all their majesty. They were several times bigger than Evelyn would've guessed upon first glimpsing them a few days earlier standing up in that sand dune. She also would have guess they were dry and rocky. No, they were snowcapped beauties, she could see the white glaring in the bright sun. It was beautiful.

The further the group walked, and the heat died they noticed more people. But these people seemed almost normal. They rushed from one destination to the next, not stopping to talk or make eye contact.

"Hey Jaz?" Evelyn called, and sped up quickly to talk to the Captain. "Do all the people in here have the Flare?"

She nodded. "Yes, this section of the city is more so the... recently infected. Or the ones who haven't quite gotten... dangerous."

Evelyn nodded, understanding, and remembering what Jorge had told her about how the Flare worked in stages.

"What you told us back on the helicopter...after we thought we were rescued?"

She hummed and nodded, "what about it?"

"Was it all true?"

Again she nodded, she sighed, she looked at Evelyn through her sunglasses.

"Yes. All of what I said was true. The more trauma done to the brain the faster the disease eats the brain."

"Well doesn't my life suck."

"I'm sorry Evelyn, I truly am." Jaz's voice was soft, instead of her gruff demanding one.

Evelyn sunk into quiet for a bit. She hated the people who'd done this to her, hated the disease that had made all this happen, and she wished there was something she could do to make it right. And the only way she knew how was to get her boys and the group of girls to the Right Arm.

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the melincoly thoughts and the crawling feeling that started at the base of her skull.

"So...what's your story?" She asked, trying to keep her mind off the diese that was eating her brain right now.

"Well...there isn't a lot of job openings. WIXKED pais good for immunes willing to work. I was told old to be a candidate for the Maze Trials, but they took me on in the guard. I was trained first mission out it was Jorge who saved my ass. After that I refused to go on an missions if he wasn't the pilot. He introduced me to Mary. I slowly realized what WICKED was doing to you kids and joined the Right Arm. Brenda and Jorge are like family."

Evelyn smiled as she readjusted her bag, it was pushing on the bite mark. She was twisting her neck to try stretch the sore muscles when she froze.

"Captain Jaz!" Evelyn gasped.

The captain was beside her in an instant. The other girls all crowded.

"I swear I just saw Tommy and Brenda!"

"What? Where?" She demanded.

"Down that ally. I mean way down." Evelyn said, pointing.

It was a small skinny darker alley, but it ran parallel with the main road, and it was two blooks down that she swore she saw Thomas and Brenda.

"They were surrounded by three other cranks."

"Dammit." Captain Jaz muttered.

"We gotta go check!" Teresa demanded.

"Yeah, but all of us can't go, it'll draw too much attention. First we gotta find a place to set up, and then we'll go."

"I can stay here and watch, see if they come back out." Evelyn suggested.

The captain gave her a skeptical look.

"I can't get any more infected."

"I'll stay with her." Sonya suggested.

"Alright. But do not engage! Stay hidden and out of sight. Someone will come back to get you."

The girls nodded. Teresa pulled out her long knife and handed it to Sonya. She nodded in thanks. The girls looked both ways and then crossed the street to the ally and slid into the shadows.

They slid down the wall, crouching down and leaning against the wall. Evelyn pulled the scarf she used from the scorch and wrapped it around and over her face. Sonya did the same. They stayed quiet, Evelyn was glad for the company. Just like Newt, she was comfortable with quiet and silence.

"How's your shoulder?" She asked quietly.

"Sore." Evelyn saw no benefit in lying or denying it.

"Did you clean it?"

Evelyn shook her head. "I'd rather not draw more attention to myself. I'll deal with me when this is over. The boys come first. Finding Newt and Minho...Chuck, Sonny, Jeff, Nick, Fry, James and Percy, Aris..." She nodded in the direction they were watching, "and now Tommy and Brenda."

"Evelyn-"

"Don't worry about me." Evelyn shook her head. She took hold of Sonya's hand in her good arm, holding it tight. "This is about Newt. And Minho. And all the boys. Now they need us. Tommy needs us. So if there is even the slightest chance that we can save him, and find the others...then we have to take that. No matter what the cost. I will do anything to see my family safe, and that includes you."

"It should also include you."

Evelyn just gave her a tired smile, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall.

"I won't ever leave him. Not truly."

The girls waited and watched in silence some more. Captain Jaz, Teresa, Harriet and Amy showed up half an hour later.

"The others are safe. We will do survalence, meet back here as soon as you can. Do not engage!" Captain Jaz ordered. She broke everyone into pairs and sent them on their way.

Teresa and Evelyn climbed the ladder that lead to the roof, they slowly and carefully climbed up and flicked a flashlight on, it was getting dark quickly. There wasn't anything up here, except some old boxes and empty glass bottles.

Evelyn kicked some of the garbage around, trying to see if there was anything useful. All the boxes and crates had the same name stamped on it.

Saints & Siners

"Must be some kind of bar." Teresa said crouching down beside her. "And they just dump their extras and emptys up here..."

"Looks like it's a booming business."

"Wow...you really are punny." Teresa chuckled.

The building had started to vibrate with loud thumbing music that was coming from below them. Evelyn gave her a dry smile.

"Well there's not much here." Teresa muttered standing up.

They walked to the edge of the roof and peered over. The main street was just about empty. There were a few people staggering around. Whether they were drunk or cranks, Evelyn couldn't tell from up here. The screams of the past Gonners were starting up and the laughter coming from the streets below made Evelyn's skin crawl.

"We should get back. Times almost up." Evelyn muttered checking her watch.

Teresa nodded and they headed back down. On their way Teresa stopped so abruptly Evelyn collided with her. Making her hiss in pain as it shot a sharp stab in her shoulder.

"Tes? What's up?"

She shivered like she was cold for a second. Shook her head and then continued walking.

"Tessa?" Evelyn asked a bit more suspiciously.

"Sorry, just tired and had to sneeze."

"Don't lie to me!" Evelyn reached out and grabbed hold of her arm. She spun her around, expecting to see haunted vacunt eyes. But her bright blue eyes were just fine, they looked back at Evelyn confused and worried.

"Evy...are you okay?"

"I swear...were you just... WICKED trying to mind control...?" She muttered.

"I'm fine." Teresa waved her off.

But again her body shivered like it was cold, and her bright blue eyes went unfocused for a split second. Her body stiffened for the briefest of seconds and then relaxed, she blinked and she was frowning at Evelyn with worry and concern.

"Come on Eve, we gotta meet Captain Jaz and the others."