They walked on in utter silence after the gunshot. Florence felt nauseous thinking about what Winston had just done, and close to tears thinking about how he was really gone.

No one spoke as they set up camp for the night; lighting a fire, putting out sleeping bags, distributing the little water they had left was all done in silence. But finally, when they were all sat around the flickering flames of the fire, Minho broke the silence.

"I thought we were supposed to be immune."

What a way to improve the mood.

Florence shifted so her head was resting on the boy's shoulder, her eyes lazily focusing on the fire, watching as Aris dropped a log onto the flames and sent sparks up into the dark air.

"Not all of us," Teresa spoke suddenly, before adding, "I guess."

"If Winston can get infected, we should assume that so can the rest of us." 

Florence glanced at Newt through the flames, letting his words sink in. It was the best assumption to make, and they didn't have to change much of how they were living, after all coming into contact with a Crank was an experience they were already trying to avoid.

"I never thought I'd say it," Frypan's eyes were firmly on the fire, the orange glow lighting his face enough for Florence to see the tear tracks on his cheeks. "But, I miss the Glade."

No one responded to his words. Florence lifted her head from Minho, shuffling closer to the upset boy and pulling him into a half hug. He returned it gratefully, sniffling a little as he rested his head on her shoulder.

He had just lost his best friend.

Back in the Glade, nothing was perfect - obviously - but they knew they were safe inside there; before Thomas came at least. They knew what they were supposed to do. Out here in the Scorch, they knew nothing at all.

The next day was just spent walking. Again, barely anyone spoke, thoughts of Winston circling everyone's minds and preventing them from thinking of anything else.

They didn't stop until they reached the flat land stretching out towards the mountains. As close as it had seemed back in the city, it seemed like it was even further away now.

Everyone had crawled into their sleeping bags without a second glance, and even Florence found herself needing to curl up under some blankets to get some proper rest. She couldn't remember the last time she had a good night's sleep.

"Hey."

Florence sat up from the ground, turning to where Thomas was keeping watch over the sleeping group. She wasn't sure what woke her in particular, but something had, and she shifted away from Minho's arms to sit down beside her brother.

"Hey." He replied, his voice quiet, clearly deep in thought.

"What's up?" She nudged his shoulder with her own, but she wasn't able to shake him out of where he was stuck in his head.

"Teresa." He finally said. All of the things he might have said, Florence was not expecting that.

"Teresa?" She questioned, her voice high with confused interest. He shot her a look that told her it wasn't in that way, Thomas wasn't really into girls anyway, and proceeded to tell her the real reason.

"She got her memories back too."

Florence couldn't even pretend to be surprised. She had a sneaking suspicion in the back of her mind, but the girl acting so oddly recently really threw her for a loop; especially as the only memories she had gotten from before the Maze with the others were good ones.

What did Teresa see?

"What did she tell you?"

Thomas was a little confused as to why she wasn't more surprised, but ignored it as he explained. "Not much. She remembered when we were brought in, being taller or something, but that's not what I was worried about."

Florence's eyebrows knitted together nervously, and Thomas glanced to her, his expression only making her more anxious.

"She told me she thinks we should go back."

"To WCKD?" She whispered, suddenly remembering everyone else was asleep.

He nodded in reply, causing the girl's eyes to grow wide.

WCKD tortured us, why would she want us to go back? What did they show her when we were there?

"Why? Why would she want to go back there?" Her voice was raising out of anxiety and anger, leading Thomas to shush her loud tone.

As he was about to respond, his eyes scanned across their surroundings like they had been every so often for the last few hours, but this time he found something in the distance. How hadn't he noticed it before?

At his lack of a reply, Florence's eyes turned to where he was looking, letting out a breathy laugh at the sight of civilisation. Their conversation was immediately forgotten. In the distance, there was a series of lights, at the base of the mountains.

"Hey," Thomas spoke first, turning to the others, his voice loud enough to wake them. 

Then Florence came back to reality, shifting to Minho's side, brushing her hand through his hair lightly. He flinched slightly at the contact, his eyes flying open but relaxing on sight of her.

"Get up." She said sweetly, causing him to roll his eyes as he did so. But when he saw the lights, he was more than enthusiastic to comply.

"Newt, get up. Come on, let's go. Frypan, Aris." Thomas went about it much more aggressively, hitting everyone's legs and scrambling up from the ground.

"I see something." He proclaimed excitedly, grabbing Newt's arm as the boy groggily stood up from the ground, dust imprinting the side of him that was pressed into the floor moments ago.

"What is it? What..."

"You see that? It's lights. We made it." He whispered, in awe.

As if on cue, a crack of thunder boomed behind them, drawing their attention to the growing thunderstorm brewing. A bolt of lightning hit the ground, about 100 feet away. Then another, closer. Then another, even closer.

"Let's go. We gotta go. Come on." Thomas urged, and Florence immediately moved to grab her bag from the ground, swinging it onto her back.

As the thunder continued to crackle and lightning continued to strike, the sky grew even darker, black storm clouds swallowing any rays of light that had previously been shining through. This made for a much harder journey as they began to run - for what seemed like the thousandth time since ending up in the Scorch - towards the lights they had spotted.

"Hurry! Run!" Thomas's voice was panicky now, desperately urging everyone on as they ran.

They were close to the shelter now, grey stone buildings coming into clearer view and abandoned cars were scattered randomly, stretching out towards the empty desert. In front of them was a steel warehouse, Florence assuming that's where they were headed as it was the clearest path.

A bolt of lightning struck the ground only ten feet from them, causing Florence's heart to skip a beat. She ignored the burn of her legs as she sprinted alongside Newt towards the warehouse, trying her best to not focus on the lightning threatening their lives.

And then suddenly, another one hit.

She was thrown from her feet, thudding to the ground as an echoing bolt of lightning struck close by, too close by. Her head narrowly missed smacking against the floor as her hands scraped across the gravel, stinging furiously. But she ignored it.

She could hear ringing in her ears as she frantically scrambled up from the floor, her limbs wobbling. She could've sworn she saw two of the others being flung to the ground just as she was. Turning to look to where it had hit, Florence wished that her eyes were deceiving her.

She was frozen to the spot, fixated on where Minho's lifeless body was lying on the ground, unmoving. She had completely forgotten about the lightning storm still around them, her focus only on the boy that had been struck by a bolt of it. Smoke was rising off his body, his skin having to be searing hot.

He can't be dead.

She could barely hear Thomas's yells of the boy's name, as he reached his side, shaking him helplessly to no reaction.

He can't be dead.

"Florence!" Hearing Thomas's voice roar to her, she sprung into action, moving over to help her brother up from the floor, as Newt and Aris picked up the lifeless boy.

She broke into a half-jog half-walk to hurry them into the warehouse Frypan was ushering them inside. Her eyes remained on Minho, his face dirtied by the ground he had hit when the lightning struck. She could feel the tears already burning behind her eyes.

"Get inside!"

Minho can't be dead.

Once inside the warehouse, they dropped him to the ground gently, so he was lying on his back. Instantly the group crowded around him, with the girl hovering over him, gripping his jacket and shaking him, willing him to be alive.

The door had swung shut after Frypan let go off it, casting them all in darkness. Florence moved closer to the boy, desperately trying to see if there was any sign of life in him, needing to see he wasn't gone.

"Who's got a light?"

Florence didn't hear who answered - or even asked - the question, but a bright flash light illuminated his figure as she continued to try and wake him, relentlessly.

"Come on Minho, I can't lose you." Her tone was wobbly, but she didn't allow herself to cry.

It felt like everything had been knocked out of her upon seeing his possible dead figure. But there was no way she could let herself accept it. There was no way he could really be gone.

Her friends watched hopelessly from the boy's sides, tears pricking their eyes as they also called the boy's name, urging him to react. It was even more heart breaking that they had made it through the entire Maze, and what had got Minho was a lightning bolt.

Florence stopped shaking him, her hands falling onto his chest as her eyes continued to burn furiously. She stroked a hand through his hair, scanning every inch of his calm, still expression. He looked so, so peaceful.

He's gone.

The first tear dropped onto his cheek as the words escaped her lips before she could think about it, "I love you."

She hated that she had only realised it after he was gone.

She found herself sobbing now, her eyes squeezed shut, not seeing how Minho had winced at the sudden drop of water on his face. He let out a groan, shifting on the floor and eliciting relieved sighs from his friends beside him.

Eyes flying open again, Florence leapt on him in a hug, her face burying into his chest with shaky breaths. Her voice whispered endless thank-yous for the fact he hadn't died, and his hand ran through her hair soothingly.

"What happened?" He asked, a little bemused.

"Minho, you got struck by lightning."

His eyebrows shot up in shock and it took a second before an amused grin devoured his face. "Awesome."

This set the group off into laughter - only Minho would think being struck by lightning was awesome. And although Florence laughed too, her only thoughts were on the fact that Minho was alive.

"So I had to be struck by lightning for you to admit it?" He mumbled weakly, and her cheeks instantly burned red at the realisation she had heard him. His words earned a few chuckles from the others watching.

Pulling back, she momentarily forgot her embarrassment as she appreciated the fact he was still alive once more. She was never going to be mad at him again - at least that's what she told herself momentarily.

"Shuck you, Minho." She said, her voice wavering tearfully but she laughed softly.

"I love you too, princess."

Five words that made Florence's heart soar like it never had before.

He loves me.

Minho shifted so he was resting on his elbows, and Florence recognised the look in his eyes. Leaning forwards, she cupped his cheek and connected her lips with his own.

It was short - mainly because they had four other people watching them - but there was more emotion in it than ever before. She could feel Minho's eyes fluttering closed against her cheeks as he kissed back.

Florence pulled away, wiping her tears from her cheeks and not taking her eyes off Minho for a second. Minho turned to the others, a weak grin on his lips, and they chuckled at his flustered appearance, reaching towards him for a messy hug.

His eyes found hers again, and they simply just looked at one another, practically glowing in their fresh confession of love to one another. They were oblivious to the fact the others were all staring at them, waiting for them to snap out of their daze so they could figure out where they were.

"Come on, let's get him up."

Newt and Aris lifted him from the floor, Florence's attention being stolen by the other girl wandering a little away, taking in the rest of the warehouse. Or at least, attempting to. The only thing visible in the darkness was the silhouette of the steel framework that kept the warehouse standing, spookily illuminating with each lightning strike outside.

Teresa crept further away, as if trying to make something out in the dark, and an uneasy sensation began to form in Florence's stomach as she moved even further. She began to walk after her, catching her words,

"What's that smell?"

A shriek sounded from in front of her, her flashlight landing on a Crank lashing out and then being dragged back by a chain it was attached to. To be safe, Florence's hand clasped around Teresa's wrist, pulling her back towards them.

"Behind you!" Teresa warned, her eyes widening, and she spun around to see almost the exact same thing from the other side of the group. The Crank screamed at them, trying to gash them with its hand, being held by a chain around its other wrist.

As their torches scanned all around them, they grew to realise there were dozens of them, set off like a domino effect all screeching and screaming, trying to break free and kill them. They were trapped in the middle.

And in the midst of it all, a yellow bulb flickered on close by, silhouetting a small figure in a doorway. "I see you've met our guard dogs." They called, a higher pitched voice leading Florence to assume they were a girl.

She didn't sound much older than them, and as she moved down the path created in the gaps of the screaming Cranks, they could see she had short pixie-cut brown hair and dark eyes that sparkled cheekily. Florence felt more than a little intimidated by the fact she was so unbothered by the Cranks, and could say nothing when the girl looked them all up and down.

"You guys look like shit." She said simply, to no reply.

If I didn't feel so intimidated, I think I'd like this girl.

"Come on. Follow me." She said, as she took a few steps back in the direction she came in.

The Gladers were still shell shocked by the reveal of all the chained up Cranks, not moving, so the mysterious girl stopped again, smirking. "Unless you want to stay here with them."

This got them all moving.

As they wandered after her like lost puppies, Florence slowed so she fell into step with Minho. She slid her arm around his waist, feeling protective of the still recovering boy that got struck by lightning barely ten minutes ago. He glanced to her quickly, but she didn't look at him, her vision firmly focused on the girl that was leading them through the warehouse.

"How do you catch them?" Thomas asked, jogging to catch up the girl who was sauntering through the warehouse with ease.

"Catch them? What, do you think we're stupid?" Thomas's face fell a little at her tone, but then she continued. "We don't catch them. We just take precaution when people start to turn."

"Wait, those things back there are your friends? You just chain them up?" Teresa asked, sounding horrified.

"What else are they supposed to do?" Florence questioned, her eyes drawing around the building, as Teresa glanced back to her with a dirty look.

"No worse than cutting them loose to Crank-land." The mysterious girl commented, giving an approving nod to Florence after her words.

"What the hell's Crank-land?" Florence caught Frypan muttering under his breath.

The new girl also heard his question, turning back to face him with an intrigued sparkle in her eye. "You guys aren't from around here, are you?" 

She led them to a sliding door, which she opened in one swift movement, striding through confidently. She was maintaining an aura of nonchalance about herself, but Florence could see deep down she was interested by them all.

The girl had led them into another section of the warehouse, filled with crates and cloth canopies, and so many people. In the Scorch, they had come across no one but Cranks. And now, there was a whole civilisation right in front of them.

"Are you okay?" Minho's voice snapped her out of her daze and she stopped in her tracks, dumbfounded.

"You're asking me?" He shrugged, unsure as to why she was questioning it. "Minho, you just got struck by lightning, and you're asking me if I'm okay?"

His face broke into a grin and laughter escaped his lips, however her face remained stony. She nudged his side and he went straight faced again, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"Are you okay Minho?" She asked him seriously. 

He opened his mouth to reply and then closed it again, not knowing what to say. As he seemed to find the words, he was interrupted.

"Come on, keep up." The girl ahead snapped, and they were forced to leave behind their conversation. They had hundreds of eyes on them as they wandered through the camp-like place set up, making it hard to focus on where they were going. "Jorge wants to meet you."

"Who's Jorge?"

"You'll see."

She started ascending a steel staircase, and Florence slipped her hand from Minho, following the other girl up to wherever this 'Jorge' was.

"So now we're taking in strays?" A question from an unfamiliar voice caused Florence to stop in her tracks, whirling around to see a man approaching Minho, attempting to intimidate him.

But it was Minho.

He only stepped closer to the man, squaring up to him, showing no fear. Florence had to stop herself from visibly swooning at his reaction to the man.

"Back off!" The mystery girl called to the man, but he didn't move. Neither did Minho of course.

She let out a groan of frustration, jogging down a few steps and stealing his attention. Florence noted how Minho's eyes didn't stray from the man's face, keeping up a guard of intimidation.

"Jorge saw them first." She warned.

What's that supposed to mean? What does Jorge want with us?

The man turned back to Minho, but it was clear the girl's words had spiked enough fear in him to cause him to back off. Minho therefore gave him a smug look before moving up the stairs, Frypan doing the same.

"No one's come out of the Scorch in a long time." The girl informed them as they all reached the top. She began down yet another corridor, making Florence wonder how far away this Jorge was.

"You've just got him curious." She paused, subtly looking Thomas up and down. "And me, too."

Florence heard a few chuckles behind her, and glancing back, almost jumped out of her skin at the sight of three men - the one Minho encountered included - following very close behind them. She whirled back around, pressing her shoulder close to Newt's for some source of comfort.

"Anyone else starting to get a bad feeling about this place?" He mumbled to her, squeezing her hand, noticing her discomfort.

"Let's just hear him out. See what he has to say." Thomas replied, hearing Newt's words. He looked eager to meet the seemingly famous Jorge, tailing the girl closely as she ascended yet another staircase.

"Jorge, they're here."

The room she had led them into was filled with junk, and a man was turned away from them, leaning over what looked like some sort of communications device. He shushed the girl without even turning around but whatever he was doing had clearly been ruined, as he exhaled heavily.

He stayed in that position for a few moments, and Florence felt unease creeping up on her. The girl that had led them to him dropped down onto a sofa close by, and there was a small crowd of creepy men surrounding the room and a few behind them - as if to stop them leaving.

The man finally whirled around; revealing himself as a middle aged Hispanic man. He seemed to have the same mischievous aura about himself, like the girl they had come across, but they shared no other similarities.

"Do you ever get the feeling the whole world's against you?"

Florence couldn't help but let out a chuckle, and saw the looks her friends shared out of the corner of her eye. "Constantly." She replied.

"Three questions." His gaze turned to her, but unlike the other men in the room, she didn't feel so intimidated by him. There was almost a sense of kindness behind his eyes - but Florence knew that she had to stop being so trusting of people. In order to start protecting herself properly, she would have to assume the worst of everyone she came across.

"Where did you come from? Where are you going? How can I profit?"

No one replied. Florence held her chin up, as if to make a point of not speaking, her eyes darting to the girl they had first seen. She looked back at her, as if intrigued by them all. Florence felt equally as intrigued by her.

"Don't all answer at once." Jorge added sarcastically, prompting Thomas to talk. He was their unofficial leader of course.

"We're headed for the mountains. Looking for the Right Arm." A ripple of laughter waved through the room, but Florence caught the way the girl didn't seem so amused.

"You're looking for ghosts, you mean." Jorge corrected, moving on to, "Question number two. Where did you come from?"

"That's our business." Minho replied, with all of them internally deciding it was probably best they didn't know they came from WCKD.

Jorge arched an amused eyebrow - and for a moment Florence was reminded of the way Minho used to break the rules of the Glade and earn Alby's amusement; although he'd try his best not to show it.

It only took one glance from Jorge to the men around the room for them to pounce on them all, unprovoked. Florence felt her arms being grabbed by someone from behind, and letting out a small gasp of terror, she brought her foot up and slammed it down onto the foot of the man holding her, causing him to yelp in pain and grip her tighter.

"Hey. Get the hell off me. Get the hell off me, man!" Thomas was fighting against the man with a hold on him, but was unable to struggle out of his grip, and was forced onto his knees.

The girl leapt up from the sofa, grabbing something Florence couldn't recognise and walking over to Thomas with the peculiar device in her hands. "Shut up, you big baby." She taunted him, raising it to the back of his neck, a red light flashing over his skin and exposing something that had obviously been put into his skin by WCKD. It looked like a barcode, but Florence's heart dropped as she realised it was WCKD keeping a record of them.

"You were right." The girl uttered in disbelief, the Gladers all being released by the men now. Florence pulled away from the man that had a grasp on her, sending him a dirty look, and slinking over to Minho's side.

"Right about what? What is she talking about?" Thomas asked, and Florence bit her lip hard enough to bite blood.

They know, don't they? WCKD has us all on shucking chips.

"I'm sorry, hermano. Looks like you're tagged." Jorge smirked, after looking at the device the girl handed to him. His eyes shone with a hidden knowingness, probably since he had discovered their secret.

"You came from WCKD. Which means, you're very valuable."