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Thomas stared in shock as two of the newcomers tackled the WICKED woun, aiht No--

Flashes lit the air as several shots exploded fro into the woman’s body She was dead, a bloody mess

Thomas took several steps backward, almost sturoup spread out around theht as they shot at the observation s, shattering them Thomas heard screams, saw blood, looked away, focused on thebut full of wrinkles around the eyes, as if he’d spent each day of his life worrying about how to make it to the next

"We don’t have time to explain," the man said, his voice as strained as his face "Just follow me and run like your life depends on it Because it does"

With that the man made a few lass doors, his gun held rigidly before hiony still rattled the chanore them and follow instructions

"Go!" one of the rescuers--that was the only way Thomas could think of them--screamed from behind

After the briefest hesitation, the Gladers followed, alet out of the chamber, as far away from the Grievers and the Maze as possible Tho Teresa’s, ran with theroup They had no choice but to leave Chuck’s body behind

Thomas felt no e hallway, into a di was dark, smelled like electronics Down another hallway Up et excited about their escape, rejoice that Teresa was there with him But he’d seen too

On they ran, so encouragelass doors and went through the fro off the pounding sheets of water

The leader didn’t stop e bus, its sides dented and scarred, most of the ebbed with cracks Rain sluiced down it all,out of the ocean

"Get on!" the ht pack behind the door as they entered, one by one It see their way up the three stairs and into the seats

Thoht in front of hiainst his face--it arm, almost hot, had a weird thickness to it Oddly, it helped break him out of his funk, snap hie He focused on the bus, on Teresa, on escape

They were alainst his shoulder, gripping his shirt He cried out as so his hand out of Teresa’s--he saw her spin around just in ti up a spray of water A bolt of pain shot down his spine as a woman’s head appeared two inches above hi down, touching Tho a face hidden in shadow A horrible sone rotten The woht to reveal her features--pale, wrinkly skin covered in horrible sores, oozing with pus Sheer terror filled Thomas, froze hi out of herThohed, not h

The worabbed her with both hands and yanked her off of Thomas, who recovered his wits and scra as theout weakly, her eyes on Thomas She pointed at him, called out, "Don’t believe a word they tell ya! Gonna save us from the Flare, ya are!"

When the man was several yards froround "Stay put or I’ll shoot you dead!" he yelled at her; then he turned to Thomas "Get on the bus!"

Thomas, so terrified by the ordeal that his body shook, turned and followed Teresa up the stairs and into the aisle of the bus Wide eyes watched him as they walked all the way to the back seat and plopped down; they huddled together Black water washed down the s outside The rain drummed on the roof, heavy; thunder shook the skies above them

What was that? Teresa said in his hts of Chuck flooded hi his heart He just didn’t care, didn’t feel any relief at escaping the Maze Chuck…

One of the rescuers, a woman, sat across from Thomas and Teresa; the leader who’d spoken to them earlier climbed onto the bus and took a seat at the wheel, cranked up the engine The bus started rolling forward

Just as it did, Thomas saw a flash of otten to her feet, was sprinting toward the front of the bus, waving her ar drowned out by the sounds of the storm Her eyes were lit with lunacy or terror--Tholass of theas she disappeared from his view up ahead

"Wait!" Thomas shrieked, but no one heard hiunned the engine--the bus lurched as it slammed into the woman’s body A thump almost jolted Thomas out of his seat as the front wheels ran over her, quickly followed by a second thump--the back wheels Thomas looked at Teresa, saw the sickened look on her face that surely mirrored his own

Without a word, the driver kept his foot on the gas and the bus plowed forward, driving off into the rain-swept night

CHAPTER 61

The next hour or so was a blur of sights and sounds for Thoh towns and cities, the heavy rain obscuring s arped and watery, like so-induced hallucination At one point people outside rushed the bus, their clothes ratty, hair e sores like those Tho their terrified faces They pounded on the sides of the vehicle as if they wanted to get on, wanted to escape whatever horrible lives they were living

The bus never slowed Teresa reh nerve to speak to the wo on?" he asked, not sure how else to pose it

The wos around her face Dark eyes full of sorrow "That’s a very long story" The woiving him hope that she truly was a friend--that all of their rescuers were friends Despite the fact that they’d run over a woman in cold blood

"Please," Teresa said "Please tell us so"