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They were about ten feet away from Nehen he suddenly spoke in a loud voice that echoed off the dark walls of the bowling alley "I told you bloody shanks to get lost!"

Minho stopped and Thomas alo, which hen he realized howthose words come out of Newt somehow let him know that it was over and done Their friend would never be the same--he had only dark days ahead

"We need to talk to you," Minho said,a couple of feet closer to Newt He had to step over a skinny wo on her side

"Don’t come any closer," Newt answered His voice was soft, but it was full of ht I was a bloody Iine their surprise when they could tell I had the Flare eatingtheir civic duty when they du, Tho not to let Neords overcome him "Why do you think we’re here, Newt? I’ht I’ht you here But we can break you out--it doesn’t look like anyone gives a klunk who cooes"

Newt sloisted around to face them Thomas’s stomach dropped when he saw that the boy had a Launcher clutched in his hands And he looked ragged, like he’d been running and fighting and falling down cliffs for three days straight But despite the anger that had pooled in his eyes, he hadn’t been taken bya half a step back--he barelyon the lady at his heels "Slim it nice and calm There’s no need to point a shuck Launcher at , anyway?"

"I stole it," Newt answered "Took it fro slightly, which er of the weapon

"I’in’ shanks co for me I mean it But this is where it bloody ends This is when you turn around and walk back out that door and head for your Berg and fly away Do you understand me?"

"No, Newt, I don’t understand," Minho said, the frustration in his voice escalating "We risked our necks to co you hoo crazy, that’s fine But you’re gonna do it with us, not with these shuck Cranks"

Newt suddenly jumped to his feet, so quickly that Thomas almost stumbled backward Newt lofted the Launcher and pointed it at Minho "I ah your bloody head? If you had the Flare and knehat you were about to go through, would you want your friends to stand around and watch? Huh? Would you want that?" He was shouting by the ti , and Tho up elare shifted to hi his voice "You’ve got a lot of nerve co ht of youanyone had ever said had hurt so

CHAPTER 39

Thomas couldn’t think of any possible explanation for the state about?" he asked

Newt didn’t respond, just kept staring at hi, his Launcher pointed at Thomas’s chest But then he stilled and his face softened He lowered the weapon and looked at the floor

"Newt, I don’t get it," Tho all this?"

Newt looked up again, and there was none of the bitterness that had been there just seconds earlier "I’uys I’ worse by the hour and I don’t have many sane ones left Please leave"

When Thoue, Newt held up his hands "No! No ing you I’ forin roup I’veto break out and head for Denver later today I’ with them"

He paused, and it took every bit of Thomas’s resolve to keep quiet Why would they want to break out and go to Denver?

"I don’t expect you to understand, but I can’t be with you guys anyh for me now, and it’ll make it worse if I know you have to witness it Or worst of all, if I hurt you So let’s say our bloody goodbyes and then you can proood old days"

"I can’t do that," Minho said

"Shuck it!" Newt yelled "Do you have any clue how hard it is to be calet out of here! Do you understand me? Get out of here!"

Someone poked Thoathered behind them The person who’d jabbed Thoreasy hair He reached out again and pushed the tip of his finger into Thomas’s chest

"I believe our new friend asked you people to leave hiue snaked out to lick his lips as he spoke

"This is none of your business," Thoer, but for soh inside him to be sick about Newt "He was our friend way before he came here"

The man slicked his hand over his oily hair "That boy’s a Crank now, and so are we That makes him our business Now leave him … alone"

Minho spoke before Thoed with the Flare This is between us and Newt You leave"

The lass gripped in his fist Blood dripped fro you would resist," he snarled "I’ve been bored"

His ar toward Thomas’s face Thomas ducked toward the floor and reached up with his hands to deflect the blow But before the weapon hit hiuy’s hand ahich sent the glass shard flying Then Minho was on hiround They landed on the woet to Newt, and she screa Soon the three of the match

"Stop it!" Newt yelled "Stop it now!"

Tho as he waited for an opportunity to jump in and help Minho But he twisted around to see that Neas holding his Launcher in shooting position, his eyes ith fury

"Stop or I’ll start shooting and not give a buggin’ piece of klunk who gets hit"

The reasy hair pushed his way out of thethe woot to his feet, scratches covering his face