Page 34 (1/2)

"Hey, daydreaers "I asked you a question"

"Huh? Oh … There’s so many--they make the place look smaller than it ever did ere here"

It didn’t take long before their friends spotted theirls fro, and there was a short burst of reunions and hugs

Frypan swatted Thomas on the arm "Can you believe they put me back in this place? They wouldn’t even let ed food in the Box three ti"

Tho "You think you were a lousy cook for fifty guys? Try feeding this arlad to see you" Then his eyes got big "Gally? Gally’s here? Gally’s alive?"

"Nice to see you, too," the boy responded dryly

Thouy now"

Gally scoffed but didn’t respond

Minho stepped up to theoing to do this, dude?"

"Shouldn’t be too bad," Tho to funnel all these people not only through the Maze itself, but then all the way through the WICKED complex to the Flat Trans Still, it had to be done

"Don’t feed me that klunk," Minho said "Your eyes don’t lie"

Thoht with us"

"Have you looked at these poor saps?" Minho asked, sounding disgusted "Half of ’eer than us, and the other half look like they haven’t so ht"

"Sometimes numbers are all that matters," Thomas responded

He spotted Teresa and called her over, then found Brenda

"What’s the plan?" Teresa asked

If Teresa was really with them, this hen Thomas needed her--and all the roups," he said to everyone "There’s gotta be four or five hundred people, so … groups of fifty Then have one Glader or Group B person be in charge of theet to this maintenance roo it

Tho as you and Brenda lead the way Everyone else guide one of the groups Except Minho, Jorge, and Gally I think you guys should cover the rear"

"Sounds good toImpossibly, he looked bored

"Whatever you say, e added Gally just nodded

They spent the next twentythe the groups even in ter orders once they realized the new arrivals had coroups, Thomas and his friends lined up in front of the East Door Thoet everyone’s attention

"Listen up!" Tho to use you for science Your bodies--your brains They’ve been studying people for years, collecting data to develop a cure for the Flare Now they want to use you as well, but you deserve more than a life as lab rats You are--we all are--the future, and the future isn’t going to happen the way WICKED wants it to That’s e’re here To get you out of this place We’ll be going through a bunch of buildings to find a Flat Trans that’ll take us soht Stick with your groups, and the strongest need to do whatever it takes to protect the--"

Thomas’s last words were cut off by a violent crack--like the sound of stone splintering And then, nothing Only an echo bouncing off the enor the sky for the source

Tho up behind hi was out of place He was just about to speak when another crack sounded, then another A thunderous din of ru in depth and voluround started to tre to fall apart

People turned in circles, looking for the source of the noise, and Tho He’d lose control soon The ground shookrock--and now screa in front of him

Suddenly it dawned on Thomas "The explosives"

"What?" Minho shouted at hiht Ar roar shook the Glade, and Thoe portion of the wall to the left of the East Door had broken loose, great chunks of stone flying everywhere A huge section seele, and then it fell, toppling toward the ground

Tho before thethem as it broke in half He stood for a es and pooled on the stone floor

CHAPTER 69

The wounded screa coround beneath Tho apart around theet out