Page 8 (1/2)

"Well, we’ve got stuff to figure out," Newt said "And I need help to one before we leave toonna need it"

Thoht Are people still chowing down out there?"

Newt shook his head "No, Frypan took charge That shank’s religious about food―I think he was glad to have soain But I’et panicky and try to eat it anyway"

"Oh, coot here for a reason All the idiots are dead by now" He looked sideways at Thoht think he’d included Chuck in that assessment Maybe even Teresa

"Maybe," Newt responded "Hope so Anyway, I was thinking we need to get organized, get things back together Act like we did in the bloody Glade Last few days have been , no structure, no plan It’s driving me psycho"

"What’d you expect us to do?" Minho asked "Form up in lines and do push-ups? We’re stuck in a stupid three-room prison"

Neatted at the air as if Minho’s words were gnats "Whatever I’e tootta be ready to face it"

Despite all the talk, Tho to make his point

"What are you getting at?"

Newt paused while he looked at Thomas, then Minho "We need to make sure we have a solid leader when toe"

"That’s the la you’ve ever barked," Minho said "You’re the leader, and you know it We all know it"

Newt shook his head adaet the bloody tattoos? You think they’re just decorations?"

"Oh, co? They’re just playin’ with our heads!"

Instead of answering, Newt stepped closer to Minho and pulled back his shirt to reveal the tattoo there Thomas didn’t have to look―he reed off Newt’s hand and started his usual rant of sarcastic remarks, but Tho kicked in to a rapid series of almost painful thumps All he could think about hat had been tattooed on his own neck

That he was to be killed

CHAPTER 13

Thoet sleep that night and be ready for thethe food and the extra clothes that had appeared in the dressers Sos were filled ater and tied off with material ripped from the curtains No one expected these poor excuses for canteens to last very long without leaking, but it was the best idea anyone could come up with

Newt had finally convinced Minho to be the leader Thomas kneell as anybody that they needed soly agreed

Around nine o’clock, Tho at the bunk above hih he knew no one had fallen asleep yet Fear surely gripped theh the Maze and its horrors They’d seen close up what WICKED was capable of doing If Rat Man was correct, and all that had happened was part of some master plan, then these people had forced Gally to kill Chuck, had shot a woe, had hired people to rescue them only to kill them when the mission was completethe list went on and on

Then, to top it all off, they gave them a hideous disease, with the cure as bait to lure them to continue Who even kneas true and as a lie And the evidence continued to suggest that they’d singled Thoht―Chuck was the one who had lost his life Teresa was the onethose tay from him

His life felt like a black hole He had no idea hoouldTo face whatever WICKED had in store for theet a cure He would never stop, especially now Not after what they’d done to hiet back at them was to pass all their tests and trials, to survive, then so be it

So be it

With thoughts of revenge actually co him in a sick and twisted way, he finally fell asleep

Every Glader had set the alar Thoo back to sleep When beeps finally started filling the roos off the bed and rubbed his eyes Soht and a yellow blast lit up his vision Squinting, he got up and headed for the showers Who kne long it’d be before he could clean hiain

At ten minutes till the time appointed by Rat Man, every Glader sat in anticipation,full of water, the bedsheet packs at their sides Thomas, like the others, had decided he’d carry the water in his hand to make sure it didn’t spill or leak The invisible shield had reappeared overnight in the h, and the Gladers settled just on the boys’ dorer in the white suit had said a Flat Trans would appear

Aris was sitting right next to Thomas, and spoke for the first time sincewell, Thomas couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard the boy’s voice

"Did you think you were crazy?" the new kid asked "When you first heard her in your head?"

Tholanced at him, paused For some reason, up until that uy But suddenly the feeling vanished completely It wasn’t Aris’s fault that Teresa had disappeared "Yeah Then when it kept happening, I got over it―only I started worrying about other people thinking I was crazy So we didn’t tell anyone about it for a long time"

"It eird for ht as he stared at the floor "I was in a co out to Rachel see in the world If she hadn’t accepted it and spoken back, I’roup hated me―some of them wanted to kill me Rachel was the only one who "

He trailed off, and Minho stood up to address everyone before Aris could finish what he was saying Tho about the trippy alternate version of what he hih only made him think of Teresa, and that hurt too much He didn’t want to think about her any for now

"We’ve got threecoo?"