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Minho took it on hi his pain "You ad crazy?"

"He just said he likes the taste of eyeballs" This frohed, and there was a definite tone of menace in it "Come, come, my new friends I’d only eat your eyes if you were already dead Course, I et that way if I needed to Understand what I’?" All mirth vanished fro Al the e’s gaze snapped to Newt "How many? How many Cranks? We’re all Cranks around here, hermano"

"That’s not what I e started pacing the roo everyone in as he spoke "Lot of things you people need to understand about how things work in this city About the Cranks and WICKED, about the government, about why they left us here to rot in our disease, kill each other, go completely and utterly insane About how there’s different levels of the Flare About how it’s too late for you―the ill is gonna catch ya if you don’t already have it"

Thoer with his eyes as he walked around the rooht he’d gotten used to the fear of having the disease, but with this Crank standing right in front of hi about it

Jorge stopped near hi Minho He continued to talk

"But that’s not the way it’s gonna work, coe are those who speak first I want to know everything about you Where you came from, why you’re here, what in God’s naerous-sounding chuckle "We’re the ones at a disadvantage?" Minho swiveled his head aroundstorm fried my retinas, I’d say there are eleven of us and one of you Maybe you should start talking"

Thomas really wished Minho hadn’t said that It was stupid and arrogant, and it could very well get theuy obviously wasn’t alone There could be a hundred Cranks hiding out in the torn-up re ho-knehat kind of horrific weapons Or worse, the savagery of their own hands and teeth andtime, his face blank "You didn’t just say that to me, did you? Please tellYou have ten seconds to apologize"

Minho looked over at Thoe said "Two Three Four"

Tho to Minho, nodded at him Do it

"Five Six"

"Do it," Thoe’s voice was rising with each nuli shadow Maybe Minho noticed it, too; any arrogance drained from his face

"Nine"

"I’

"I don’t think you

Thomas’s hands clenched into fists when his friend cried out in pain; the Crank ht in a burnt spot

"Say it with , hermano"

Thohts started swih his mind―he wanted to jump up and attack, beat hie pulled his leg back and kicked Minho again, twice as hard in the sa!" He screamed the last ith a harshness that sounded crazed

Minho wailed, grabbing the wound with both hands "I’msorry," he said between heavy breaths, his voice strained and full of pain But as soon as Jorge smiled and relaxed, satisfied with the hu an arm out and slammed it into the Crank’s shin The round with his own yelp, a shriek that was half surprise, half hurt

Then Minho was on top of hi of obscenities Thomas had never heard cohs to trap Jorge’s body, then started punching

"Minho!" Tho the stiffness in his joints, the soreness in his lance upward as he e’s body There was move down, people readying to jued holes

Thoe’s body; they crashed to the ground Thorab his friend, wrapped his arles to escape

"There’s more of them up there!" Thomas screamed in his ear from behind "You have to stop! They’ll kill you! They’ll kill all of us!"

Jorge had staggered to his feet, sloiping a thin trail of blood froh to rah Thouy would do

"Wait!" Thoe made eye contact with hiround froe had done; others slid down ropes and landed squarely on their feet All of theathered in a pack behind their leader, ers All filthy and dressed in tattered clothing Most of the, and Thorip By the looks of it, he had only a few seconds before a dire situation turned into a slaughterhouse He pressed one hand firmly down on Minho’s back, then held the other one up toward Jorge in a conciliatory gesture

"Please givehis heart and voice to calood tohurt us"

"Won’t do us any good?" the Crank said; he spit a wad of red goo frouarantee, hermano" He balled both hands into fists at his sides

Then he cocked his head, barely enough to be noticed But as soon as he did, the Cranks behind his froed clothes Knives Rusted machetes Black spikes that had lass with red-tinged sirl, who couldn’t have been more than thirteen years old, held a splintered shovel, its e like the teeth of a saw

Thomas had the sudden and absolute certainty that he was now pleading for their lives The Gladers couldn’t win in a fight against these people No way They weren’t Grievers, but there also wasn’t a ic code to shut the to his feet, hoping Minho wouldn’t be stupid enough to try anything "There’s so about us We’re not just random shanks who showed up on your doorstep We’re valuable Alive, not dead"

The anger on Jorge’s face lessened ever so slightly Maybe a spark of curiosity But what he said was "What’s a shank?"