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Sohtly―in the Crank’s face at that last thing he’d said, and Thomas knew he had won The look was brief, but it was definitely hope, quickly replaced with a blank indifference Yet Thomas knehat he’d seen

"A cure," the Crank repeated

"A cure" Thomas was determined to say as little as possible froe leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking as if about to break, and folded his arms He lowered his eyebrows in a look of contemplation "What’s your name?"

Thomas was surprised by the question Felt sure, in fact, that he’d already told him Or at least it seeain, this whole scenario wasn’t exactly your typical get-acquainted affair

"Your na you have one, hermano"

"Oh Yeah Sorry It’s Thoe’s face―this tinition Mixed with surprise "Thoo by Tommy? Tom, maybe?"

That last one hurt, made him think of his dream about Teresa "No," he said, probably a little too quickly "JustTho Do you have the slightest clue in that squishy brain of yours what the Flare does to people? Do I look like someone who has a hideous disease to you?"

That see your face beaten in, but Thomas ith the safest bet "No"

"No? No to both questions?"

"Yes I mean, no I e sht corner of hisevery second of this "The Flare works in stages, muchacho Every person in this city has it, and I’m not shocked to hear that you and your sissy friends do, too So, a Crank in nao, tested positive at the quarantine checkpoint―govern their damnedest to keep the sick and the well separate Ain’t working Sahole world go straight in the crap hole Was sent here Fought to capture this building with a bunch of other newbies"

At that word, Thoht in his throat like a ht back too many memories of the Glade

"My friends out there with the weapons are all in the sao and take a nice stroll around the city and you’ll see what happens as ties, see what it’s like to be past the Gone, though youAnd we don’t even have any of the nuent here The Bliss None"

"Who sent you here?" Thoent for later

"WICKED―same as you Only we’re not special like you say you are WICKED was set up by the surviving governht the disease, and they clai to do with it Don’t know much else"

Thomas felt a mixture of surprise and confusion, then a hope for answers "Who is WICKED? What is WICKED?"

Jorge looked just about as confused as Tho ht the whole point here was that you were special to them, that they were behind this whole story you toldI told you is the honest truth We’ve been pros, but we still don’t know ive us any details Like they’re testing us to see if we can h we have no idea what’s happening"

"And what makes you think they have a cure?"

Now Thomas had to keep his voice steady, think back to what he’d heard frouy in the white suit I told you about He told us it’s e have to e said, one of those noises that sounded like a yes but meant exactly the opposite "And what in the world makes you think they’ll let us just ride in on a horse with you and get the cure, too?"

Tho it nice and calm "Obviously I don’t know that at all But why not at least try? If you help us get there, you have a small chance If you kill us, you have zero chance Only a full-gone Crank would choose the second option"

Jorge gave that pathetic sh "There’s soo I wanted to stab your friend in the eyeballs and then do the same to the rest of ya But I’ll be licked if you haven’t half convincedto keep his face cal one h this city, and then I’ll worry about what comes next And you knohat else?" He braced hie raised his eyebrows "What’s that?"

"If stabbing you in the eyeballs could get ht now But I need you We all need you" Tho even as he said it

But it worked

The Crank eyed Thomas for a drawn-out moment, then stuck out a hand across the table "I believe we have ourselves a deal, hermano For h he was filled with relief, it took everything he had not to show it

But then Jorge brought it all crashing down "I just have one condition That ratty kid who junked round? Think I heard you call him Minho?"

"Yeah?" Thoain

"He dies"

CHAPTER 28

"No"

Thomas said it with every ounce of finality and fire repeated with a look of surprise "I offer you a chance to h a city full of vicious Cranks ready to eat you alive, and you say no? To my one little itsy-bitsy request? That does not make me happy"

"It wouldn’t be smart," Thomas said He had no idea hoas able tofro told hie leaned forward again, placed his elbows on the table But this time he didn’t clasp his hands; instead, he balled theoal in life to piss me off until I cut your arteries open one by one?"