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you’ve all been cleared of VCT and confirmed immune you do realize that the opportunities for your kind are vast here in Denver but don’t advertise it too much out on the streets everyone here is healthy and virus free but there are many who still don’t take kindly to immunes we here for a few simple tasks and then we’ll be heading out again probably in a week or so Jorge said hopefully we can keep our little secret of secret what’s VCT Thomas whispered to Minho you think I know viral contagion threat Brenda answered before Thomas could ask her but keep it down anyone who doesn’t know that will seem suspicious here Thomas opened his mouth to say something but was startled by a loud beep as the doors began to slide open another hallway was revealed its walls made of metal there was another set of closed doors at the end of it Thomas wondered just how long this would go on enter the detector one at a time please the woman directed her voice seemed to follow them to this third hallway Mr Gara first Jorge entered the small space and the door slid shut behind him what’s the detector Thomas asked it detects stuff Brenda replied curtly Thomas wrinkled his face at her faster than he expected an alarm buzzed again and the doors opened Jorge was no longer there miss despain is next they now bored sounding announcers said Brenda nodded at Thomas and entered the detector a minute or so later and it was minho’s turn MHO looked at Thomas a serious expression on his face if I don’t see you on the other side he said in a sappy voice remember that I love you snickering at Thomas’s eye roll he went through the doors and they closed soon the lady called for Thomas to enter he stepped inside and the doors closed behind him a rush of air hit him as several low beeps sounded then the doors in front of him slid open and there were people everywhere his heartbeat picked up but he spotted his waiting friends and relaxed he was struck by all the activity around him as he joined them a bustling crowd of men and women many of whom clutched rags to their mouths filled a huge Atrium topped with a glass ceiling far above letting in loads of sunshine through one corner he could see the tops of several skyscrapers though these looked nothing like the ones they’d come across in The Scorch they were brilliant in the sunlight Thomas was so stunned by everything there was to look at he almost forgot how nervous he’d been only a moment before wasn’t so bad was it muchacho or he asked I kind of liked it MHO said Thomas was utterly wowed he couldn’t stop craning his neck to take in the large building they’d entered what is this place he finally got out who who are all these people he looked to his three Partners waiting for an answer Jorge and Brenda looked embarrassed to be with him but Brenda’s expression changed abruptly melting into something like sadness I keep forgetting that you’ve lost your memories she murmured then opened her arms to gesture around herself it’s called a mall basically it runs along the entire wall surrounding the city it’s mainly shops and businesses I’ve just never seen so many his voice trailed off a man in a dark blue jacket was approaching them his gaze set on Thomas and he didn’t look very happy Hey Thomas whispered nodding toward the stranger the man reached them before anyone could respond he gave the group a Curt nod and announced we know some people escaped from Wicked judging by the Berg you came in I’m guessing you’re part of that group I highly recommend you accept the advice I’m about to give you you have nothing to be afraid of we’re only asking for help and you’ll be protected when you arrive he handed Thomas a slip of paper spun on his heel and walked off without another word what in the world was that all about MHO asked what does it say Thomas looked down and read it it says you need to come meet me immediately I’m with a group called the right arm corner of Kenwood and Brookshire apartment 2792 a lump formed in Thomas’s throat when he saw the signature at the bottom of the slip of paper he looked up at Mino sure his face had gone pale it’s from GLE chapter 24 it turned out that Thomas didn’t need to do any explaining Brenda and Jorge had started working for Wicked in plenty of time to know who G was how he’d been an outcast of sorts in the Glade how he and Thomas had become bitter Rivals because of gi’s memories from the changing but all Thomas could think of was the angry boy throwing the knife that killed Chuck that made the boy bleed to death on the ground as Thomas held him then he had lost it had beaten GLE until he thought he’d killed him a surprising amount of relief filled him when he realized that maybe he hadn’t if this note was really from GLE as much as he’d hated the guy Thomas didn’t want to be a murderer it can’t possibly be him Brenda said why not Thomas asked the relief began to wash away what happened to him after we were taken away did he die no he spent a week or so in the infirmary recovering from a broken cheekbone but that was nothing compared to the psychological damage they used him to kill Chuck because the Sykes thought the patterns would be valuable it was all planned they forced Chuck to move in front of you any anger Thomas had felt toward G shifted to Wicked feeding his ever growing hatred for the organization the guy had been a complete slint head but if what Brenda said was true he was only wicked’s instrument it made Thomas even angrier at them to hear that it wasn’t a mistake that Chuck had been killed instead of him Brenda continued I heard that one of the SES designed the interaction to be a variable not just for you and the gladers who witnessed it but but also for Chuck during his last few moments for one short but frightening instant Thomas thought rage would overcome him that he’d grab some random stranger from the crowd and beat the clunk out of him like he’d beaten GLE he sucked in a breath and ran a shaking hand through his hair nothing surprises me anymore he forced out through clinched teeth gi’s mind couldn’t handle what he’d done Brenda said he went completely nuts and they had to send him away I’m sure they figured no one would ever believe his story so why do you think this can’t be him Thomas asked maybe he got better found his way here Brenda shook her head look anything’s possible but I saw the guy it was like he had the flare he was trying to eat chairs and spitting and yelling and ripping his own hair out I saw him too orge said he got past the guards one day he ran through the Halls naked screaming at the top of his lungs about beetles in his veins Thomas tried to clear his mind I wonder what he means by the right arm Jorge answered there are rumors about them all over the place it’s supposed to be an underground group bent on taking down Wicked even more reason to do what the note says Thomas said Brenda’s face showed doubt I really think we should find Hans before anything else Thomas held up the piece of paper and shook it we’re going to see gy we need someone who knows the city more than that though his gut told him that it was where they should start what if this is some kind of trap yeah MHO said maybe we should think about this no Thomas shook his head we can’t try to out guess them anymore sometimes they do things just to make me do the opposite of what they think I think they think I want to do huh the three of them asked at the same time confusion transforming their faces from now on I do what feels right Thomas explained and something tells me we need to go to this place and see G at least to find out if it’s really him he’s a connection to the Glade and he has every reason in the world to be on our side the others stared at him with blank faces as if they were trying to come up with further arguments good that Thomas said I’ll take all those looks as yeses I’m glad to see you all agree with me now how are we going to get there Brenda let out an exaggerated sigh ever heard of a cab after a quick meal in the mall they caught a cab to drive them into the city when Jorge handed the driver a card to pay with Thomas worried again about Wicked tracking them as soon as they got settled in their seats he asked Jorge about it in a whisper so the driver couldn’t hear Jorge only gave him a trouble look you’re worried because GI knew we were coming right Thomas guessed Jorge nodded a little but the way that man introduced himself I’m just hoping the word of an escape leaked out and this right arm group’s been looking for us since I’ve heard they’re based here or maybe it has something to do with Teresa’s group coming here first Brenda offered Thomas didn’t feel very comforted you sure you know what you’re doing he asked Jorge we’ll be fine muchacho now that we’re here Wicked will have a hell of a time catching up to us it’s easier than you think to blend in in a city just relax Thomas didn’t know if there was much chance of that but he did lean back in his seat to look out the window the ride through Denver completely took his breath away he remembered the hovering vehicles from his childhood unmanned weaponized police vehicles everyone had called cop machines but so much was like nothing he’d ever seen before the huge skyscrapers the brilliant displays of holographic advertising the countless people he really had a hard time believing it was real some small part of him wondered if his optic nerves were being manipulated by Wicked somehow if it was all yet another simulation he wondered if he’d lived in a city like this before and if he had how he could possibly have forgotten the Splendor of it all as they drove through the crowded streets it occurred to him that maybe the world wasn’t so bad off after all here was an entire Community thousands of people going about their everyday lives but the drive continued and gradually details he hadn’t noticed began to come into focus and the longer they drove the more unsettled Thomas grew almost everyone he saw looked uneasy they all seemed to be avoiding each other and not just to be polite they seemed to take obvious measures to stay clear of anyone else just like back at the mall many of them were masks or held Rags that covered their mouth and nose as they walked posters and signs littered the walls of the buildings most torn or obscured with spray paint some warned of the flare and spelled out precautions others talked about the dangers of leaving the cities or what to do if you came across an infected person a few had terrifying pictures of cranks way past the gone Thomas spotted one poster with a closeup of a with the slogan Chancellor Paige loves you across the bottom Chancellor paig Thomas immediately recognized the name she was the one Brenda had said they could trust the only one he turned to ask Brenda about it but paused something told him to wait until they were alone as they drove he noticed posters showing her likeness but most of them were covered with graffiti it was hard to tell what the woman really looked like beneath the devil horn and silly mustaches some type of security Force patrolled every street in great numbers there were hundreds of them all wearing red shirts and gas masks a weapon in one hand and in the other a smaller version of the viral testing device Thomas and his friends had looked into before entering the city the farther they got from the outside barrier wall the dirtier the streets became trash was everywhere windows were broken and graffiti decorated almost every wall and despite the Sun glinting off Windows high above a Darkness had settled over the place the cab turned into an alley and Thomas was surprised to see that it was deserted the cab pulled up and stopped at a cement building that Rose at least 20 stories high and the driver popped Jorge’s card out of the slot and handed it back to him which Thomas took as his sign to exit the car once they were all out and the cab had driven away Jorge pointed to the closest staircase number 279 to is right there on the second floor MHO whistled then said looks really homey Thomas agreed the place was far from inviting and the drab gray bricks covered in graffiti made him nervous he didn’t want to walk up those steps and find out who was waiting inside Brenda gave him a push from behind your idea you lead he swallowed hard but didn’t say anything just walked over to the stairs and slowly climbed them the other the three falling in behind the cracked and warped wooden door of apartment 2792 looked like it had been put there a thousand years ago only a few scant remnants of faded green paint remaining this is crazy Jorge whispered this is completely crazy MHO snorted Thomas kicked the clunk out of him once he can do it again unless he comes out with guns blazing Jorge countered would you guys shut up Thomas said his nerves were shot without another word he reached out and knocked on the door a few agonizing seconds later it opened Thomas could tell immediately that the blackhaired kid who answered was gley from the Glade no doubt about it but his face was badly scarred covered in raised lines like thin white slugs his right eye looked permanently swollen and his nose which had been big and slightly deformed before the Chuck incident was markedly crooked Glad You Came GI said in his raspy voice because the end of the world is upon us chapter 25 G stepped back and opened the door wider come in Thomas felt a rush of guilt at seeing what he’d done to gy he had no idea how to act or what to say he just nodded and forced himself to enter the apartment it was a dark but tidy room with no furniture and it smelled like bacon a yellow blanket had been hung over the large window giving the place an eie glow have a seat GI said all Thomas could think of was finding out how the right arm had known he was in Denver and what they wanted but instinct told him he had to play by their rules before he could get answers they sat down on the bare floor he and his friends in a line with GLE facing them like a judge gi’s face looked awful in the dim light and his swollen right eye was bloodshot you know meho Thomas said awkwardly MHO and GI gave each other a Curt nod this is Brenda and Jorge they’re from Wicked but I know who they are giy interrupted he didn’t sound mad just kind of numb those Shucks at Wicked gave me my past back without asking I might add his gaze focused on MHO hey you were real nice to me in our last Gathering thanks for that the sarcasm was thick Thomas shrank at the memory MHO throwing G to the floor threatening him he’d forgotten about it I’d had a bad day MHO responded his expression making it impossible to tell if he was serious or even the tiniest bit sorry yeah well giy said let byon be byon right his Snicker made it clear he made anything but meho might not have had regrets but Thomas did I’m sorry about what I did gii he held the other boy’s gaze with his own as he said it he wanted G to believe him to know that he understood that Wicked was their shared enemy you’re sorry I killed Chuck he’s dead because of me hearing him say that brought Thomas no relief only sadness it wasn’t your fault Brenda said her tone soothing that’s a bunch of clunk giy said stiffly if I had any kind of guts I could have stopped them from controlling me but I let them do it to me cuz I thought I’d be killing Thomas not Chuck not in a million years would I’ve let myself murder that poor kid how generous of you MHO said so you wanted me dead Thomas asked surprised at the boy’s honesty GI scoffed don’t get all whiny on me I I hated you more than I’d ever hated anybody in my life but what happened in the past doesn’t matter one lick anymore we need to talk about the future about the end of the world wait a second there muchacho Jorge said first off you’re going to tell us every little thing that’s happened since you got shipped out of wicked till you ended up sitting right where you’re sitting I want to know how you knew we were coming MHO added and when and who was that weird dude who delivered the message to us G snickered again which actually made his face look even scarier I guess being with Wicked doesn’t exactly fill someone with trust now does it they’re right Thomas said you got to tell us what’s going on especially if you want our help your help GI asked I don’t know if I’d put it that way but I’m sure we have the same goals listen Thomas said we need a reason to trust you just talk after a long pause GI began the guy who gave you the note is named Richard he’s a member of a group called the right arm they have people in every city and town left on this crappy Planet their whole mission is to bring down our old friends to use wicked’s money and influence for things that actually matter but they don’t have the resources to disrupt an organization so huge and Powerful they want to act but they’re still missing some information we’ve heard of them Brenda said but how do you get involved they have a couple CP of spies in the main complex at Wicked and they got to me explained how if I faked going crazy I’d be sent away and I would have done anything to get out of that place anyway the right arm wanted an Insider who knew how the building functions the security systems that kind of clunk so they attacked my escort car and took me brought me here as for how I knew you were coming we got an anonymous message over the net block I assumed you guys said it Thomas looked to Brenda for an explanation but all he got from her was a shrug so it wasn’t you GI said then maybe it was someone at headquarters sending out an alert trying to set up bounty hunters or whatever point is once we knew about it from there it was just a matter of hacking into the airport system to see where a Berg had shown up and you brought us here to talk about taking down Wicked Thomas asked even the remote possibility of such a thing filled him with hope GI nodded slowly and deliberately before he spoke you make it sound so easy but yeah that’s about the gist of it we’ve got two big problems on our hands though Brenda was clearly impatient what just let it out slim it girl what problems Thomas pushed GI shot Brenda a glare then looked back at Thomas first of all word is that the flare is running rampant through this whole shuck City and that all kinds of corruption is going on to hide it because the ones who are sick are government bigwigs they’re hiding the virus with the Bliss it slows down the flare so people who have it can blend in with everyone else but the virus keeps spreading my guess is it’s the same all over the world there’s just no way to keep that Beast out Thomas felt a fear in his gut the idea of a world overwhelmed by hordes of cranks was terrifying he couldn’t imagine how truly awful things could get being immune wouldn’t amount to much when that happened what’s the other problem MHO asked as if that one wasn’t bad enough people like us People Like Us Brenda repeated a confused look on her face you mean immunes yeah GI leaned forward they’re disappearing being kidnapped or running away Vanishing Into Thin Air no one knows a little birdie told me that they’re being gathered and sold to Wicked so they can continue the trials start all over if they have to whether that’s true or not the population of immune people in this city and others has been haveed in the last 6 months and most of them are disappearing Without a Trace it’s causing a lot of headaches the city needs them more than the people even realize Thomas’s anxiety went up a notch don’t most people hate the munis isn’t that what they call us maybe they’re being killed or something he hated the other possibility that was occurring to him that Wicked might be kidnapping them and putting them through exactly what he’d been through I doubt that GI said my little birdie is a reliable source and this reeks of wicked to the core these problems make a bad combination the flare is all over the city even though the government claims it’s not and the immunes are disappearing whatever is happening there isn’t going to be anyone left in Denver who knows about other cities so what does this have to do with us Jorge asked GI looked surprised what you don’t care that Civilization is about to come to an end the cities are crumbling pretty soon it’s just going to be a world of psychos who want to eat you for supper of course we care Thomas answered but what do you want us to do about it hey all I know is that Wicked has one directive to find a cure and it’s pretty obvious that’s never going to happen if we had their money their resources we could use it to really help to protect the healthy I thought you’d want that Thomas did of course desperately GI Shrugged when no one responded we don’t have much to lose we might as well try something GI Thomas said do you know anything about Teresa and a bunch of other people who also escaped today GI nodded yeah we found them too gave them the same message I’m giving you who did you think my little birdie was Teresa Thomas whispered a flash of hope sparked within him she must have remembered all that stuff about Wicked when they’d removed the swipe could the operation have made her change her tune was her insistence that Wicked is good finally a thing of the past that’s right she said she couldn’t agree with them starting the cycle all over again said something about hoping to find you too but there’s one more thing Tomas groaned that doesn’t sound so good giy Shrugged never does these days one of our people out looking for your group came across a strange rumor said it was somehow related to all these people escaping from Wicked headquarters I’m not sure if they could track you or not but it looks like they probably could have guessed you’d come to Denver anyway why Thomas asked what’s the rumor there’s a huge Bounty out for a guy named Hans who used to work there lives here now Wicked thinks you came here for him and they want him dead chapter 26 Brenda stood up we’re leaving now come on Jorge and MHO got to their feet and as Thomas joined them he knew Brenda had been right earlier finding Hans had to be Priority One now he had to get the tracking device out of his head and if they were after Hans they had to get to him first GI do you swear everything you told us is true every bit the glader hadn’t moved from his position on the floor the right arm wants to take action they’re planning something even as we speak they need information about Wicked though and who better to help us than you if we can get Teresa and the others too that’ be even better we need every warm body we can get Thomas decided to trust GI maybe they’d never liked each other but they had the same enemy which put them on the same team what do we do if we want in he finally asked do we come back here go somewhere else GI smiled come back here anytime after 9 or so in the morning for another week I should be around I don’t think we’ll make any moves before then moves Thomas was itching with curiosity I’ve told you enough you want more you come back I’ll be here Thomas nodded then held out a hand GED shook it I don’t blame you for anything Thomas said you saw what I’d done for Wicked when you went through the changing I wouldn’t have trusted me either and I know you didn’t want to kill Chuck just don’t plan on hugs every time I see you the feeling’s mutual Brenda was already at the door waiting for him when he turned to go before Thomas left though G squeezed his elbow time’s running out but we can do something we’ll be back Thomas said Then followed his friends fear of the UN known no longer controlled him hope had found its way in and taken hold they didn’t find Hans until the next day Jorge got them into a cheap motel after they’d purchased some clothes and food and Thomas and meho used the room’s computer to search the net block while Jorge and Brenda made dozens of calls to people Thomas had never heard of after hours of work they finally found an address through someone Jorge called a friend of a friend of an enemy ‘s Enemy by that time it was late and they all crashed for the night Thomas and MHO were stuck sleeping on the floor while the other two got the twin beds the next morning they showered ate and put on their new clothes then they got a cab and went straight to the place they’d been told Hans lived an apartment building in only slightly better shape than gle’s they climbed to the fourth floor and knocked on a gray metal door the lady who answered kept saying she’d never heard of anyone named Hans but Jorge kept pushing then a gray-haired man with a wide jaw peaked over the woman’s shoulder let them in he said in a grally voice a minute or so later Thomas and his three friends were sitting around a rickety table in the kitchen all their focus on the gruffly distant man named Hans it’s good to see you okay Brenda he said you too J but I’m not in the mood to catch up why don’t you just tell me what you want I think you know the main reason we’re here Brenda replied then nodded toward Thomas and meho but we also just heard that Wicked has put a bounty on your head we need to hurry and do this and then you need to get out of here Han seemed to shrug off that last part looking at his two potential customers you’ve still got the implants do you Thomas nodded nervous but determined to get this over with I only want the controlling device out I don’t want my memories back and I want to know how this operation works first Hans wrinkled his face and disgusted what kind of nonsense is this who’s this weak kned coward you brought to my place Brenda I’m not a coward Thomas said before she could respond I’ve just had too many people in my head Hans threw up his hands then slapped the table who said I’d do anything to your head who said I liked you enough for that I are there any nice people in Denver MHO muttered you folks are about 3 seconds from being thrown out of my apartment everyone just shut up for a second Brenda shouted she leaned toward Hans and spoke in a quieter voice listen this is important Thomas is important and wicked will do just about anything to get their hands on him we can’t risk them getting close enough to start controlling him or Minho Hans glared at Thomas scrutinized him like a scientist examining a specimen doesn’t look important to me he shook his head and stood up give me 5 minutes to prep he said then disappeared through a side door without further explanation Thomas could only wonder if the man recognized him if he knew what Thomas had done for Wicked before the maze Brenda sat back in her chair and let out a sigh that wasn’t so bad yeah Thomas thought the bad parts coming up he was relieved that Hans was going to help them but as he looked around he got more and more nervous he was about to let a stranger mess with his brain in a dirty old apartment Minho snickered you look scared Tommy don’t forget muchacho orge said you’re doing this too that grayhair Grandpa said 5 minutes so get ready the sooner the better MHO replied Thomas rested his elbows on the table his head which had begun to throb in his hands Thomas Brenda whispered you okay he looked up I just need to the words caught in his throat as a sharp pain sliced down his spine but just as quickly as it had come it was gone he sat up in the chair startled then a spasm sent his arms out straight and his legs kicked twisting his body so that he slid off the chair and collapsed to the floor shaking he yelled when his back slammed into to the hard tile and struggled to get control of his jerking limbs but he couldn’t his feet slapped the floor his shins banged against the legs of the table Thomas Brenda yelled what’s wrong despite his loss of bodily control Thomas’s mind was clear he could see out of the corner of his eye that MHO was next to him on the ground trying to calm him and Jorge was frozen in place eyes wide Thomas tried to speak but only drool came out of his mouth can you hear me Brenda yelled bending over him Thomas what’s wrong then his limbs abruptly stilled legs straightening and coming to a rest his arms falling limp at his sides he couldn’t make them move he strained with the effort but nothing happened he tried to speak again but no words formed Brenda’s expression changed to something close to horror Thomas he didn’t know how but body started moving even though he wasn’t telling it to his arms and legs shifted he was getting to his feet it was as if he’d become a puppet he tried to scream but couldn’t you okay MHO asked Panic clinched inside Thomas as he kept doing things against his will his head twitched then turned toward the door through which their host had disappeared words started spilling from his mouth but he had no idea where they came from I can’t let you do this chapter 27 Thomas fought desperately against it straining to get control of his muscles but something foreign had taken over his body Thomas they’ve got you Brenda yelled fight it he watched helplessly as his own hand pushed her face away sent her tumbling to the floor Jorge moved to protect her but Thomas reached out and punched him in the chin with a quick jab Jorge’s head snapped back a little spray of blood shot from his lip again the words were forced from Thomas’s mouth I can’t let you do this by that time he was screaming the effort hurting his throat it was like his brain had been programmed with that one sentence and he couldn’t say anything else Brenda had gotten back to her feet MHO stood dazed his face a mask of confusion Jorge was wiping the blood off his chin his eyes lit with anger and a memory bubbled up in Thomas something about a fail safe programmed into his implant to prevent it from being removed he wanted to shout at his friends tell them to sedate him but he couldn’t he started moving toward the door in lurching steps shoving MHO out of the way as he half stumbled past the kitchen counter his hand reached out and grabbed a knife sitting by the sink he gripped the handle and the Heart the harder he tried to drop it the more tightly his fingers clenched Thomas MHO shouted finally breaking out of his stuper fight it man get those shuck people out of your head Thomas turned to face him held the knife up he hated himself for being so weak for not being able to master his own body once again he tried to speak but nothing all his body would do now was whatever it took to prevent his implant from being removed you going to kill me slint head MHO asked going to throw that thing just like GI did to Chuck do it then throw it for one second Thomas was terrified that that was exactly what he’d do but instead his body turned back around to face the opposite direction just as he did Hans came through the doorway and his eyes widened Thomas guessed Hans was his main target that the fail safe would attack whoever was attempting to remove his implant what the hell is this Hans asked I can’t let you do this Thomas replied I was worried about this Hans murmured he turned to the group you guys get over here and help Thomas pictured the internal workings of the mechanism in his brain as minuscule instruments operated by minuscule spiders he fought them clenched his teeth but his arm started to rise the knife gripped tightly in his bald fist I can’t before before he could finish someone slammed into him from behind knocking the knife from his hand he crashed to the floor and twisted to see MHO I’m not letting you kill anybody his friend said get off me Thomas yelled not sure if they were his own words or wickeds but MHO had pinned Thomas’s arms to the ground he hovered over him heaving to catch his breath I’m not getting up until they let your mind go Thomas wanted to smile but his face couldn’t follow even a simple command he felt the tension in every single muscle it won’t stop until Hans fixes him Brenda said Hans the older man knelt down next to Thomas and MHO I can’t believe I ever worked for those people for you he almost spat the word looking directly at Thomas Thomas watched all this powerless his insides boiled with the desire to relax to help Hans do what he needed to do then something ignited inside him making his midsection Arch upward his body bucked and fought to free his arms MHO pressed down tried to get his legs in position to sit on Thomas’s back but whatever was controlling Thomas seemed to release adrenaline inside him his strength overcame minho’s and he threw the boy off Thomas was on his feet in an instant he grabbed the knife off the floor and Dove toward Hans lashing out with the blade the man deflected it with his for forearm a red gash appearing there as the two of them collided and rolled across the floor struggling against each other Thomas did everything he could to stop himself but the knife kept slashing as Hans kept dodging it get him Brenda yelled from somewhere close Thomas saw hands appear felt them grabbing his arms somebody gripped him by the hair and yanked back Thomas screamed in agony then slashed blindly with the knife relief flooded through him horor and MHO were gaining control pulling him off Hans Thomas crashed onto his back and the knife was knocked from his grip he heard it clatter across the floor as someone kicked it to the far side of the kitchen I can’t let you do this Thomas yelled he hated himself even though he knew he had no control shut up MHO shouted back now in his face as he and Jorge fought against Thomas’s attempts to get free you’re crazy dude they’re making you crazy Thomas desperately wanted to tell MHO that he was right Thomas didn’t really believe what he was saying MHO turned and yelled at Hans let’s get that thing out of his head no Thomas shouted no he twisted and flailed his arms battled them with ferocious strength but the four of them proved too much somehow they ended up with one person holding tightly to each of his limbs they lifted him from the floor carried him out of the kitchen into a short hallway and down down its length as he kicked and squirmed knocking several framed pictures off the walls the sound of shattering glass followed them Thomas screamed once then again over and over he had no more strength to resist the internal forces his body fought against MHO and the others he said whatever Wicked wanted him to he’d given up in here H shouted over him they entered a small cramped lab with two instrument filed tables and a bed a crew looking version of The Mask they’d seen back at Wicked hung over the empty mattress get him on the bed Hans yelled they slammed Thomas down onto his back where he continued to struggle get this leg for me I need to knock him out MHO who had been holding the other leg now grabbed both legs and used his body to press them against the bed Thomas’s thoughts immediately went back to when he and N had done this same thing to Albi when he’d woken up from the changing back in the Glade Homestead there was the clatter and clanging of Hans going through a drawer searching for something then he was back hold him as still as possible Thomas erupted in one last flurry of effort to get free screaming at the top of his lungs an arm sprang loose from Brenda’s grip and he smacked Jorge in the face with his fist stop it Brenda yelled as she reached for it Thomas arched his torso again I can’t let you do this he had never felt such frustration hold him still damn it Hans shouted somehow Brenda got his arm again leaned against it with her upper body Thomas felt a sharp prick in his leg it was such an odd thing to be fighting against something so violently and yet wanting it to happen so completely when the darkness started to take him and his body stilled he finally regained control of himself at the very last second he said I hate those Shucks and then he was out chapter 28 lost in the dark Haze of drugs Thomas dreamed he is 15 years old sitting on a bed the room is dark except for the Amber glow of a lamp on the desk Teresa is there she has pulled a chair out and is sitting close to him her face is haunted a mask of Misery we had to do this she says quietly Thomas is there but isn’t there he doesn’t remember the details of what happened but he knows his insides feel like rot and filth he and Teresa have done something horrible but his dreaming self can’t quite grasp what it was a ghastly thing that is no less repulsive because they were told to do it by the people they did it to we had to do it she repeats I know Thomas responds in a voice that sounds As Dead As dust two words pop into his head The Purge the wall blocking him from the memory thins for a moment and a dreadful fact Looms on the other side Teresa starts talking again they wanted it to end this way Tom better to die than spend years going crazier and crazier they’re gone now we had no choice and no better way to make it happen it’s done and that’s that we need to get the new people trained and keep the trials going we’ve come too far to let it fall apart for a moment Thomas hates her but it’s fleeting he knows she’s trying to be strong that doesn’t mean I have to like it and he doesn’t he has never hated himself with such intensity before Teresa nods but says nothing the dreaming Thomas tries to invade the mind of his younger son explore the memories in that unfettered space the original creators flare infected purged and dead countless volunteers to take their place the two ongoing maze trials running strong over a year in with more results every day the slowly but surely building blueprint training for The Replacements it’s all there for the taking for the remembering but then he changes his mind turns his back on it all the past is the past there is only the future now he sinks into a dark Oblivion Thomas woke up groggy but with a dull ache behind his eyes the dream still throbbed in his skull like a pulse though its details had grown fuzzy he knew enough about The Purge about its being the shift from the original creator to their Replacements he and Teresa had had to exterminate the entire staff after an outbreak they’d had no choice were the only ones left who were immune he swore to never think about it again MHO was sitting in a chair nearby his head Laing as he snored in fitful sleep meho Thomas whispered hey meho wake up huh Mino opened his eyes slowly and coughed what what’s going on nothing I just want to know what happened did Hans get the thing Switched Off are we fixed MHO nodded through a big yawn yeah both of us at least he said he did man you wigged out big time you remember all that of course I do a wave of embarrassment made his face flush hot but it was like I was paralyzed or something I kept trying but I couldn’t stop whatever was controlling me dude you tried to slice my you know what’s off Thomas laughed something he hadn’t done in a long time he welcomed it happily too bad I didn’t could have saved the world from future little Minos just remember you owe me one good that he owed them all Brenda Jorge and Hans walked in all three of them looking serious and the smile fell from Thomas’s face GI stop by and give you guys another pep talk Thomas asked forcing a light-hearted tone to his voice you look downright depressed when did you get so cheerful muchacho Jorge responded a few hours ago you were stabbing at us with a knife Thomas opened his mouth to apologize to explain but Hans shushed him he leaned over the bed and flashed a little light into both of Thomas’s eyes looks like your head’s clearing up pretty well the pain should beun soon your operation was a little worse because of that fail safe Thomas turned his attention to Brenda is it fixed it worked she said judging from the fact that you’re not trying to kill us anymore it’s deactivated and and what well you shouldn’t be able to talk to or hear from Teresa or Aris again thas might have felt a Pang of sadness at that even the day before but now he felt only relief suits me fine any sign of trouble yet she shook her head no but they can’t take any chances Hans and his wife are going to leave but he wanted to tell you something first Hans had stepped back to stand by the wall probably to give them a little space he came forward now his eyes downcast I wish I could go with you and help but I have a wife and she’s my family she’s my first concern I wanted to wish you luck I hope you can do what I don’t have the courage to try Thomas nodded the change in the man’s attitude was marked maybe the recent incident had reminded him of what Wicked was capable of thanks and if we can stop Wicked we’ll come back for you’ll see about that Hans murmured we’ll see about a lot of things Hans turned and walked back to his position by the wall Thomas was sure that the man carried around many dark memories in his mind what next Brenda asked Thomas knew they didn’t have time to rest and his mind was set on what they needed to do we find our friends convince them to join us then we go back to galy the only thing I’ve accomplished in life is to help set up an experiment that failed and tormented a bunch of kids it’s time to add something else to that list we’re going to stop the entire oper operation before they do it to New immunes all over again Jorge spoke for the first time in a while we what are you saying Amano Thomas shifted his gaze to the man his resolve solidifying we have to help the right arm no one said anything okay MHO finally said but first let’s get something to eat chapter 29 they went to a coffee shop nearby recommended by Hans and his wife Thomas had never been in such a place before at least not that he remembered customers lined up at the counter getting coffee and pastries then heading for a table or back out the door he watched as a nervous older woman kept lifting her surgical mask to sip her hot drink one of those redshirted guards stood at the door randomly testing people for the flare with his handheld device every couple of minutes or so an odd metal apparatus covered his own mouth and nose Thomas sat with MHO and Brenda at a table in the back corner while Jorge went to get food and drinks Thomas’s eyes kept coming back to a man maybe 35 or 40 years old who sat at a nearby bench in front of a large window onto the street he hadn’t touched his coffee since Thomas and his friends had arrived and steam no longer Rose from the cup the man just hunched over elbows on knees hands Loosely clasped staring at a spot on the other side of the shop there was something disturbing about the look on his face blank his eyes were almost floating in their sockets and yet there was a hint of pleasure there when Thomas pointed it out to Brenda she whispered that the guy was probably on the Bliss and would be jailed if he got caught it gave Thomas the Willies he hoped the man would leave soon Jorge returned with sandwiches and steaming cups of coffee and the four of them ate and drank in silence Thomas knew they all realized the urgency of their situation but he was grateful to rest and get some strength back they finished up and were getting ready to leave but Brenda remained in her seat would you guys mind waiting outside for a few minutes she asked her look made it obvious that she met Jorge and MHO excuse me Minho responded his tone exasperated more secrets no nothing like that I promise I just need a moment I want to tell Thomas something Thomas was surprised but curious he sat back down just go he said addressing MHO you know I won’t keep anything from you and she knows it too his friend grumbled but finally went with Jorge and the two of them stood out on the sidewalk near the closest window MHO flashed Thomas a goofy grin and waved his sarcasm making it obvious he wasn’t exactly happy Thomas waved back then focused on Brenda so what’s this all about he asked I know we need to hurry so I’ll be really quick we haven’t had time to be alone and I just want to make sure you know that what happened in The Scorch wasn’t an act I was there on a job I was there to help things play out but I did grow close to you and it did change me and there are a few things I think you deserve to know about me about Chancellor paig about Tom held his hand up to Cut Her Off please just stop she pulled back a look of surprise on her face what why I don’t want to know anything not one more thing all I care about is what we’re going to do from here out not stuff about my past or yours or wickeds nothing and we need to move but no Brenda I mean it we’re here and we have a goal and that’s all we need to focus on no more talking she held his gaze without saying anything then looked down at her hands resting on the table then all I’ll say is I know you’re doing the right thing going in the right direction and I’ll keep helping as best I can Thomas hoped he hadn’t hurt her feelings but he meant what he’d said it was time to let go even though she was obviously itching to tell him something as he searched for a response his eyes wandered back to the odd man on the bench he’ pulled something Thomas couldn’t see out of his pocket and was pressing it against the crook of his right elbow he closed his eyes in a long blink looking a little dazed when they opened again his head slowly drifted backward until it rested on the window the redshirted flare tester stepped into the cafe and Thomas leaned over to get a better look red shirt walked toward the bench where the druged out man was still resting peacefully a short woman moved along next to the tester Whispering into his ear and fidgeting nervously Thomas Brenda asked he put a finger to his lips then nodded toward the potential confrontation she turned in her seat to see what was going on red shirt kicked the toe of the guy on the bench who flinched and looked up the men started exchanging words but Thomas couldn’t hear what they were saying over the bustle and Buzz of the crowded coffee shop the man who’d been relaxing there suddenly looked scared Brenda turned back to Thomas we need to get out of here now why the air seemed to have thickened and Thomas was curious about what was going to happen Brenda was already standing just come on she turned and walked briskly toward the exit and Thomas finally moved to follow her he’ just risen from his chair when red shirt pulled out a gun and pointed it at the man on the bench then leaned in to place his testing device on the man’s face but the man swatted it away and rushed forward tackling the tester Thomas stared Frozen in shock as the gun skittered away and disappeared under a counter the two men crashed into a table and slammed to the floor red shirt started yelling his voice sounded almost robotic coming through the protective metal mask covering his mouth and nose we’ve got an infected everyone evacuate the building the place turned into pandemonium screams filling the air as everyone fled the only exit Chapter 30 Thomas wished he hadn’t hesitated he should have run when he’d had the chance a pack of bodies pressed forward blocking the door Brenda wouldn’t have been able to come back even if she’d tried Thomas was stuck at the table watching in stunned silence as the two men struggled on the floor punching and grabbing and trying to gain the advantage Thomas realized that though it was possible he could get hurt by the fleeing crowd he really had nothing to worry about he was immune the rest of the people in the shop had freaked out knowing the virus was so close and understandably odds were that at least one of them had caught it but as long as he could stay out of the way of the commotion he was probably safe right where he was someone pounded on the window and Thomas turned to see Brenda next to MHO and Jorge on the sidewalk she was motioning frantically for him to get out but Thomas wanted to watch what was happening red shirt had finally pinned the man to the ground it’s over they’re already on their way he shouted again in that creepy mechanized voice the infected man stopped struggling burst into lurching sobs it was then that Thomas realized the crowd had fully evacuated and the coffee shop was empty except for the two men and Thomas and Eerie silence settled on the place red shirt glanced at him why are you still here kid got a death wish the man didn’t let Thomas answer though if you’re going to stick around make yourself useful find me the gun he turned his attention back to the man he’d restrained Thomas felt like he was in a dream he’d seen a lot of violence but this was different somehow he went to fetch the gun from under the counter where it had disappeared I’m I’m immune he stammered he got down on his knees and reached straining until his fingers found the cool metal he pulled the gun out and walked over to red shirt the man didn’t offer any thanks he took his gun and jumped back to his feet pointing the weapon at the infected man’s face this is bad really bad been happening more and more you can tell when someone’s drugged out on the Bliss so it was the Bliss Thomas murmured you knew red shirt asked well he’s looked weird ever since I got here and you didn’t say anything the skin around the guard’s mask almost matched the color of his shirt what’s wrong with you Thomas was taken aback by Redshirt sudden anger I’m I’m sorry I didn’t really know what was going on the infected man had curled up into a ball on the ground and was sobbing red shirt finally stepped away from him and looked sternly at Thomas you didn’t no what kind of where are you from now Thomas really wished he had run I’m my name’s Thomas I’m nobody I just he searched for something to say to explain himself I’m not from around here sorry red shirt turned the gun on him sit down sit down right there he flicked the gun toward a nearby chair wait I swear I’m immune Thomas’s heart thudded in his chest that’s why I sit your butt down now Thomas’s knees gave out and he plopped into the chair he glanced toward the door and his chest loosened a bit when he saw MHO standing there with brinda and Jorge right behind him but Thomas didn’t want his friends involved didn’t want to chance getting them hurt he quickly shook his head to tell them to stay out of it red shirt ignored the people in the doorway concentrating purely on Thomas if you’re so sure about being a mun then you won’t mind testing to prove it now will you no the idea actually released believed him maybe the man would let him go once he realized he was telling the truth do it go ahead red shirt holstered his gun and stepped up to Thomas he retrieved his device and leaned forward to put it on Thomas’s face look to it eyes open the man said it’ll only take a few seconds Thomas did as he was told wanting to get it over with as quickly as possible he saw the same flash of colorful lights he’d seen at the city Gates felt the same puff of air and prick in his neck red shirt took the device back looked at the readings on a small screen wow what do you know you’re a damn mun after all you care to explain to me how you came to be in Denver and how you don’t know squat about the Bliss or how to spot a user when you see one I work for Wicked it came out before he’d really thought it through he just wanted to get out of there I believe that crap about as much as I believe this guy’s drug problem has nothing to do with the flare you keep your butt glued right there or I’ll start shooting Thomas swallowed he wasn’t so much scared as he was mad at himself for having gotten into such a ridiculous situation okay he said but red shirt had already turned around his help had arrived four people covered from head to toe with a thick green plastic except for their faces Their Eyes Were fitted with big goggles and beneath those was a mask like the one red shirt wore images flashed through Thomas’s mind but the one that stuck was the most complete memory the time he’d been taken from The Scorch after his bullet wound had gotten infected everyone on that Berg had been wearing the same type of gear as these four people what in the world one of them said his voice also mechanized you count two of them not really red shirt replied got us ammun thinks he wants to sit around and see the show ammun the other man sounded like he couldn’t believe what he’d heard ammun he stayed put when everyone else Jack rabbited out of here claims he wanted to see what happened to make it worse he says he suspected our future crank hair was on Bliss and didn’t tell anyone just went on drinking his coffee like all was right with the world everyone looked over at Thomas but he was speechless he just Shrugged red shirt stepped back as the four protected workers surrounded the still sobbing infected man lying Cur up on his side on the ground one of the newcomers had a thick blue plastic object gripped in both hands it had an odd nozzle on the end and the guy was pointing it at the man on the ground as if it were a weapon its purpose seemed ominous and Thomas searched his memory depleted mind to work out what it could possibly be but came up empty we need you to straighten out your legs sir the lead worker said keep your body still don’t move try to relax I didn’t no the man wailed how was I supposed to know you knew red shirt yelled from the side no one takes the Bliss Just for kicks I like the way it feels the pleading in the man’s voice made Thomas feel incredibly sorry for him plenty of Cheaper drugs than that quit lying and shut your mouth red shirt waved a hand as if swatting a fly who cares bag the sucker Thomas watched as the infected man curled up even tighter gripping his leg legs to his chest with both arms it’s not fair I didn’t know just kick me out of the city I swear I’ll never come back I swear I swear he broke into another agonizing series of lurching sobs Oh They’ll put you out all right Redshirt said glancing over at Thomas for some reason it looked as if he was smiling behind the mask his eyes Shone with something like Glee keep watching mun you’re going to like this Thomas suddenly hated r Shir as much as he’d ever hated anyone he broke eye contact and returned his Focus to the four suited people now crouching as they inched closer to the poor guy on the floor straighten out your legs one of them repeated or this is going to hurt something awful straighten them now I can’t please just let me leave red shirt stomped over to the man pushing one of the workers out of the way then leaned over and placed the end of his gun against the sick man’s head straighten your legs or I’ll put a bullet in your brain to make it easier on Everybody Do It Thomas couldn’t believe the guard’s complete lack of compassion whimpering eyes filled with Terror the infected man slowly let go of his legs and extended them his whole body shaking as he lay flat on the ground red shirt stepped out of the way sliding his gun back into its holster the person with the odd blue object immediately moved so that he stood behind the man’s head then placed the nozzle so rested on the crown of his skull pressing it into his hair try not to move it was a woman and if anything her voice filtered through her mask sounded even creepier to Thomas than the men’s or you’ll lose something Thomas barely had time to wonder what that meant before she pressed a button and a gel-like substance shot out of the nozzle it was blue and viscous but moved quickly spreading over the man’s head then down around his ears and face he screamed but the sound was cut off as the gel washed over his mouth down to his neck and shoulders the substance hardened as it moved freezing into a shell-like coating that Thomas could see through in a matter of seconds half the infected man’s body was rigid wrapped in a tight sheet of the stuff which seeped into every crevice of his skin and wrinkle of his clothing Thomas noticed that red shirt was looking at him and he finally met the guard’s gaze what Thomas asked quite the show huh red shirt replied enjoy it while it lasts when this is over you’re coming with me chapter 31 Thomas’s heart sank there was something sadistic in red shirt’s eyes and he looked away focused back on the infected man just as the blue gel reached his feet and solidified around them the guy now lay completely Motionless wrapped in the hard plasticky coating the woman with the gel gun stood up and Thomas saw that it was now nothing but an empty bag she folded it up and stuffed it into a pocket in her green coverall let’s get him out of here she said as the four workers reached down and lifted up the infected man Thomas’s eyes flickered back to Redshirt who was watching the others carry off their captive what in the world had he meant that Thomas would be going with him where why if the man hadn’t had a gun Thomas would have run when the others had made their way out the door MHO appeared again he was just about to step inside when red shirt pulled out his weapon stop right there the man yelled get out we’re with him meho pointed to Thomas and we need to go this one’s not going anywhere he paused as if something had just occurred to him he looked at Thomas then back to MHO wait a second are you guys mun too Panic flared in Thomas but MHO was fast he didn’t hesitate just bolted stop red shirt yelled sprinting for the doorway Thomas lurched over to the window he saw MHO Brenda and Jorge just as they made it across the street and disappeared around a corner red shirt had stopped right outside the coffee shop he gave up on the others and came back in with his gun pointed at Thomas I ought to shoot you in the neck and watch you bleed out for what your little friend just did better thank God above that munies are so valuable or I’d do it just to make myself feel better been a crappy day Thomas couldn’t believe that after all he’d been through he was stuck in such a stupid situation he wasn’t scared only frustrated well it hasn’t been so great for me either he muttered you’ll bring me a good hunk of cash that’s all there is to it and just for the record I don’t like you I can tell by just looking at you Thomas smiled yeah well the feelings Mutual you’re a funny guy just full of laughs we’ll see how you feel by the time the sun goes down tonight come on he gestured to the door with his weapon and trust me I’m out of patience try anything and I’ll shoot you in the back of the head and tell the police that you were acting like an infected and ran Zero Tolerance policy won’t even get questioned about it not so much as a raised eyebrow Thomas stood there sorting through his options the irony wasn’t lost on him he’d escaped Wicked only to be held at gunpoint by an average everyday city worker Don’t make me say it again red shirt warned where are we going you’ll find out in time and I’ll be one rich sucker now get moving Thomas had been shot twice already and knew how badly it hurt if he didn’t want to go through it again it looked like going with the guy was the only option he glared at the man then walked toward the door when he reached it he stopped Which Way Thomas asked go left we walk nice and easy for about three blocks then another left I’ve got a car waiting for us there do I need to warn you again what’ll happen if you try something you’ll shoot an unarmed kid in the back of the head got it crystal clear oh man I hate you munies start walking he pressed the tip of the gun into Thomas’s spine and Thomas headed down the street they made it to the end of the third block and turned left without saying a word to each other the air was stifling and sweat had moistened every last inch of Thomas’s body when he reached up to wipe his forehead red shirt whacked him in the head with the butt of the gun don’t do that the man said I might get nervous and put a hole in your brain it took every ounce of Thomas’s willpower to stay silent the street was abandoned and there was trash everywhere posters some warning about the flare others images of Chancellor page covered the lower portion of the building’s walls and everything was spray painted layer on top of layer by the looks of it when they reached an intersection and had to stop to wait for a few passing cars Thomas focused on an unmarked poster right next to him a new one he guessed from its lack of graffiti he read the words of warning Public Service Announcement stop the spread of the flare help stop the spread of the flare know the symptoms before you infect your neighbors and loved ones the flare is the virus flare virus VC 321 XB 47 a highly contagious man-made infectious disease that was accidentally released during the chaos of the sunflare catastrophe the flare causes a progressive degenerative illness of the brain P resulting in uncontrolled movements emotional disturbances and mental deterioration the result has been the flare pandemic scientists are conducting late stage clinical trials but there is no standard treatment for the flare at this time the virus is generally fatal and can be spread through the air at this time citizens must unite to prevent further spread of this pandemic by learning how to recognize yourself and others as viral contagion threats vcts you will take the first step in the battle against the flare any suspicious subjects should be reported to the authorities immediately it went on to talk about a 5 to 7day incubation period and the symptoms how such things as irritability and trouble with balance were early warning signs followed by dementia paranoia and severe aggression later on Thomas had witnessed them all firsthand having crossed paths with cranks on more than one occasion red shirt gave Thomas a slight shove and they continued walking as they made their way Thomas couldn’t stop thinking about the Poster’s dire message the part about the flares being man-made not only haunted him it tickled something in his brain a memory he couldn’t quite latch on to even though the sign didn’t say it outright he knew there was something else and for the first time in a while he wished he could access the past for just a moment it’s right up here red shirts voice pulled him back to the present a small white car waited at the end of the block just a few dozen feet down the street Thomas desperately tried to think of a way out of this if he got in that vehicle it might all be over but could he really risk getting shot you’re going to slide nice and easy into the back seat redirt said I’ve got some cuffs in there and I’m going to watch you put them on yourself you think you can handle that without doing something stupid Thomas didn’t respond he hoped desperately that MHO and the others were close making a plan he needed someone or something to distract his captor they reached the car and redirt pulled out a key card and pressed it to the front passenger window the locks clicked and he opened the back door his gun trained on Thomas the whole time get in Easy Does It Thomas hesitated searching the streets for anyone anything the area was deserted but out of the corner of his eye he noticed movement a hovering machine almost as large as a car he spun to look and the cop machine swerved onto the street two blocks down and started heading their way a humming sound grew louder as it approached I said get in red shirt repeated the Cuffs are in the console in the middle one of those cop machine things is coming Thomas said yeah so what it’s just patrolling sees this stuff all the time the people controlling it are on my side not yours which is tough luck for you big fella Thomas sighed it had been worth a shot where were his friends he scanned the area one last time then stepped up to the open door and slipped inside just as he looked up at red shirt the air filled with the sound of heavy gunfire then red shirt was stumbling backward jerking and twitching bullets tore into his chest sparks flying as they hit the metal mask he dropped his gun and his mask fell off as he slammed into the wall of the closest building Thomas watched in stunned horror as the man slumped onto his side then it stopped Thomas was frozen wondering if he’d be shot next he heard the steady hum of the machine as it hovered just outside his open door and he realized that it had been the source of the attack the things were unmanned but heavily armed a familiar voice rang out from a speaker on its roof get out of the car Thomas Thomas shivered he would know that voice anywhere it was Jansen the ratman chapter 32 Thomas couldn’t have been more surprised he hesitated at first but quickly scooted out of the car the cop machine hovered only a few feet away a panel had opened on its side revealing a screen from which jansen’s face stared back at him relief flooded him it was ratman but he wasn’t in the cop machine there was just a video feed of His Image Thomas could only assume that the man could see him as well what happened he asked still stunned he tried to avert his eyes from the man now lying on the ground how’d you find me Jansen was as grim-faced as ever it took a considerable amount of effort and luck trust me and you’re welcome I just saved you from the this bounty hunter Thomas let out a laugh you’re the ones paying them anyway what do you want Thomas I’m going to be frank with you the only reason we haven’t come to Denver to retrieve you is because the infection rate is astronomical this was our safest means of contacting you I’m urging you to bring yourself in and complete the testing Thomas wanted to scream at the man why would he return to Wicked but the red shirts attack his body F feet away was too clear in his mind he had to play this right why would I come back janson’s expression was blank we’ve been using our data to select a final candidate and you’re the one we need you Thomas it all rests on your shoulders not in a million years Thomas thought but saying that wouldn’t get rid of the ratman instead he cocked his head and pretended to consider then said I’ll think about it I trust you will the rat man paused there’s something I feel obligated to tell you mainly because I think it will influence your decision make you realize that you have to do what we’re asking Thomas had leaned back against the rounded hood of the car the whole ordeal had exhausted him emotionally and physically what the rat man’s face screwed up to look even rtier as if he reveled in telling bad news it’s about your friend n I’m afraid he’s in a tremendous amount of trouble what kind of trouble Thomas asked his stomach dropping I know you’re well aware that he has the flare and that you’ve already seen some of its effects taking place Thomas nodded suddenly remembering the note in his pocket yeah well he seems to be succumbing to it rapidly the the fact that you were already seeing symptoms of anger and loss of concentration before you left means he’ll be spiraling into madness very soon Thomas felt a fist clutch his heart he’ accepted that n wasn’t immune but he thought it would take weeks or months even before it got really bad yet Jansen had made sense that the stress of everything seemed to be making n fall fast and they left him all alone outside the city you could very well I’ll save him Jansen said quietly you enjoying this Thomas asked because sometimes it seems like you enjoy it a lot Jansen shook his head I’m just doing my job Thomas I want this cure more than anyone else except for you maybe before we took away your memories just go Thomas said I hope you’ll come Jansen replied you have a chance to do great things I’m sorry for our differences but Thomas you need to hurry time is running out I’ll think about it Thomas forced himself to say it again it made him sick to pacify the rat man but it was the only thing he could think to say to buy himself time and there was the possibility that if he didn’t stall Jansen he could end up like red shirt shot down by this cop machine hovering a few feet in front of him Jansen smiled that’s all I can ask for I hope to see you here the screen blacked out and the panel closed then the cop machine Rose into the air and flew away its hum slowly fading Thomas watched until it disappeared around a corner when it was gone his eyes fell upon the dead man he quickly looked away that was the last thing he wanted to see there he is he whipped his head around to see MHO running down the sidewalk toward him Brenda and Jorge close behind Thomas had never been so happy to see anyone meho pulled up short when he saw red shirt in a heap on the ground holy what happened to him he turned his attention to Thomas and you you okay did you do that absurdly Thomas felt like laughing yeah I pulled out my machine gun and blasted him to Tiny bits minho’s face showed that he didn’t appreciate the sarcasm but Brenda spoke before he could come up with a retort who killed him Thomas pointed at the sky one of those cop machines flew in here shot him to death then next thing I know the ratman appears on a screen he tried to convince me that I need to go back to Wicked dude MHO said you can’t even give me some credit Thomas yelled there’s no way I’d go back but maybe them needing me so much could help us at some point what we should worry about is n Jansen thinks n’s succumbing to the flare a lot faster than average we have to go check on him he really said that yeah Thomas felt bad for blowing up at his friend and I believe him on this you saw how n’s been acting Minho stared at Thomas his eyes filled with pain it hit Thomas that MHO had known n for two years longer than he had so much more time to grow close we better check on him somehow Thomas repeated do something for him MHO just nodded and looked away Thomas was tempted to pull n’s note out of his pocket and read it right then and there but he’d promised he’d wait until he knew for sure the time was right it’s getting late Brenda said and they don’t let people in and out of the city at night it’s hard enough to keep things under control during the day Thomas noticed for the first time that the light was beginning to fade the sky above the building taking on an orange hue Jorge who had been quiet until then spoke up that’s the least of our problems something weird is going on around this place Muchachos what do you mean Thomas asked all the people seem to have vanished in the last half hour and the few I’ve seen don’t look right that scene at the coffee shop did send everyone scattering Brenda pointed out Jorge Shrugged I don’t know this city is just giving me the creeps Arma like it’s alive and waiting to unleash something really nasty a strange unease crawled up Thomas’s spine and he turned his Focus back to New can we get out there if we hurry or can we break out we can try brinda said better hope we can find a cab though we’re on the other side of the city from where we came in let’s try it Thomas offered they took off down the street but the look on meho face wasn’t good Thomas sure hoped it wasn’t a sign of bad things to come chapter 33 they walked for an hour and didn’t see a single car much less a cab they ran into only a few scattered people and cop machines let out their Eerie hum as they flew by at random every few minutes they’d hear a sound in the distance that brought memories of The Scorch back to Thomas someone talking too loudly a scream an odd laugh as the light faded to Darkness he began to feel more and more spooked finally Brenda stopped and faced the rest of them wek have to wait till tomorrow she announced we’re not going to find Transportation tonight and we’re too far to walk we need to sleep so we’ll be fresh in the morning Thomas hated to admit it but she was right there’s got to be a way out of there MHO countered Jorge squeezed his shoulder it’s useless armano the airport’s at least 10 mi from here and by the looks of this town we get mugged or shot or beaten to death on the way Brenda’s right better to rest up and go help him tomorrow Thomas could tell MHO wanted to be his usual defiant self but he gave in without arguing Jorge made too much sense they were in a huge city at night completely out of their element are we close to our Motel Thomas asked he told himself that n could make it through one more night alone Jorge pointed to his left just a few blocks they headed in that direction they were a block away when Jorge pulled up short holding one hand in the air and putting a finger to his lips with the other Thomas stopped dead in his tracks alarm suddenly tingling through his nerves what MHO whispered Jorge turned in a slow Circle scanning the area around them and Thomas did the same wondering what had suddenly made the older man so apprehensive Darkness had completely fallen and the few street lights they passed barely put a dent in it the world Thomas could see seemed made of Shadows and he imagined horrible things hiding behind every one of them what MHO whispered again I keep thinking I hear something right behind us orge replied Whispering anyone else there Brenda shouted her voice like a crack of thunder in the silence did you see that she was pointing off to her left Thomas strained to look but saw nothing the streets were empty as far as he could tell someone was just coming out from behind that building then jumped back I swear I saw it hey MHO yelled who’s over there are you crazy Thomas whispered let’s get inside the motel slim it dude if they wanted to shoot us or something don’t you think they would have done it by now Thomas just sighed in exasperation he didn’t like the feel of this at all I should have said something when I first heard it Jorge said maybe it’s nothing Brenda responded and if it is standing around won’t help let’s just get out of here hey MHO yelled again making Thomas jump hey you who’s over there Thomas smacked him on the shoulder seriously would you stop that his friend ignored him come out and show yourself whoever it was didn’t respond MHO moved like he was going to walk across the street and take a look but Tom grabbed him by the arm no way worst idea in history it’s dark it could be a trap it could be a lot of terrible things let’s just get some sleep and keep a better eye out tomorrow MHO didn’t put up much of an argument fine be a wuss but I got one of the beds tonight and with that they went up to their room it took forever for Thomas to fall asleep his mind spinning with the possibilities of who might be following them but no matter where his thoughts wandered they always came back to Teresa and the others where were they could that have been Teresa out on the street spying on them or had it been GLE and the right arm and Thomas hated that they’d had no choice but to wait a night before checking on N what if something had happened to him finally his mind slowed the questions faded away and he fell asleep chapter 34 the next morning Thomas was surprised at how rested he felt he’d tossed and turned all night it seemed but at some point he must have gotten some deep and recharging sleep after a long hot shower and breakfast out of a vending machine he was ready to face the day he and the others left the motel around 8:00 in the morning wondering what they’d find in the city on their way to check on new they saw some people here and there but far fewer than they’d seen during the busy hours of the day before and Thomas didn’t notice any strange noises like the ones they’ heard the previous night during their Long Walk something’s up I’m telling you orge said as they made their way down the street in search of a cab there should be more folks out and about Thomas observed the few pedestrians around him none of them would look him in the eye everyone kept their head down often with one hand holding their surgical mask to their face as if afraid that a sudden wind might blow it off and they walked with a hurried frantic gate almost jumping out of the way when another person got too close he noticed a woman studying a poster about the flare just like the one he’d read the day before while being escorted by red shirt it brought to mind that memory he hadn’t been able to grasp it was going to drive him crazy letun hurry and get back to the shuck airport MHO muttered this place is giving me the creeps we should probably go up that way Brenda said pointing there have to be cabs around those business offices they crossed the street and headed down a narrower one that passed what looked like an empty lot on one side and an old dilapidated building on the other MHO leaned into Thomas and half whispered dude I’m a little shocked in the head right now I’m scared of what we’re going to find with n Thomas was scared too but he didn’t admit it don’t worry I’m sure he’s fine for now good that and the cure for the flar is going to fly out of your butt any second who knows maybe it will might smell funny though his friend didn’t seem to think that was very humorous look we can’t do anything until we get there and see him Thomas hated sounding so insensitive but things were hard enough they couldn’t assume the worst thanks for the pep talk the empty lot to their right contained the scattered remains of an old brick building weeds filling every square inch a large section of wall stood right in the middle and and as they passed Thomas noticed movement on the far side of it he stopped and instinctively put a hand out to Halt MHO as well he shushed him before he could ask what was going on Brenda and Jorge noticed and froze in place Thomas pointed at what he’d seen then tried to get a better look a shirtless man had his back to them and he was hunched over something digging with his hands like he’d lost something in the mud and was trying to find it oddly shaped scrap scatches covered his shoulders and there was a long scab crossing the middle of his spine his movements were jerky and desperate Thomas thought his elbows kept popping back like he’d torn something loose from the ground The Tall Weeds prevented Thomas from seeing the focus of the man’s frantic attention Brenda whispered from behind let’s keep moving that guy’s sick MHO whispered back how’s he loose like this Thomas had no idea let’s just go the group started walking again but Thomas couldn’t tear his eyes away from the disturbing scene what was the guy doing when they reached the end of the block Thomas stopped as did the others it was clearly bothering everyone as much as it was him they all wanted to get one last look without warning the man sprang up and turned toward them blood covered his mouth and nose Thomas flinched and stumbled back into MHO the man bared his teeth in a nasty grin then held up bloody hands as if to show them off Thomas was just about to yell at him when the guy bent back over and returned to his business thankfully they couldn’t see exactly what that business was this would be a good time to go Brenda said icy fingers crawled along Thomas’s back and shoulders he couldn’t have agreed more they all turned and ran and they’d gone two blocks before they slowed to a walk again it took another half hour before they found a cab but they were finally on their way Thomas wanted to talk about what they’d seen in the empty lot but he couldn’t put it into words it had sickened him through and through MHO was the first to speak about it that guy was eating a person I just know it maybe Brenda began maybe it was just a stray dog her tone made Thomas think she didn’t believe it for one second not like that’ be okay either MHO scoffed I’m pretty sure that’s not something you’re supposed to see during a nice leisurely stroll through a quarantined City in the middle of the day I believe GLE I think this place is crawling with cranks and soon the whole city is going to start killing each other no one responded they stayed silent the rest of the way to the airport it didn’t take long to get through security and back outside the massive walls surrounding the city if anything the staff they encountered seemed thrilled that they were leaving the Berg was right where they left it waiting like the abandoned shell of a giant insect on the hot and steamy concrete nothing stirred around it hurry up and open it MHO said Jorge didn’t seem phased by the Kurt command he pulled his small control pad out of his pocket and pressed some buttons the ramp of the cargo door slowly pivoted down hinges squealing until its Edge landed on the ground with a grating scrape Thomas had hoped to see n come running down that ramp a big smile on his face glad to see them but nothing moved inside or out and his heart sank MHO obviously felt the same way something’s wrong he sprinted to the door and ran up the ramp before Thomas had a chance to react we better get in there Brenda said what if NES turned dangerous Thomas hated the sound of the question but knew she was right without responding he ran after MHO entering the dark and stifling Berg all the systems had been shut down at some point no air conditioning no lights nothing Jorge followed right at Thomas’s heels let me power her up or we’ll all sweat till we’re nothing but a pile of bones and skin he moved off in the direction of the cockpit Brenda stood next to Thomas both of them peering into the Gloom of the ship the only light coming from the few scattered Port holes they could hear MHO calling n’s name somewhere deep in the ship but the infected boy wasn’t responding a cavity seemed to open within Thomas widening and sucking the Hope out of him I’ll go to the left he said pointing toward the small hallway to the common area why don’t you follow Jorge in search up there this isn’t good he would have been here to welcome us if everything was okay not to mention the lights and air would be on she gave Thomas a grim look then headed off Thomas went down the hallway to the main room MHO sat on one of the couches looking at a piece of paper his face as Stony as Thomas had ever seen it the hollow inside him grew even more and his last ounce of Hope faded hey he said what is it MHO didn’t answer he just kept staring at the paper what’s wrong MHO glanced up at him come see for yourself he held up the paper in one hand while he slouched back on the couch seeming on the verge of tears he’s gone Thomas walked over and took the paper from him then flipped it over scribbled in black marker it said they got inside somehow they’re taking me to live with the other cranks it’s for the best thanks for being my friends goodbye mute Thomas whispered his friend’s name hung in the air like a pronouncement of death chapter 35 soon they were all sitting together the goal was to talk over what should come next but the reality was that had nothing to say the group before just stared at the floor and said nothing for some reason Thomas couldn’t get Jansen out of his head could going back really be a way to save n every part of him rebelled against the idea of returning to Wicked but if he did go back and was able to complete the testing MHO broke the Sullen silence I want you three to listen to me he took a moment to look at each one of them then continued ever since we broke out of wicked I’ve basically gone along with whatever you slint heads ended up saying we should do and I haven’t complained much he gave Thomas a Ry grin but right here right now I’m making a decision and you’re going to do what I say and if anyone pushes back to hell with you Thomas knew what his friend wanted and he was glad for it I know we have bigger goals in mind MHO continued we need need to connect with the right arm figure out what to do about Wicked all that saved the world clunk but first we’re going to find n this isn’t open for discussion the four of us all of us are flying to wherever we need to go and we’re getting n out of there they call it the crank Palace Brenda said Thomas turned to her and she was staring off into space it has to be what he was talking about some of those red shirts probably broke into the Berg found n and saw that he was in fected let him leave us a note I don’t have any doubt that’s what happened sounds fancy MHO said you’ve been there no every major city has a crank Palace a place where they send the infected and try to make it bearable for them until they reach the gone I don’t know what they do to them then but it’s not a pretty place to be no matter who you are so I can only imagine immunes run things there and get paid a lot for it because a non-immune would never risk catching the flare if you want to go we should think long and hard about it first we’re completely out of ammunition so we’ll be unarmed despite the ominous description MHO had a glimmer of hope in his eyes long and hard thinking done you know where the closest one is yeah Jorge answered we passed over it on the way here it’s just on the far side of this Valley right against the mountains to the West MHO clapped his hands once then that’s where we’re going Jorge get this piece of clunk up in the sky Thomas expected at least a little argument or resistance but none came I’ll be glad for a little Adventure muchacho Jorge said standing up we’ll be there in 20 minutes Jorge was true to his word on the timing he landed the Berg in a clearing along the beginnings of a forest that stretched up the surprising Green Mountain Side about half of the trees were dead but the other half looked as if they’d just begun to recover from years of massive heat spells it made Thomas sad to think that the world would probably recover from the sunf flares just fine someday only to find itself uninhabited he stepped off the cargo ramp and took a good look at the walls surrounding what had to be the crank Palace just a few hundred feet away it was made of thick planks of wood the closest gate was just beginning to open and two people appeared both of them holding huge launchers they looked exhausted but wearily they took a defensive stance and aimed their weapons they’d obviously heard or seen the Berg’s approach not a good start Jorge said one of the guards shouted something but Thomas couldn’t hear what he’d said let’s just go over there talk to them they must be immune if they have those launchers unless the cranks took over offered MHO but then he looked at Thomas with an odd grin either way we’re going in and we’re not leaving without n the group held their heads up high and slowly walked to the gate making sure not to do anything that would cause alarm the last thing Thomas wanted was to be shot by a launcher grenade again as they got closer he saw that the two guards looked worse up close they were filthy sweaty and covered in bruises and scratches they stopped at the gate and one of the Guard stepped forward who the hell are you people he asked he had black hair and a mustache and was taller than his partner by a few good inches you don’t look much like the science goons that come in sometimes Jorge did the talking just as he had at the airport when they’d arrived in Denver you wouldn’t have known we were coming muchacho we’re from Wicked and one of our guys got captured and taken here by mistake we’ll be picking him up Thomas was surprised what Jorge had said was technically the truth when he thought about it the guard didn’t seem too impressed you think I give a crap about you and your fancy Wicked jobs you’re not the first up up to drop in here and act like you own the place you want to come hang out with cranks be my guest especially after what’s been going on lately he stepped to the side and made an exaggerated sweeping gesture of welcome enjoy your stay at the crank Palace no refunds or exchanges if you lose an arm eyeball Thomas could almost smell the tension in the air and he worried that MHO would add some smart remark and send these guys over the edge so he spoke up quickly what do you mean what’s been going on lately what’s happening the guy Shrugged it’s just not a very happy place and that’s all you need to know he didn’t offer anything more Thomas already disliked the way things were going well do you know if any new saying cranks didn’t feel right to Thomas people were brought here in the last day or two do you have a register the other guard short and stocky his head shaved cleared his throat then spit who you looking for a he or a she a he Thomas answered his name is n a little taller than me blonde hair kind of long has a limp the guy spit again I might know something but knowing and telling are two different things you kids look like you got plenty of money want to share Thomas daring to let himself hope looked back at Jorge whose face had tightened in Anger MHO spoke before Jorge could we’ve got money shuf face now tell us where our friend is the guard jabbed the launcher toward them a little more fiercely show me your cash cards or this conversation is over I want at least a thousand he’s got it all MHO said Jab ing a thumb at Jorge as his eyes lasered in on the guard greedy slint head Jorge pulled his card out and waved it in the air you’ll have to shoot me dead to take this and you know it won’t do any good without my prince you’ll get your money armano Now show us the way all right then the man said follow me and remember if any of your body parts become detached due to an unfortunate encounter with a crank I highly advise you to leave body part behind and run like hell unless it’s a leg of course he turned on his heels and walked through the opened gate chapter 36 the crank Palace was a horrible filthy place the short guard proved to be very talkative and as they made their way through the chaos of the frightening domain he provided more information than Thomas ever would have asked for he described the village for the infected as a huge set of rings within rings with all the communal areas cafeteria infirmary Recreation facilities located in the middle and then row upon row of poorly built housing encircling them the Palaces had been conceived as Humane options refuges for the infected until they reached a point where the madness took over after that they were shipped to remote locations that had been abandoned during the worst of the sunf flares those who had built the Palaces had wanted to give the infected one last shot at a decent life before the end projects had sprung up near most remaining cities in the world but the well-intended idea had gone very bad filling a place with people who had no hope and knew they were about to descend into a rotten horrific spiral of insanity ended up creating some of the most wretched anarchic zones ever known to man with the residents well aware that there could be no real punishment or con consequences worse than what they already faced crime rates grew astronomically and so the developments became havens of debauchery as the group walked past home after home nothing more than Shacks that had fallen into disrepair Thomas imagined how truly awful it must be to live in such a place most windows in the buildings they passed were broken and their guard explained how it had been a huge mistake to allow glass in the towns at all it had become the number one source of Weaponry trash littered the streets and though he hadn’t spotted any people yet Thomas felt like he and his friends were being watched from the shadows in the distance he heard someone yell a few obscenities then a scream came from another Direction putting Thomas even more on edge why don’t they just close the place down he asked the first of his group to speak I mean if it’s gotten so bad gotten so bad the guard asked kid bad’s a relative term this is just how it is what else are you going to do with these people you can’t leave them hanging out with the healthy folks in the fortressed cities you can’t just dump them in a Place full of cranks way past the gone and let them get eaten alive and no government’s gotten desperate enough yet to start killing people as soon as they catch the flare this is it and it’s a way for us immunes to make some good money since no one else would ever work here his statements left Thomas with a heavy dose of Gloom the world was in pitiful shape maybe he was being selfish by not helping Wicked complete the tests Brenda spoke up her face had been creased into a look of disgust since they’d entered the town why don’t you just tell it like it is you let the infected run around this godforsaken place until they’re so bad that your conscience is clean enough to get rid of them that about wraps her up the guard responded matter ofly Thomas had a hard time disliking the guy he mostly just felt sorry for him they kept walking passing row after row of houses all of them broken run down and dirty where is everybody Thomas asked I thought this place would be packed wall toall and what did you mean earlier about something happening this time the guy with the mustache answered and it was good to hear another voice for a change some the lucky ones are vegging on the Bliss in their homes but most of them are in the central zone eating or playing or up to no good they’re sending us too many and faster than we can ship them out add to that the fact that we’re losing immunes left and right to who knows where decreasing our ratio each and every day and things were bound to reach a boiling point eventually let’s just say this morning the water finally got hot enough losing immunes left and right Thomas repeated it looked like Wicked was cing every resource they could for more trials even if their doing so had dangerous consequences yeah almost half our workers have disappeared over the last couple months no sign of them no explanations which only makes my job a thousand times harder Thomas groaned just keep us away from the crowds and put us somewhere safe until you find n that’s more like it MHO added the guard merely Shrugged okay as long as I get my money the guards finally stopped two rings away from the central zone and told the group to wait Thomas and the others huddled in some shade behind one of the Shacks the cacophony had grown louder by the minute and now so close to most of the palace’s population it sounded as if a massive brawl was taking place just around the corner Thomas hated every second he sat there waiting listening to those awful noises wondering the whole time whether the guard would come back at all all much less with new and toe about 10 minutes after he left two people came out of a little Hut across the narrow pathway from them Thomas’s pulse quickened and he almost got up and ran before he realized they didn’t look threatening in the least they were a couple holding hands and other than being a little dirty and wearing wrinkled and worn clothes they seemed sane enough the two approached the little group and stopped in front of them when did you get here the woman asked Thomas fumbled for words but Brenda spoke up we came in with the last group we actually looking for our friend who was with us his name is n blond hair has a limp have you seen him the man answered as if he just heard the dumbest question of his life lots of people with blonde hair around here how are we supposed to tell who’s who what kind of name is n anyway MHO opened his mouth to respond but the noise coming from the center of town picked up and everyone turned to look the couple gave each other concerned looks then without a word they scurried back inside their home they closed the door and Thomas heard the click of a lock engaging a few seconds later a wooden board appeared in their window covering it up a small Shard of glass fell to the ground outside they look about as happy to be here as we are Tomas said Jorge grunted real friendly I think I’ll come back to visit they obviously haven’t been here long Brenda said I can’t imagine what that must feel like finding out you’re infected being sent to live with cranks seeing what you’re about to become right in front of you Thomas just shook his head slowly it’ be misery in its purest form where are those guards MHO asked impatience clear in his tone how long does it take to find someone and tell them their friends are here 10 minutes later the two guards re appeared around a corner Thomas and His Friends jumped to their feet what did you find out MHO asked in a rush the short one seemed fidgety his eyes darting as if he’d lost his brazenness from before and Thomas wondered if a trip to what they’d called the central zone always did that to a person his partner answered took some asking around but I think we found your guy looks just like you described and he turned toward us when we called his name but the guards exchanged an uncomfortable glance but what MHO pushed he said very pointedly I might add to tell you guys to get lost chapter 37 the words stabbed Thomas and he could only imagine how MHO felt show us where he is his friend ordered curtly the guard held up his hands did you not hear what I just said your job’s not done Thomas insisted he was with MHO 100% it didn’t matter what n had said if they were this close they were going to talk to him the shorter guard shook his head adamantly no way you asked us to find your friend and we did give us our money does it look like we’re with him yet orge asked no one makes a dollar until you get us all together Brenda didn’t say anything but she stood next to Jorge and nodded to show her support Thomas was relieved that everyone was on board to go to n despite the message he’d sent the two guards didn’t look happy at all and they whispered back and forth arguing hey meho barked if you want that money let’s go fine the guard with the mustache finally said his partner gave him an exasperated glare follow us they turned and headed back in the direction they’d come MHO was right on their heels and then everyone else as they made their way deeper into the compound Thomas kept thinking things couldn’t get worse but they did the buildings were shaber the streets dirtier he saw several people lying on the sidewalks their heads resting on filthy bags or waded up pieces of clothing each one of them stared at the sky with a glazed expression a look of oblivious Lee the Bliss was aptly named Thomas thought the guards marched ahead sweeping their launchers left and right at anyone who got within a dozen feet of them at one point they passed a ravaged looking man his clothes torn his hair matted with some kind of black goo skin covered in rashes as he fell on a drugged out teenager and started beating him Thomas stopped wondering if they should help don’t even think about it the short guard said before Thomas could get a word out keep moving but isn’t your job to the other guard cut him off shut up and let us handle things if we meddled in every squabble and cat fight we saw we’d never be done we’d probably be dead those two can sort out their own problems just get us to n MHO said evenly they continued and Thomas tried to ignore the gargled scream that suddenly Rose behind them finally they reached a high wall with a big archway way that led to an open area full of people a sign at the top of the arch proclaimed in bright letters that this was the central zone Thomas couldn’t quite make out what was going on inside but everyone seemed busy the guard stopped and the one with the mustache addressed the group I’m only going to ask once are you sure you want to go in there yes MHO answered quickly okay then your friend is at the bowling alley as soon as we point him out I want our money let’s just get moving Jorge growled they followed the guards through the arch and entered the central zone then they stopped to take it all in the first word that popped into Thomas’s mind was mad house and he realized that it was almost literally true cranks were everywhere they milled about in a circular area several hundred ft across that was bordered by what had apparently once been shops and restaurants and entertainment venues most of them were run down and closed the majority of the infected didn’t seem quite as gone as the matted hair fellow they’d seen out in the streets but there was a frenzied air about the groups of people to Thomas everyone’s actions and mannerisms seemed exaggerated some people were laughing hysterically a wildness in their eyes as they slapped each other’s backs roughly others cried uncontrollably sobbing all alone on the ground or walking in circles faces in their hands small fights had broken out everywhere and here and there you’d find a man or woman standing still and screaming at the top of their lungs faces red and necks corded there were also those who huddled in groups arms folded and head snapping left and right as if they expected to be attacked at any second and just as Thomas had seen in the outer Rings some of the cranks were lost in the Haze of the Bliss smiling as they sat or lay on the ground and ignored the chaos a few guards walked around weapons held at the ready but they were vastly outnumbered remind me not to buy any real estate here MHO quipped Thomas couldn’t bring himself to laugh he was filled with anxiety and he desperately wanted to get this over with where’s the bowling alley he asked over this way the shorter guard said he headed to the left sticking close to the wall as Thomas and the others followed Brenda walked beside him their arms brushing with every step he wanted to take her hand but he didn’t want to make any move that would call attention to himself everything about this place was so unpredictable he didn’t want to do anything he didn’t absolutely have to most of the cranks stopped their feverish activities and stared at the small group of newcomers as they approached and walked walked past Thomas kept his gaze lowered scared that if he made eye contact with anyone they might get hostile or try to talk to him there were cat calls and whistles lots of crude jokes or insults thrown their way as they kept moving they passed a dilapidated convenience store and Thomas could see through the open window the glass was gone that almost all the shelves were empty there was a doctor’s office and a sandwich shop but no lights shown in either one someone grabbed Thomas’s shirt by the shoulder he spun to see who it was as he swatted the hand away a woman stood there her dark hair messy and a scratch on her chin but otherwise she seemed somewhat normal her face was drooping in a frown and she stared at him for a moment before opening her mouth as wide as it would go revealing teeth that were in good shape other than looking as if they hadn’t been brushed in a while and a tongue that was swollen and discolored then she closed her mouth again I want to kiss you the woman said what do you say Muni she laughed a manic cackle that was full of snorts and ran her hand lightly down Thomas’s chest Thomas jerked away and continued walking he noticed that the guards hadn’t even stopped to make sure nothing bad happened Brenda leaned closer and whispered to him that might have been the creepiest thing yet Thomas just nodded and kept going chapter 38 the bowling alley didn’t have any doors based on the thick rust that covered the exposed hinges they’d been taken off and disposed of a long time ago a large wooden sign hung above the entrance but any words it had once displayed were gone leaving only faded scratches of color heun’s in there the guard with a mustache said now pay up MHO stepped past him to the empty doorway and leaned through the opening craning his neck to see inside then he turned around and looked at Thomas I can see him in the back MHO said his face pinched with worry it’s dark in there but it’s definitely him Thomas had been so worried about finding their old friend he realized he didn’t have any clue what they’d actually say to him why had he told them to get lost we want our money the guard repeated Jorge appeared completely unfaced you’ll get double if you make sure we get back to our Berg safely the two guards consulted then the shorter one took a turn speaking triple and we want half of it now to make sure you’re not blowing smoke out your butts that’s a deal muchacho as Jorge pulled out his card and touched it to the guards transferring the money Thomas felt a grim satisfaction that they were stealing money from Wicked we’ll wait right here the guard said when they were done come on MHO said he went inside the building without waiting for a response Thomas looked at Brenda who was frowning what’s wrong he asked as if there were just one thing I don’t know she responded I just have a bad feeling yeah you and me both she gave him a half smile and took his hand which now he gladly accepted then they went into the bowling alley with Jorge right behind them as with many things since his memory had been wiped Thomas had images in his mind of what a bowling alley should have looked like and how it functioned but he couldn’t recall having ever bowled the room they stepped into was far from what he’d expected the lanes where people had once bowled were now completely torn up most of the wood panels ripped out or broken sleeping bags and blankets filled the spaces now with people either napping or lying in a DA as they stared at the ceiling Brenda had told Thomas that only the rich could afford the Bliss so he wondered how people would dare reveal to others that they were using it in a place like this he imagined it wouldn’t be long before someone decided to do whatever it took to get the drug from them in the niches where the bowling pins used to stand several fires burned which couldn’t have been very safe but at least one person sat at each fire tending it the smell of burning wood wafted through the air and a smoky Haze choked the darkness meho pointed to the far left lane about 100 ft away not many people were over there most seemed to congregate in the middle Lanes but Thomas spotted new immediately despite the poor lighting it was the flash of his long blonde hair in the fire light and the familiar shape of his slumping body his back was to them here goes nothing Thomas whispered to Brenda no one bothered them as they carefully made their way to new picking through the Maze of people dozing in blankets until they reached the Far Lane Thomas watched where he walked the last thing he wanted was to step on some crank and get bitten in the leg they were about 10 ft away from n when 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 MOS stopped and Thomas almost ran into him Brenda squeezed Thomas’s hand then let go which was when he realized how much he’d been sweating hearing those words come out of n 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 MHO said moving a couple of feet closer to n he had to step over a skinny woman lying on her side don’t don’t come any closer n answered his voice was soft but it was full of Menace those thugs brought me here for a reason they thought I was a bloody immune hold up in that shuberg imagine their surprise when they could tell I had the flare eating my brain said they were doing their civic duty when they dumped me in this Rat Hole when Minho didn’t say anything Thomas spoke up trying not to let n’s words overcome him why do you you think we’re here n I’m sorry you had to stay back and got caught I’m sorry they brought you here but we can break you out it doesn’t look like anyone gives a clunk who comes or goes n slowly twisted 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 3 days straight but despite the anger that pulled in his eyes he hadn’t been taken by Madness quite yet whoa there MHO said taking a half step back he barely missed stepping on the lady at his heels slim it nice and calm there’s no need to point a Shu launcher at my face while we talk where’d you get that thing anyway I stole it n answered took it from a guard who made me unhappy n’s hands were shaking slightly which made Thomas nervous the boy’s finger hovered over the trigger of the weapon I am not well n said honestly I appreciate you ban Shanks coming 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 n I don’t understand Nino said the frustration in his voice escalating we risked our necks to come to this place and you’re our friend and we’re taking you home you want to whine and cry while you go crazy that’s fine but you’re going to do it with us not with these Shu cranks n suddenly jumped to his feet so quickly that Thomas almost stumbled backward n lofted the launcher and pointed it at MHO I am a crank MHO I am a crank why can’t you get that through your bloody head if you had the flare and knew what you were about to go through would you let your friends to stand around and watch huh would you want that he was shouting by the time he finished and was shaking more with each passing moment MHO didn’t say anything and Thomas knew why he himself was trying to find words and coming up empty n’s glare shifted to him and you Tommy the boy said lowering his voice you’ve got a lot of nerve coming here and asking me to leave with you a lot of bloody nerve the sight of you makes me sick Thomas was stunned silent nothing anyone had ever said had hurt so much nothing chapter 39 Thomas couldn’t think of any possible explanation for the statement what are you talking about he asked n didn’t respond just kept staring at him with hardened eyes his arms shaking his launcher pointed at Thomas’s chest but then he stilled and his face softened he lowered the weapon and looked at the floor no I don’t get it Thomas persisted quietly why are you saying all this n looked up again and there was none of the bitterness that had been there just seconds earlier I’m sorry guys I’m s sorry but I need you to listen to me I’m getting worse by the hour and I don’t have many sane ones left please leave when Thomas opened his mouth to argue n held up his hands no no more talking from you just please please leave I’m begging you I’m begging you to do this one thing for me as sincerely as I’ve ever asked for anything in my life I I want you to do this for me there’s a group I’ve met that are a lot like me and they’re planning to break out and head for Denver later today I’m going 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 anymore it’s going to be hard enough for me now and it’ll make it worse if I know you have to witness it or worst of all I hurt you so let’s say our bloody goodbyes and then you can promise to remember me from the good old days I can’t do that MHO said shook it n yelled do you have any clue how hard it is to be calm right now I said my peace and I’m done now get out of here do you understand me get out of here someone poked Thomas’s shoulder and he spun to see several cranks had gathered behind them the person who jabbed Thomas was a tall broad chested man with long greasy 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 him alone the guy said his tongue snaked out to lick his lips as he spoke this is none of your business Thomas replied he could sense the danger but for some reason he didn’t care there was only room enough inside him to be sick about n 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 MHO spoke before Thomas could respond hey psycho maybe your ears are clogged with a flare this is between us and N you leave the man scouted then brought up a hand to show a long Shard of glass gripped in his fist blood dripped from where he held it I was hoping you would resist he snarled I’ve been bored his arms flashed out the glass slicing toward Thomas’s face Thomas ducked toward the floor and reached up with his hands to deflect the blow but before the weapon hit him Brenda stepped in and swatted the guy’s hand away which sent the glass Shard flying then MHO was on him tackling the crank to the ground they landed on the woman he’d stepped over earlier to get to n and she screamed bloody murder started flailing and kicking soon the three of them were entangled in a wrestling match stop it n yelled stop it no Thomas had been frozen in place crouching as he waited for an opportunity to jump in and help MHO but he twisted around to see that n was holding his launcher in shooting position his eyes wild with Fury stop or I’ll start shooting and not give a bugging piece of clunk who gets hit the man with the greasy hair pushed his way out of the melee and stood up kicking the woman in the ribs as he did so she wailed as MHO got to his feet scratches covering his face the electric sound of the launcher’s charge filled the air just as Thomas got a whiff of burnt ozone then n squeezed the trigger a grenade smashed into greasy hair’s chest and lightning tendrils enveloped his body as he fell screaming to the ground writhing legs rigid drool foaming out of his mouth Thomas couldn’t believe the sudden turn of events he looked at n with wide eyes glad he’d done what he had and happy he hadn’t aimed the launcher at him or Minho I told him to stop newa whispered then he aimed the weapon at Minho but it was shaking because his arms were now you guys leave no more discussion I’m sorry Minho held up his hands you’re going to shoot me old pal go n said I asked nicely now I’m telling this is hard enough go no let’s go outside go n stepped closer and aimed more fiercely get out of here Thomas hated what he was seeing the complete wildness that had taken over n his whole body trembled his eyes had lost any hint of Sanity he was losing it completely let’s go Thomas said one of the saddest things he’d ever heard himself say come on minho’s gaze snapped to Thomas and he looked like his heart had been shattered you can’t be serious Thomas could only nod minho’s shoulders slumped and his eyes fell to the floor how did the world get so shocked the words barely came out low and full of pain I’m sorry n said and there were tears streaming down his face I’m I’m going to shoot you if you don’t go now Thomas couldn’t take it for one more second he grabbed Brenda by the hand then Minho by the upper arm started pulling them along toward the exit stepping over bodies and winding his way through the blankets MHO didn’t resist and Thomas didn’t dare look at him and could only hope that Jorge was following along he just kept going across the lobby to the doors and through outside into the central zone into the chaotic crowds of cranks away from n away from his friend and his friend’s diseased brain chapter 40 there was no sign of the guards who’d escorted Ed them there but there were even more cranks than when they’d entered the bowling alley and most of them seemed to be waiting for the newcomers they’ probably heard the sounds of the launcher firing and the screams of the guy who’d been hit or maybe someone had come out to tell them whatever the case Thomas felt as if every person looking at him were past the gone and hungry for human lunch look at these Jokers someone called out yeah ain’t they pretty another answer Ed come to play with the cranks or are you on your way to joining us Thomas kept moving making his way toward the arched entrance to the central zone he’ let go of minho’s arm but still held Brenda’s hand they marched through the crowd and Thomas finally had to stop meeting people’s gazes all he saw was Madness and blood lust and jealousy carved onto countless bleeding and mangled faces he wanted to run but had the sense that if he did the whole crowd would attack like a pack of wolves they reached the arch went through it without hesitating Thomas LED them down the Main Street crossing through the rings of dilapidated houses the Ruckus of the Zone seemed to have started up again now that they were gone and Eerie sounds of crazed laughter and wild screaming followed the group on their Trek the farther they got from the noise the less tense Thomas felt he didn’t dare speak to ask MHO how he was plus he knew the answer they were just passing another set of broken homes when he heard a couple of shouts ring out and then the sound of footsteps run someone yelled run Thomas came to a stop just as the two guards who debanding them came kening around the corner they didn’t slow but ran toward the farthest ring of the town and the Berg neither of them had their launchers anymore hey MHO shouted get back here the the guard with the mustache looked back I said run you idiots come on Thomas didn’t take time to think he sprinted after them knowing it was the only choice MHO Jorge and Brenda followed close on his heels he looked back to see a cluster of cranks chasing them at least a dozen and they seemed frantic as if a switch had been flipped and every one of them had reached the gone at once what happened MHO asked through heavy breaths they dragged us away from The Zone the shorter man yelled I swear to God they were going to eat us we barely escaped don’t stop running the other guard added the two of them suddenly peeled off in another Direction down a hidden alley Thomas and His Friends continued toward the exit leading to their Berg cat calls and whistles Rose from behind them and Thomas risked another Glimpse back for a better look at their pursuers torn clothes matted hair muddied faces but they’d gained no ground they can’t catch us he yelled just as the exterior gate came into view ahead of them keep going we’re almost there even so Thomas ran faster than he’d ever run in his life pushed harder than he ever had in the Maze the thought of getting caught by those cranks filled him with horror the group made it to the gate and passed through it without pausing they didn’t bother to close it just ran straight for the Berg its hatch opening as Jorge pushed the buttons on his Pad they reached the ramp and Thomas ran up it and hurled himself inside he turned to see his friend sliding to the floor around him the ramp squealing as it started moving upward to close the pack of cranks chasing them would never make it in time but they kept running screaming and shouting nonsense one of them reached down and picked up a rock hurled it the thing fell 20 fet short the Berg Rose into the air just as the door sealed shut Jorge hovered the ship just a few dozen feet in the air while they gathered their wits the cranks were no threat from the ground none of them had weapons not the ones who’d followed them outside the wall at any rate Thomas stood with MHO and Brenda at one of the viewing ports and watched the deliriously Angry Crowd below it was hard to believe that what he was seeing was real look at them down there Thomas said who knows what they were doing a few months ago living in a highrise maybe working at some office now they’re chasing people like wild animals I’ll tell you what they were doing a few months ago Brenda answered they were miserable scared to death of catching the flare knowing it’s inevitable MHO threw his hands up how can you worry about them was I alone just now with my friend his name was n nothing we could have done Jorge called from the cockpit Thomas winced at the lack of compassion MHO turned to face him just shut up and fly shuck face I’ll do my best hores said with a sigh he fiddled with some instruments and got the Berg moving MHO slumped to the floor almost like he’d melted what happens when he runs out of launcher grenades he asked no one in particular looking at an empty spot on the wall Thomas had no idea how to respond no way to express the sorrow that filled his chest he sank down next to MHO on the ground and sat there without saying a word as the birg rose higher and flew away from the crank Palace n Was Gone chapter 41 eventually Thomas and MHO got themselves up and went to sit on a couch in the common area while Brenda helped Jorge in the cockpit with time to think the full reality of what had happened hit hit Thomas like a falling Boulder ever since Thomas had entered the maze n had been there for him Thomas hadn’t realized just how much of a friend he’d become until now his heart hurt he tried to remind himself that n wasn’t dead but in some ways this was worse in most ways he’d fallen down the slope of insanity and he was surrounded by bloodthirsty cranks and the prospect of never seeing him again was almost unbearable MHO finally spoke in a lifeless voice why did he do that why wouldn’t he come back with us why would he point that weapon at my face he never would have pulled the trigger Thomas offered though he doubted it was the truth MHO shook his head you saw his eyes when they changed complete lunacy I’d be fried if I kept pushing he’s crazy man he’s gone whacker from top to bottom maybe it’s a good thing come again Mino asked as he turned to Thomas maybe when their minds go they’re not themselves anymore maybe the N we know is gone and he’s not aware of what’s happening to him so really he’s not suffering meho almost looked offended by the notion nice try slint head but I don’t believe it I think he’ll always be there just enough to be screaming on the inside deranged and suffering every shuck second of it tormented like a dude buried alive that image made Thomas not want to talk anymore and they fell silent again Thomas stared at the same spot on the floor feeling the full dread of n’s fate until the Berg landed with a thump back at the Denver Airport Thomas rubbed his face with both hands I guess we’re here I think I understand Wicked a little more now MHO said absently after seeing those eyes up close seeing the madness it’s not the same when it’s someone you’ve known for so long I’ve watched plenty of friends die but I can’t imagine anything worse the flare man if we could find a cure for that he didn’t finish the sentence but Thomas knew what he was thinking Thomas closed his eyes for a second nothing about this was black and white it never would be Jorge and Brenda joined them after they’d sat a while in silence I’m sorry Brenda murmured MHO grunted something Thomas nodded and gave her a long look trying to let her know with his eyes how terrible he felt Jorge just sat there staring at the floor Brenda cleared her throat I know it’s hard but we need to think about what we’re going to do next MHO flew to his feet and pointed at her you can think all you want about whatever shuck thing you want Miss Brenda we just left our friend with a bunch of psychos he stormed out of the room Brenda’s eyes fell on Thomas sorry he Shrugged it’s okay he was with n for two years before I showed up in the Maze it’ll take him some time we really spent Muchachos Jorge said maybe we should take a couple of days and rest think it all through yeah Thomas murmured Brenda leaned toward him and squeezed his hand we’ll figure something out there’s only one place to start Thomas replied GES maybe you’re right she squeezed his hand once more then let go and stood up come on Jorge let’s make something to eat the two of them let Thomas be alone with his sorrow after a dreadful meal during which no one spoke more than a couple of meaningless words at a time the four of them went their separate ways Thomas couldn’t stop thinking about n as he wandered the Berg aimlessly his heart sank when he thought about what their lost friend’s life was going to become what little left of it he had the note Thomas stood dazed for a moment then ran to the bathroom and locked the door the note in all the chaos of the crank Palace he’d completely forgotten about it n had said Thomas would know when the time came to read it and he should have done it before they left him in that rancid place if the time hadn’t been right then when would it have been he pulled the envelope out of his pocket and ripped it open then took out the slip of paper the soft lights that ringed the mirror lit up the message in a warm glow it was two short sentences kill me if you’ve ever been my friend kill me Thomas read it over and over wishing the words would change to think that his friend had been so scared that he’d had the foresight to write those words made him sick to his stomach and he remembered how angry nud had been at Thomas specifically when they’d found him in the bowling alley he just wanted to avoid the inevitable fate of becoming a crank and Thomas had failed him chapter 4 too Thomas decided not to tell the others about the message from n he didn’t see what possible purpose it could serve it was time to move on and he did so with a coldness that he didn’t know he had they spent two nights in the Berg resting up and talking plans none of them knew much about the city or had any solid connections their conversations always returned to GLE and the right arm the right arm wanted to stop Wicked and if if it was true that Wicked might begin the trials all over again with new immunes then Thomas and his friends had the same goals as the right arm gley they had to go back to Galley on the morning of the third day after their runin with new Thomas showered then joined the others for a quick meal it was obvious how anxious everyone was to get moving after 2 days of sitting around the plan was to go to G’s apartment and start from there there had been a little worry about what n had told them that some cranks were planning to break out of the palace and go to Denver but there’d been no sign of them from the air once they were ready Thomas and the others gathered at the hatch door let me do the talking again Jorge said Brenda nodded and when we get in we’ll find a cab fine MHO muttered letun quit this shuck yapping and go Thomas couldn’t have said it better himself movement was the only thing that would deaden the despair he felt about new and his Dreadful notes Jorge pressed a button and the huge ramp of the cargo door started to Pivot downward the door had only opened halfway when they saw three people standing just outside the Berg by the time the bottom Edge thumped the ground Thomas had realized that they weren’t there with a welcome Banner two men one woman wearing the same metallic protective masks as red shirt back in the coffee shop the men held pistols and the lady had a launcher their their faces were dirt smeared and sweaty and some of their clothes had been torn as if they’d had to fight their way through an army to get there Thomas could only hope it was security being extra cautious what is this Jorge asked shut your mouth m one of the guys said his mechanized voice making his words all the more Sinister now step down here nice and easy or you won’t like what happens don’t try anything Thomas looked past their assailants and was shocked to see that both gates leading into Denver were standing wide open and two people lay lifeless in the narrow alley leading to the city Jorge was the first to respond you start firing that thing armano and we’ll be on top of you like stink on dookie you may get one of us but we’ll get all three of you punks Thomas knew it was an empty threat we’ve got nothing to lose the man replied give it your best shot I’m pretty confident I’ll nail two of you before anybody takes a single step he lifted his gun a couple of inches and aimed at Jorge’s face fair enough Jorge muttered and put his hands in the air you win for now MHO groaned you are one tough slint head but he raised his hands too you guys better not drop your guard that’s all I’m saying Thomas knew they had no choice but to go along he put up his hands and was the first to walk down the ramp the others followed right behind and they were LED around to the back of the Berg where an old beat up Van waited the engine rumbling a lady and a protective mask sat at the steering wheel and two others holding launchers sat on the bench seat behind her one of the men opened the side door then gestured inside with a nod of the head in you go one wrong move and bullets start flying like I said we’ve got nothing to lose and I can think of a lot worse things than the world with one or two Less munies in it Thomas climbed into the back of the van all the time working at their odds 6 versus 6 he thought but they had weapons who’s paying you to steal immunes he asked as his friends clambered in to sit beside him he wanted someone to confirm what Teresa had told GI that munis were being rounded up and sold nobody responded the three people who’ greeted them at the burg got into the van and closed the doors then they aimed their weapons toward the back there’s a pile of black hoods in the corner the lead guy said put them on and it won’t sit well with me if I catch you peeking during the ride we like to keep our secrets nice and safe Thomas sighed arguing would be pointless he grabbed one of the hoods and slipped it over his head all he saw was Darkness as the van lurched into motion with a roar of the engine chapter 43 it was a smooth ride but it seemed to last forever and so much time to think about things wasn’t exactly what Thomas needed especially without being able to see he was nauseated by the time they finally stopped when the side door of the van opened Thomas instinctively reached up to take off his hood don’t do it the lead guy snapped don’t you dare take those off until we tell you to now get out nice and slow do us a favor and keep yourselves alive you sure are a tough shank Thomas heard meho say easy to do when you’ve got six people with guns why don’t you he was cut off by the thump of A Hard Punch followed by a loud grunt H grabbed Thomas and pulled him out of the van so roughly that he almost fell down once he got his balance the person yanked again and started leading him away Thomas was barely able to keep his feet under himself he kept quiet as he was led down a set of stairs and then down along hallway they stopped and he heard the swipe of a key card the click of a lock then the creek of a door opening as it did the murmurs of hushed voices filled the air as if dozens of people were waiting inside the woman gave him a push and he stumbled a few steps forward he immediately reached up and yanked the hood off his head just as the door closed behind him he and the others stood in a huge room filled with people most of them sitting on the floor dull lights in the ceiling illuminated the few dozen faces that stared back at them some of them dirty most of them scratched or bruised a woman came forward her face Twisted by fear and anxiety what’s it like out there she asked we’ve been in here for a few hours and things were falling apart has it gotten worse more people started to approach their group as Thomas answered we were outside the city they got us at the gates what do you you mean things were falling apart what happened she looked at the floor the government declared a state of emergency without any kind of warning then the police the cop machines the flare testers they all disappeared all at once it seemed we got snagged by these people trying to get work at the city building there wasn’t even time to figure out what was happening or why we were guards over at the crank Palace another man said others like us had been disappearing left and right so we finally gave up and came to Denver a few days ago we got nabbed at the airport too how’d everything gets so bad so suddenly Brenda asked we were here 3 days ago the man let out a sharp bitter laugh the whole city is full of idiots thinking they’ve been containing the virus it’s been a long and slow Rumble but it’s all finally exploded in our faces the world has no chance the virus is too strong some of us had seen this coming for a long time Thomas’s gaze wandered back to the group of people approaching he froze when he saw Aris we know look he said elbowing him and pointing the boy from Group B had already broken into a grin and was jogging over behind him Thomas could see a couple of girls who had been in ais’s maze group whoever these people were who had taken them they were good at their job Aris reached Thomas and stood in front of him as if you were about to give him a hug then held out a hand instead Thomas shook it glad you guys are okay the boy said you too seeing ais’s familiar face made Thomas realize that any bitterness he’d felt about what had happened between them in The Scorch was gone where is everyone ais’s face darkened most of them aren’t with us anymore they got taken by another group before Thomas could process what he’d said Teresa appeared Thomas had to clear his throat to get rid of the lump that had suddenly formed there Teresa he felt such a flurry of conflicted emotions he could barely get the word out hey Tom she stepped close to him her eyes sad I’m so glad you’re okay her eyes moistened with tears yeah you too part of him hated her part of him had missed her he wanted to scream at her for leaving them behind at Wicked where did you guys go she asked how did you get all the way to Denver Thomas was confused what do you mean where did we go she stared at him for a few seconds we’ve got a lot to talk about Thomas squinted what are you up to now I’m not up to Defiance gripped her voice there’s obviously been some miscommunication look most of our group was captured by different bounty hunters yesterday they’ve probably already been taken back and sold to Wicked including fry pan I’m sorry an image of the cook popped into Thomas’s head he didn’t know if he could handle losing yet another friend MHO leaned in to speak I can see you’re as cheerful as always so glad to be back in your sunshiny presence Teresa completely ignored him Tom they’ll be moving us soon please come talk to me in private now Thomas hated the fact that he wanted to and he tried to hide his eagerness the ratman already gave me his big speech please tell me you don’t agree with him and think I should go back to Wicked I don’t even know what you’re talking about she paused as if battling her Pride please Thomas stared at her for a long moment not sure how he felt Brenda was just a few feet away and it was clear she wasn’t happy to see Teresa well Teresa asked she motioned to their surroundings not allowed to do in here but wait around are you too busy to talk to me Thomas had to stop himself from Rolling his eyes he pointed to a couple of empty chairs in the corner of the large room let’s go but make it quick chapter 44 Thomas sat with his head against the wall arms folded Teresa had her legs pulled up under her sitting so that she faced him MHO had warned him not to listen to a word she said as they’d walked away so Teresa said so where do we start this was your idea you tell me we can be done if you don’t have anything to say Teresa aside maybe you could start by giving me the benefit of the doubt and quit acting like a jerk yes I know I did things in The Scorch but you also know why I did them to save you in the long run I didn’t know it was all about variables and patterns then how about giving me a little credit talk to me like a regular person Thomas let silence fill the air for a few moments before he answered okay fine but you left me behind at Wicked which show shows you Tom she yelled looking as if she’d been slapped we did not leave you behind what are you talking about what are you talking about Thomas was thoroughly confused now we didn’t leave you behind we came after you you left us behind Thomas could only stare at her do you really think I’m that stupid all anyone talked about at the complex was that you n and MHO had broken out and were in the surrounding Forest somewhere we looked but didn’t see any sign of you I’ve been hoping ever since that somehow you made it back to civilization why do you think I was so thrilled to see you alive Thomas felt a stirring of familiar anger how can you possibly expect me to believe that you probably knew exactly what ratman tried to tell me that they needed me that I’m the so-called final candidate Teresa slouched you think I’m the most evil person to ever walk the earth don’t you she didn’t wait for him to answer her though if you had just gotten your memories back like you were supposed to you’d see that I’m the same Teresa I’ve always been I did what I did in The Scorch to save you and I’ve been trying to make up for it ever since Thomas was having a hard time staying angry she didn’t seem to be acting how can I believe you Teresa how she looked up at him and her eyes were glassy I swear to you I don’t know everything about the final candidate that stuff was developed after we went to the maze so I have no memories of that but what I did learn was that Wicked doesn’t intend to stop the trials until they get their blueprint they’re preparing to start another round Thomas Wicked is gathering more immunes to begin testing if the trials didn’t work and I can’t do it again I left to find you that’s it Thomas didn’t respond a part of him wanted to believe desperately I’m so sorry Teresa said through a side she looked away and ran her hand through her hair she waited several seconds before she looked at him again all I can tell you is that I’m torn up inside ripped apart I did believe that a cure could happen and I knew they needed you to do it it’s different now even with my memories back I can’t think the same way I did before I can see now that things will never end she stopped talking but Thomas had nothing to say he searched Teresa’s face and saw a pain unlike any he’d ever seen before she was telling the truth she didn’t wait for him to speak before she continued so I made a deal with myself I’d do whatever it took to make up for my mistakes I wanted to save my friends first and then the other immunes if possible and look what a great job I did Thomas searched for words well we we haven’t done much better have we her eyebrows Rose were you hoping to stop them we’re about to be sold back to Wicked so what does it matter she didn’t answer right away Thomas would have given anything to be inside her head and not in the old way for a brief moment he felt sad knowing they’d shared countless hours together that he no longer had any memory of they’d been best friends once she finally said if somehow we could do something I hope that you’d find a way to trust me again and I know we can convince Aris and the others to help us they feel the same way I do Thomas knew he had to be careful it was strange that she only agreed with him about Wicked now that she’d gotten her memories back we’ll see what happens he finally said she frowned deeply you really don’t trust me do you you we’ll see what happens he repeated then he stood up and walked away hating the look of hurt on her face and hating himself for caring after everything she’d done to him chapter 45 Thomas found MHO sitting with Brenda and Jorge when he returned and MHO didn’t seem happy to see him he gave Thomas a nasty look so what did that Shu traitor have to say Thomas sat down beside him several strangers had gathered closer and he could tell they were listening in well MHO pushed she said that the reason they escaped was because they found out Wicked plans to start all over again if they have to that they were rounding up immunes just like G told us she swears that somehow they were led to believe that we’d already broken out and that they looked for us Thomas paused he knew MHO wouldn’t like the next part and she’d help us if she can MHO just shook his head you’re a slint head you shouldn’t have talked to her thanks Thomas rubbed his face MHO was right hate to vge in here Muchachos jores said you can talk all day about this crap but it means didly unless we can get ourselves out of this nice little place no matter who’s on whose side just then the door to the room opened and three of their captors walked in with big sacks stuffed full of something a fourth followed armed with a launcher and a pistol he swept the room looking for trouble and the others started passing out what was inside the bags bread and bottles of water how do we always get into these messes MHO asked at least we used to be able to blame everything on Wicked yeah well we still can Thomas murmured Minho grinned good those shuck faces an uneasy silence settled on the room as the kidnappers moved around people began to eat Thomas realized that they’d have to whisper if they wanted to keep talking MHO nudged Thomas only one of them has a weapon he whispered and he doesn’t look so bad I bet I could take him maybe Thomas answered under his breath but don’t do anything stupid he’s got a gun as well as was a launcher and trust me you don’t want to get shot by either yeah well you trust me this time Mino gave Thomas a wink to which Thomas could only sigh the odds were not good that what was about to happen would go unnoticed the kidnappers approached Thomas and MHO and stopped at their little group Thomas took a roll and a bottle of water but when the man tried to hand some bread to MHO he swatted it away why would I take anything from you it’s probably poisoned you want to go hungry fine by me the guy replied moving on he had nearly passed them when MHO suddenly leaped to his feet and tackled the man holding the launcher Thomas flinched as it slipped out of the guy’s grip and discharged sending a grenade up toward the ceiling where it crashed in a display of lightning the kidnapper was still on the ground when MHO started punching him struggling to grab the man’s pistol with his free hand for a moment everyone fro froze but then movement exploded all at once before Thomas could react the three other guards dropped their bags to go after MHO but before they could take a step they had six people on them throwing them to the ground Jorge helped MHO drag the guard to the floor and was stomping the man’s arm until he finally let go of the pistol he’ pulled from his belt MHO kicked it across the floor and a woman picked it up Thomas saw that Brenda had grabbed the launcher stop she shouted aiming the weapon at the kidnappers MHO stood up and as he stepped away from the man on the ground Thomas could see that the guy’s face was covered in blood people were already dragging the other three guards over to lie next to their partner lining them up so that all four were on their backs in a row it had all happened so fast Thomas hadn’t moved from his spot on the floor but he immediately got to work we have to get them to talk he said we have to hurry before backup comes we should just shoot them in the head a man called out shoot them and get out of here a few others shouted their agreement Thomas realized that the group had turned into a mob if he wanted information he had to work fast before things fell apart he stood and made his way over to the woman with the gun and convinced her to hand it to him then he turned and knelt beside the man who’d given him the bread Thomas put the gun to the guy’s Temple I’m going to count to three you either start telling what Wicked plans to do with us and where you were going to meet them or I’ll pull the trigger one the man didn’t hesitate Wicked we got nothing to do with Wicked you’re lying too no I swear this has nothing to do with them at least as far as I know oh really then you want to explain why you’re out kidnapping a bunch of immune people the Man’s eyes flickered to his friends but then he answered looking straight at Thomas we work for the right arm chapter 46 what do you mean you work for the right arm Thomas asked it made no sense what do you mean what do I mean the man said despite the gun at his head I work for the freaking right arm why is that so hard to understand Thomas pulled the gun away and sat back confused then why would you be out capturing immunes because we want to he said eyeing the lowered weapon you ain’t got no business knowing nothing else shoot him and move on to the next one someone in the crowd called out Thomas leaned back in pressed the gun against the man’s Temple again you’re awfully Brave considering I’m the one with the gun I’ll count to three one more time tell me why the right arm would want immunes or I’ll just have to assume you’re lying one you know I ain’t lying lying kid two you ain’t going to kill me I can see it in your eyes the man had called his bluff there was no way Thomas could just shoot some stranger in the head he sighed pulled the gun away if you work for the right arm then we’re supposed to be on the same side just tell us what’s going on the guy sat up slowly and so did his three friends the bloody faed man groaning with effort if you want answers one said said then you’ll have to ask the boss we seriously don’t know anything yeah added the man next to Thomas we’re nobody’s Brenda stepped closer with her launcher and how do we get to this boss of yours the man Shrugged I have no idea MHO groaned and snatched the gun from Thomas’s hands I got enough of this clunk he pointed the weapon at the man’s foot fine we won’t kill you but your toe’s going to be smarting something real awful in 3 seconds if you don’t start talking one I’m telling you we don’t know nothing the guy’s face was pinched in Anger fine meho replied he fired the gun Thomas watched in shock as the man grabbed his foot wailing in agony MHO had shot him right in the pinky toe that part of the shoe and the toe itself were completely gone replaced by a bleeding wound how could you do that the guard next to him on the ground yelled as she moved to help her friend she pulled a watt of napkins from her pants and pressed them against his foot Thomas was shocked that MHO had actually done it but he had to respect the guy Thomas couldn’t have pulled the trigger and if they didn’t get answers now they never would he looked over at Brenda and her shrug showed that she agreed Teresa was watching from a distance her face unreadable MHO kept at it okay while she’s working on that poor foot of his someone better start talking tell us what’s going on or we’re going to lose another toe he waved the pistol at the lady then the other two guys why are you kidnapping people for the right arm we told you we don’t know anything the woman answered they pay us and we do what they ask and you meho asked pointing the gun at one of the men you want to say something save a toe or two he held up his hands I swear on the life of my mom I don’t know anything but he seemed to regret that last part immediately his gaze shot to his friends and his face paled but what spill it I know you’re hiding something nothing do we really need to keep playing this game MHO moved the gun directly up against the man’s foot I’m done counting stop the guard yelled okay listen we could take a couple of you back with us to ask them yourselves I don’t know if they’ll let you talk to the one in charge but they might I’m not getting my toe shot off for no good reason listen all right then MHO said taking a step back and gesturing for the guy to stand up see that wasn’t so bad let’s go visit this boss of yours me you and my friends the room burst into a rush of voices no one wanted to be left behind and no one was going to be quiet about it the woman who’d brought in the water stood up and started yelling the crowd went silent you people are a lot safer here just trust me on that one if all of us tried to make it to where we’d need to go I can guarantee half wouldn’t get there if these guys want to see the boss then let them risk their necks a gun and a launcher aren’t going to do a bit of good out there but in here we have a locked door and no windows when she finished another chorus of complaints filled the room the woman turned to MHO and Thomas and spoke over the noise listen it’s dangerous out there I wouldn’t take more than a couple of people the more you have the more likely you’ll be seen she paused and scanned the room and I’d go soon if I were you from the looks of it these people are only going to get anier pretty soon there’ll be no way to hold them off and out there she pursed her lips together tightly then continued there are cranks everywhere they’re killing anything that moves chapter 47 mean hope pointed his gun at the ceiling and fired making Thomas jump the noise of the crowd collapsed into complete silence MHO didn’t need to say a word he gestured to the woman to speak it’s crazy out there it’s all happened really quickly like they’ve been hiding and waiting for a signal or something this morning the police were overpowered and the gates were opened some cranks from the palace joined them they’re everywhere now she paused and took the time to meet a few gazes I promise you don’t want to go out there and I promise that we’re the good guys I don’t know what the right arm has planned but I do know that part of it includes getting all of us out of Denver then why are you treating us like prisoners someone yelled I’m just doing what I was hired to do she turned her attention back to Thomas and continued I think it’s a stupid idea to leave this place but like I said if you’re going to you can’t take more than a couple of people those cranks spot a big group of fresh meat walking around round and it’s all over weapons or no weapons and the boss might not like it if a crowd shows up our guards see a van full of strangers and they might start shooting Brenda and I will go Thomas said he didn’t even know he was going to say it until it popped out of his mouth no way MHO shook his head me and you MHO was a liability his temper was too short Brenda thought before she acted and that was what they needed to get out of this alive and Thomas did didn’t want to let her out of his sight plain and simple me and her we did pretty well for ourselves back in The Scorch we can do it no way man Thomas could swear his friend almost looked hurt we shouldn’t split up all four of us should go it’ll be safer meho we need someone back here to watch over things Thomas said and he meant it it was a whole room full of people who might be able to help them take Wicked down plus I hate to say it but what if something does happen to us stay behind and make sure our plans don’t die they’ve got fry pan MHO who knows who else you said once that I should be The Keeper of the runners well let me do it today trust me like the lady said the fewer we are the better our chance of going unnoticed Thomas looked his friend in the eye and waited for a response Minho didn’t answer for a long time fine he finally said but if you die I will not be happy Thomas nodded good that he hadn’t realized how important it was that MHO still believe in him it went halfway to giving him the courage he needed to do what he had to do the man who’ said they could take Thomas and his friends to the boss ended up being the one to guide them his name was Lawrence and regardless of what was outside he seemed eager to get out of the room full of of angry people he unlocked the big door and gestured for Thomas and Brenda to follow him Thomas with the pistol and Brenda with the launcher the group made their way back down the long hallway and Lawrence stopped at the door leading out of the building the dull light from the ceiling Shone on the man’s face and Thomas could see that he was worried okay we have to make a decision if we go on foot it’ll take a couple of hours but we have a lot better chance of getting through the streets we can hide on foot easier than if we take the van the van would get us there faster but we’d be spotted for sure speed versus stealth Thomas said he looked at Brenda what do you think the van she said yeah Thomas agreed the image of the bloody faed crank from the day before haunted him the thought of being out there on foot scares me to death the van definitely Lawrence nodded okay then the van it is now keep your mouth shot and those weapons ready first thing we got to do is get in the vehicle and lock the doors it’s right outside this door ready Thomas raised his eyebrows at Brenda and they both nodded as ready as they’d ever be Lawrence pulled a stack of key cards out of his pocket and unlocked the many latches lined up on the wall he clenched the cards in his fist and pushed his body up against the door then slowly cracked it open it was dark outside alone Street Lamp providing the only light Thomas wondered how long the electricity would hold up before it stopped like everything else eventually would Denver could be dead in days he could see the van parked in a narrow alley about 20 ft away Lawrence peaked his head outside looked left and right then pulled it back in seems clear let’s go the three slipped out and Thomas and Brenda sprinted to the van as Lawrence secured the door behind them Thomas felt like a live wire anxiety had him glancing up and down the street sure he’d see a crank jump out at any second but though he could hear the far off sound of crazed laughter the place was deserted the Vans locks disengaged and Brenda opened the door and slid inside just as Lawrence did Thomas joined them in the front seat and slammed the door shut Lawrence immediately engaged the locks and started the engine he was just about to gun it when a loud Pop came from right above their heads and the van shook with a couple of thumps then silence then the muted sound of a cough someone had jumped onto the roof of the van chapter 48 the van shot forward Lawrence’s hands gripped tightly on the wheel Thomas turned and looked out the back windows but there was nothing somehow the person on top of the van was hanging on just as Thomas spun back around a face started creeping down the front windshield staring at them upside down it was a woman her hair whipping in the wind as Lawrence sent the van tearing down the alleyway at Breakneck speed the woman’s eyes met Thomas’s and then she smiled showing a set of surprisingly Perfect Teeth what’s she holding on to Thomas yelled Lawrence answered his voice strained who knows but she can’t last long the woman’s eyes stayed locked on Thomas but she had freed one of her hands and balded into a fist then started pounding the window Thump Thump Thump her smile stayed wide her teeth almost glistening in the Lamplight would you please get rid of her Brenda shouted fine Lawrence slammed on the brakes the woman flew into the air shooting forward like a launched grenade her arms windmilling and her legs sped until she crashed to the ground Thomas winced and squeezed his eyes shut then strained to get a look at her shockingly she was already moving shakily getting to her feet she regained her balance then turned slowly toward them the headlights from the van brightly Illuminating every inch of her she was no longer smiling not at all instead her lips had curled into a fierce snarl a big welt rened the side of her face her eyes bore into Thomas once more and he shivered Lawrence gunned the engine and the crank looked like she was going to hurl herself in front of the vehicle as if she could somehow stop it but at the last second she pulled back and watched them pass Thomas couldn’t take his eyes off her and in his last Glimpse her face melted into a frown and her eyes cleared as if she’ just realized what she’d done as if there was something left of the person she used to be and seeing that made it worse for Thomas she was like a mix of sane and not saane just be glad she was the only one Lawrence muttered Brenda squeezed Thomas’s arm it’s hard to look at I know how it felt for you and MHO to see what had happened to new Thomas didn’t answer but he put his hand on top of hers they reached the end of the alley and Lawrence swerved to the right onto a bigger Street small groups of people dotted the area up ahead a few were struggling as if they were fighting but most were digging through trash or eating things Thomas couldn’t quite make out several haunted ghostly faces just stood and stared at them with dead eyes as they drove by no one in the van said anything as if they were afraid that speaking would somehow alert the cranks outside I can’t believe it happened so fast Brenda finally said you think they were somehow planning to take over Denver could they really organize something like that hard to know Lawrence replied there were signs locals disappearing reps from the government disappearing more and more infecteds being discovered but it looks like a huge number of them suckers hit out waiting for the right time to make their move yeah Brenda said it seems like it was a matter of cranks finally outnumbering healthy people once the balance tipped it tipped all the way over who cares how it happened Lawrence said the only thing that matters is how it is look around us the place is nightmare now he slowed down to make a tight turn into a long alley almost there we need to be more careful now he turned off the headlights then picked up speed again as they drove it became darker and darker until Thomas couldn’t see anything more than large formless Shadows that he kept imagining would suddenly leap out in front of them maybe we shouldn’t drive so fast wek be fine the man replied I’ve driven this route a thousand times I know it like the back of my Thomas flew forward and was snapped back by the seat belt they’d run over something and it was caught beneath the van metal from the sound of it the van bounced a couple of times then came to a stop what was that Brenda whispered I don’t know Lawrence responded in an even quieter voice probably a trash can or something scared the crap out of me he inched forward and a loud scraping Screech filled the air then came a thump and another crash and everything fell silent got her loose Lawrence murmured not bothering to hide his relief he continued but slowed to a fraction of his earlier speed maybe you should turn the lights back on Thomas suggested …