𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗨𝗦, thomas (tmr)

Chapter Thirty Seven

"How the shuck did we get ourselves in this situation?"

Thomas questioned aloud, being the first to speak after they managed to to get themselves tied up - upside down - hanging over a drop unthinkably high. Jorge and his men had no trouble in overpowering them and tying them up pretty quickly; although their reasoning for it was unclear. Clara huffed out an exasperated breath, folding her arms over her chest with great difficulty.

"More like, how did you get us into this situation? You're the one who wanted to talk to Jorge!"

Thomas rolled his eyes, not visible to where Clara was hanging a few feet from him. The girl couldn't stop fidgeting, continually attempting to reach the rope suspending them by their feet. She never managed to reach it.

"Just hear what the man has to say is really working out for us."

"Slim it, Minho." Newt said warningly.

"Maybe I could reach the rope." Thomas wondered.

He began to try and strain to grab the rope binding his feet, failing to even get close to it. Clara let out a scoff, still irritated with the boy for getting them there in the first place.

"If I can't reach it, you're not gonna be able to."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked in bemusement.

"It means I'm far more flexible than-"

"-Enjoying the view?"

Jorge's voice cutting clear across the room abruptly stopped Thomas and Clara's pointless bickering. The girl spun around on her rope, the man's upside down figure coming into view as she slowed.

"What do you want?"

"Some of my men want to sell you back to WCKD." He began, eyes twinkling as he watched Clara with a sense of intrigue. "Life taught them to think small, but I don't think like that. And something tells me that none of you do either."

There was a pause in which the kids all tried to figure out what on earth Jorge was eluding to. And then Minho interrupted that pause.

"Is the blood rushing to my head or is this shank not making any sense?"

Jorge cracked a smile, irritating Clara in the way he was finding the whole thing very entertaining. He tilted his head with interest, stepping closer to the edge.

"What do you all know about the Right Arm?"

"I thought they were ghosts." Thomas retorted suspiciously.

"I happen to believe in ghosts." Jorge replied abruptly. "Especially when they're heard to be chatting on the radio airwaves. If you tell me what you know, we might be able to make a deal."

"Yeah, right. We'll tell you what we know whilst we're tied up like this and you can just walk away." Clara said sarcastically.

"We don't know much anyway." Thomas added unconvincingly.

Jorge didn't look like he believed Thomas's act. Stepping closer to the edge, he drew towards a control box that Clara concluded was controlling the rope they were hanging from. It had a few buttons that even Jorge didn't dare to touch, and a lever that the man clasped his hand around.

Jorge pulled the lever sharply downwards and Clara's stomach jolted as they were dropped a few feet downwards. The Gladers all erupted in gasps and yelps, causing Thomas to cave as he heard his friends panicking.

"Okay! Alright!" He called out, taking a few shaky breaths as he recovered himself. "All we know is they're hiding in the mountains. They attacked WCKD and got out a bunch of kids, that's it."