The New Distance [The Scorch Trials Book]

e l e v e n

transmission // zedd ft. logic and x ambassadors

I was woken by a banging sound. At first I thought that it was just my head hurting, then the sounds materialized more clearly, no longer indecipherable. I heard it clearly now; fists hitting against metal. I looked around, seeing Teresa and Aris sleeping peacefully like they deserved it. My eyes landed on the door where they put Thomas through and I groggily clambered towards it.

"Thomas?!" I croaked. "Thomas-" I was cut off by the sound of a crack, and then hissing. I stepped away, in fear of what I wound find.

In the dim lighting of the cave, I managed to make out Thomas's features. He looked tired, worn out, scared and worried. "Sanza," he uttered, reaching out to me.

"Thomas," I pulled him into my arms and out of the cramped space he was imprisoned in. I pulled away but held him at an arm's length and pushed his tousled hair back. "What happened? What did they do to you in there?"

He blinked a few times. "I don't know...I fell asleep and had some dreams or flashbacks-I don't know." His eyes then stayed glued to mine. "You were there."

"I was?" my voice rose slightly. "What did I-"

"Thomas!" Teresa's voice cut me off as she engulfed Thomas in a hug. The pain in his eyes made it apparent that the betrayal had cut him deep. "I'm so, so, so sorry. They said they'd kill you if we didn't do everything just like they told us. No matter how horrible. I'm sorry, Tom!"

He finally pushed Teresa away. "Uh...maybe you should tell me what happened."

"I told you to trust me," she answered. "I told you that bad, bad things would happen to you. But the bad stuff was all an act." She said then smiled.

"Yeah, but you didn't seem to struggle too much, beating the klunk out of me with a spear and throwing me into a gas chamber." He couldn't hide the mistrust raging in his tone. I glanced at Aris, who looked sheepish, like he'd intruded on a private conversation.

"I'm sorry," the boy said.

I rolled my eyes, I was sick of all the apologies. I wan't even sure they were sincere.

"It was all an act, Tom," Teresa insisted. "You have to believe us. We were promised from the very beginning that you wouldn't die. That this chamber thing had its own purposes and then it'd be over. I'm so sorry."

"Give him time to process all of this, Teresa." I said, mostly just to shut her up.

"Fine, but what happened in there, anyway?" Teresa asked.

Thomas returned his gaze to her. "How about you talk first, then me. I think I earned that much." She tried to take his hand but he moved it and his arm was put around my shoulders. I saw the flash of hurt cross Teresa's face.

"Look," she said. "You're right. You deserve an explanation. I think it's okay to tell you everything now-not that we know too much of the why."

Aris cleared his throat, an obvious interjection. "But, um, we better do it while walking. Or running. We only have a few hours left. Today is the day."

This hit me like a slap in the face. He was right; the two weeks we've been given were over. I could hardly believe it.

"Fine. Let's just forget this for now," Thomas said, then changed the subject. "Is anything different out there? I mean, I saw it in the dark, but-"

"We know," Teresa interrupted. "There's no sign of a building. Nothing. It looks even worse in the daylight. Just forever and ever of flat wasteland. There isn't a tree or a hill, much less any safe haven."