" BAD BLOOD " T. SCORCH TRIALS²

three.

[CHAPTER THREE]
the horrible truth

~

As soon as the metal door was slammed shut, locking the Gladers in the tiny room once more, all eyes turned to a guilty-looking Thomas. Hayes glanced at Eleanor out of the corner of his eye, though the girl had no idea why Thomas had done what he did. She was just as clueless as the rest of them.

Minho was the first to speak, his eyes wide as he stared at the brown-haired boy in front of him. "What the hell was that about?"

"You didn't really think they were just gonna let ya through?" Newt asked, and Eleanor was surprised by the amount of anger behind his words.

"No, of course I didn't," Thomas said with a scoff. He reached behind him and pulled something out of his back pocket. Holding it up, Eleanor recognized the identification badge of the guard that Thomas had provoked. She was unable to hide the smile that formed on her lips at the boy's cunningness; now they would be able to know what was through that door.

"We're going to do it tonight?" She asked the boy, and Thomas nodded in response. At the sound of her voice, all eyes turned to her. The boys looked utterly surprised that she was in on Thomas's risky plan, as well.

"We're going to find out what's on the other side of that door," Thomas explained to the group of boys surrounding him. Newt took a step away from him, running a hand through his blonde hair as he let out a long sigh of agitation. Thomas pursed his lips as he looked at the annoyed boy before he spoke once more. "Newt, they're hiding something. Okay? These people are not who they say they are."

Thomas gestured for Eleanor to follow him before he crossed the room to his bed. The girl crouched down on the ground beside him, helping him as he pried the vent cover off the wall once more.

"No, Thomas, you don't bloody know that!" Newt shouted as he followed the pair. His eyes were wide, almost pleading as he looked down at them. "The only thing that we do know is that they helped rescue us from WICKED. They gave us new clothes. They gave us food. They gave us a proper bed. Some of us haven't had that in a long time." Thomas opened his mouth to speak, though Newt quickly cut him off with an accusing look in his direction. "Some of us a lot longer than others."

Eleanor was beginning to grow annoyed at the boy's denial, and she quickly stood to her feet and turned around to face him. She pointed a finger towards him, eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched in annoyance. "Listen, unlike you, Thomas and I aren't gullible and don't believe the first good thing we hear." Her heart clenched in her chest as a look of hurt flashed through Newt's dark eyes, though she forced herself to ignore it. "There's something going on, and Thomas and I are going to figure it out."