Just like the Griever's Hole, the dead men hung by hooks, the Rat Man, the Cranks and the brick walls, Minho had hopes that Frankie's death was just another illusion. As much as he tried to distance himself from disappointment, this was one thing he...
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"BRING THE BAG."
Two girls walked toward Thomas, their weapons hidden away somewhere.
"We're taking him with us!" Teresa yelled. "If anybody follows, I'll hit him again and we'll start shooting you. We won't really bother aiming. Just let the arrows fly any old way they feel like."
"Teresa!" Minho shouted helplessly. "You catch the Flare that quickly? Your mind's obviously gone already."
The butt of the spear smashed into the back of Thomas's head. Reggie winced at the girl's violent tendency.
"Anything else you wanna say?" Teresa asked. After a long moment of silence, she said, "Didn't think so. Put the bag over him."
The girls —Reggie knew them: Kara and Marie the Leader, threw a brown sack over Thomas' head, then shifted him around on the group till they got the bag alipped entirely over his body. They tied the open end at his feet with a rope, knotting it tight and wrapping its ends up and around the rest of him.
And they dragged him.
"What, is that Teresa girl a psycho?" Brenda remarked.
Right then, Teresa threw a punch right in the stomach and said something for Thomas to hear. She turned around and yelled at the Gladers, "I meant what I said! There won't be a warning. Follow us and the arrows start flying."
Minho were at lost on what to do. They had wasted two precious days waiting for Thomas and now they had to lose him again? He didn't appreciate watching his friend got beaten up and dragged around like that as well.
"You piece of klunk!" Minho cursed loudly, "We'll find you, Thomas! You just wait! We'll take their weapons and save you—"
Teresa slammed her fist on Thomas again.
Not wanting to stir up more trouble for the poor guy, Minho pressed his lips together.
"We'll get him," Newt said assuringly.
"Of course. I'm not gonna lose to some shucking girl."
Frankie slapped the back of his head.
"Okay. Except this one," Minho added, still grumbling.
〰️
"I GET IT now," Reggie said, "Your boy Thomas has the hero complex."
The Gladers and their additional crews decided to rest between the cliff's stone curves. They had been walking all night and they needed to discuss what to do after this intruder ordeal.
