STEEL || The Scorch Trials • Newt [2]

Chapter 6

Boss level: 100

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One of the guys opened the door and shoved us inside, locking us in once we were all crammed together. Everyone turned their heads to glare at Thomas as they couldn't believe the trouble he just got us into.

"What the hell was that about?" Minho asked, incredulous.

"You didn't really think they were just going to let you through?" Newt said.

"No, of course I didn't," Thomas replied and dug into his pocket.

He held up the keycard he snagged from one of the men, making everyone widen their eyes and gasp in shock. How on earth did he do that? Everyone was watching the fight, so someone must have seen him take it. But if the men didn't see it, then they were clueless by far.

"I'm going to find out what's on the other side of that door."

Newt shook his head in disappointment, thinking that this was unbelievable. But I wanted to know the truth just as much as he did. There was something weird going on, no doubt.

"Newt, they're hiding something. These people are not who they say they are," Thomas claimed and walked over to his bed.

"No, Thomas, you don't know that!" Newt objected. "The only thing we do know is that they helped rescue us from W.I.C.K.E.D."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. How delusional do they have to be to think that we were safe in this place? Were Thomas and I the only ones to know what was really going on? I myself didn't feel safe here at all.

"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."

"Yeah, but-"

"Some of us a lot longer than others," Newt said firmly, trying to get that last sentence through his head.

Suddenly, we heard the sound of metal scraping against the floor from the frame of the air vent sliding out underneath Thomas's bed. The kid Aris popped his head out, greeting Thomas. Everyone was confused, wondering who he was or why he was here.

"You got it, didn't you?" Aris asked.

Thomas held out the keycard to confirm his answer.

"Let's go," Thomas said and got down on the floor to follow him out.

We all huddled around him, watching him in disbelief. In my head, I was hoping he wouldn't get caught, or that Aris kid.

"Look, maybe you guys are right, maybe I'm just being paranoid," he said. "But I gotta find out for sure."

He glanced back at us one more time. When he made eye contact with me, I nodded for him to go forward, to motivate him to uncover the truth. He nodded back.