Betrayed | the maze runner, Newt

chapter 4

''We just saw the same thing you told us about.'' Aris revealed.

Zara looked at him. ''What? A corpse?''

Both Aris and Thomas nodded. Aris held up his thumb. ''It got taken into some room one floor below us. I've seen it before, Thomas hasn't.''

Zara looked from him to Thomas.

''I've been here two nights; this is the third. He's been here for a week.''

Zara's eyebrows drew together. ''No one has been here for over a week?'' Her voice was a little high-pitched in unbelief.

The boys shook their heads.

''Then where were you first? Where do y'all come from?'' Zara asked

Thomas and Aris exchanged looks. Thomas was the one to answer. ''In mazes. Everyone in that room including us. Some have been there for over three years, other only three days, like me.''

It left Zara speechless. She gaped at the boys in unbelief, but her mind was busy thinking how her father could have ever done such a thing thinking it was good.

Thomas' lips formed a line. ''There were even more teens...''

Zara glanced up to him in shock. A weird feeling filled her. They'd lost people trying to get out of something her dad put them in. And now he was going to kill the ones that survived.

Aris was the one to change the subject. ''Can't we go inside that room and look around? Even if it's just for a second.''

Zara pondered. ''Yes, we can. But we need a pass. All the doors around here only open with a certain pass. All people in service own one.''

Thomas nodded determinedly. ''I'll take care of that.''

Zara and Aris looked at him. Zara tilted her head.

''You sure?''

Thomas nodded again. ''I can at least try.''

Zara nodded consenting. ''Alright. I'll come to your room right after you guys were taken there by the guards. How do you get there through the vent?''

''Straight on, first corner left and then the third plate. That's Thomas' room. I'll meet you two there.'' Aris determined.

Zara nodded. ''Take care, boys.''

The two boys looked at her and nodded, then made themselves ready to leave through the crawl space again.

First went Thomas, then Aris. ''Can you p-''

''Put the vent back? Yes, I can.'' Zara interrupted. When Aris had fully disappeared into the space, Zara grabbed the vent plate and put it back. She could see Thomas and Aris crawling away on their stomachs. When they disappeared around the first corner, Zara left the bathroom to head for the elevators. She hoped her father was in his bedroom, so that she could go to her room without hassle. And if he wasn't, she'd come up with a lie for sure.

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22 hours later.

Zara entered the bathroom on the fourth floor again and closed the door behind her after making sure there was no one there. It had just been 7 o'clock in the evening and the teenagers had been brought to their bedrooms. Zara figured that it was actually pretty early but thinking about the fact they were awakened around five or six in the morning made it somehow logical. And they didn't have to sleep at seven of course. That was up to them.

She took the vent plate away and placed it on the ground, then stared at the crawl space with a dubious look.

Did it look appealing or safe? No. Was she gonna do it anyway? Yes.