𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓-𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙨

XXVIX-ROSE TOOK MY NOSE, I SUPPOSE

"Follow me." Gally started to turn.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Thomas stopped him.

"Suit yourself, but I can get you through those walls."

I sighed and stood at Thomas' side. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, looking up at him. He looked down at me. "Whatever it takes, remember?" He searched my face and I hoped he found that I was just as displeased with getting help from Gally. But we wanted-needed-Minho back. And if it meant that we would get help from this shank, then so be it.

"After the Maze, I got picked up by a group headed to the city." Gally explained as if we wanted to hear his life story. He led us through the big building, down a ramp and to the left. People watched as we walked by, whispering things to each other. "They found out I was immune, patched me up and brought me here to Lawrence. This group's been at war with WICKED ever since they took control of the city.

"But WICKED can't hide behind those walls forever. Day's gonna come and they're gonna pay for what they've done." He slowed down and stopped, turning to us. "Listen, uh, he doesn't get a lot of visitors. So let me do the talking, alright? And try not to stare." I frowned, stare at what?

The room looked like a study with greenery everywhere. It was dark where a desk resided, only two lamps lit the space. But beyond that was another room with direct sunlight coming in. That's where most of the plants were. It smelt like roses all over the room.

There were two men by the plants, one kept mumbling the same thing over. "Rose took my nose, I suppose." We walked down the steps, following Gally until five feet before the two men. "I see you made it back. Jasper told me what happened." The man stood and I saw something connecting from his wrist to a thin pole.

"It was a slaughter." Gally explained. "There was nothing we can do against those guns.

"No," The guy collected roses, bunching them together. "But they can only poke the hornet's nest for so long, before they get stung." He brought one of them to his nose, smelling it. "Now, who are these people? Why are they here?"

"We need to get into WICKED." Thomas walked ahead of Gally.

"Thomas." I hissed. Of course he wasn't going to listen. "Gally said you can get us through those walls."

The man looked at Thomas, then back at his flowers. "Gally should know better than to make promises that he can't keep." He grabbed something that was leaning against the table in the plant room and tapped it against the floor. "Besides, that wall is only half of your problem." He grabbed the thin pole in front of him and held it at his side. "Getting inside WICKED is impossible."

"There might be a way now." Gally said. "But it doesn't work without Thomas." I looked at Gally, confused. So did Thomas.

"Is that so?" The pole creaked as it moved against the floor, the bag attached to it swayed with the small amount of blue liquid in it. It looked like the liquid that Mary gave to Brenda and I. The man walked closer to us, stepping into the light.

"Do you know what I am?" The right side of his face was ruined. Blue veins covering the whole side, creating ridges in his face. And his nose, well his lack thereof, was black around the exposed skeleton. His hair was thinning. He stood in front of Thomas-who didn't waver, even when the sick man was in his face. "I am a businessman. Which means that I don't take unnecessary risks. Why should I trust you?"

"Cause I can help you. If you can get me through those walls I can get you what you need."

The man looked at him with a bored face, his eyelids low. "And what is it that you think I need?"