The Persuasion Heist

5. Teresa

Then Thomas, Teresa and eventually Newt, it took some persuading from Thomas to get Teresa to let him come but deciding that time was against them, she caved. Then they were crawling through vents, blindly following Teresa.

"You know, I'm starting to rethink this." He heard Newt say from behind him. "You better not bloody fart." Thomas suppressed a laugh and pushed on, the darkness of the vent was slowly lightening as they moved. And then Teresa had pushed open another vent that lead to a big opening where they could all finally stand.

"Look," she said, she was gazing down on an opening that looked over a hallway. Newt had joined them and crouched next to Thomas. The pair shared a look as people in white doctors jackets pushed gurneys by.

Soon after they had left again, Thomas opened the vent and let himself down onto the floor. Ignoring the hushed whispers for his return, he peered through the window of the door and his stomach dropped. There were different teenagers hooked up to machines, different pieces covering their mouths and a small vial with blue liquid hung vibrantly next to their shoulder. Thomas felt his heart jump in his throat, and then he saw the Ratman, talking to a woman- no. It was the woman who stood next to Gally back at the maze. The Ratman suddenly turned around, and for a moment Thomas is sure that the Ratman saw him but when he looked over the window again to double check, he was sure. His face burned red with fury and Thomas stumbled back to the vent.

"Hurry!" He called, reaching his arms up so he could be pulled back inside. "It's WICKED!" he breathed, Newt's face paled but somehow Teresa seemed unphased by this news. "We have to get out of here." The journey back to their dorm seemed longer than before, Thomas felt his heart racing in his chest. When he popped the vent open and crashed through, he was sure that that had taken care of waking up the other Gladers. He explained everything to them, but when he looked at Newt his eyes were haunted.

"Help me barricade the door!" Thomas yelled, and Minho appeared at his side, pushing one of the bunks in front of the door.

"Are you sure about this?" Minho asked, Thomas nodded and Minho looked to Newt, who had the same haunted look. "What about you?" Newt only managed a nod.

"We have to go through the vents." Thomas said, looking around the room. Teresa had gone back to her own group before they came back here, so relying on her guidance wasn't an option. "Okay, everyone follow me-" he stopped when a thought struck him. He had been keeping something hidden away in a drawer, hiding it ever since they arrived. His eyes drifted to the dresser where he'd stashed it and then he looked back at Newt when the pounding on the door started.

"Newt, you have to lead them out." He flinched when the bed began to scrape against the floor. "I have to get something, it'll only take a second."

"But-"

"Take them and go, I'll be right behind you." He said, and hurried to the other side of the room without waiting for a response. He knew that Newt had obeyed but the thundering sounds of the Gladers crawling through the vent. He ran to the dresser, flinging the clothes out as he looked for his little black box. He shoved it in his pocket and dove for the vent just as the door burst open and the bunk shot back. Thomas's heart was pounding, he had no idea if he would even find the other Gladers, but he followed the thundering sound ahead of them, and fell to the floor quietly, his socks softening the sound. Strangely, that's how he realized he wasn't wearing shoes, a vital item. Then he saw it, the heel of a boot turning a corner, it was them, it had to be. Thomas sprinted as best he could in his socks and it really was them. He saw the back of Frypan's head as he turned the corner.