I ONLY EVER CARED FOR... [THOMESA]

CHAPTER THREE

The Rat Man returned after half an hour as he had promised.

Still smiling he said nothing but asked Thomas to follow him. Thomas did as he was asked.

Again the maze of the corridor. Walk and Walk. The place was so big. WICKED had so much power. But he will take them down. As he was thinking they reached a set of big double doors which the Rat Man opened with his card. He would need one of those cards, Thomas thought. They were the key to everywhere here at WICKED headquarters.

And if they planned to escape any soon he had to find a way to get his hands on it. His thoughts were brutally cut off when he entered the room and saw people inside. It was a big room, the kind of someone had meetings in, an auditorium. There was a stage at the front and a set of chairs from bottom to top, lines of them.

The first few rows were full of people. People he knew. His friends.

He almost ran towards them and met with Newt and Minho who looked at him in surprise. "I thought I was never going to see your ugly shuck face" Minho said slamming a hand on his shoulder. Thomas smiled. The usual Minho. "Glad to see you too, Minho" he laughed. Thomas saw small bruises on his face and felt a pang of hatred towards WICKED.

He was just glad that all his friends were strong willed. They never gave up on fighting, always stood up to WICKED's tortures. He felt proud of them.

"Glad to see you're bloody safe, Tommy." Newt said smiling. Thomas smiled back. "I am glad we are all safe". He looked him into the eyes and saw the pain, whatever he had been through in his phase of the trials he had made it. He had been strong, went through it with his head held high up.

Thomas couldn't bear to see those desperate eyes so he looked away and across the room. "What do you think that they will do now?" he asked. "I have no idea, Tommy, but I'm bloody glad we're all together again." 

"You're shucking right." said Minho. Thomas nodded, still looking around. He saw Frypan who waved at him. Thomas waved back. 

He searched the room, saw the other Gladers, Aris and the girls from Group B.

He searched but saw nothing of Brenda. Where was she?

He was about to ask them about her when he spotted a figure sitting on his own on a chair, distant from everyone else. Could that be...

But then he realized that she had black hair. Long black hair. 

She turned and he saw that beautiful face. Those deep blue eyes staring back at him.

Teresa. The Betrayer.