Scorched // Thomas (The Scorch Trials)

III

In the dormitories, Minho immediately claimed a bed. "I got top!"

Ariella placed a hand on another bed. "I also got top!"

One of the boys frowned. "No fair. Fine. I'll take a bottom."

Winston laid in a bottom back and let out a sigh of contentment. "I could get used to this."

Ariella frowned, noticing Teresa was being taken somewhere. Thomas expressed her thoughts. "What do you think those guys want with Teresa?"

Newt turned to Thomas. "Now, if there's one thing I know about that girl, she can take care of herself. Much like your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend, Newt."

"Well you two certainly act like a couple."

Thomas' attention was drawn to a boy whispering, "Hey. Down here."

Thomas looked to where the voice was coming from and saw a boy his age on the other side. "Oh, my God."

"Come on. Follow me."

"What?" Thomas asked in confusion.

"Hurry, this way. Come on."

Thomas paused. "Hey, wait a second. What the hell are we doing?"

"Come on, we're gonna miss it."

"What the hell am I doing? What are we doing?"

"Come here." The boy instructed. "Watch."

Thomas watched as kids were brought to a secluded room.

A few minutes later, he returned to the room and shook Ariella's sleeping figure. He never liked to wake her, but this was something she needed to hear.

She asked groggily, "Wha' is it?"

"Ari, I'm sorry for waking you, but this is important." Ariella sat up and he continued. "Do you remember that kid who had been here almost a week?" She nodded. "He was here and he showed me something. The people Janson calls aren't leaving this place. They're taken to a secluded room."

Ariella frowned. "How? The door is locked."

Thomas nodded. "Yeah, I know. But look." He took her by the hand and led her to the air vent he had crawled through earlier.

Ariella tried to process the new information. "So, a random boy shows up and leads you to a secluded room through air vents."

Thomas glanced at her. "It's not just a secluded room, though. Someone was taken there in like an incubator or something like that."

"Who led you?"

I couldn't see who it was." Ariella studied him, wondering how believable this was. Thomas sighed. "I know you're doubting me right now, but I need you to trust me. Something is wrong, here."

Ariella met his eyes and said after a moment, "Okay. Show me this room."

Thomas led her through the vent and a few minutes later, they stopped. The sound of a door opening caught their attention, and Doctor Crawford walked through the door. Ariella noticed a stretcher being pushed through with a body covered by a white sheet.

The stretcher stayed in the room and as soon as Doctor Crawford left, Ariella turned to Thomas. "Where do you think they're taking the bodies?"

Thomas shrugged. "I'm not sure. Aris doesn't know either." Ariella's brow furrowed at the name. "Aris is the kid who showed me this place."

"We should head back." Ariella said. "If the others wake, they'll be wondering where we are."

Thomas nodded and followed her back to their room.

After what she had seen, Ariella decided to sleep with Thomas in his bed, and he wasn't about to protest.

The next morning, a guard took them to breakfast. Ariella stabbed her eggs as Janson entered and called out more names.

Thomas told the group what he had seen last night, and what he had shown Ariella.

Newt frowned. "You don't know what you saw, It could've been anything."

"I saw bodies, Newt. Ari can vouch."

Newt looked to Ariella and she nodded as Minho cut in. "You just said they were covered up."

Ariella narrowed her eyes. "Yes, but their feet weren't."

Thomas nodded. "Listen, I know what Ari and I saw. If you don't believe me, believe her."

Newt placed his cup on the table. "How did you find out anyway? And you expect us to believe the daughter of the freaking Chancellor?"

"Yes! Ari hasn't shown one sign of betrayal. Aris showed me."

"Who the hell is Aris? Fine. If you trust her, I suppose I can."

Ariella jerked her thumb to the skinny boy studying a piece of bread. "Listen. We can't get called."

"Why not?" Minho asked.

Ariella's eyes were dark as she said, "Because those who are called are taken to a secluded room, and they never see the light of day again."

"And last but not least, David." Janson finished.

Ariella let out a relieved sigh. Their group was safe. For now.

Newt looked at his friends. "Okay, until we know anything for certain, we just have to keep our heads down and try not to draw any attention to us."

A majority of the group agreed, except for Thomas and Ariella. They knew something was wrong, and they had every intention of finding out the cause and stopping it.