THOMAS STARED BLANKLY AT HIS NEW WORKPLACE. AFTER HIS PREVIOUS WORKPLACE HAD GOTTEN TRASHED, WICKED DECIDED THAT IT WASN'T A GOOD IDEA FOR HIM TO BE THERE ANYMORE. He typed frantically into his computer, hoping that it could control the griever that was there.

Another one of his friends (were they even that anymore) had gotten stuck in the maze in the night, and Thomas agreed with the gladers. No one survived a night in the maze. He wished someone like James had managed to find the way out and was able to tell the others, but, it hadn't happened. No one had managed to find the griever and Thomas was starting to feel like every death, every last breath and every scream when a person went through the changing had to be his fault.

He was working for WICKED willingly. But they had to find a cure for all the people out there, all those people losing their lives, well not losing their lives, but becoming cranks, or having someone they cared about going through it.

Thomas remembered his dad. He remembered the screams he heard at night from the one-room his mother never let him enter.

He slowly stopped typing, fingers slipping off the keypad. He resisted the urge to fling his computer to the other side of the room. Thomas decided that he had to do something, putting his head into his hands. He needed to help with the variables. The mess of the variables that had ruined his friends' lives and his own.

He heard his door creak, clearly done on purpose, since his door never creaked. Thomas nodded and he heard footsteps. Most of the people in WICKED never came further into his room except to just give him food, and it wasn't mealtime.

Thomas didn't turn around to look at who it was, except just listened closely to the footsteps. The amount of pressure applied and the sound made Thomas know exactly who it was.

He let a small smile grace his face, not enough to convince people he was happy but just enough to make them think he wasn't sad, just thinking. Thomas hoped his friend didn't see through it.

He felt Jake put a cautionary hand on his shoulder and Thomas felt himself relax. "Hey," Jake whispered, "doing some thinking?" He observed Thomas' face carefully with his green eyes and Thomas felt worse. Even worse.

Thomas nodded in response though and James asked again, "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Give me a hundred dollars then yes," Thomas whispered, his voice cracking.

"We can, you know that Thomas," Jake responded, clutching Thomas' hand in his. Jake usually didn't use his full name, Thomas observed and slumped. Jake was serious.

"We could die," Thomas said, this time not bothering to whisper. The cranks were dangerous, despite Thomas and Jake being immune. People seemed to forget too frequently that cranks didn't only give them the flare but also tried to kill them if they didn't manage to escape. "I know we're immune Jake-," Thomas added, seeing the look Jake was giving him. "But we're not safe. Cranks don't only kill you know."

"I do," Jake whispered and Thomas winced, not believing he had dared to say that. Jake shook his head rapidly and said, "We can't stay. We can't." There was a hidden word there, rapidly saying that they could both die. But they would die with the cranks too wouldn't they?

Thomas wasn't given time to contemplate it as the door was thrown over with a huge force. "What the hell," He muttered as one of the WICKED guards came over, along with some others.

"Put your hands up in the air," a distinctively female voice that he recognised said. She pointed her gun at him, not Jake, Thomas realised in a second. The lady motioned to someone behind her and he came to Thomas with a set of handcuffs.

Thomas' mouth dropped open. He hadn't done anything. He started backing away shouting, "I didn't do anything. I promise I would never go against WICKED."

The lady said, loudly, "lies, come peacefully or we'll force you. We're actually being merciful for what you've done."

Thomas hadn't done anything He said that. He elbowed the guy who came with the handcuffs, but as the gun pointed at Jake and the lady raised her eyes, Thomas slumped. Jake looked ready to move forward, but Thomas shook his head. He couldn't drag Jake into it, he just couldn't. He had no idea what was going on, but it wasn't good. It was better if Jake didn't get immersed in it.

Thomas held his hands up in the air as they got cuffed giving one last look at Jake as he was dragged out of his own room for a crime he didn't commit.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Yes, short chapter, but since I want to update once a week I think this length is fine.
Also, those of you who decided to skip the prologue, kindly go there and read it, since it's not mysterious and all that makes me super annoyed. It is actually very important, even if you won't realise it. That is also known as me trying to build up this whole thing in a few chapters or something, but it's okay.
I should also try not to start a gazillion books a week but I can't help it.
Anyways, what did you think of this chapter? Any votes?
Thanks a lot for reading