Error | The Maze Runner / Newt ? ?

{1.9}

"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Thomas shouted to the girls with the bow and arrows, holding up a hand to stop them when they prepared to shoot. "Wait. She's hurt."

The girls looked to Teresa for affirmation. She lowered her hand and they relaxed their stances slightly.

I played my part well due to the fact I was already in pain. A groan of agony came as I shifted uncomfortably on the ground, attempting to appear like I was vulnerable. Group B didn't seem to know what to do about me. In fact, they almost seemed uncomfortable.

"Teresa," Thomas tried again, his voice pleading. "What's—"

Teresa reared her arm back and swung the end of her spear into Thomas' right cheek, causing him to shout in pain and crumple to his knees. My instinct to protest kicked in until I remembered my part. If I suddenly got up and started yelling at her to stop, I wouldn't appear wounded enough to be carried around.

I choked back my anger painfully, focusing by clenching my hands into fists in the sand. To anyone else, it would simply look like I was trying to conceal my pain. I wanted to tackle Teresa to try and talk some sense into her. What the hell was she doing?

"I said shut up." She reached down and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt until he stood again. "Is your name Thomas?"

"You know who I—"

Once more, she swung the spear back and connected it with his head, this time hitting him in the ear. He cried out and clutched the spot where she had hurt him. His voice was a scream when he said, "You know who I am!"

"I used to, anyway," she sneered in a way that made me grit my teeth to keep from yelling at her. "Now I'm going to ask you one more time. Is your name Thomas?"

"Yes!" Thomas replied in exasperation. "My name is Thomas!"

Teresa nodded and moved back to point the tip of her spear at him once again. Her head jerked toward me. "What happened to her?"

"That's none of your business," Newt spoke up harshly. Teresa ignored him, staring expectantly at my brother.

"She, uh—" Thomas was breathless as he searched for an answer. "She got hurt in the city."

"You're lying." Teresa edged the spear closer to his chest. "Tell me the truth, or I hit you again."

Thomas appeared to look right in her eyes just then. He wet his lips and answered in a defeated tone, "It was W.I.C.K.E.D. They put something in her brain and it almost killed her."

I wanted to protest and tell him that the thing actually kept me alive, but now was not a good time. Especially when she was appearing to consider that this was the truth.

Teresa turned and looked down at me. "Can you walk?"

I shook my head, knowing it was better to lie. If Thomas had carried me but I was able to move independently, then things might not add up. I couldn't risk them getting suspicious. And, if I was considered weak, maybe no harm would come to me.

"You both are coming with me," Teresa informed us. "If those jerks planted something in her brain, she could be a threat. I'm going to need a round-the-clock watch on this girl. Remember, anyone tries something, the arrows fly."