Chapter 15 Chapter 15 The Secret in the Broken Envelope

Minho was the first to give his explanation: "Maybe they knew it was going to happen, and they didn't want to kill us. So, unless you shoot in the brain, those launchers are just for scaring you for a while." .So they’re going to use these as well as regular guns.” Before he could finish, Brenda shook her head in denial. "No, they're required to have the launcher with them at all times. So it's impossible for them to come over and get a new one right away. Whatever you think about WICKED, their goal isn't to kill as many people as possible, Not even when the lunatics rushed in."

"Has the Crazy Man stormed in before?" Thomas asked. Brenda nodded. "The more infected they get, the more out of control they go, the more desperate they become. I don't really trust the guards—" Minho interrupted her and said, "Maybe that's it. After the alarm stopped, some crazy patients probably came in, took these weapons, scared people to death, and started to eat their stinky bodies. We only saw A few guards, maybe because the others are all dead!" Thomas had seen the demented after the out-of-control phase, and the memory lingered.Crazy people have been infected with the Flare for so long that it eats away at their brains bit by bit, until they're completely insane and almost human-looking animals by the end.

Brenda sighed and said, "I hate to say it, but maybe you're right." She thought for a moment and then said, "Honestly, that makes sense. Someone broke in and took some weapons. " A chill ran down Thomas's spine. "If that's the case, our troubles are worse than imagined." "You're not the only sane guy with no immunity to the Flare! So happy!" Thomas turned to look at Newt, who was standing in the doorway. "Explain yourself better next time, don't be so grumpy," Minho said, without an ounce of sympathy in his tone, "So far, I don't think you've lost, but glad you're back. We might need a lunatic Come find the other Crazies, if they do break in."

Thomas blinked at the merciless words, watching how Newt would react. Of course the big boy was not happy, his expression was undisguised. "You never know when to shut your mouth, do you, Minho? There's always that damn last word." "Stop making such a bad face of yourself." Minho answered him.He said it so quietly that for a while Thomas bet that Minho was almost out of control, and everyone could feel the tense atmosphere in the room. Newt walked slowly to Minho and stood in front of him.Then, like a swooping snake, his fist landed on Minho's face.Minho staggered back a few steps, bumping into an empty weapon rack.Then he lunged forward suddenly, knocking Newt to the ground.

It all happened so fast, Thomas couldn't believe what was happening before him, he ran over and grabbed Minho's shirt. "Stop!" he screamed, but the two Gladers continued to bite each other, kicking and kicking. Brenda stepped up to help, and she and Thomas finally pulled Minho away with all their might, letting him stand up, fists still flailing wildly in the air.His elbow hit Thomas' jaw accidentally, sparking a burst of rage in him. "How can you be so stupid!" Thomas yelled, grabbing Minho's arm and putting it behind his back, "We just escaped from there, and you guys are fighting here?"

"He started it!" Minho hurriedly said, spitting all over Brenda. She wiped her face. "What are you, are you eight years old?" she asked. Minho didn't answer, he wanted Thomas to let go of his arm, struggled a few times and then gave up.Thomas is so sick of the whole thing that he doesn't know which is worse: Newt seems to be slowly losing control; Minho - a guy who should be able to control himself - is also acting like an idiot. As Newt stood up, he carefully touched a red spot on his face, which must have been caused by Minho. "It's my fault, everything makes me unhappy. You guys figure out what to do, I really need a break." After saying that, he turned and walked out.

Thomas sighed, frustrated; he let go of Minho, then straightened his collar, they didn't have time to waste this boring argument.If they want to go out, they must be a team, so that they can use their strength in one place. "Minho, get us some new launchers, and grab some pistols from the rack over there. Brenda, can you fill up a box of ammo as much as you can? I'll go find Newt." "Sounds good." She replied, looking around, Minho searched the shelves without saying a word. Thomas went out into the hall and saw Newt not twenty feet away from him on the floor, sitting against the wall.

"You don't need to say anything." Seeing Thomas approaching, he muttered. Not a bad start, Thomas thought. "Listen, something weird is going on - either WICKED is experimenting on us, or there's a lunatic running around here killing people. Either way, we've got to find our friends first, and then Go out again." "I know." That's all he said, and nothing else. "Then you stand up and come back to help us. You were so frustrated just now, we have no time to waste, and now you want to sit here in the lobby pouting and angry?" "I know." Still the same answer.

Thomas had never seen Newt like this.The guy seemed completely hopeless, and Thomas looked hopeless looking at him. "We're all a little crazy..." He stopped, he couldn't say anything worse, "I mean..." "Shut up," Newt said. "I know I've got something on my mind. I don't feel well, but you don't have to worry about taking your pants off. Give me a moment and I'll be fine. I'll put the You people get out, and then I will deal with it." "What do you mean? Get you guys out?" "Okay, get us out. Say what you want, give me a minute anyway, okay."

The world of Glade seems to have been a long time ago, when Newt was always the calm and collected one, and now he was tearing everyone apart.He probably meant that it wouldn't matter if he ran away, because everyone else did. "Okay," Thomas replied, realizing that the only thing he could do was treat him as before, "but you know we can't afford much time. Brenda is collecting ammo, and you have to help her carry Berg ship hangar." "It will," Newt said, standing up immediately, "but first I have to get something, and it won't take long." He started walking away, back into the reception room.

"Newt!" Thomas yelled at him, not sure what his friend was up to. "Don't be silly, we've got to move on, we've got to stick together." But Newt walked on without looking back, without even looking at Thomas. "Just to get something! Just a few minutes." Thomas shook his head. No matter what he did or said, he couldn't get back the familiar, rational guy. He turned and walked towards the armory. Thomas, Minho, and Brenda took all they could get.In addition to holding a launcher in his hand, Thomas also carried one on each shoulder.A loaded pistol was tucked into the front pocket, and ammunition clips were kept in the back two pockets.Minho followed him, and Brenda took a box of blue grenades and a lot of bullets, with the launcher on it. "Looks heavy," Thomas said, pointing to the box. "You need—" Brenda interrupted him: "Newt should be fine until he gets back." "Who knows what happened to this guy?" Minho said, "He's never been like this before. The Flare has eaten away at his brain." "He said he'd be back soon." Thomas was getting annoyed with Minho's attitude, he would only make things worse, "Also, don't talk nonsense around him, the last thing we want is you to annoy him again gone." "Do you remember what I told you in the truck? When I was in town," Brenda asked Thomas. The sudden change of subject made him a little bit overwhelmed, and what surprised him even more was that she mentioned the scorched earth again, which only reminded him of the lie she had lied to him. "What did you say?" he asked. "You mean, is it true that something you said earlier?" He felt so close to her that night, and he found himself wishing for her affirmative answer. "Thomas, I'm sorry, I lied about why I was there, and when I said I could feel the flare in my head. But the rest is true, I swear." She looked at him, paused For a moment, with a begging look on his face, "Anyway, we talked about how increased brain activity can speed up the pace of death—it's called cognitive destruction. That's why the drug, the heavenly drug, is affordable. It's very popular with people. The Paradise Drug slows down brain function, it delays the time you go crazy, but that stuff is really expensive." Finding people who weren't involved in any experiments, or hiding in abandoned buildings like the ones he'd seen in the Scorched Earth, was no longer realistic for Thomas. "If people don't take their medicine, will they still be able to function normally? Go about their lives, go to work, or do anything else?" "They do what they're supposed to do, but they're more... open minded. You can be a firefighter saving thirty kids from a fire, but you don't feel guilty about dropping a few kids along the way. pressure." Thomas was terrified at the thought of such a world. "That's really...disgusting." "I have to get that thing." Minho muttered. "You don't get what I mean," Brenda said. "Think about Newt's hell—he's making all the decisions. No wonder the Flare is so active on him, he's so stimulated , much more than the average person who lives day in and day out." Thomas sighed, the grief that had visited him now gripping his heart again. "There's really nothing we can do unless we get to a safer place." "what to do?" Thomas turned to see Newt standing by the door again, and he closed his eyes for a moment. "Nothing, never mind, where do you want to go?" "I need to talk to you, Tommy, just by yourself, just for a second." What are you talking about now?Thomas thought. "What nonsense are you talking about?" Minho asked. "Leave me alone. I want to give Tommy something. There can be no one else but Tommy." "You can do whatever you like." Minho said as he straightened the strap of the transmitter on his shoulder, "but we have to hurry up." Seconds flew by as Thomas and Newt walked into the hall, terrified, not knowing what on earth his friend was going to say, or how crazy they sounded. They hadn't taken a few steps from the door when Newt stopped and faced him, and produced a small sealed envelope. "Put this in your pocket and put it away." "What is this?" Thomas held it over and over again, but there was nothing on the surface. "Put this shit in your pocket anyway." Thomas did as he was told, confused and curious. "Look at me now." Newt snapped his fingers. Thomas' heart sank when he saw the haggard look on his face. "what?" "You don't have to know now, and you can't know. But you have to promise me that I won't waste my time here." "What is it?" "You have to swear that you will never read the contents of this broken envelope until the right time." Thomas couldn't imagine waiting to read it, and he started pulling the envelope out of his pocket, but Newt held him by the arm to keep him from doing so. "When the time is right?" Thomas asked him. "How do I know—" "You'll know, okay?" Newt replied before Thomas could finish. "Now swear to me, swear!" The boy trembled with every word. "Okay!" Thomas wasn't just worried about his friend now, "I swear I won't read it until the time is right, I swear, but why—" "Okay, that's it," Newt interrupted him, "I can't spare you if you don't keep your promise." Thomas actually wanted to reach out and squeeze his friend, but he was so depressed that he wanted to hit the wall.He didn't, he stood still, watching Newt turn and walk towards the armory.