Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Final Candidates

Thomas was taken aback. He hesitated at first, but quickly climbed out of the car, the machine within a few feet of him.A panel opened on the side of the machine to reveal a screen, and Jenson's face emerged from the screen, staring at him. Thomas breathed a sigh of relief, it was the Ratman, yes, but he was not in the police machine, it was just a video playing in his image, Thomas could only guess that the man could see him too. "What's going on?" Thomas asked in shock.He tried not to look at the person lying on the ground, "How did you find me?" Jenson was as expressionless as before. "It took a lot of hard work and some luck, trust me. We still welcome you. I just rescued you from the bounty hunters."

Thomas laughed. "You still paid them. What do you want?" "Thomas, let me tell you frankly, the reason I didn't go to Denver to bring you back is because the number of infections has gone up astronomically, and that's the safest way to reach you. I urge you again, come over here, Let's finish this experiment." Thomas wanted to scream at this man, why should he go back to WICKED?But the sight of the Red Shirt being attacked couldn't have been clearer, with his body just a few feet away, and he had to deal with it. "Why should I go back?" Jansen said expressionlessly, "We've been using data to screen one final candidate, and that person is you. We need you, Thomas, and the burden falls on you."

It won't even kill him.Thomas thought.But saying that didn't make him shake off the Ratman.Instead, he tilted his head, pretending to be thinking, and said, "Let me think about it." "I'm sure you will." The Ratman paused for a moment. "I'm obliged to tell you something, mainly because I think it can influence your decision. Just so you know, you have to do what we tell you." Thomas leaned his back against the car's dome, physically and mentally exhausted from the ordeal. "What did you say?" The Ratman's face wrinkled and looked even more cunning, as if he was about to announce some terrible news. "This is about your friend Newt. I'm afraid he's in serious trouble."

"What's the trouble?" Thomas asked, heartbroken. "I know, you all know he has the Flare, and you've seen some symptoms." Thomas nodded, suddenly remembering the note in his pocket. "yes." "Well, he seems to be under Flare's control quickly. You've seen his rage and loss of control before you left, which means he's about to go into the abyss of madness." Thomas felt his heart tighten. He had accepted the fact that Newt was not immune, but he thought the virus would take weeks, if not months, before it got worse.But Jenson was right—all the stress combined, Newt had collapsed, and they'd left him outside the city by himself.

"You can actually save him." Jason said calmly. "Are you happy?" Thomas asked him, "because sometimes it seems like you're having fun." Jason shook his head. "I'm just doing my job, Thomas, and I want this cure more than anyone else. Before we take your memory, you should be more keen than me." "Go away," Thomas said. "I want you back," Jenson replied. "You have the opportunity to do great things. It's sad that I'm so different from you. But, Thomas, you have to hurry up, time is running out." "I'll think about it," Thomas forced himself to say again.Holding the Ratman like this made him feel sick, but this was the only way he could think of to buy time.There was also the possibility that if he didn't hold Jenson down, he'd end up the same way as the redshirt man—killed by a police plane a few feet ahead.

Jansen smiled and said, "That's what I want to hear. I hope to see you here." The screens went black, the panels closed, and then the police plane rose into the air and flew away, the rumble getting farther and farther away, and Thomas watched it disappear around a corner.As it flew away, Thomas saw the dead man.He quickly looked away, this was the last thing he wanted to see. "There he is!" He turned his head to see Minho rushing towards him from the sidewalk, followed by Brenda and Jorge, and Thomas had never been happier. Minho stopped walking when he saw the man in red shirt lying in a ball. "God... what happened to him?" He turned to look at Thomas. "What happened to you? Are you okay? Did you do it?"

Ridiculously, Thomas wanted to laugh. "Yes, I drew my own gun and let him explode." Minho didn't like the sarcasm at all, but before he could figure out how to refute, Brenda had already spoken. "Who killed him?" Pointing to the sky, Thomas said, "A police plane flew up here, shot him, and then, all I know is, the Ratman was on the screen. He was trying to convince me to go back to WICKED." "Idiot," Minho said, "couldn't you—" "You've got to trust me!" Thomas exclaimed. "I wouldn't kill myself to go back, but they need me so badly that they might be able to help us in some way. It's Newt we have to worry about, Jensen." Said he was infected with the Flare faster than normal, and we had to go back and see him."

"Did he really say that?" "Yeah," Thomas felt uncomfortable when he lost his temper with his friend, "I trust him in this regard, and you have also seen Newt's recent behavior." Minho stared at Thomas with pain on his face.Thomas suddenly thought that Minho had known Newt for two years longer than him, and had more time to develop a deep relationship. "We'd better find a way to see him," Thomas repeated, "and do something for him." Minho just nodded and looked away.Thomas really wanted to pull out Newt's note and read it right now, but he had promised not to do so until the time was right.

"It's getting late," Brenda said. "They don't let people in or out of town at night. It's hard to control the situation during the day." Thomas was only now aware that the light was fading, and the sky above the building had an orange halo. Jorge, who had been quiet all this time, spoke up now. "That's the least of our problems. Something strange is going on here, brothers." "What do you mean?" Thomas asked. "It seemed like everyone had disappeared in the last half hour, and the few people I saw didn't look normal."

"The situation at the coffee shop did send people running," Brenda pointed out. Jorge shrugged. "I don't know, this city just makes me feel weird, girl. Like it's alive and ready to unleash some really nasty stuff." Thomas suddenly felt a chill go down his spine, thinking of Newt again. "If we hurry, can we get out? Or can we rush out?" "We could try," Brenda said. "It would be nice if we could find a taxi, but...we're on the other side of town now." "Let's try it," suggested Thomas. They set off down the street, but Minho's face was ugly, and Thomas certainly didn't want that to mean that something bad was going to happen.