the scorch trials
chapter three

❛❛ they cant risk of losing everything's trust if they force you into going with them ❜❜

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The Gladers turned their heads at Poe who looked stun when his name was called. He froze while gazing toward where Janson was standing. Does he have a choice? Wherever these kids go and what happens to them, he's about to find out

"Don't go" Anton's voice was low, the boy was suddenly scared for his best friend. "if it's true about that they never leave this place, don't go"

"Do I even have a choice?" Poe said, he got anxious but at the same time, this could be an opportunity to find out where they go and maybe find Teresa.

"Yeah, you do," Newt told him, "they can't risk of losing everyone's trust if they force you into going with them"

While Poe was looking at Newt, there was a hint of worry written on the boy's face. Poe looked over Nico's and Minho's shoulders and find Janson looking toward his table. "I say you go" Thomas abruptly said.

Newt snapped his head around, expressing a disbelief look, "Wait, what?"

"He's—" Thomas leaned onto the table around Newt to get close to Poe, "this may be the chance that you'll get through behind that door and see what's inside"

Poe furrowed his brows together, "Yeah, when I'm under those sheets" he whispered harshly at Thomas.

"Poe!" Janson called, Poe turned his head up and looked forward at the man, he's waiting for him. "Are you coming?"

There were other teens turning their heads and looking toward where Poe is sitting. He gave a gesture telling him to wait then turn back to Thomas who quickly said in a low voice, "I have a plan, if maybe you could buy yourself some time before they do anything, or tell them that if you could wait for another day to stay"

Poe sighed exasperatedly, perhaps he has a chance of seeing Teresa again or what happened to her. It was all he cared about, but if they really do leave this place, he could just ask that if he could stay here another day or two to stay with his friends. "Fine—" he shifted around and before he could get up, he felt a hand gripping on his wrist by Newt who seem worried. He was worried and the way he held Poe was the way he didn't want him to go. "I'll be fine" Poe assured him then looked at the Gladers before getting up as Newt reluctantly loosened his grip.

Before Poe around the table. Thomas's hand grabbed his arm and yanked him down to lower down and Thomas whispered, "Help me get the key card"

Poe exchanged a perplex look. He went to go join the teens to the front, as he walked around Janson, Poe got even more anxious when he joined the line. He was the only person in the line who wasn't smiling with excitement. His gaze shifted from the Gladers' table to Aris and Leigh's table who both had a slight confusion on their faces. It did hit him why Thomas wanted a key card, he wants to see what's behind the door, and perhaps that's his plan. How will he able to do that to snatch a key card from anyone?

The kids beside him were moving to the eastern door, they were following Janson and a man in a white gown. Poe saw a man who is the same guard from yesterday who prevented him from going after Teresa. He swiped the card on the monitor and the door opened before putting the card into his vest pocket.

While Poe followed them, he took a last glance toward his table and saw Thomas coming. Poe was confused and wondered what the hell is he doing but he quickly turned his head frontwards while pretending he's unaware of Thomas who seemingly attempt to try to blend into the line.

When Poe passed the door, he heard the man stopping Thomas behind him. He halted and glanced back. "Whoa, hang on. You weren't called"

"I know, I'm just gonna be a second" Thomas stride forward but the guard stopped him again.

"This is a restricted area, kid"

Thomas looked infuriated, "I just wanna see my friend. Can you let me through?" He stared sternly at the guard.

The guard had his finger harshly poking on Thomas's chest, pushing him back, "Get your ass back in that chair"

Thomas looked passed over the guard's shoulder and meeting Poe's glance. Poe could feel his heart beating fast, was this the moment where he should be helping him with the key? But Thomas walked away, he only took a few steps forward to the table before he instantly spun around and attempt to dash between the guards. That's when Poe quickly intervened. "Thomas!"

"Back off!" The guard yelled as he shoved Thomas away.

Poe got in between the guards as Thomas charged at the guard and pushed him. "What's your problem, man?! What the hell, huh?!"

"Thomas!" Poe only had a second as his fingers slipped into the guard's pocket while his other hand was on Thomas's chest, "Calm down, all right?!" He felt the card between his two fingers before pulling it out and put it into his hand.

Poe moved between the guard and Thomas. The guard gave Thomas another shove. "Back off!" He growled with anger.

"Hey!" Poe's hand that was holding Thomas was now on the guard, "Leave him alone!" In the corner of his eye, he could see Janson rushing to the scene while Poe's hand that was holding the card was behind him. Before Thomas was pulled away by the Gladers, he quickly grabbed the key card from Poe's hand.

"Control your friend!" The guard yelled at Poe.

"What's happening here?!" Janson went between the two guards. Poe was standing back with the Gladers as Janson paced back and forth, shifting his glance back and forth at the guards and the Gladers. "Thomas? I thought we could trust each other" He looked at the black haired boy and put a hand on the boy's shoulder, "you know we're all on the same team here"

Thomas looked at Janson sternly, "Are we?"

Janson had a look of disapproval, his eyes pacing down to Thomas, to Poe then to Thomas again. "Get them to their bunks" he ordered the guards. He turned to Poe, "You... follow me"

Poe was unsure for a moment, he exchanged glances with Thomas, Newt, Anton and Teo. The guards moved and began to force the Gladers toward out of the cafeteria meanwhile Poe was standing by as he watched them leaving.

"Mr. Poe!" Janson called from the door, waiting for the boy, "This way" he indicated Poe with a quick nod to his left.

Poe gulped, hesitated before finally he went to follow the man.

Poe found himself by the door, in the room looked to be a lobby where the kids that were called up earlier were waiting. Poe was about to go in but Janson said, "No, not in there, you're coming with me"

The blonde boy stared at the man in confusion until following him.

Poe was behind Janson as he walked the boy down the long hallway. With the long hallways with only couple of doors on each side. He could only get a quick glance at the room and hope to see Teresa in one of them. But all he could find was some sort of a medical bays and labs.

"You've got an interesting friend, Poe" said Janson, he gazed back at Poe for a second.

"Who, Thomas?" Poe lightly chuckled, he scoffed, "That guy's nothing but trouble, he's got a knack for bringing himself to trouble, really" He knows he can't let Janson suspect something from him.

"He mentioned that he used to work for WICKED"

"Believe me, I was shocked" he was dishonest and at the same time, sarcastic. "A little kid like him to work with those people, and he was one of the reasons why he put me and the boys in the maze"

Janson halted as they reached the end of the corridor and two more halls on their left and right, he turned to face the boy. "What about you?" he said it with a suspicious tone.

Poe swallowed, "What about me?"

"There's a reason why we chose you today, and it's not the same reason as the others" the man claimed.

Poe knitted his brows in perplex, does that mean he won't end up with those kids who were placed under those sheets? "Why am I here then?"

Janson proceeded walking to the left hall and gestured Poe to follow. They passed two doors until finally stopping at the third door, he opened the door and gestured the boy to go in. Inside was a medical room that looked like one of the rooms at a hospital. Janson closed the door behind him and gestured Poe to sit on the bed which he did. Janson grabbed a small transparent rectangular object from the drawer by the door, he pulled a chair and sat down at the bedside.

"Poe, I've read your file and it says here that you work for WICKED" Janson stated as he looked down at the tiny screen he was holding, Poe could see a picture of himself in the corner of the screen.

"Worked." Poe corrected, "they sent me into the maze God knows why"

Janson sighed, "Right." He looked down at the file again, "Mr. Poe Allan. Age: eighteen. Occupation: Architect and Supervisor of Simulations and Maze Trials— you were very important to WICKED, weren't you?"

To learn that he was an Architect for WICKED, that slightly surprised him, but to know that he was a supervisor of the Maze Trials, he couldn't really process even though he knew that he was in charge of the simulations and trials. Poe merely shrugged, "I guess I wasn't anymore when they sent me into the maze."

Janson slid his finger on the screen upwards as the screen was scrolling down. "It explains here that you were trying to sabotage the Maze Trials and that... you were a spy for an unknown organization called the Right Arm. The reason why you were sent in the Maze was because they were preventing you from destroying the trials"

Poe was confused. Janson revealing that Poe was trying to sabotage the Maze Trials actually made sense why Thomas told him that Poe was never meant to be in the Maze. Did he really try to stop the Trials? To stop the Maze and save the Gladers?

"You're here because I'm here to offer you something" Janson turned the screen off and looked at the boy.

Poe was looking at the man as he expressed a questioning look, "And what's that?"

Janson didn't respond right away, "We're offering a procedure" he answered, "it's merely an operation, it'll be quick and painless. We're helping you to regain your memories"

Poe blinked rapidly as his breath was caught in his throat, "What?"

"Poe, you might have an important information about WICKED that could help us and we could expose the company of what they really do and what they've done to you and your friends" Janson went on, "and you're going to find out who you are, your past and your entire life before the Maze, don't you want to know it all?"

Poe didn't respond for a moment, his mind fell into deep thinking, memories. He could figure out who he is, who he and Teresa once were, or about Thomas and everyone else. What past they shared with him. His times while he was with WICKED. Deep into his brain might hold a lot of information about WICKED, everything they've done to him and his friends, he has a chance of taking WICKED down. "I guess so" Poe murmured.

"So, do you want your memories back, Mr. Poe?"

Poe didn't reply right away, he hesitated for a long time, his hands clamped together on his lap and fingers fidgeting each other. He let out a sigh then answered, "Okay"

"Good choice—" the man smiled, he stood up, "I'll go get someone to prep you for an operation, first they'll do quick check ups then you'll be on your way into the procedure"

*

Thomas followed Aris into the vents and were on their way back to the spot where the door was. They found Leigh already waiting by the grate, "So?"

"He wouldn't be here if he didn't" Aris said and made his place on the left side of the grate. "Let's get this open" Aris and Leigh got the grate open, it swung down to the side. Thomas insisted of climbing down first.

After Thomas climbed down into the corridor, Aris was next then Leigh followed. Aris merely pushed the grate to swing back up to close meanwhile Thomas looked around the hallway to see if anyone was coming.

Thomas opened the door using the stolen key card, the door opened, there was a pressure hissing within the room and the air was blowing out. In the room was slightly dark with blue fluorescent lights near the bottom on the walls, there were lab coats hanging left to right. On their right was a window, behind the windows were dozen of tubes, with some sort strange-looking fetuses within them, they were rather large. It reminded Thomas those things of the Grievers but he wasn't really sure if it's Grievers.

"The hell are those things?" Leigh gaped in bewilderment.

"I don't know" Aris replied softly. But Thomas may have a clue of what these things but he wasn't a hundred percent sure.

The three teens went on to the next door. The two doors slide open to the sides, Thomas and Aris went in together with Leigh behind. To their immense stun, they stopped about couple feet forward as they realize what they were seeing. Bodies. "What the hell?" Thomas breathed out.

Two many of them, lined in two from the entrance to the endless chamber, there were more behind the first row, they were all hanging upwards, some sort of a machine that was holding them, multiple tubes and wires connecting each of the bodies. They had breathing tubes on their mouths, helping them to breath, it's like they were in a coma, they looked to be half dead and half alive.

"What are they doing to them?" Leigh asked softly, she and Aris were looking at the kids on the right side. Examining the faces, the wires, the tubes, each had a vile near them filled with blue liquid and still trickling blue drops.

"Teresa?" Thomas uttered as he spotted a dark haired girl near him. He rushed to her and stopped in front of her. Her hair was covering most of her face. But when he brushed her hair off her face, brushed them to the side. It's not Teresa.

Thomas was somewhat relieved but still felt terrible for this girl and the rest of them. He didn't notice Aris and Leigh standing beside him. "It's Rachel" the boy muttered dolefully. Thomas looked at the boy, "They took her the first night... I told her it was going to be okay"

Leigh felt sorry for Aris, she had seen him and Rachel instantly grew close shortly after Aris arrived and watched Rachel befriending him. "Aris, I'm so sorry" they seemed to be more than close, Leigh noticed.

Then someone was coming from the door they came in from. The door hissed opened and with that, the three teens rushed around the pillars to hide. Thomas hide behind the first pillar while Aris rushed around the second row of the bodies and Leigh hid next to the pillar beside Thomas's.

"You sure this cant wait?" It was Janson and there was another man with him. "I have a subject I got to intend to"

"She was very specific, sir" the other man replied, "She wanted to speak with you personally"

"As if I don't have another to deal with" Janson murmured peevishly.

"Just bare with me" the man in black said, "I'm getting some interference from the storm"

Thomas peered around the pillar, so was Leigh and peeled around toward the end of the room. Aris was hiding behind a large tank of oxygen behind the second row of bodies. At the middle of the chamber. "Come on, it's good enough. Make the connection" Janson ordered, there was a whirring sound, some sort of a laser blue appearing across the two pillars then swiped up and down revealing the woman from the monitor that Thomas had seen back in the WICKED headquarters. Thomas was stunned and confused because he swore he saw the woman shot herself. "Good evening, Doctor Paige. Lovely to see you again"

The woman was sitting at her desk.

"Although I have to admit, I wasn't expecting to see you so soon"

"Change of plans, Janson" the woman began, "I'll be arriving a little sooner than expected. First thing tomorrow."

"Oh well—" Janson started in a tone of slight surprise, "we'll be delighted to have you. I think you'll be pleased with the progress we've made" Janson swipe his hand from the corner of the wall, revealing two x-ray brains on the side of the mirror. "As you can see, early results have been extremely promising. Whatever it is you're doing to them in there, it's working"

Doctor Paige was certainly not pleased with the results, "Not well enough" she replied. "I just received board approval. I want all the remaining subjects sedated and prepped for harvest by the time I arrive"

"Doctor Paige, we are going as fast as we can" Janson assured her, "We are still running tests—"

"Try something faster" Paige trailed him off, "Until I can guarantee their security, this is the best plan"

"Ma'am, security is my job. We're on 24-hour lockdown on" Janson told her, "I am assuring you... the assets are secure"

"Have you found the Right Arm?" Paige asked him.

"Not yet, but I believe Mr. Poe Allan may have the info of their whereabouts once he retrieves his memories back" Janson reassured, "but we did tracked them as far as the mountains—"

"So they're still out there? And they've already hit two of our installations"

"We will know for sure after Mr. Allan gets out of the operation, we're going as fast as we can"

Paige let out a frustration sigh, "If we don't find the Right Arm sooner— They want these kids as badly as we do and I cannot... I cannot afford another loss. Not now, when I am so close to a cure... if you are not up to the task, I will find someone who is. Perhaps Mr. Allan will take over"

"I'm sure Poe and I will work together fairly" Janson stated, "Might I suggest we start with the most recent arrivals"

"Just get it done" Paige replied harshly. Janson gave a curt nod, he turned and he was about to walk away until Paige called him, "Janson" the man stopped and turned to the woman. "I don't want them to feel any pain"

Janson lightly nodded, "They won't feel a thing" then he walked away.

Meanwhile Thomas, Leigh and Aris went around the pillars again to hide from Janson as he walked by and made his way to the exit.

The three exchanged shocking expressions, realizing its WICKED, they'll still have the kids and they've been under their hands all along. Also, they're in trouble, the Gladers are in trouble and they're coming for them.

They already have Poe, is it too late for him?

*****