"I'm glad you weren't dragged along either," Thomas replied with a nod. If she'd been there, she would have had plenty of people to help, plenty of places to stay and hide but that didn't make it safe or easily dealt with.

Thomas didn't want a repeat of that experience ever again. The Scorch was bad enough, he didn't need other cities that reminded him so vividly of that wasteland popping up every so often.

"Sorry you were freaking out, though," Thomas said, wincing. "I wondered what it looked like from this side of things. If it was really obvious or more subtle or if there were any traces of people left behind."