"Things have very powerful telepathy. As I said, it's how they hunt. When I was attacked, I wanted to fight it off and cry out for help, but I couldn't. Last thing I remember before everything went black is a dull pain. I think its skin was starting to fuse with mine. Bob said they also use it to talk."

The Thing wanted Kinner quiet so it could eat him and make a copy without being interrupted, giving itself away. He had no defenses against a predator like that, and he was dead as soon as the creature grabbed him, converting his cells into more Thing cells.