Promise Me ➵ Newt [3]

FIVE | newt gets infected

▬The van slowed and I glanced up. The rumble of the engines ceased and the masked men pushed the doors opened - they grabbed me, Thomas and Brenda and forced us out the van.

We stared around us, muscles coiled up for a fight. We seemed to be underground, though sunlight still fell from a hole in the ceiling. Masked men bustled about the place, hefting their guns and aiming them at us just in case we tried anything. A van similar to the one I was forced into drove into the space and stopped; I waited for the doors to open, but instead, I watched, puzzled, as the van shook and creaked - I heard struggling from inside.

Jorge's muffled voice was shouting something from inside - then the van doors burst opened and a masked men tumbled out and crashed to the ground with a painful grunt. Jorge leaped down to him and lifted him up by his shirt.

"WHERE IS SHE?" He yelled, looking the most furious I had ever seen him. He punched the man before he could even respond, and everyone in the room winced at the sudden aggression.

Newt and Frypan scrambled out of the van and stared at the scene before them in horror. The other men rushed forward and tried to pull Jorge away, but he shoved them all away and continued hitting the masked man. Brenda ran over to his side, looking alarmed.

"Hey, hey, I'm right here, I'm right here!" She said, pulling at his arm.

Jorge's head shot up to her voice and he slowly got to his feet, looking relieved at the sight of her.

"I'm right here," Brenda repeated, eyes wide. Jorge wrapped his arms around her and she hugged him back fiercely. "I'm right here... okay?"

"Calm down!" One of the masked men at the side ordered. "We're all on the same side here!"

"What do you mean 'same side'?" Thomas said angrily. "Who the hell are you?"

The man regarded him for a long moment. I held my breath, waiting for something horrible to happen - and then he looked away and pulled off his mask. When he looked up, I gasped.

It had been months - maybe even a year - since I had last seen him. Though I had never hung out with him much and his face features had matured a bit, I still recognized him as easily as I could sing the alphabet.

It was Gally.

"Hey, greenie," he regarded Thomas, as if his sudden reveal was completely normal.

Thomas stared at him, his face a whirlwind of emotions - he seemed shocked, confused and in denial and disbelief all at the same time.

I couldn't blame him.

Then Thomas' face twisted into anger and he leaped forward, punching Gally in the face. My hands flew to my mouth as Gally collasped - the masked men around us aimed their guns at him as Thomas pinned Gally to the ground. He raised his fists to hit him again, but Newt quickly rushed forward and stopped him.