Promise Me ➵ Newt [3]

SEVENTEEN | i love you

The Berg started to descend down to the ground where we were, its propellers tossing wind and sand and dust into us. We held up our hands to our eyes, shielding them from the blinding white lights from the Berg's headlights, which cut through the feverish night air like blades.

"Thomas!" Brenda yelled into the walkie-talkie over the roar of the Berg engines and explosions in the city. "Don't worry - I'm coming to you! Our ride's here! Just look for us near the tunnels!"

We stayed by the side as the Berg continued to descend, its engines adding to the deafening gunshots and explosions that resonated all around us. It landed, the propellers slowing, and the hatch door sank down to the ground to reveal...

"Vince?" Frypan said, disbelief and happiness flashing through his face as we ran towards the Berg - towards safety.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too," Vince grinned at us, his eyes sweeping our haggard and bruised faces. Another figure ran from inside the Berg and stood next to Vince, breathing heavily - it was Jorge.

"Glad to see you all again," he said. "Now let's get out of here."

"We're not done yet," Brenda said quickly, her firm tone forcing Vince and Jorge to blink at her in surprise. "Thomas is still inside."

Shock and worry coursed through Vince and Jorge, making them furrow their eyebrows and stare at us.

"Well, let's go get him then." Vince reached out an hand and offered it, and Brenda took it, a relieved smile on her face.

"Hell yeah," she said, and climbed aboard the Berg, Vince and Jorge ushering the immune kids to follow her. We all clambered aboard, desperate to escape the burning cities and towns around us as the world screamed.

Vince held out his hand but I shook my head quickly and got on board myself. "Do-Don't touch me," I stammered when he glanced at me quizzically. "I'm infected. I don't wanna hurt you."

"Oh." He scratched the back of his head. "Well, then..."

"Don't worry about me," I said hastily. "We need to get to Thomas and the others as fast as possible. I think they're stuck in the middle of this... this war in the city."

Vince nodded grimly, and without another word he joined Jorge at the controls, where the latter started pushing buttons and pulling levers, trying to lift up the Berg. Vince helped him, pulling up screens and maps and making sure the propellers were working. A few moments later I felt the machine ascend, its underbelly lifting up from the dirty, cracked ground and into the air, where dust and flame swirled around madly in the fury of the propellers. 

The kids bunched together on one side of the Berg, cowering and trembling; Brenda was walking over to Jorge when I hobbled over to her and stopped her.

"Your walkie-talkie," I said weakly, grasping at her arm. "I need it. Please."

She pulled it out and handed it to me, and without even thanking her I slumped to the cool, metal floor and clutched the walkie-talkie to my mouth.

"Thomas?" I whispered. 

Static, and gunshot, but no voices. 

"Thomas? Can you hear me? Thomas?"

For a while, there was nothing. I panicked then, jamming the buttons on the walkie-talkie frantically, fear pulsing through me like a disease. 

Then the static crackled and Thomas' voice came on: "Hello? Brenda?"

"No, it's Rose," I breathed. "I... Where's Newt?"

There was silence at first.

"He's not doing too great," Thomas admitted, his voice low and gravelly. "I-I don't think he has much time left."