Nineteen : Lost

Newt POV

The sun was just barely visible through the thick trees ahead of us. It was setting, and the temperature was dropping with it. Instead of the bone chilling bite of Alaska, this was more of a constant, uncomfortable cold. The kind that won't give you frostbite, but also won't let you sleep. I couldn't stop shivering. Sitting under the exposed roots of this tree made it worse. We couldn't afford to be wandering around the property of this prison yard, not so soon after escaping. The only reason we were still here was because of Minho.

"You ready?" Thomas said softly. I looked over at him. He crouched on the balls of his feet with one hand on the edge of the roots, peering out into the darkening forest. I slowly stood, lightly cursing under my breath. The cold sucked everything out of me. Every joint was stiff and sore, every breath sent jagged arcs of pain through my broken ribs, and my mind was clouded with fatigue.

We began jogging back towards the prison yard. At first the pace was painful and difficult, but as I warmed up, it grew easier. Thomas remained in front of me. He wove in and out of trees, keeping the faint outline of the prison walls in front.

Get in. Get Minho. Get out.

Walking across the open field was nerve wracking. Exposed completely, we only had the cover of darkness to hide in. But so far, we hadn't seen any other people. We stopped to take a break 500 yards from the largest wall in a small ditch. I leaned my back against the cold ground and tried to get my breathing back under control, slow down my racing heart. It was more than fear that kept it fluttering in my chest like a dying butterfly. It was a lack of nearly every basic necessity a person needed to function. Sleep, water, food, warmth…

"Let's go." Thomas gently patted my chest and stood up. I groaned and followed him. This close to the wall allowed us to see a little more detail than before. The structure was very old and crumbling away. A large turret tower sat in each corner, small windows lined the walls in a straight line. Part of me hoped that Tommy was right. We'd only need to get past three people. But I knew deep down that wouldn't be the case.

Thomas ran past the door we had escaped out of last time. He stopped in front of an older door with a broken lock, shoving it open. Inside was dimly lit with the same single overhead bulbs as our cells. We hurried inside. It was dead silent except for our panting breaths.

"Keep your eyes open." Thomas whispered. We wandered down the long hallway for several minutes, peeking our heads into random rooms along the way. Until suddenly Thomas froze in front of me so quickly I almost bumped into him. He was staring straight ahead but at nothing, his eyes glazed over.

"Tommy, what's wrong?"

"We need to go this way." He muttered, shaking his head. Frowning, I followed him as he took a left turn. He was walking with purpose now, like he knew where he was going.

We eventually came to a large metal door with a small glass window. Thomas opened it without hesitation and stepped inside. I carefully looked around the door. Minho was in a large glass cage built into the back wall of the large empty room. He was pacing back and forth anxiously. When he saw Thomas and I step inside, he began pounding his fists on the glass, yelling inaudibly. The cage he was in was soundproof it seemed. Thomas ran up to the glass and put a hand on it as he searched for a door. Minho continued beating the glass, pointing behind us, shouting silently. I looked back just as the door we came through slammed shut.

"Welcome, Thomas and Newton." A man's voice cooed. He stepped out of the shadows, hands clasped behind his back as he slowly walked to stand in front of the door. "We've been waiting."

"Who are you?" Thomas growled, fists clenched at his sides. Something about the man's beady eyes, slender build, and thinning hair was oddly familiar to me.

"We've met before, I am Janson. But that's unimportant."

"Why drag us through all these extra steps? Why make a phase 1.5 at all?" I hissed. Janson looked over at me, his expression bored and tired.

"It's all for the variables, child. The blueprint, the cure to the Flare."

"I don't think this phase 1.5 worked." Thomas said stiffly. If we could get past rat man, we may stand a chance. But I doubted he'd come alone, and we had no idea how to get Minho out.

"No, sadly, it didn't. In fact, it was a complete disaster." He said sadly, his gaze shifting over to Thomas. "Outside influences were too far out of our control, a few mishaps occurred. But that's why you're here now, so we can try again."

"No bloody way." I glare at him. "Not again."

"I'm sorry the past week and some change has been so brutal for you." The rat man sighed and shook his head, his gaze falling to the floor. "The crash, the pond, Michael." The door opened behind him and three more men stepped in, all holding launchers. The one Thomas held wouldn't be enough.

"You caused the crash, you forced Newt into the pond, and Michael works for you. Don't try to act like you had nothing to do with it."

"We didn't, Thomas. I promise you. No one in WICKED wanted to watch you three freeze and starve to death. We'll correct any damage." Janson smiled and looked back up at us.

My body stiffened, forcing my spine straight and my arms to pin to my sides. I couldn't fight it, it was happening all over again. They were in my mind, forcing me to my knees, controlling my every move. Thomas was struggling next to me, in the same position. No, no, no, not again. Not again, I can't go through this again.

"Drug them, then let's move." Janson ordered the man to his left then turned and walked towards the door. I couldn't speak, couldn't move, couldn't do anything. I was trapped inside my own body. Only my thoughts I had free will over.

Would we be trapped there for another three years? Would Tommy come with us? Would we have to battle grievers again? Solve the maze?

The man pulled a shiny syringe from his belt and stopped in front of me. I glanced sideways at Tommy, who was staring back at me with panic stricken eyes. We had lost. I felt the sting of the needle in my neck and felt the effects of the drug almost immediately. My vision was tunneling out, my mind growing cloudier by the second. Every muscle was slowly relaxing and I couldn't stop myself from falling backwards onto the ground. I stared up at the dark ceiling. A thunk next to me; Thomas had collapsed too. Tears of panic and frustration collected in the corners of my eyes. Minho was still pounding on the glass, I could just make him out. But now darkness was consuming me, slowly stealing all the light, until finally everything was black.