Captivated (The Maze Runner - Newt)

Twenty three - search

so keep your head up in the clouds

live tomorrow now

run rings rings round roses

till we all fall down.

    - Gabriella Aplin, rings round roses

***

Lily barged through the door of the meeting room, slamming her fists down on the table in front of Alby.

It appeared that he was mid-way through some sort of meeting - around the table sat Newt, Gally, Zart, Clint, Zart, and Minho, who had obviously only returned from his running a few minutes prior. His chest was still heaving as if he'd pushed himself to his physical limits.

In the last chair sat Thomas, gazing at her in confusion.

Everyone went silent as Alby stopped, slowly turned his head to look up at Lily, and raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Is there a problem here, shank?" he asked through gritted teeth, sounding more than irritated.

"In the Maze..." Lily panted, completely out of breath. She clutched her stomach as she spoke, her core muscles aching from running so fast. "I...found...Oliver."

Alby rose instantly, his chair scraping backwards against the floor. His eyes were wide and urgent as he looked at her, desperately trying to see whether she was telling the truth or not.

Lily turned to Newt, meeting his incredulous gaze.

"He's alive."

"Well where is he?" Alby shouted, bringing her attention back to him. He towered above her, his eyes filled with urgency.

"....um..." Lily looked shifty, straightening up and scratching her head nervously, "...he's still in the Maze."

Silence.

Alby's body quivered with rage as he spoke his next words.

"So," he began menacingly, "you found a boy who has been missing from the Glade for several weeks. He was very much alive. And you proceeded to leave him in the shucking Maze?!"

Lily gulped, nodding slowly. In hindsight, perhaps she should have done more to persuade Oliver to return.

"Minho, Newt - we need to send out a search party." Alby commanded, laying his palms out flat on the table.

Why were they so desperate to bring him back? Oliver had made it clear that they hated him.

Minho leaped up instantly, but Newt remained seated. His knuckles clutched the arms of his chair tightly as he looked up at Alby.

"A search party....In the Maze?" he said slowly, his words slightly strained.

Lily's heart sank.

"Alby," she intervened softly, "Newt isn't a runner..."

She trailed off as Alby shot her a look of death. "Shut it. We need to bring this kid back alive, and Newt's one of our fastest."

"But-"

"Newt, get up. Minho, round up the other runners and tell them that they're going back out. We have half an hour before Doors close."

Shakily, Newt lifted himself from his chair. His face looked so panic-stricken, so distraught, that Lily felt sick. He stared at her helplessly as he took his place beside Alby.

"You stay here, shank." Alby said to her sternly.

He turned to leave, but Lily grabbed his bicep, stopping him in his tracks. "He won't come back, Alby. He wants to be out there." she explained hastily, "The only way he would return to the Glade, is if you dragged him back, kicking and screaming."