The wind rippled over the dry grass in waves as we sped down the dirt road. I checked and rechecked the coordinates Alex had scrawled down for me. I had memorized them by heart, whispering them to myself in the dead of night when everyone else was asleep. Everyone except Annie, she lay awake too. Thinking, I suspected, of her family and the war raging around us.

I had done well in staying off the grid for the last three months. Eating and sleeping only at locations outside of Erudite's control and stealing if I had to. I reached down for the black duffle bag at my feet, running my fingers over the thick fabric as the sound of glass on glass issued faintly through it. I had found the simulation serum in one of Erudite's largest bases. What I couldn't carry with me I destroyed, making it look as much like an accident as possible.

I glanced behind me; Annie was leaning out one of the jeep windows, her red hair blowing in the wind. Alex, her older brother, slept next to her his lips parted slightly as he breathed in and out. I glanced at the speedometer which told me we were going well over a hundred. Demetry was driving, his black brows knitted together as he concentrated on the road ahead. He never dropped his guard, even sleeping with a knife under his pillow. I couldn't blame him though seeing as I slept with a loaded gun an arms reach away from me at all times. I had found them by accident as I was sneaking around the ruins of Abnegation looking for any semblance of my old life. Annie had been injured, a gunshot wound to the thigh. I had found her and Alex huddled in a doorway their Amity robes covered in her blood. Alex and I had half dragged Annie to their hideout not far off where Demetry had been waiting. It had taken me a half an hour to dig the bullet out of Annie, a surgeon's worst nightmare. Somehow though they had appointed me their leader. We were the same age, Demetry was even a year older than me but he still turned to me to make the first move whenever we raided a base or tread on enemy territory. They had learned quickly but I had only been able to teach them so much.

I felt the jeep slowing down before I saw the figures in the road. There were three of them, spread out across our path.

"Well at least we know we are headed in the right direction." Demetry said quietly as he came to a stop.

Two men and a woman stood, arms crossed. They were dressed in plain black and grey clothes and carried machine guns. We were only a couple of miles from where there was thought to be more Factionless and, hopefully, my friends. When I had split off from Tobias and my brother we had never had a meet up location so this was just a hunch.

As I watched, the woman crossed over to my open window as her companions prevented Demetry from going any further.

"Step out of the car, please." The woman said sharply eyeing me with a piercing gaze.

I did as she asked and stood with my back against the hot metal of the jeep.

"Everyone put your hands where I can see them" she demanded of my crew. Alex was awake and alert now, his hands pressed into the seat in front of him.

"Look—" I started but she stopped me.

"Did I ask you to speak?" She snapped.

I gritted my teeth, I could already tell I didn't like her.

"Check the car." She commanded the others. I could hear doors opening as my friends got out.

"Keep your hands up." One of the male guards grunted at Demetry as he shoved him forward around the car. They pressed a gun into Annie's back. The image made my blood boil and I blurted out,

"Let me just explain why we are here."

Instead of striking me as I expected her to the woman walked toward me, stopping with just inches between us.

Even though she was taller than me I stared her down angrily. A vein jumped in her temple and her face hardened.

"No." was all she said, "you don't get a say here."

Where was here, exactly?

"I found something!" one of the guards called out from inside the jeep.

A moment later he emerged with my black bag.

I closed my eyes briefly as dread flooded through me.

The woman knelt on the ground and opened it.

I debated kneeing her in the head but decided against it, we outnumbered them but I was the only one qualified to fight and win.

"Simulation serum." She said coldly, "don't let them get away."

I could hear one of the guards call for backup on what looked like a hand made walky-talky while the other one grabbed me roughly by both arms. Clearly I had already been labeled as the biggest threat.

"Janine thought she could just infiltrate some of her little workers that easily, huh?" The woman sneered, the hot sun glinting off of her her black hair. I guessed her to be about thirty with a ruthless personality.

"We aren't Erudite." I said quietly.

She laughed a short humorless laugh, "I don't believe you."

"She's telling the truth!" Annie burst out angrily.

She crossed to Annie faster than I would have thought possible. I heard the butt of the woman's gun strike Annie's skull and she crumpled.

"Get away from her!" I yelled as my resolve broke. Without thinking twice I threw my head back and felt it collide with my captures nose. He grunted in pain and loosened his grip on my arms. They tingled as blood rushed through them and I spun around kneeing him in the groin all before she reached me. I blocked her first punch, knocking her gun to the ground but the second caught me in the lip. I felt the skin split as I was pulled to the ground. Both the woman and the second guard slammed me into the dirt making my vision blur momentarily. I heard a shuffle of feet as Alex and Demetry attempted to pull them off me.

"Don't!" I cried out, "stay there!"

I heard the click of a gun as something cold was pressed hard into my temple.

Dust was beginning to settle in my lungs and my chest tightened. The male guard who had tackled me blocked my view as he leaned over me, holding my hands behind my back.

Just as I was contemplating my next move a new deep voice carried over to us, "What the hell is going on?"

"It's about time you got here." The woman snapped. "I caught four Erudite trying to sneak in here. Thee of them are nothing to worry about but this one—" she said pushing the barrel harder into my temple, "has some fight in her."

There was no way I could move, no way I could see anything but I still dared to hope that my life would not end here on this hot dirt road in the middle of nowhere.

"Why do you think they are from Erudite?" Asked the voice again, it was closer now and relief pumped through me at every syllable.

We had found Tobias after all.

"She had simulation serum." The woman said.

I had just taken in a small breath to call out to him when he beat me to it.

"Let her up." He said quickly, his voice a quiet command.

They hesitated.

"I said let her up!"

The woman pulled me roughly up into a sitting position, still keeping a tight hold on me.

I blinked as the sun hit me full in the face.

Tobias stared down at me, his usually stern face flickered with too many emotions to count as he saw me.

"Some welcoming committee you have here." I said hoarsely.

"Tris." He breathed.

He reached down and pulled me to my feet as the other's scrambled to theirs.

"You know her?" The woman demanded.

Tobias ignored her as he gave me a once over still holding onto my arms.

"I'm okay." I told him wiping dirt and blood from my face.

"Jesus." He said his face darkening as he eyed the guards.

He released me and moved passed gingerly. Tobias was slightly shorter than the woman but his anger was more than enough to make up for it.

"You blatantly violated protocol!" He barked stepping closer to her.

Despite their age difference it was clear that Tobias was the one in charge and I couldn't help but feel smug at this.

"But she had—" the woman began scowling.

"I'm willing to bet," He said cutting her off, "that you didn't let them explain themselves before you thought you'd go on a killing spree, is that right!?"

She didn't answer.

"We do not hold guns to Dauntless civilians." Tobias' voice was becoming quieter now with even more vehemence.

I turned away from them and knelt beside Annie who was still unconscious.

"Tris." Alex was there in a moment, "is she going to be okay?"

"She'll be fine." I assured him my speech slightly distorted from my swollen lip.

"Are you alright?" Demetry asked, his black brows knitting together in concern as he crouched beside me.

"Yeah, don't worry about me."

He nodded solemnly, "can we trust him?"

I glanced over at Tobias who continued to berate the solders.

"With our lives." I finally replied, "He's who we've been looking for. This just didn't happen quite as I planned."

I slipped my arm under Annie's shoulders and pulled her up with me.

Alex draped her other arm around him and we began to drag her forward.

Demetry grabbed the black duffle bag from the ground and began rummaging in the jeep for the rest of our meager supplies.

"Tobias."

He turned at the sound of his name and met my eye as the guards exchanged looks.

"Where's camp?" I asked.

"I'll show you." He said his voice softening instantly.

With a wave of his hand he dismissed the guards. The men, one still bleeding from his nose, avoided my gaze but the woman stared at me defiantly. I stared back unflinchingly as Tobias approached us.

"We got her." I said as he reached for Annie.

He nodded and began walking slowly in the direction of a far off group of trees. They looked out of place on the flat land as though they had been planted to hide something.

The sun beat down on our backs as we dragged Annie along with us, our feet kicking up dirt and dry grass with every step.

"Not much further." Tobias called over his shoulder.

Ten minutes later we cleared the trees and saw what was hidden behind their thick trunks.

A cluster of small lodges formed a horseshoe around a large set of wooden picnic benches where several people sat, lounging in the sun. As they heard us approaching however, they sat up, instantly on guard. Many years of living as Factionless had conditioned them well. One tall man with dark skin approached us cautiously.

"Four," he said, "what's going on? We heard you were called for backup."

"Nothing to worry about. They're with me."

The man looked at us quizzically but seemed to trust Tobias's judgment because he nodded and stepped aside.

Tobias motioned for us to come forward. We passed through the rows of benches and staring faces and up a couple of steps into one of the lodges. It was cool and dark, a welcome change. Tobias led us down a hall where Alex and I had to move sideways to fit and into a small room. It had only a bed and two crates filled with what looked like canned food.

"Lay her here." Tobias said gesturing toward the bed.

We did as he said and I leaned over her feeling for a lump on the side of her head where she had been struck. Sure enough it was the size of a bouncy ball I had once seen a small child playing with on the streets of Abnegation.

Tobias leaned around me and laid a wet cloth across her forehead

Annie began to stir slightly and opened her eyes just slits of faint blue showing.

"Tris." She rasped when she saw me. Her eyes slid closed again for a moment but she fought to keep them open.

Her body suddenly tensed and she tried to sit up.

"Not so fast." I said pushing her down, "you're safe, you just need to take it easy, okay?"

She nodded, relaxing again.

Alex took my place as I stood up.

I turned to Demetry who had just moved further in to let Tobias exit.

"Did you get everything from the truck?" I asked wearily.

He nodded and held out what he knew I was really wondering about.

I took the black bag and unzipped it. Miraculously none of the vials had broken. I breathed a sigh of relief before stashing the bag under the bed. I would show Tobias later.

"I'm sure it's safe to walk around." I told Alex and Demetry, Annie had already fallen back asleep, "we have more than one friend here." At least I was hoping, I had yet to see another familiar face.

Demetry crossed to an empty crate and overturned it, sitting down.

"Okay." He said, his eyes held concern but he said nothing else.

"I'll be back." I told them before I stepped out of the lodge and back outside.

My neck ached but I was beginning to breathe easier again as I scanned the strangers before me. Several caught my gaze curiously.

"Tris!"

I blinked and followed the voice to the last person I had expected to see.

Christina broke away from where she had been talking to Tobias near one of the tables.

I felt my lip split again as I smiled. I pulled her in for a tight hug when she reached me.

"I thought you were dead." I laughed with relief.

"Alive as ever. I caught up with everyone else soon after I left the city limits."

I pulled back examining her. She looked good, more tired than when I had last seen her but strong.

"Well look who the cat dragged in." Said a familiar drawling voice behind me.

Peter stood a few feet away, leaning against the side of the lodge and regarding Christina and I with a bored expression. He slowly twirled a small dagger between his fingers as he watched us.

I was too happy to allow him to ruin my mood.

"Hello, Peter." I said curtly.

Christina just rolled her eyes at him and dragged me over to Tobias who was talking to an older man with greying hair and a brunette woman about our age.

Tobias nodded his head slightly to whatever the man was saying, clearly engrossed.

Christina skipped forward ahead of me.

"I'll talk to her. She caused me some trouble earlier today so I'll add it to the list." Tobias was saying a tired edge to his voice.

He caught my eye as Christina bounded over to them and pushed off from the table.

"Excuse me," he said to the couple.

He crossed to me in three strides and pulled me gently against him.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and breathed him in. He felt solid and safe.

Exhaustion washed over me as I relaxed for the first time in months. Each bone loosening as he held me. I felt many eyes on us but I ignored them.

"How did you find us?" He whispered into my hair.

"I found the coordinates in one of the Erudite databases."

He pulled back slightly to look at me, his brows pulling together in concern.

"I don't think it's anything to worry about. It was just a rough sketch of possible locations of the Factionless. I wiped the program anyway." I reached up and pressed my hand against his cheek. It was warm and rough against my fingers.

"Tris," He said quietly, "you could have been caught. You're the last person who should be sneaking onto Erudite property."

I took a breath but didn't say anything deciding not to resume the argument we had had months before about splitting up the group.

He took my hand and pressed his lips briefly against my palm, "okay" he breathed into it resolving this as well.

He turned back to Christina and the couple who still stood a few feet away throwing furtive glances our way.

"This is Tris." He said as we joined him, "she was with Christina, Peter, and I in Dauntless."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tris." The older man said shaking my hand. His kind grey eyes matched his hair and his teeth were surprisingly white in the fading sunlight.

"I'm Joshua and this is Lidia." He motioned to the girl who waved shyly glancing between Tobias and I. Her face was round and framed by dark brown curls.

"It's nice to meet you both." I replied.

"I hope your friend is going to be alright." Joshua added as Tobias leaned against the table, his hand still in mine.

"Annie should be fine. She got hit pretty hard earlier but it could have been worse."

He nodded, "looks like you got hit pretty good yourself."

"Tris has survived worse." Christina chimed in.

I glanced at her and smiled, "you should have seen the other guy."

"She's not exaggerating." Tobias said, "I had to have someone set his nose."

They all laughed but it didn't mask the derisive snort that came from behind them.

Joshua turned to look at Peter who hadn't moved from his stance against the side of the lodge.

"You have something to say, Peter?" I asked already knowing the answer.

"You talk tough, Stiff." He replied not looking up from cleaning his fingernails, "but we all know that in a fight anyone can have you on your back in seconds." He paused and then added raising his eyes to mine, "but maybe that's how you like it."

Tobias was on his feet before I could blink.

I grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Tobias, don't. It's what he wants." I reminded him.

"God Peter, you're such an ass." Christina said angrily, "you should just drop this sick grudge you have against her."

"Peter," I said casually, "do you remember the last time you doubted my fighting abilities?"

He didn't respond. I stood and walked over to him slowly.

He picked at his nails again with the tip of his knife and didn't look up until I was right in front of him.

His cold eyes met mine without wavering.

"Because I remember it involving a semi-automatic and a hole the size of a quarter in your arm."

Peter's eyes narrowed.

"Not to mention your pathetic plea for my help in smuggling you out of Dauntless."

I reached out, taking the knife from between his fingers and slammed its blade into the wood directly above his head.

"You wouldn't be here if it weren't for me. I'd remember that."

Joshua whistled quietly and Christina slapped me on the shoulder as I rejoined them.

We watched as Peter pulled his knife from the wood and stalked away.

I shook my head exasperatedly.

"That jerk's had it out for you since the beginning. You'd think he would get over his Abnegation prejudice since we are now all Factionless." Christina muttered.

"Are you originally from Abnegation?" the girl, Lidia, asked suddenly.

I nodded, "are you?"

"No," she shook her head, the curls bouncing from her shoulders, "but my mother was."

I smiled a little, "my mother was from Dauntless actually."

I could sense everyone's eyes on me.

"Was she really?" Christina asked.

I looked at her, "yeah…I was surprised too."

The silence stretched then as we all mulled over our own thoughts.

"Do you have a shower?" I asked suddenly, the prospect of being clean reviving me slightly.

Tobias smiled a little and nodded.

The shower was cool, running off of me in brown rivers. I scrubbed three month's worth of dirt and fear from my skin until it shone pink. Finally I turned off the water and wrapped a towel around me. Someone had left clothes for me on a stool near the door: a black tank top and grey pants. I pulled them on and combed my long wet hair with my fingertips. I caught my expression in a cracked mirror that hung over a small sink. I leaned closer examining my face. The swelling of my lip was going down but a dark red line threatened to split back open at any sudden motion and I had a dark shadow blooming over my left cheekbone.

I sighed and left the bathroom.

The sun was setting; orange streaks slicing the sky open as the smell of food wafted over to me. I ducked back into the lodge two doors down and into the familiar narrow hallway that lead to Annie's room. She was still sleeping, her chest rising and falling under Alex's gaze.

"I've woken her up twice." He said hollowly to me without glancing in my direction, "to make sure she's still alright.

"Good." I commented dumping my towel and dirty clothes on the floor at the foot of the bed, "you should get some food. I can take over."

"You should both get something to eat." Tobias's voice said from the doorway.

I straightened up and looked at him. His eyes met mine and I suddenly wanted nothing more than to be alone with him.

"Seriously," he continued, "she'll be alright. Demetry is already out there."

Alex looked doubtful at leaving his sister and I suddenly wondered where Caleb was.

"Okay." He finally said and stood.

As I turned toward the door he added, "they have a shower here?"

I glanced back and caught him examining my rapidly drying hair and smiled, nodding.

Tobias led us over to a picnic table with several familiar faces already seated at it.

"Hey Tris! Long time no see!" Uriah stood and lifted me off the ground with the force of his hug.

I smiled, "it's good to see you."

I caught sight of a familiar pair of eyes, my mother's eyes, and moved passed Uriah to pull Caleb into a hug. He was becoming more comfortable with affection now and his arms wrapped around me almost instantly.

"I was worried when I didn't see you earlier." I said quietly.

"I'm alright." He said releasing me, "are you? I heard you got into a fight earlier."

His expression was slightly stern as he said this.

"It wasn't really a fight. I think we just took them off guard is all." I assured him.

I sat down between Caleb and Demetry as Tobias slid me a bowl of what looked like shredded beef and canned vegetables before sitting across from me.

I dove in hungrily as did the others and conversation lagged for several moments.

"It's better today." Christina said a few people down from me and several people murmured in agreement.

"How long have you guys been here?" I asked to no one in particular.

It was Tobias who answered: "about two months. But many of the Factionless were already here."

"Was there someone in charge when you got here?" I had surmised that Tobias was an authority figure but I was curious to know if there were more. Who had been organizing the Factionless and helping to build this place?

"Not really in the beginning." It was Uriah this time, "once Four got here everyone elected him leader almost automatically. Before that I guess you could say it was Danika."

I gave him a questioning look and he pointed to his lip.

I nodded, the female guard who had busted up my face and almost put a bullet in my brain. Of course.

I wanted to ask Tobias why he had authority over her if she had been here first but I wasn't sure he wanted to get into it. Tobias had turned down a Dauntless leadership position twice back in the city so his authority over the Factionless was a bigger deal than I was sure many of them realized.