Chapter One

Small white houses lined the block where the two detectives walked. The concrete path that weaved through trimmed hedges and a manicured lawn led to the front door. They walked in and saw simple furniture in the living room. The hallway held one family photo. The detective held the photo in his hand. The family looked like a typical middle-class family; almost like his own. Two bodies on a blood-soaked bed met them. One man and one woman lay on the bed. If it weren't for the holes in their heads you'd think they were asleep.

"Oh Christ. This is a mess." Detective O'Brien said. He pulled down the sheet to expose the couple. A gray nightshirt covered the woman. A few blonde hairs peeked through the blood. The man had similar colored pajamas. The detective thought about the gray night-clothes; he looked around the room and couldn't find any inkling of decorations in the room. "They lived very simple lives; didn't they." The junior detective nodded his head. "Do we know who they are?" Detective O'Brien asked.

"The neighbor says their name is Prior. Natalie and Andrew." Detective Mills said. "She also said they were a quiet couple. They had two kids; the boy's away at college. There is also a daughter." Detective O'Brien examined the family photo. Mom, dad and two teenage kids. The boy had short brown hair and the girl had long blonde hair. She had a slight build and stood a little away from the other three. Detective O'Brien wondered whether the girl was involved in the murder or was she a victim also.

"Detective, a passerby said they saw a young blonde girl running from the scene." A uniformed police officer said.

"Thanks," O'Brien said. "It may have been the daughter."

"How 'bout the shooter?" Mills led O'Brien to the garage. A young man slumped against the blood-spattered garage door. A pool of blood three feet across surrounded him. He barely looked sixteen.

"No name yet," Mills said.

The questions flew through O'Brien's mind at light speed. 'Was it random? Did he know the victims?'

"It certainly looks like he took his own life. Powder burns around his mouth." The crime scene technician said. "The M.E. will have to confirm it, but this kid was probably high on Serum."

O'Brien put his hands on his face and rubbed his forehead. "This is getting out-of-hand. What's this, the third one this month?" Mills nodded yes.

This had become a troubling trend for the Chicago Police Department. A new drug had appeared on the streets. Normally, when a new, more potent drug appeared, overdoses increased, but this drug was different. The hallucinogenic effects of Serum were intense and hypnotic. The users not only hallucinated, they become susceptible to suggestion. In hypnosis, you can be told to quack like a duck, but you wouldn't shoot someone. Serum was different. If you're told to shoot someone while under; you shoot.

"Okay, you see the son, he's at Illinois State University. Drive down, deliver the news and see what he knows." O'Brien said. "I'll start looking for the girl."

Tris' heart pounded and sweat drenched her clothing as she stopped and looked for a place to wait and collect her thoughts. The alley's shadows offered the cover she needed. She spat out the bile that had pooled in her mouth from the stench of piss and crap. She pulled out the knife that had become an extension of her hand when she heard a can roll. Her eyes hadn't adjusted yet, but she knew she wasn't alone in the alley. They must have seen her run from her house and followed her. Would she meet the same fate as her parents?

"Wow, there girl! Just wanna know if you're alright." Tris finally caught a whiff of the tall man in the filthy jacket. She probably wandered into the box he called his home.

"No, I'm fine." She wiped her mouth and sprinted away from the alley. She still had fifteen minutes to run to reach the relative safety of the motel room she and Tobias had rented.

Tris's senses were overwhelmed. Every noise, every smell could be a threat. She turned the corner and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She muttered, "shit," under breath. She didn't know their names, but she recognized the two Dauntless gang members keeping an eye on the motel.

The questions mounted; how was she going to warn Tobias? And even if she could warn him, how was he going to get out? Tris spun around and sat with her back against the wall. Her mind fogged up with the thoughts of her parents. She finally smacked the back of her head against the brick wall. "Ouch." Warm blood dribbled down her neck.

She walked away from the motel and took a round-about route to get to the back of the motel. She didn't see anybody staking out the rear of the building. Their room was on the second floor. "Piece of cake." She climbed on top of the dumpster and reached for the drain pipe. Her fingers touched it, but she couldn't grab hold of it. She found a milk crate to give her the height she lacked.

...knock ...knock ...knock She saw Tobias' shadow near the bathroom window. "Tobias, it's me." The window creaked as Tobias opened it. "Tris! What are you doing?"

"They're watching the front. Help me in." Tobias reached out and grabbed Tris by the back of her pants. Together, they pulled her in. She plopped on the floor. "Thanks."

"Why haven't they come after us?" Tobias asked.

"They may have been waiting for me to get here."

Tobias sat on the floor and took Tris' face in his hands. "Thank God you're okay. I was worried." The tears streamed down Tris' face. Her breath became shallow. He put his arms around her and squeezed. "Don't cry. You need to be strong."

Tris pulled away and glared at Tobias. "I'm not crying because I'm some weak little girl."

Tobias crawled away from her. He kept his voice low so he didn't alert the spies outside. "I know you aren't. I was..."

Tris' diverted her eyes from Tobias. "My parents are dead."

His eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

"I watched some kid shoot both of them in their bed."

"Do you know who it was?"

"I remember him from school, he was in a few of my classes." Tris closed her eyes and tears snuck out. "Then I heard a single shot as I ran away."

Tris and Tobias drew the same conclusion. "Serum," Tobias said. "It had to be. What else would cause a kid not even connected to the gang to kill them and then himself."

Tris lay on the floor and looked at the ceiling. How did her world turn upside down? "Tobias, what are we gonna do?"

"Get outta Chicago." The area outside of Chicago was foreign to Tris. She rarely even went outside the city limits.

"Where?"

"Washington. I know some people there. It'll be easy to get lost there."

Tris stood and took her knife out. She held the steel blade between her thumb and three fingers. Her face became stern when she saw the scared, little, blonde girl that reflected on the knife blade. She brought her arm back and let the knife fly into the door. "Let's pack."

"Tris, will you hurry! We gotta get outta here. Our train leaves soon." Tobias said.

"What time?" Tris asked.

"This evening, 6:40. We get in tomorrow at, um, after 1pm."

"That's almost a full day."

"Washington ain't around the corner."

Tris packed what meager possessions she'd collected since she ran away from home. Her knife, some shirts and pants. She held up the black dress she bought with her friend not too long ago. She packed it not knowing when she'd have an occasion to wear it again.

Tris had trouble concentrating; she couldn't shake the visions of her parents in their blood-soaked bed. Tris ran into her house just moments after the boy shot himself. If she had gotten their earlier she could have saved her parents or be dead herself. She recognized the boy from school but didn't know his name. She asked herself why he was chosen.

Tris loved her parents but found their lifestyle stifling. She yearned for more freedom. She would be eighteen in less than two years, but she couldn't wait. Her brother, Caleb was a year older than her and away at college. He was so smart that he graduated high school a year early. His parents had hoped he would stay local for at least the first two years, but he also found their home life stifling.

"Oh God, I need to call Caleb."

"There's no time. Besides, the cops will tell him." Tris felt guilty not telling her brother herself. She might never get to speak to her brother again. She took a deep breath and looked around their motel room. She won't miss the tiny place that had been her refuge for the last few days. "I'm ready." Tobias took her in his arms. She buried her face in his chest. She got up on her toes and pulled Tobias down to kiss him. "Let's go," Tris said.

"You go out first," Tobias said.

"Okay, but you have to promise to follow me." Tobias reluctantly agreed. Tris swung out of the window and grabbed the downpipe. She climbed down to the top of the dumpster. "Lower the bags." Tobias lowered the two bags and his backpack. "Now you."

Tobias climbed slowly out of the window and lowered himself until his arms were outstretched. "Now let go." Tobias turned and glared at Tris. "Are you serious?" Tris nodded. "Push off and let go." Tobias tried to let go, but his fingers wouldn't release. "You can do it. On three. I'll count." He nodded. "One, two, three." Tobias pushed off and dropped to the alley. He tumbled over backwards and flipped over. "You okay?"

"Only hurt my pride."

Tris and Tobias had to take the train to Union Station. Tobias grabbed her hand. Out in the open, she felt his pulse race but, but Union Station was too far to walk and they didn't have a car. They couldn't spare the money on a taxi and the bus was too slow, and besides, they both loved the train. Tris would sit and just stare through the window and watch the buildings fly by. She wondered what all those people did in those buildings. What jobs did they have; what lives did they lead?

Tris intertwined her fingers with Tobias'. They were on a journey across the country. She was leaving only place she had ever known. Sure, she'd travel with her parents on a few summer vacations but never too far from home. Mostly to the beach, but one summer to visit some distant relatives of her mother's in Milwaukee.

Tris almost yelped when Tobias squeezed her hand hard. She turned to him, but his eyes were focused on something at the front of the car. She looked forward and saw a group of young men sporting gang member tattoos. And probably Dauntless. "Your collar." Tris pulled up his collar to hide his tattoos. The one on Tobias' neck was definitely Dauntless. "Are they looking for us?" Tris asked.

"I don't think so, but avoid looking at them."

One of the gang looked over. Did he recognize Tobias? Or Four as he was known to them. The guy's stare became more intense. Tris pulled Tobias' face towards her's and kissed him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the gang member turn back towards his friends. "This is it." One of them said.

Tris released Tobias when the doors closed. "Wow." Tobias whispered in her ear. He pulled her close and the train resumed. She buried herself into him.

The train rumbled along; the wheels clacking at the crossings. The noise calmed Tris. It took her mind off her family. Her parents were dead and her's and Tobias' lives were in danger.

"This is our stop." They picked up their bags and left the train. Union Station stood before them.

it measured over nine city blocks

Almost every train line traveled through Union Station that stood on nine city blocks. Mostly commuters passed through its doors but with rush hour almost over the crowd had thinned. They entered the station through one of the doors on Clinton Street. "Wow!" Tris's jaw dropped. The vaulted ceiling of the Great Hall drew her eyes up. "It's so much bigger than I remember." The football field long main waiting room, the Great Hall, had a barrel-vaulted skylight that soared as high as a ten-story building. Two statues representing day and night overlooked the room.

Tobias pulled Tris along past the rows of wooden benches. "We have some time. Let's get something to eat." They entered a deli and ordered food. "Two cheeseburgers and fries." Tobias grabbed two sodas and they sat in the back to eat.

A/N: For those of you that aren't familiar with the Detective Mellark series you can read a primer. Go to Chapter one of Kat Tales. Then read The Wedding, We're Having a Baby, Everlark Holiday Specials, Trapped, The World According to Katniss, Kat Tales, and Happily Ever After. Then you'll be all caught up. Enjoy the reads. :)