Tris POV:
I stand up abruptly. "Why me?"
Max laughs. "Why you? You're perfect! You have valuable information from your childhood and on top of that," he says. "You don't like to be bored. This will give you a chance for some action."
"And if I say no?" I ask.
"Then you are to live here and become a member. You don't have to go on missions yet," he says. "I just ask that you come to meetings and requirements that all members go to. And if you don't go on missions, I want you to help. As I said, you know information that is valuable to us."
I laugh and sit back down. "Max, I spent my childhood getting scolded for not sharing my lunches with this one girl that always forgot hers and helping out at food banks after school each day."
Max nods. "And that's the one thing I made sure your mother taught you. You know the locals to all the Chicago food banks that Dauntless uses as bases for meetings with other gangs."
"So how come I never noticed them?" I ask.
"I made sure you never got suspicious. It would have put everyone in danger."
"You know, I'm getting really tired of hearing stuff that I missed when I was younger."
Max smiles sadly. "It's better this way."
"What way?" I ask. "The way that no one wins? Or the way you think is best?"
Max doesn't answer. He just folds his hands behind his back. "So will you do it?"
I shrug and sniffle. "If you promise I'll be able to get revenge on my family's murderer."
Max smiles to himself. "That's already been taken care of. Tori Wu, my ringleader you met yesterday, is leading a team to capture Jeanine Matthews. They leave tonight." Max smiles slightly, then clears his throat. "That aside, will you do it?"
"Give me another week," I say. "Let me make up my mind."
"Beatrice, I've given you one week already."
I sigh. "You know what today is?" I ask with a shaky breath. "It's been thirty days. Thirty. Only one month since my family-our family-died. And I don't know how close you were to them, but they were my only friends. And you have this whole compound that supports you." I ran an absent-minded hand through my hand and sigh again, rethinking this. "You know what? Just give me a day to make up my mind. Please. And if not, I guess you're right. I can stay here. But I don't know if I'm ready to work for you yet."
Max's eyes light up. Then he smiles sadly at me. "Alright," he says. "Four is outside my office. Ask him to show you around the Compound."
I stand up but keep my gaze down. "Look, I know you want what's best for me, but I just want to be left alone right now."
Early the next morning, I wake up before the sun and quietly open my door, peering outside the door to make sure no one's there. Fortunately, Eric's snoring, his arm draped over the arm of his captain's chair.
I shut the door quietly and tiptoe down the hallway. When I get to the doors of the Compound, I start to run, not caring how loud my footsteps echo. When I get to the train tracks, I stop in my tracks. Just like a week ago, about twenty Dauntless members, all decked out in black jumpsuits with a pattern of red flames on the front, get into a running position.
"Beatiful, right?" a voice next to me asks.
I turn around face Four. He smirks at me, and takes a half-chewed toothpick from his mouth, flicking it to the ground. He shoves his hands into his pockets. He's so close I can tell that toothpick was coated in mint.
I start to move away, but he grabs my hand. "Stay," he whispers. "And watch this part."
I weaken under his touch and relax my stiffened shoulders. One by one, the Dauntless members jump onto the train gracefully.
"What are they doing?" I ask.
"Train jumping formation. They've probably just come back from a night assignment," he responds. Four takes his hand off mine and clasps his behind his back. "Shall we get on? It's better watching them jump off."
I shrug. "Sure."
Four takes my hand and pulls me onto the train.
I sniffle and wipe my face with the sleeve of what was my mother's black sweater from when she was my age. My mother. The only place I can think is on the train, It's quiet, aside from the gushing wind.
Four sits down next to me. He stays quiet, then turns to me. "You know, if Max found us here, he'd kill us."
I shrug. Minutes pass with the scenery that goes by until I finally look directly at him. "Four, what's your real name?"
He averts his gaze down. "Don't call me anything," he responds. "for now."
With that, he gets up and jumps off the train. "Follow me!" he shouts above the gusting wind.
"Hey!" I call. I should run after him, but then the Dauntless start to jump off. In groups of three, they link arms and take a running jump off the train. They sail into the Net, forming snowflake patterns. Then, there are only two left. They are holding a woman, who is wearing a smart blue coat. Her hair is in a bun and her chin is held up, dignified. The Dauntless pull her down into the Pit with her.
I jump off after them and try to keep up, but I lose my balance and fall onto the asphalt, breaking the fall with my arm.
"Tris!" Four screams. "Haven't you jumped off a train before?"
I wipe blood and tears off my face. "Only three times," I respond.
"What happened to your arm?" he asks, touching my elbow slightly.
I shrug. "It hurts."
"Well, no shit, Sherlock! You fell on it," Four says. Then he looks at my expression and smiles sadly. "It's gonna be fine. Max won't even know what happened. You probably just sprained it. I'll take you to the Infirmary."
I sniffle. "Not there."
"Well where else, princess?"
I shrug. "Infirmary then."
"I can take you to my place," Four says suddenly. "I know how to clean the wound."
I nod. "Okay then."
Four takes my good hand and pulls me down into the Net. We land with a large thud, thankfully not on my bad arm.
As Four helps me off the Net, he looks at me. "Anything else I can help you with, princess?"
"Who was that woman they had with them?"
Four gulps. "Jeanine Matthews."
"Clear the halls! Prisoner coming through!" Dauntless guards shout.
Four takes my good hand and leads us in what must be the direction of the Infirmary.
"Hey!" one of the guards shouts. He walks towards us, bat in hand and gun strapped to hip. "Where do ya' think you're a goin'?!"
Four stiffens slightly. "Just bringing the princess to the Infirmary, sir. She's sprained her wrist, it looks like."
The guard grunts and squints at my arm. Then he nods and opens the doors leading out of the Pit for us. "Be quick," he warns. "Max wants everyone out here. Everyone, especially the princess."
"Princess?" I ask. "Why does everyone call me that?"
Four shrugs. "The name just stuck. And, you should know, Max treats his family like royalty."
I laugh. "When did I ever know him before a week ago?"
Four shrugs. "He used to adore your mother, and even wanted Caleb to apprentice him. But your father would not have it. Now come on."
He tugs on my arm and leads me into the Infirmary. He walks up to the front desk and gestures towards me. "Princess appears to have injured her arm," Four says. "Can you prepare a room?"
I walk up to the desk. "I don't need an entire room-"
"Right this way," a nurse says. "Tris Prior, room 409."
Four nods. "Go on ahead. I'll wait out here."
"No," I say. "Please, I need you."
Four hesitates. "Fine," he says, walking past me and into the room. He leans against the doorway and crosses his arms, watching me. I follow him and sit down on a mint green cot. It's probably brighter than anything in Dauntless. Anything except the blue vodka I've seen them serve.
Then a doctor walks in. "Princess," he says. "It's my pleasure, on behalf of Dauntless, to extend my condolences to you. Now, how can I help you?"
I hold out my swollen arm.
"My, my, my," the doctor says. Then he smiles. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Doctor Everest."
"Tris," I respond. "Call me Tris."
"Of course, Tris." The name sounds funny on his tongue, but I appreciate someone actually calling me by my real name for once. Max strokes a hand through his greying hair
Doctor Everest takes out a pad of gauze. "By the looks of it, you've sprained your wrist. If I wrap it, it'll set properly." He wraps it in black, of course, gauze, then tapes it with medical tape.
"There ya' go," he says. "Nearly good as new. Now, if you have any trouble, Tris, you just come down here and ask for me. Okay?"
"Okay," I squeak. "Thank you."
As Doctor Everest walks out, Four gets back on his feet and uncrosses his arms. He presses a finger to his ear, and stays quiet. Finally, he looks at me. "Max is expecting us in the Pit," Four tells me.
He leads us out of the Infirmary and into the Pit. People watch us as we walk up to where Max is, just in front of the Chasm. Max rubs a hand through his graying hair and Jeanine smiles knowingly from the chair where she sits, tied up. Max takes a look at her, and slaps her cheek. It grows red, and she fights a grunt.
"Beatrice," Max welcomes. "How nice of you to join us." He takes one more look at me before pulling a gun from under his belt and pointing it right at Jeanine.
