Hello, my lovely readers!

Thank you so much for stopping bye. Once again, I'd love to thank you all for your always sweet and always kind and supportive reviews! They make my day a little brighter and always put a smile to my face!

This chapter advances the plot A LOT! So please let me know if you see any…

-plot inconsistencies

-errors

-or are confused in any way!

I have not edited it haha!

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Enjoy! J

The Guilt Trip

The next morning, Tobias woke to a wet nose pressed up against his neck and a paw to his face. Six was already up, sitting on his bed and looking at him expectantly: his thick, brown tail banging against the headboard with each swing. He would have happily stayed in bed for the rest of the morning; as his head was pounding and his mouth so dry he could barely swallow, but that was the punishment he knew he's have to endure after his fifth glass of Scotch.

He sat up and laced on his black trainers. "Alright, Stiff. We've got two hours before work. You want to go run?" His question was met with a shrill yip. Four peeled his shirt off and replaced it with a gray tank. Their brisk walk to the first floor turned into a sprint once their feet met the sidewalk. Tobias' shoes crunched against the fallen leaves and the crisp Autumn air bit at his cheeks. The runs Tobias took each morning were always the same route through the city. It had become routine, to see the same people each day. Sarah Cutler always walked her dog Maggie along the block at 7, the bakery across from the Ferris Wheel opened at 6, he would always see a group of bikers commuting to work across the sector where Erudite was, etc. It was usually quite and peaceful. The sun would rise and spill light across the pavement; a beautiful beginning to the day.

This was an unusual day, however. When Tobias and Six crossed the street to circle around what used to be the Abnegation sector, they were surprised to see flashing lights and an abundance of voices piercing the silent morning like bullets. Four closed the distance between himself and the crowd surrounding the corner home and saw a few familiar faces. Zeke stood stiffly near the door, face strained and serious; an unusual look for any Pedrad. Amar was also slinking through the shadows, talking to a distraught looking woman and scribbling down notes.

Four swiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He felt a chill creep up his back even though his body was sleek with sweat. He met Zeke's eyes and he nodded Four over with the jerk of his head.

"What's going on?" Four asked, his voice clipped and stressed.

"Another girl went missing early this morning. Third one this month." Zeke sighs heavily, his body slumping forward in exhaustion.

Tobias lets his eyes roam over the caution tape, the lights, the officers in uniform and the thick tension surrounding the area. He quirked his eyebrow at his friend, "Another…runaway?"

"Not quite." Amar's deep voice interrupted them. He held up his notes like they were a golden ticket. "Claire Harper. Nineteen years old. Brown hair, green eyes, five foot four; last seen wearing blue pajama shorts and a gray T-shirt. Two loving and kind parents worried sick and a little brother to look after. Not your typical runaway, don't you think?"

"You think it's bigger than that." Four inferred, his curiosity rising.

"Oh, I know it is." Amar rolled back on his heels. "We've got a witness this time saying he saw a white van outside their house this morning. Saw the girl being dragged into it, the works. From my memory, the only vans we see like that are usually-"

"In the fringe! Those vans work in the fringe! I've never seen one here." Four watched the facts run around in Zeke's head before the light finally went on. "Connected!" Zeke shoved Four making him take a few steps back. "I told you! I told you!"

"Looks like we've got a case." Amar said grimly, flipping through his notes once more.

"Yeah." Four replied, dread creeping up his spine. "Looks like you do."

For the remainder of the day and evening, Four couldn't seem to get the image of Claire Harper being dragged into a van out of his head. If Zeke's theory was true, just how many girls had been taken in the Fringe? Under his and Johanna's nose, even after being asked to help. Why hadn't he seen this?

He spent his day at work functioning on autopilot; signing off on documents and brainstorming with his team and Johanna as the hours passed. He couldn't shake this ghastly. It followed him to work, to lunch and even on his evening run. Six watched him anxiously, sensing his distress. Four peeled off his damp shirt and stepped into the shower. The hot water dripping down his back couldn't uncoil his tense muscles. Tobias pressed his forhead against the cool tile until the water ran cold and he was left feeling more anxious than before.

As much as he tried to fall asleep; he knew it would be a lost battle. He tossed and turned for hours. Imagines of stolen women playing behind his eyelids. Finally, conceding in this fight, he jumped out of bed to riffle through his drawers to find a decent shirt and sweats. He ambles through his dark apartment until he reaches the door.

"Stay here, Stiff. I'll be back soon."

His feet, heavy with fatigue, lead him up to Zeke's apartment. He knocks softly but isn't surprised to see his friend open up the door almost immediately; letting Four in without a word as if he were expecting him. Tobias sees what used to be the Pedrad's dining room table is now covered with reports, grainy pfotographs and records.

"He likes to take his work home with him." Shauna murmurs from the kitchen, tea mug clasped between her hands.

Upon the cluttered tabletop, one photo stood out from the rest. Four spun it around with his fingers for a better look. "This her?"

"Yeah. That's Claire." Zeke said softly, his nose in a book. "That's our damsel in distress of the evening; among many more." He gestures to the other pile of woman just beside Claire.

Four felt his eyebrows shoot up his forehead. "You think all these woman were taken?"

"Not sure. We don't think Claire's the first, though. Some are destined to be runaways, but there has been a handful of cases in the last month or two that seem a little suspicious." Zeke explained, scratching behind his ear with a pencil.

"How so?"

"Some are from families still together after the war. Loving parents, siblings, stuff like that. That's just not something you walk away from." Tobias hummed in agreement.

"Where's Amar? Shouldn't he be helping you with all this, Zeke?"

"He's leading a team into the Fringe. They think they might have a chance of identifying the van we saw. It's worth a shot." Four nodded though he wasn't so sure. The Fringe was a huge maze with countless corners to hide in. They'd have to cover a lot of ground to find their vehicle. He flipped through the photos trying to put a name to the dozen's of faces.

"They look young."

"Some are only in their early twenties; claire the youngest so far. IF we are looking at kidnappings these bastards are getting braver and going for the younger girls." Zeke grumbled. "I can't believe we missed this."

"We just got over a war. Don't beat yourself up about this. We're all surprised."

"Yeah but-" The shrill ring of Zeke's pager interrupted their conversation and made them both jump, like tense coiled wires being sprung.

"Pedrad." Zeke answered. "Jesus-You're sure? Positive?" He leaped out of his chair sending it over backwards in the rush to get his keyes and coat. " I'm on my way." Sometime between kissing Shauna goodbye and slipping his shoes on- he addressed Four. "I've got to go. Amar found the van. We think Claire Harper might still be close."

THANK YOU FOR READING!

Sorry for the short update- next time it will be longer I swear!

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Question of the chapter – Besides Four or Tris, whom is your favorite character in the Divergent Series?

Why?

Lizzy