Seven
Eric catches my eye and I look away bitterly, trying to look defeated. He smirks and his grip tightens on my shoulder, causing me to grit my teeth in pain. He can obviously see my shocked face because he starts to laugh a hollow, meaningless laugh.
'Thought I was dead, did you?'
I ignore him and walk without struggling. I have to wait it out…see what he wants...
'Lots of people did,' he says, 'I was quite clever, wasn't I? With the whole pretending-to-be-dead thing. Even you could admit that, couldn't you Tris?'
'Let me go.' I say, quietly.
'No.'
He leads me through a set of double doors and down a staircase I didn't even know existed. We are underground now, and the clean white walls shine eerily in the light of a swaying light attached to the ceiling. There is a bolted door at the end of the corridor, the padlock swinging loosely off its hook, the handle blown off. Eric kicks the door open with his foot and shoves me through in front of him.
The room is so brightly lit that I squint, my eyes adjusting slowly. I blink a few times to rid the black spots that had appeared.
'Tris?'
I look up at the sound of my name, and my eyes widen at the sight of Tobias. I struggle against Eric's grip until he finally lets go, and I rush to Tobias's frail figure slumped in a chair, his arms chained to the rough steel. I bend down and he stretched out one long, thin finger, stroking my cheek. I close my eyes and a sob escapes me.
'What happened?' I ask quietly. 'To you, I mean? Why are you here? And why…why did you tell me you killed Caleb? I know you didn't…'
Tobias puts his finger to my lips and I stop talking, grateful for the calm silence between us.
'It was Marcus. And Eric. They work together now…'
I open my eyes in horror, and he nods gravely.
'They broke into the safe house next to this building, where all Jeanine's old stuff is kept – including the Divergent friendly serums – and took a load of needles and potions. While I was asleep two nights ago, they injected me and I didn't wake up – couldn't feel it. They must've broken into Dauntless – obviously Eric knows the way and everything.
'The serum somehow made me want to lie – made me want to tell you for some reason that I killed your brother. I didn't, obviously. Why would I do that?'
I blush, feeling stupid for believing him. He just seemed so…earnest. I turn my head to see where Eric is. He is muttering to a Candor woman with her long ginger hair tied back in a plait, with a gun strapped to her side. He has one eye on us, and I turn back.
'I'm sorry,' I say.
'Don't be,' he whispers. I lean into him, and he kisses the top of my head, stroking my hair as far as he can stretch with his trapped arms.
'Get off each other.' Eric barks, and I spring reluctantly away from Tobias, facing Eric.
'Get the others,' he says to the Candor woman, and she pulls a walkie-talkie from her belt, speaking into it,
'All call to the meeting point, urgently. Over and out.'
I give a sideways look to Tobias, and he gives a minute shake of the head. Seconds later, the door bangs open, and half a dozen men and women storm in, guns at the ready.
'Three,' Tobias whispers. I place the tips of my fingers on the ground, poised to spring. Tobias and I have used this defence and attack system since the war with the Factionless and Erudite.
'Two,' I say. He draws a knife from his side, and cuts open the chains binding his arms as easily as if the chains were made of butter.
'One,' he mutters. I leap up, grabbing one of the men round his neck. I have caught him by surprise, for he crumples easily, knocked unconscious from the blow I had directed to his stomach. I kick another one in the shins and she drops her weapons, sinking to the floor. I watch her closely for a few minutes, to make sure she wouldn't get up and start attacking again, but she is lying still, her eyes widening slowly in shock. Eventually I turn away and jump backwards immediately, caught by surprise; a Dauntless traitor is standing so close to me I can smell his ragged, uneven breaths. He smirks and pulls a knife out of his pocket, aiming it at my chest. Automatically my hand flies to the waistband of my jeans as though on default, and I pull out a gun. It feels cold in my hands. Unwelcome. Gritting my teeth, I fire straight at his head. He collapses to the floor, his shocked eyes turning to glass and his body relaxing, each muscle slowly losing life. I gulp and turn away, then shake myself internally. I'm supposed to be Dauntless, aren't I? Well, not fully. I'm Divergent.
A sharp pain is ebbing its way up my arm and I cry out, twisting around to see what is stuck in my arm. A small, sharp knife is buried amongst a pool of blood and my vision goes blotchy. I sway, trying to clear my head; to think straight. Gripping the handle of the knife I wrench it out, a scream issuing from my mouth. The pain is so intense, and I feel as though a heavy cloud is fogging my vision, my mind, my senses. I hear a scream. A loud voice. Strong hands grab my arms and I am hauled away. I want to struggle, but I am so weak, and now I am falling into blackness.
