I sat in my office chair anxiously glancing at the clock every few minutes. 8:52, Jeanine was due to be here at 9 for her private meeting with me. I was curious as to what she wanted but I had a dreaded feeling that I knew. Tensions were running high among the initiates now. Horror stories and rumors were spreading between them all about the mental testing for dauntless. I couldn't blame them; fear landscapes were no walk in the park. This was the point where people were going to start failing miserably. This will also be the point that I find out who the divergents are.

I religiously glanced at the clock again, 8:57. I didn't bother organizing my desk, I had my reports, paper work and a few empty coffee cups spread across my desk. It was almost like a silent rebellion against the organized and tidiness of Erudite. I wonder if Jeanine would even notice.

Once more, I turned my head to the clock. The hand counting the seconds was only fifteen seconds away from becoming nine o'clock. Right on que, at the strike of nine, there was a small knock on my door.

"Come in," I called leaning back in my chair, trying to look calm.

Jeanine entered cavalier carrying a small brief case. She smiled at me coldly and said, "Hello Eric, how are you?"

"Fine," I replied, "you?"

"Excellent," Jeanine replied taking a seat at the chair in front of my desk and sat stiffly legs crossed, "thank you for meeting me today."

"Of course," I nodded.

"How is training with the initiates going?" She began speaking softly.

"Awesome actually," I began to say, I know what she wants to hear. I may not be Erudite but I know what she wants, maybe I can silver tongue myself into getting her to back off, "I think we are gaining some great Dauntless members."

Jeanine grinned with a raised eyebrow, "That's great, how are they all adapting to the transfer?"

Her question reminded me of that night with Tris, when she was upset over her family. The whole mentality behind transferring factions, as harsh as it may be, is that once transferred you forget about everything about who you were before and embrace your new family. Especially when switching from Abnegation to Dauntless for god's sake.

"I think all the right people are adjusting," I began to say with a charismatic smile, "I think it was our annual war game we all played. It felt like everyone really bonded that night."

"Excellent," Jeanine continued, "and the next stage of training, how do you feel about it with all those who passed to the next level?"

If there was a hint of worry on my face it took everything within me to conceal it, but I had to give an honest answer, "If they're not strong enough to face their fears I'll find out…and make sure that they're taken care of."

"It's not so much the weak ones I'm worried about," she said, all smiles fading from her face. I knew what she was asking for, the tension was growing thick in my office but I had a feeling it was only one sided. I need to tell her what she wants to hear.

"I think there may be some divergents in the initiates," I said with a cold look in my eyes, "I'm not entirely sure who or how to pinpoint them though."

I knew Jeanine was not going to let me get off without turning in at least one Divergent to her. If I didn't I'd never get a spot on her team.

She raised her eye brow as her stare become colder and more serious, "Are you going to be able to find them?"

"Yes," I promised her, "I'll be administering the tests along with Four."

"Actually that won't be necessary," Jeanine replied opening up her brief case and pulled out a small blue vile, "I don't think that Tobias Eaton is competent enough for the tasks I have in mind."

Hey we agree on something, I thought to myself while I didn't bother trying to hide my small smirk.

"I need to know that I can trust you to deliver," Jeanine began to explain holding up the vile, "this is an improved accelerated hallucination serum. We've managed to ramp up the effect it has on the brain."

"What do you mean?" I asked trying not to show any tension.

"This new serum will accelerate the fear landscapes," Jeanine began to explain and handed it to me, "the serum is designed to reach a whole new level within the brain. It will manifest on anything in the brain that it can find and interpret their worst fears in a much more dynamic and intense way. It will feel more realistic to everyone than ever before."

This was cruel…but there was a truth in this serum. True Dauntless members should be able to handle this.

"There is a slight defect in the serum however," Jeanine began with a shift in tone in her voice, "we theorize that this serum will be ineffective on divergents."

I gripped the serum tighter, "How do you know?"

"We tested it some divergent we apprehended from Abnegation," Jeanine replied.

"You found some?" I asked surprised by her words. So, they were real then.

"Indeed," she nodded as her eyes seemed to darken dramatically, "the results from the experiments were…inconclusive."

"So what did you do?" I asked wondering if she would give me a real answer instead of some cryptic one.

"We terminated the rouges," Jeanine replied as if it were nothing.

I could feel the tension in my office shifting, and now I could tell that Jeanine could feel it too as she shifted in her seat.

"Eric," she began, "I need to know that I can trust you. Trust you to be honest in handing over the divergents and that you are competent enough to find them within your faction."

I sighed coldly, "I understand."

"There is one other thing that I wanted to speak to you about," Jeanine said as she reached into her briefcase pulling out some files, "I want you to look over all the initiates first test so you can better interpret their new results."

"Okay," I said simply enough looking over files briefly.

"Also keep a close eye on Beatrice Prior," Jeanine demanded softly.

I glanced up at her; she reminded me a lion moving in for the kill.

"Any reason why?" I asked trying to keep it as contempt as I could.

"Let's just say I believe there is more to her than I believe meets the eye," Jeanine replied.

I put the files down on the rest of my already littered desk, "anything else I can do for you?"

"No, that's all," Jeanine said with a fake smile plastered on her face. She stood up and held her hand out to me, "Thank you for everything Eric. I trust that you won't disappoint me and I look forward to working with you."

I shook her hand and returned the fake smile, "Thank you and likewise."

Jeanine got up gathering her briefcase and headed for the door when she turned to me, "Eric, I need to press on you the seriousness of this job. I need results from you."

"I understand," I nodded hoping she'd believe me.

"Good," Jeanine replied, "Because I'm sure as you remember the contract that you signed when you applied for the job is very sound."

I already knew what clause of the contract she was talking about, at the time I didn't think anything of it…and now…

"If you can't deliver or you fail to meet the requirements needed from you unfortunately we will have to terminate you," Jeanine said coldly.

I was so sure of myself back then; I remember reading the clause within the contract and being shocked. The secrecy of whatever Jeanine was planning had deadly repercussions if failed. My life was on the line with this job if I couldn't preform. Back then, it seemed like nothing and now it seemed like biggest risk I'd ever taken with my life.

"I understood all the risks in signing that contract," I began to reply to her; "I wouldn't have signed it if I didn't agree to it."

Jeanine smiled this one seemingly more genuine, "excellent. You'll make a great higher up leader of Dauntless one day."

Me? A higher leader…that was everything I'd ever dreamed about. I even fantasized of taking Max's position of being head of Dauntless one day but never actually believed that it was possible.

"Thank you ma'am," I replied unable to hide my smile at the idea of moving up in the ranks.

She nodded as she exited my office. I could feel a war being born within myself. Of course I wanted to climb higher up in the ranks, working with Jeanine would surly get me there quicker, but at what costs? All this for Tris? Is she even really worth all the strife I was putting myself through? Maybe I should just let her be with Four. Even more so, if she did come out divergent was I really going to turn her in? What did it matter if I gave Tris over to Jeanine, she was nothing to me. There was no option for her to be more than nothing to me. She either had to pass her final test without fail, fail her test and become factionless or even better…not be Divergent.

My mood didn't improve all day as my mind with swimming with dark thoughts. I barley talked to anyone and had a scowl on my face that could kill. So later that night, in the cafeteria when I saw Four I decided to break the news to him.

"Four!" I called out aggressively.

Four looked up at me and grimaced when he saw me. I looked around at the table, he was sitting with Christina, Al and Tris. For the brief moment when Tris's eyes connected with me, she smiled at me. I kept my scowl on my face to which she noticed as her face sank. I glanced back at Four and indicated for him to follow me. He did as I lead him out of the cafeteria out into the empty hallways.

"What?" Four asked cut throat.

"Change of plans," I explained to him, "I'm going to be administering everyone's tests."

"What?" Four replied angrily, "you can't just-"

"Four!" I replied coldly trying to find a way to make him understand without giving away too much, speaking as quietly as I could I went on to explain, "Just shut up! Listen… I have new orders from people higher up that me and you. I have to administer the test for everyone."

"What are you planning Eric?" Four whispered furiously back.

"It's not me!" I replied as a few people came out of the cafeteria passing them without a second glance. I waited until they were far away enough, "Erudite is planning something…but I don't know what it is. They won't tell me yet."

"Yet?" Four asked crossing his arms.

"It's on a need to know basis," I rolled my eyes at him, "look…we all just need to watch our backs and shut up right now. If you know what's good for you you'll stop sneaking around too."