Thank you for all of the favs/follows. I greatly appreciate it. I keep forgetting to mention that in chapter nine of this book when Tris found the pictures, the reason for them will be revealed later on in the story. Also, for this chapter the words that have been italicized serve as a flashback; so keep that in mind.

Chapter 12

Christina stands, her face painted with repudiation. If I were her, I would most likely show the same emotion – if she wants to show anything to me after all these years.

"Tris?" She breathes out.

"Yeah. It's me."

Her fingertips glide along the railing as she descends the stairs. She takes each step slowly as if she's still having a hard time believing I'm here.

"Christina I – "

Before I can get out another word, I'm crushed into a hug. I stand there awkwardly. I neither embrace her nor speak.

She let's go of me. "Oh my God. W-what happened to you? Why haven't I seen you?"

"I'm not here for reunions, Christina."

She frowns. "Oh?"

"I'm here for business reasons. Strictly business."

"Well… why do you need my help for?"

"I need help with the case of the missing teenage girls." She hums and crosses her arms. "I've tried going to the police and they haven't listened. I need a new avenue to search to try and solve this."

"Did you want for me to help you get in contact with someone?"

"Christina you're a lawyer. You work in the largest law firm in Chicago. You don't have to call anyone. I know you have the information I need."

"Okay." She nods her head repeatedly. "You want to talk about this over lunch?"

The waitress takes our menus after writing down our orders. Christina ordered a salad, and I just ordered fries. The restaurant we walked to is one of those fancy ones, where only the rich people go to. I swear if these fries aren't the best I've eaten in my entire lifetime, I'm going to pissed for the amount I'm paying for it.

"Okay so… what evidence have you gathered in this case?"

I pull out the file that I keep stashed inside my jacket. I slide it over to her. "These are the files on the missing girls. Everything that I know is in there."

She looks at me hesitantly before flipping it open. "Where did you get this?"

"You don't have to worry about that."

She looks up from the file. "Did you get this from the police?" I turn away. "Tris!" She hisses. "You can't do this."

"I'm not hurting anyone."

"This is illegal!" She quietly whispers as some people walk by. "I-I can't except to help you if this is how low you're going to get." She starts to give me back the folder.

I slam my hand over the top to stop her from sliding it any further. "Listen Christina. These girls are missing, having parents and family members worried sick." She opens her mouth to speak but I beat her to it. "Put yourself in their position. How would you feel if someone you loved was out there and you didn't know where they were or what was happening to them, huh? Think about…" I gulp. "Think about him. If the police weren't doing a damn thing about it, wouldn't you do everything in your power to have him back in your arms?" Her eyes are glassy. I stand up from the table. "Look over the file."

I walk away just as the waitress approaches with our food in her hands. I pull out a crumpled twenty-dollar bill from my back pocket. "Here's the money." I stuff it in her pocket and take the plate of fries from her hands.

I start to munch on them as I walk down the street.

Damn, these are good.

Sometime during the night I jerk awake, my body dripping with sweat. That wasn't a dream. That was real.

The two buff men practically dragged me into the warehouse. As much as I tried to fight back, they didn't even budge. There were two chairs that sat at a distance, facing each other. I groaned as the men slammed me down onto one of them. Before I had a chance to move, a gun was pointed at my temple while the other man tied my hands and feet to the chair. When he was down, the gun was lowered. I squirmed but it was no use.

"Tris Prior." A voice spoke though no one was there.

I started to look around when a man came into view. "What do you want?"

"You have something I want."

Of course, I knew what I had was of great value to him, something that could save his life and reputation. But I wasn't going to give in. "And what would that be?"

"Don't play dumb. I know you know. Give it to me and I'll let you go."

I chuckled. "Aw Max. Are you scared? I thought Dauntless men weren't afraid of anything. It'll be a shame if your little glee club were to find out what a coward their leader is."

"Is that how you want to play it?"

"Play what?" I asked dumbly.

"Okay," he simply said. "Bring him out."

I sighed in irritation as I waited for what was about to unfold. My eyes grew wide when Will staggered out, a cloth tied around his mouth and rope around his wrists. He looked awful, his face covered in bruises. He was in so much pain, I could tell. Two men followed him closely by his side, ready to pounce on him if he made a move. Which he did when he saw me but his movements were cut short when they shoved him onto the other chair.

"I'm tired of playing games Tris," Max called out and looked at me. "Give it to me and I'll let him live."

I gulped but hid my anxiousness. "Don't you think it'll be easier if you killed me? Then you'd get everything you want."

"I'll have everything I want and you'll still live. But your soul will not."

I hummed. "Sounds like a prophecy. Is this a Bible study?"

"Last chance Tris."

"You're bluffing."

"I don't bluff." He said before pulling out his gun. He walked over to Will and shoved it against his temple. Will's eyes grew wide with fear. "Give it to me."

I looked between him and Will repeatedly. "Go ahead. Do it. I don't care about him."

He clicked the gun into place and my heart started to beat faster. "You sure?"

I was such an idiot to believe that he wouldn't do it. I was such an idiot to tell him to go ahead and do it. I should've known he wasn't bluffing. They're Dauntless. I should've just giving him what he wanted; I had them framed anyway but I was too late. A high-pitched scream escaped my lips as the sound of a gunshot went off. It's as if it happened in slow motion. Will's eyes widened, the light fading from them like the clouds completely covering the sun. Blood splattered onto the concrete ground, painting it red. The sound of a creaking chair formed as Will hit the ground. What happened next went by in a blur. There were police sirens, people shouting, Dauntless shooting. I just sat there, staring in disbelief. Sometime during the escapade, my chair hit the ground; my body slammed against the ground. The chair broke under my weight. Since my body allowed more movement, I untied my hands and then my feet as quickly as I could. There was nothing else going on, nothing else I heard or took into view as my feet ran to Will. His body slumped, color beginning to fade. I covered my mouth as a strangled gasp came out. Tears brimmed my eyes.

"Will," I whispered and knelt down by his side. My stomach turned as I saw the blood pouring out of the side of his head. Slowly I turned him over on his back. His eyes were still open. Of course, I knew he was dead, but to me, his eyes still danced with life. My friend. My best friend's boyfriend. I killed him. I killed him. "Will," I choke out between the tears clogging my throat. "Will. Will. Will, please! Don't go, don't go. Will!" I screamed. I bellowed. I wanted the man to come back. I wanted my friend to come back.

The police dragged me away from Will, much to my dismay. But when they covered his body all hell broke loose. I screamed and kicked. I tore whatever flesh was holding me back. Anything that would relieve the pain I felt. The guilt.

It's all my fault.

It's all my fault.

I killed Will.

Will is dead.

And it's because of me.