We're now in Insurgent.
An hour later, I feel a tap on my shoulder and see that it's Caleb.
"We got to go," he says. I stand up, adjusting the gun in my holster and join him, Peter, and Marcus by the door. As much as I hate Peter, I think he needs to get that arm checked, as to avoid infection.
"Tris, come on," I hear Tobias tell her. "We have to jump."
It is too dark to see where we are, but if we are getting off, we are probably close to the fence. Tobias helps Tris to her feet and guides her to the doorway.
I jump off first before I hear the others jump after me. Tris and Tobias being last. I shrug off my jacket and give it to Peter so he could wrap it around his injury.
"Okay?" I hear Tris ask someone.
I see Caleb nod in the darkness before I hear a sniffle. Is he crying because he knows he will betray his sister at some point? Hopefully that's the reason.
We landed in the grass near the fence, several yards away from the worn path that the Amity trucks travel to deliver food to the city, and the gate that lets them out – the gate that is currently shut, locking us in.
"There are supposed to be Dauntless guards here," says Marcus. "Where are they?"
"They were probably under the simulation," I answer. "Who knows where they are now?"
One thing we don't know is that what happened to the other factions after the simulations. Max probably informed Aunt Jeanine and Eric about the missing hard drive. With the missing hard drive Aunt Jeanine might have another plan to put people under simulation until someone retrieves the hard drive.
Tobias approaches a small metal box on the right side of the gate and opens it, revealing a keypad.
"Let's hope the Erudite didn't think to change this combination," he says as he types in a series of numbers. He stops at the eighth one, and the gate clicks open.
"How did you know that?" asks Caleb. His voice sounds thick with emotion.
"I worked in the Dauntless control room, monitoring the security system. We only change the codes twice a year," says Tobias.
"How lucky," says Caleb. He gives Tobias a wary look. Shouldn't it be the other way around?
"Luck has nothing to do with it," says Tobias. "I only worked there because I wanted to make sure I could get out."
Get out – like we are trapped here. Aunt Jeanine says that there is something beyond the Amity farms that the public shouldn't know about. What is it? Is it trapping us here? History says there was a War that divided us into our five factions – or should I say four. Now that Tobias mentioned about leaving the city, my mind is burning with curiosity.
I feel like my Erudite senses are kicking in.
We walk in a small pack, Peter keeping my black jacket around his bloody arm, Marcus with his hand on Peter's shoulder, keeping him stable. Tobias and Tris walking in front of us and beside me is Caleb, who wipes his cheeks every few seconds. He better regret taking the assignment that Aunt Jeanine gave him.
Pinpricks of light are the first sign that we are nearing Amity headquarters. Then squares of light that turn into glowing windows. A cluster of wooden and glass buildings.
Before we can reach them, we have to walk through an orchard. My feet sink into the ground, and above me, the branches grow into one another, forming a kind of tunnel. Dark fruit hangs among the leaves, ready to drop. The sharp, sweet smell of rotting apples mixes with the scent of wet earth under my nose.
When we get close, I see Marcus leave Peter's side and walks in front. "I know where to go," he says. So he must have been here before.
He leads us past the first building to the second one on the left. All the buildings except the greenhouses are made of the same dark wood, unpainted, rough. I hear laughter through an open window.
Marcus opens one of the doors. Since this is Amity, I'm not surprised by the lack of security. Eric has said in the past that Amity is moronic because they straddle between the line of trust and stupidity. I acknowledge it's foolish not to have security, but the Amity need to uphold their virtue, which is peace.
In this building the only sound is of our squeaking shoes. I don't hear Caleb cry anymore. Has he tried convincing himself that what Aunt Jeanine wants him to do is harmless when in reality it will drive an wedge between him and his sister?
Marcus stops before an open room, where Johanna Reyes, representative of Amity, sits, staring out the window. Those in Erudite, even the most intelligent, have no idea why she has that scar that runs from her right eyebrow to her lip, rendering her blind in one eye and giving her an lisp when she talks.
"Oh, thank God," she says when she sees Marcus. She walks toward him with her arms open and rests her hands on his shoulders. I wonder if she knows what a terrible man he is.
"The other members of your party got here a few hours ago, but they weren't sure if you made it," she says. Other members of their party. Most likely Abnegation members ousted from their faction. Tris probably went to a safe house before arriving at Dauntless. That would explain why she took Caleb, her father, and Marcus with her to Dauntless.
She looks over Marcus's shoulder, first at Tobias and Caleb, then at Tris, then at me, then at Peter.
"Oh my," she says, her eyes lingering on the blood soaking Peter's shirt. "I'll send for a doctor. I can grant you all permission to stay the night, but tomorrow, our community must decide together. And" – she eyes Tobias, Tris, and me – "they will likely not be enthusiastic about a Dauntless presence in our compound. I of course ask you to turn over any weapons you might have."
I hand in my gun and holster without hesitation. I'll get it back when I leave. As Tobias hands in his gun, I see Tris eyeing the tattoo on one of my forearms, like she recognizes it from somewhere. It does in fact resemble one of Eric's tattoos. In her opinion, it ties me to him. I believe it does but I don't see it negatively as she does.
She probably sees it as some type of alliance with him.
"My name is Johanna Reyes," says Johanna, extending her hand to Tris, then Tobias, and then to me.
"This is T –" Marcus starts, but Tobias interrupts him.
"My name is Four," he says. "This is Tris, Caleb, Isobel, and Peter."
"Welcome to Amity compound." Johanna's eyes fix on Tris's face, and she smiles crookedly. "Let us take care of you."
One of the Amity leads me into one of the bedrooms in the corridor. The walls are the same rough, unpainted wood and on the bed is a patchwork quilt. Using this as an opportunity, I take out the sleek, black cell phone, dial the number and press the phone against my ear.
After two rings, I hear Aunt Jeanine answer, "This is Jeanine Matthews speaking."
Probably planning a strategy, because I think I hear Eric's voice and another man speaking in the background.
"Aunt Jeanine, Caleb and I have just reached the Amity compound with Tris, Tobias, Peter, and Marcus," I say briskly.
"Of course they would choose Amity," I heard her mutter under her breath before she says, "I'll send a taskforce in a few days to retrieve them. Stay in Amity for a few days before going to Candor. Get a list of names of the Dauntless initiates there and send it to us and stay there until I send a taskforce there."
"Okay", I say before saying, "Um, Aunt Jeanine, do you mind if I speak with Eric, please."
I hear her footsteps on linoleum floor and I hear her say, "This is Isobel, Eric. She wants a word with you."
I hear him taking the phone and he says, "How are you, Isobel?"
"Dreadful," I say. "I would rather be in Erudite headquarters then in Amity."
"It's not going to be permanent," says Eric. "It won't be long before you'll join us back at Erudite. Remember to give in those names after you arrive in Candor."
"I won't forget," I say. "Eric, I miss you."
"I miss you too," he says. "We'll have a lot of catching up to do after Candor." I hear one of the male voices I heard earlier talk to him, requesting his attention on something. "Sorry, Isobel, I have to go," he says, sounding irritated before hanging up the phone.
I turn it off and snap it shut. I put the phone in the wooden nightstand and get under the covers. Being here feels different then in Dauntless.
I fall asleep to the wind blowing through the orchards outside.