This chapter contains the twist I was talking about.
I walk with Amar and Zoe outside to the truck, shivering slightly due to the temperature of the early hours of the morning. Today, we will pick up the group of GPs and GD's containing Tris. Last night, we received word that the group was leaving right before midnight. It's now five in the morning.
They have turned of what was once the ballroom, a makeshift dormitory. They will give the group clothes when they arrive here.
I'm wearing black corduroy pants, a beige wool sweater, and one of the three vests that Eric owns. I wish I wore something warmer.
"Do you have the picture?" Amar asks Zoe.
Before exiting the building, they showed me a crumpled up photograph. It contained the employees and residents of the Bureau at the time. Among them was the late Mrs. Natalie Prior, recognizable by some of the features Tris shares with her.
Zoe nods before we get in the car. Amar is driving and I sit in between him and Zoe. Amar starts the engine and the vehicle roars to life. The radio, which plays out headset communication between members of the security team, turns on as well.
The truck drives away from the front door of the compound and the guards guarding the fence gives us access to leave.
"Who do you think might show up?" Amar asks me.
I look at him and say, "I think my brother could be among them."
My brother wouldn't leave questions unanswered. He would want to see what was outside Amity, beyond the outer limits of the Dauntless patrols. It wouldn't surprise me if he joined the group that was going beyond Amity. He would want to feed his Erudite curiosity.
"Is your brother Divergent?" asks Zoe.
I nod.
"Not surprising if you're a GN and he's a GP," says Zoe. "That happens sometimes. Siblings of those with healed genes tend to have neutral genes sometimes. You wouldn't tell the difference, since those with neutral genes are flexible enough in thinking."
I look out the window as I watch the evidence containing interrupted life pass by. The overturned and dilapidated buildings remind me of the Abnegation sector, with the way the buildings look like.
The headlights show that the train tracks are ahead and Amar drives from the road and onto the tracks. The rickety, bumpy vibration makes me nauseous to my stomach. Though it's early morning and the sun hasn't rose above the horizon yet, it is light enough that I recognize where we are at. It's been almost two weeks since we encountered Zoe and Amar, but I feel like it has been yesterday that Eric and I were walking these tracks.
"There they are," says Amar. I look over and in front of us is a group of people holding their guns in a defensive position. When we stop twenty feet from them, I recognize them: Caleb, Cara, Christina, Peter, Theodore, Tobias, Tori, Tris, and Uriah.
Tobias mouths something and I see him tightening the grip on his gun.
I get out after Zoe and like Zoe I put my palms up to show that I'm not armed. Both Peter and Theodore lower their guns slightly at the sight of me.
"Hello," she says, and smiles nervously. "My name is Zoe. This is Amar. I'm sure you know Isobel."
She jerks her head twice to indicate Amar, who stepped out of the truck, then me.
"Amar is dead," says Tobias.
"No, I'm not. Come on, Four," says Amar.
Four's face is tight with fear, the color drained from his face. For a year and a half, he thought that Eric killed Amar when Amar was alive. I wonder if Four thought it was Eric because he wanted it to be Eric when it could have easily been the other four leaders.
Tori looks at Amar, as if the eyes might pop from her sockets.
"We work for the same organization that founded your city," Zoe says, glaring at Amar in the process. "The same organization Edith Prior came from. And…"
She reaches into her pocket and takes out the photograph. She holds it out, her eyes finding Tris's in the crowd of people and guns.
"I think you should look at this, Tris," she says. "I'll step forward and leave it on the ground, then back up. All right?"
The color on Tris's face drains. Zoe should at least have the decency to wait until after we arrive at the Bureau.
"All right," says Tris, her voice hoarse. She bends forward and picks up the picture before straightening her posture.
Her eyes scan the photograph before her eyes pop with recognition. She looks up at Zoe, like she is asking questions.
"There is a lot to explain," Zoe says. "But this isn't really the best place to do it. We'd like to take you to our headquarters. It's a short drive from here."
A minute later, everyone lowers their guns, with Christina being last.
"Wherever we go, we have to be free to leave at any time," Christina says. "Okay?"
"You have my word," says Zoe, her hand over her chest.
"Go into the truck bed," I say, gesturing to the truck. "It will only take a few minutes to get to headquarters."
Slowly, the group jumps into the truck bed before Amar, Zoe, and I take the three front seats.
"Now this is going to be a bumpy ride," says Amar, looking back as he starts the engine. "Hold on to your seats."
The truck begins its bumpy ride on the train tracks. Behind me is the conversation of the others in the truck bed. I keep my eyes focused to the front window, because they might ask about Eric.
Maybe they don't need to ask. They most likely think that he's at headquarters. If they see me, they most likely think that Eric is at the place where we are taking them.
The truck leaves the tracks onto the road and we drive through abandoned civilization before we go through the tunnel leading to the Bureau. I hear some members of the group stand. Probably trying to see where they at.
Amar speaks with the two guards at the gate before the truck is let through. The early morning stragglers stop and watch as the truck drives through the compound. Amar stops the truck in front of the double doors and I hear the sound of feet jumping onto pavement.
I get out after Zoe and decide to enter the main entrance to the compound. I walk through the security checkpoint and towards the control room, where I see David talking with one of the control room operators.
"The group just arrived," I say.
"Who's with Tris Prior?" asks David, looking at me.
"Tobias Eaton, Cara Cunnigan, Uriah Pedrad, Caleb Prior, Peter Hayes, Christina Kravitz, Theodore Matthews, and Tori Wu," I answer.
"Excellent," says David. "Turn off the screens."
At once all the screens turn off, rendering them black.
"Was I hearing things or is Four actually here?" I hear Eric say, and I see him walk into the control room.
I turn to face him.
"As you predicted, Tobias came," I say.
"I doubt now's the best time for me to see me," says Eric. "I have to cover some work in the second control room in ten minutes anyway. Or else there would be a confrontation here. I doubt David would be too happy."
He sprints from the control room. I think Tobias was so comfortable not seeing Eric for a week and a half that seeing him now will be a rude awakening.
A minute later, Zoe and Amar lead the group towards the control room and stop.
"Is this some type of control room?" asks Tori.
"Might be," says Tobias.
"Couldn't be if the screens are all black," says Tris.
I clear my throat and jerk my head to indicate David, who is approaching them, his hands spread out as if to welcome them.
"This is what we've waited for since the very beginning," says David.
Tris takes the photograph from her pocket, looks at it before glancing at David.
He introduces himself and says, "I'm going to do my best to explain things. The first thing you should know is that the information Edith Prior gave you is only partially true. She provided only as much information needed to meet the goals of our experiments. And in many cases, that meant oversimplifying, omitting, and even outright falsehood. Now that you are here, there is no need for any of those things. Now, the pair from your city experiment that arrived two weeks ago knew a lot of information and all we needed to do was tightening up some loose ends."
"You all keep talking about 'experiments'," says Tobias. "What experiments?"
"Yes, well, I was getting to that." David looks at Amar. "Where did they start when they explained it to you?"
"Doesn't matter where you start. You can't make it easier to take," Amar says, picking at his cuticles.
David begins explaining about all the genetic manipulation caused by the government that created the experiments and this mess to begin with. I tune most of this out because I know it.
That is, until I hear Caleb speak.
"So what you're saying is that if we're not Divergent, we're damaged," Caleb says, his voice shaking with tears.
"Genetically damaged, yes," says David. "However, we were surprised to discover that the behavior modification component of our city's experiment was quite effective – up until recently, it actually helped quite a bit with the behavioral problems that made the genetic manipulation so problematic to begin with. So generally, you would not be able to tell whether a person's genes were damaged or healed from their behavior."
From their behavior. Of course they'll think that the GDs are violent if they place them in squalid conditions. I bite my lip to prevent myself from speaking.
"I'm smart," Caleb says. "So you're saying that because my ancestors were altered to be smart, I, their descendant, can't be fully compassionate. I, and every genetically damaged person, am limited by my damaged genes. And the Divergent are not."
"Well," says David, giving a half shrug. "Think about it."
Caleb and Tris glance at each other, only that Tris looks at her brother like he is a rotten apple core that should be discarded.
"Genes aren't everything," says Amar. "People, even genetically damaged people, make choices. That's what matters."
"Take my advice: Don't let this revelation change your opinion on yourself," I say. "You were still the same person you are before you stepped in here."
"Like she said," says Amar.
I process the reaction of the group. Tobias looks like he might pass out while the others look stunned.
"This is a lot to process," says David.
Christina snorts.
"And you've been up all night," says David, ignoring Christina. "So I'll show you a place where you can get some rest and food."
"Wait," says Tris. "You said you've been observing us. How?"
Zoe purses her lips and David nods at one of the control room operators. All at once, the screens come on, showing the city.
"You've always known that the Dauntless observe the city with security cameras," David says. "Well, we have access to those cameras too."
Tris instantly pales at that revelation, with a fear struck look on her face.
As David leads the group to the hotel, I and Amar go to the second control room, where Eric is.
"So, what was the reaction?" asks Eric.
"Stunned is an understatement," says Amar.
"What was Four's reaction?" he asks.
"He looked like he might pass out," I say.
"Probably because Amar was in the room," says Eric, turning back to his computer monitor. "A year and a half of moping for nothing could do that to you."
Now Tobias needs to be convinced that Eric only warned Amar to leave Dauntless. And Tris needs to be convinced that her brother didn't do what he did out of malice.