Chapter 53: Wednesday, 4 days after initiation

Tris

We sit in Zeke and Shauna's living room, shocked and relieved at the same time, still speechless from what Zeke showed us and what he came to wake us up for.

'We' — that's basically all the Allegiant. I look at Tobias and move to sit even closer to him, his hand gripped tightly in mine.

"Can you play it again?" Uriah asks his brother who's sitting right next to his computer. "I need to hear that again to get it."

"You're all okay with this?" Zeke wants to know, letting his eyes wander over our faces.

Nobody contradicts, so he presses the play-button again and Jeanine Matthews' voice rings through the air.

"Why didn't it work, can you explain that? You told me you injected all members with our control serum as instructed."

"I did. I was there and personally oversaw the whole thing. I injected several members myself."

"What Eric says is true, I was there, too. And we injected everyone who wasn't there on Sunday yesterday or today. As Eric's co-leader, I can reassure you of that."

"But as you can clearly see here, Max, something went wrong. We're having the wires checked at the moment, to see if the problem is with the computers. It could also be the program itself. We tested the serum, but there could have been an interference of any kind that we haven't thought about. It doesn't make sense, though."

"We could organize blood samples from the infirmary, to have them analyzed in your lab."

"We could do that, just to be sure. But apart from all those factors, are you both sure that there's no sabotage going on? Do you trust all your selected members to join the revolution?"

"Of course we do! That's why they're handpicked!" Eric snarls.

"Stop raising your voice, shouting doesn't solve anything."

High heels clack on the floor, walking up and down the room, until they stop again.

"Something is foul. Eric, did you investigate why Abnegation sent their children to Amity?"

"I questioned Tris Prior this morning. She didn't give me any information that we didn't already have. She didn't slip, even when I tried to put her under pressure. If she really is Divergent, she's good at hiding it."

"That's why they are so dangerous. Maybe we can find another way to eliminate them until we've found out what went wrong with the simulation. I'd prefer not to wait until the next attempt to carry out our plans to capture them. If we had two or three of them in our lab to study their brains, we could make the serum much stronger before we reapply it."

"I thought you wanted to study them after running the attack," Max says, surprised.

"Plans can change. As the situation is different now, so are our next steps. We'll find another way to identify some of those subjects and get them onto our examination tables. I bet the Prior girl is one of them. You should keep a close eye on her and the people she's seeing. Her brother is in Erudite, I'll have him checked."

"How long will it take until we are ready to restart the attack?" Eric asks.

"That's hard to say, as we don't know yet why it didn't work. I'd estimate around-"

That's when the recording stops — low battery of the microphone, Zeke explains unusually remorseful.

On the plus side, our vaccine worked and prevented a lot of murders last night, and we now have unmistakable evidence that we can take to Candor.

On the other side, I'm sure they're going to figure out what happened and try it again. I'm also under suspicion, and so are Caleb and my parents.

And: I was basically outed to be Divergent in front of my friends. I neglected it after listening to the audio file the first time, but I'm not sure if I convinced everyone. Especially Shauna seems to keep glancing at me strangely. But for the time being, I am lucky that this part of our leaders' conversation isn't the one we're focusing on the most.

The discussion centers more around different ideas to take Jeanine, Max and Eric down, although none of those is enough yet to be called a plan.

All that we definitely agree upon is that Tobias and I will take a copy of the recording with us to Candor, and that Will and Christina will try to find a way to warn Caleb and Cara and tell them to be careful.

I'm more excited than scared to go to Candor when I meet with Tobias on the roof to catch a train towards the Merciless Mart. Finally, I believe that the evidence we hold is enough to convince Jack and make him support us.

The wind blows strongly during the train ride, and I lean in close to Tobias' side. We both left our jackets behind because the day seemed so friendly and warm, but we didn't think about the headwind. We jump off early anyway and make the rest of the way by foot to be sure nobody is following us.

Candor headquarters is an impressive building. The floor is made of black and white marble, depicting the scales that symbolize the faction various times. My eyes run over them as we walk.

"You cannot escape the truth," I think.

And the truth will be made public and there will be no way of hiding for our traitorous leaders.

We don't have to wait long in the lobby after we registered as visitors for Jack Kang. Apparently, the receptionist was expecting us.

A woman in a tight black skirt and white blouse introduces herself as Jack's secretary and leads us up several flights of stairs until we reach a black wooden door with scales painted on it in white. She knocks twice and opens the door without waiting to be called in. It's the leadership office, I know it from the last time we were here.

We follow her inside, and she waits until we both have shaken hands with Jack and sat down with him at a long conference table before she leaves. It surprises me a little that there's nobody else around. It doesn't seem like a very Candor thing to do.

"I asked her to give us some privacy because I thought it might be a more comfortable setting for you," Jack explains.

"Thank you," I say, remembering how Christina can often tell if somebody is lying. I wasn't aware of how common it is for the Candor to be skilled at reading general body language, too.

The door opens again and another Candor man strives in. Jack introduces him to us as Niles, the faction's chief interrogator. He greets us and I force myself to not let my handshake be too weak. Even if he can tell that I fake part of my confidence, I want him to know that I'm not someone to give in to weakness.

"So, you're here to show me evidence against Dauntless and Erudite leaders that proofs they work against the laws of Chicago. I would like to see for myself what you've got," Jack opens the conversation without wasting time for more pleasantries.

Facts are what he's interested in, and luckily, we have a lot of them. It takes over an hour to go through all the things that we've brought, starting with the blurry picture of a box of syringes delivered to Dauntless at night to last night's conversation that we managed to record thanks to the bug I placed in Eric's office.

"I thank you very much for gathering all this information and sharing it with Candor. What Jeanine, Max and Eric are doing can be referred to as treason, and therefore is considered a crime. Candor will not hesitate to interrogate and sentence them to whatever the appropriate consequences are going to be. The same applies for everyone who has helped and supported them willingly, of course," Jack puts an end to our conversation. He seems to have heard and seen enough.

"But," he continues, "it is up to you to arrest them and bring them here for questioning. Dauntless is the faction that protects our city, and in this case, you might be doing more to ensure Chicago's peace than you are aware of yet. Only your faction has soldiers trained enough to take down your leaders, so put together a team and get to work. You do your part, and I'll personally make sure we'll do ours."

"We might need a few days for that, but we'll figure out a strategy as fast as we can," Tobias says while I still struggle to find words. I'm so full of relief that Jack believes us that my mind doesn't even dwell on the fact that we haven't got a strategy yet to capture the traitors. It's all within reach now, all we need is a good plan.

"Before you go, I'd like to question you both under truth serum, for your own safety," Jack says, his eyebrows raised. He won't tolerate no as an answer, that's very clear.

"For our safety? What does that mean?" I ask skeptically. I still don't like the idea to be put in such a vulnerable state of mind.

"In case anything goes wrong in your operation to arrest the accused, and neither of the involved would be able to testify, we own the truth, so we can tell the citizens what happened, and there wouldn't be a doubt about the role you played in this to safe the city."

Why does this sound so strange?

"You mean, in case that we all end up dead?" Tobias deadpans.

Oh. This is why it sounds strange.

"Exactly, but not necessarily. Be honest with yourselves, there is no guarantee for your mission to have a happy ending. Your answers could also be necessary to convict the conspirators, as they create the links between all the single pieces of evidence you collected."

I look at Tobias and see that he's as uncomfortable with the thought of going under truth serum as I am. It doesn't matter that we came here knowing we'd probably have to do it. But on the other hand, I am willing to do what's necessary to get justice, so I agree, "I'll go first."

I hope it makes it easier for Tobias if he sees that I can manage the truth serum. I want to be strong, for Abnegation, for Dauntless, for all the innocent, for my friends — and for him. Especially for him. I hope the interrogation will be okay and not scare him even more in the end.

We follow Jack, side by side, through endless corridors to a circular room with benches along the walls, presumably for audience. I shiver at the idea that I would have to be sitting in the middle of this room for interrogation with an entire faction as witness.

Today the seats remain empty, not to make us more comfortable, but to not create panic and to give us a chance to succeed in arresting Jeanine, Max and Eric. I'm sure it is hard for Jack to keep something that important from his faction, but for me it makes it easier to sit on the chair in the middle of the room. Tobias quietly sits down on a bench opposite me, giving me a reassuring nod and a half-smile.

Niles comes in just a minute after us and places a box on the small table next to where I'm sitting. He opens the lid and takes out one of two waiting syringes to inject me with a light blue serum that will take a part of my control over my mind away from me.

The liquid spreads in my veins like the fear serum, but it is even colder. For a few seconds, nothing happens.

And then a veil goes up in front of my mind, or maybe it goes down? I start feeling dizzy, light-headed. It's not unlike how I felt that night in the bar, when Uriah kept me busy drinking who-knows-what.

"We begin with a few standard questions. Please state your name and age," I hear Niles say, and his voice sounds nice and warm.

"Tris Prior, and I'm sixteen."

"What faction were you born into?"

"Abnegation."

"What is your current faction?"

"Dauntless."

"Why did you transfer?"

It was easy until now, but not anymore. I hesitate, then give a part of the answer and wonder if it's enough or if Niles can sense that it's not the entire truth.

"Because I felt I didn't belong in Abnegation, and I never really have, no matter how hard I tried. And I didn't want to try being someone I'm not any longer."

"The aptitude test wasn't important for your decision?"

"I don't know. It didn't help me decide."

"How is that? What was your result?"

I don't want to tell it. I dig my nails into the flesh of my palms and bite my teeth, but it doesn't help. Sweat covers my forehead, and I vaguely notice Tobias tense, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

All I have to do is tell the truth and I'll feel better.

"Divergent," I say out loud. If I can't keep it in, I might as well say it with dignity and pride.

"I see. So Jeanine and Eric are right with their assumption about you."

"Yes. But I'm not dangerous. They are far more dangerous than I am, so Divergence is not what people have to be afraid of."

"So tell me about the people that are involved in the group you call the Allegiant."

"What do you want to know about them?"

Niles exchanges a glance with Jack. Did I say anything wrong?

He clears his throat before clarifying, "Please name everyone who supports the group you call the Allegiant."

"Four. Zeke and Uriah. Shauna and Lynn. Marlene. Christina. Will. Lauren. Caleb. Cara. The last two are Erudite, the rest of us are Dauntless."

"Give us a short summary of what each of you has done so far to prevent an attack on Abnegation."

Even explaining the short version of the events takes a bit. I'm aware enough of my words that I can avoid revealing Tobias' identity or our relationship.

"In the recording from last night, Jeanine mentions a collaboration between Abnegation and Amity. What do you know about that?"

"I told my mother about the attack plans. I assume she had the idea to send the Abnegation children to Amity to keep them safe. Like I said, Johanna knows about the plans, too."

"One last question: What are you planning to do once your leaders are arrested?"

"That would depend on how that happens. I guess we would celebrate."

"I mean after that. How would things continue in Dauntless?"

What a strange question. I take a minute to think about it, but I don't get any wiser. The serum forces me to answer anyway.

"I don't know. We haven't talked about that yet. It feels too far away. I think we'd have to see what the majority of the faction thinks how Dauntless should go on."

"Thank you for your honesty. You're done."

I take a deep breath of relief and get up from the chair. Now that I'm not being questioned anymore, the effect of the serum is immediately gone. I slowly walk towards Tobias and switch positions with him.

Niles injects him and then starts out with the same questions he asked me.

"Please state your name and age."

"Four, eighteen."

"Four is a nickname. We need to know your real name."

I see him struggling as he tries to keep it in, but he can't.

"Tobias Eaton."

"Are you related to Marcus Eaton?"

"He's my father."

Tobias spits out the last word. Niles ignores the underlying emotion and keeps asking what he wanted to ask anyway.

"What faction were you born into?"

"Abnegation, obviously."

"What is your current faction?"

"Dauntless."

"Why did you transfer?"

"To protect myself."

"Protect yourself from what?"

"Abuse."

I brush away a tear threatening to roll down my cheek. I hate Marcus for what he has done, and I hate to witness the pain he causes in Tobias, the damage he inflicted on his soul.

"Who did abuse you?"

I jump up. "Why is it important to the current situation? You see that it's hard for him to talk about!" I interrupt the interview.

"We ask several standard questions for a reason, and our faction laws force us to keep digging if we find evidence of a potential crime," Jack says calmly. "We strive for honesty and truth, as you know, even if it brings out things we don't like to tell or hear. Please sit down again."

I do as I'm told, and I don't miss the look of gratitude Tobias gives me.

"Who did abuse you?" Niles repeats.

"Marcus."

"Physically or psychologically?"

"Both."

I don't know how much control Tobias holds over his answers, but maybe, like I was able to choose a version of the truth in some answers, he can choose to answer them as shortly as possible.

"Do you think he should be convicted for that?"

"Yes, I would enjoy everyone to know what a monster he is. But I don't want people to know what he did to me. I don't want pity. I want to live my life in peace."

"I see. Let's move on to why you've come here. Can you name the members of the Allegiant and explain what each of them has done to prevent the attack on Abnegation?"

I'm thankful for the change of topic as I listen to Tobias talking about the Allegiant from his perspective.

"We asked Tris to come here today because she seemed to be the best informed person of the group that came to see us two days ago. We requested that she should bring another Dauntless member with her. Who decided that it should be you?"

"I volunteered."

"And everyone else was okay with that decision?"

"Yes."

"Why did you volunteer when you knew that you'd probably have to go under truth serum, which is something that clearly makes you uncomfortable?"

"To support and protect Tris."

"Not to protect lives?"

"Of course! I've taken a lot of risks already to protect innocent people. But it wasn't my first thought when I decided to come here. Only my second."

"That's interesting. Why is that so?"

"Because Tris and I are in a relationship. I love her."

I gasp. He looks directly into my eyes now, and a smile plays at his lips. I didn't doubt it when he said he loved me before, but hearing him say it under truth serum...

I wish I was alone with him. I yearn to touch him, to take him into my arms.

Then the impulse goes away as Niles continues, "One last question: What are you planning to do once your leaders are arrested?"

"I want them to be punished for what they have done, or are planning to do. I want to help make Dauntless a better faction again, based on the values that are written down in our faction manifesto."

"Are you striving for a leadership position?"

"Not necessarily. But I want to contribute to improve Dauntless, to make it better, fairer. In what position I need to be in to do that, I don't know. I'm fine with being an instructor."

"Thank you for your honesty. You're done."

I go over to Tobias, take his hand and pull him up. Now that Jack and Niles know that we're a couple, I no longer care about hiding it.

"So now, with all this evidence, it should be easy to sentence the traitors and keep you without punishments for breaking some rules. In this case, Candor will consider it necessary in order to bring out the truth," Jack says. He looks confident. "Please keep us informed if you can and it is safe to do so."

"We will. Thank you for your support," I say.

"Candor will always support the truth and the people who try to bring it to light."

With that, Jack motions us out of the interrogation room and walks us to the canteen, as he suggests we should eat something after the truth serum. We don't want to be seen around if we can avoid it, so he asks a waitress for two sandwiches to take away.

Once we are outside, we hurry to get into a quiet area several blocks away. The houses here are smaller, once built for families, but are all deserted and crumbling now. I've only been here once, as it's a huge detour to get through here. But there are hardly people around, and no patrols, which is good for us.

We eat our lunch while we walk. It has become too cold and windy to sit down anywhere. Where did the sun go?

"We'd better jog, or we won't make it home dry," Tobias suggests after we've finished eating, and I agree. The sky has turned gray by now.

But we can't outrun the rain. Heavy raindrops start falling down on us, single ones at first, but it quickly turns into a downpour.

"We should look for shelter," I shout over to Tobias.

"Yeah, we should."

He takes my hand and pulls me with him as he changes the direction he's running in. We're now heading towards the closest house on our left.


DISCLAIMER: I own neither the Divergent world nor the characters, they belong to Veronica Roth.