Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! The site was really wonky and I'm pretty sure it didn't post all of them, but thank you if you reviewed!

Thanks so much to Bamberlee for editing :)

A super important note before you read: the next update won't be until after the new year. I've had pneumonia for a week now, and combined with the holidays and my kids being home for the next two weeks, I've decided to take a tiny break. The next update will be January 3rd!

Have a great weekend and a very Merry Christmas!

The train seems faster this time.

It whips around the corner sending everyone swaying on their feet, and the only sound is a few murmurs of surprise as they try to regain their balance. Next to me, Adam steadies himself, and his eyes widen when Rylan casually strolls through the car, completely unaffected by the sudden movement as he sizes everyone up.

"Where is he taking us?" Adam bumps my arm with his elbow, and I shrug.

His guess was as good as mine.

We'd been on this train for a good twenty minutes now. I knew there were no sections designed for the train to slow down, and the direction we were heading had a few slow points, but much further out than I would think we would go. Maybe that was part of Rylan's plan. Maybe he was going to instruct us to jump as the train sped up to see how brave we really were and it was likely he'd be unfazed if he lost an initiate or two.

A few feet away, Rylan stops to talk to a boy named Maddox. He seems interested in whatever he's saying, but after a minute, he catches my eye and I can tell he's bored out of his skull. He leaves the kid standing there, and walks past us, down to the end of the car, cornering Brexley and demanding to know exactly how she spells her name. He listens, then sympathizes over having a name that's constantly misspelled.

"You should ask him. See if we're almost there."

Adam moves closer to me, and his suggestion is oddly tense. But even knowing Rylan for as long as I have, didn't change the fact that being left alone with him, on a speeding train, was nerve wracking. There was no telling what he had planned or what his idea of training actually was. It might have been better if someone else, anyone really, was with him. But no one else had shown up when we walked out with Rylan, which made me wonder if any of the leaders knew what we were doing.

It was doubtful.

Rylan was one of Dauntless' greatest mysteries, because no one really knew how someone who seemed to be so cavalier about everything was in charge. We did know he'd passed the same initiation we were currently in. We also knew he had an office, full of all sorts of things he'd found or built, he worked odd hours but never the late shift unless he was forced, occasionally caught things on fire, and we also knew his hair was shinier than anyone else's.

But what exactly he did –other than office work, pushing papers to factions so they'd agree to whatever he needed along with making sure everyone else did their job, and harassing Four– was sort of a mystery. I knew firsthand my father and Rylan were close, incredibly so, and the two of them always sided together in meetings. Jason was their next closest friend, and he usually voted along with them, unless it involved something he thought could be handled more efficiently.

Angela had made a fair point about my father making sure his friends held positions that benefited him. He had surrounded himself with like-minded people, knowing they'd vote in his favor. She'd overlooked the fact that they didn't always, but most of the time, he was bound to secure at least two other votes in their meetings.

Karl usually voted in his favor as well, unless he thought he could improve upon the suggestion. Which was true. I'd heard it was his idea to expand the daycare, making it more practical for children being raised in Dauntless to have an early start on the competition.

That left Angela and Four to oppose him, and I suppose anyone would understand her frustration. Going up against my father and his friends would be an uphill battle. But for good reason. Between them, they had multiple years of experience leading the faction, so it made sense they'd have each other's backs on situations they'd already worked through.

But writing Jason, Rylan, and Karl off, even Four, wasn't fair. Most of them were approachable, easy to get ahold of, and some of the more entertaining parts of the faction. I'd grown up with all of them very invested in my upbringing, and I had to say, they were my favorite parts of living here. I'd been on plenty of adventures that others hadn't, all because of them. Right up to the time Rylan and I hid in my father's office, jumping out to scare him when Rylan was bored of doing his own work and Jason was too busy to entertain him.

My father didn't think we were as hilarious as Rylan did.

I had a special appreciation for them. Rylan and I were close since he'd demanded to be the first, only, and best godfather I could have, and Jason and I were close since I was the only child he'd ever really been around.

Neither ventured down to the training room very often. Rylan seemed to avoid it all together, and Jason only seemed to have an interest because Adam was there. Neither ever expressed any desire to train the classes, and in fact, I'd heard Rylan scoff at the idea more than once.

Which was why his enthusiasm today was terrifying.

"I think he said somewhere just outside of Dauntless," Gunner offers, but he's wrong.

We'd long passed the furthest outpoint of Dauntless. We were heading further and further away, into bright sunlight and a thicket of trees. I stare at them through the window, watching them grow taller, greener, and denser.

"We're already way past Dauntless," someone mutters, and everyone around them turns to gape outside, searching for a clue to figure out where we are. "All I see are trees."

I tilt my head, watching as the train speeds up again, then slows down as it ascends. The trees grow shorter below us, off some sort of valley, pushing us higher into the air. The landscape isn't exactly telling, but if you knew where we were going, it was.

My eyes widen when Rylan's phone rings, and he cheerfully tells whoever is calling that we're downstairs in the training room. He then assures them everything is fine and hangs up before they can get another word in.

"He's taking us to Amity!" I try to whisper this to Adam, but Rylan overhears.

He turns around, his smile far too mischievous for my liking, and I have a feeling he didn't tell a soul we were leaving the faction.

The train slows down as it banks another turn, and this time, the woods behind Amity come into view. I realize we're outside the faction, but it's an easily walkable distance if you had some free time. Since I'd figured out where we were going, I relaxed. I stood with Adam, listening to him talk to Gunner. They were discussing something from when they went to watch the soldiers in action, but they stop when Rylan clears his throat.

"Alright, listen up! You're probably wondering, why, out of everything we could be doing today, we're on a train heading to Amity. And if you haven't realized you're in Amity, then you might want to brush up on your geography. I believe our resident geographist and general lover of all things boring, Four, can help you with that. Don't ask me. I've never used a map in my life. Anyway, we have a full day planned, so listen to everything I have to say or you'll probably wind up dead."

The train car is completely silent, except for the groan of the train tracks beneath us.

"Once we reach our jumping point, you'll be split into teams. Each team will have a captain and a flag. The object of today's lesson is, obviously, to capture the opposing team's flag by any means necessary. You'll all be armed, and your accuracy will be tracked. Some," Rylan pauses to quickly glance at Adam and me. "leaders believe this game is too dangerous to be playing this initiation. Security threats, factionless showing up, shots being fired into the dark woods, blah blah blah. No one cares. Dauntless soldiers are fearless. We aren't afraid of Gramps, hobbling through the woods to come find us. So today, we will host the War Games. In broad daylight, in the most peaceful faction of all."

"You're having us play the War Games in Amity?" Aja asks, sounding like he's trying not to laugh. "Are they good with this?"

"Fuck no." Rylan shakes his head in sheer delight. "They abhor violence. But I found a way around this. I personally called Harrison and asked. He told me it was fine, the rest of the faction won't be happy, but most of them have training today. So we won't be destroying their fences or their dome, we'll be in the woods. I have permission to use everything outside the main faction, as well as the water tower as a home base. Your only objective is to defeat the other team. He said to stay out of his gardens, and not to touch the chickens. They're a sore subject for him."

"What are the teams?" I ask, and I'm having a hard time believing he's going to let us do this. I had heard my father and Adam's father flat out refused to have the game held at night, claiming it was a security risk. It was unlike either of them to admit something was too dangerous, which meant something was up. Something Rylan was gleefully ignoring. "Who are the captains? Are you one?"

"Again, no. I already did this, and I won. The entire game. By myself." Rylan grins, and his eyes light up. "The captains will be you, and the other one will be Adam. You'll take turns picking your teams, and I suggest you choose wisely. Adam, your father lost every single time he picked his team, so uh, maybe pick the opposite of who he did."

"Didn't he always pick my mom?" I laugh, because my father loved telling me this story. Four always picked my mom so my dad couldn't, and he always wound up losing because she didn't want to play. My father never failed to find her, and she never failed to hand the flag over to him.

"He did. Because…he's petty and it came back to bite him in the ass. Also, because your mother was mostly interested in your father and not the actual game. Anyway, back to me, I will be around to help with whatever you need, but I will also be scoring you. This exercise will show not only marksmanship, but your ability to fire under pressure, critical thinking, and most importantly, how much bloodlust you really have."

"Are we really shooting each other? Like, you want us to bleed for this flag?" Nikolai sounds horrified, and I have to admit I am curious about this, too.

"I wish. All I could check out was the stun guns. They use a weak version of the old neurostim darts. They'll send you to the ground for two minutes. Boring, but they said Arlene couldn't handle that many bullet wounds, so here we are."

"You sound disappointed," Adam wryly observes, and everyone around him snickers.

"I am. But we shall prevail. Also, if you're chicken shit and think you're sitting this exercise out, Harrison has been working to build his own army and they'll be out there as well. If they find you, they might shoot. I don't know what sort of bullets they have, so if you come to me bleeding, I can only send you to Eden and she only has bandages made of lettuce. So, look alive ladies and gentlemen. May the odds be ever in your favor."

"This is so cool," Aja grins, and beside him, Gunner is just as enthused. "Are we picking teams now?"

"Yep. Since Adam is ranked higher, he picks first."

"Shit, we're really going to be running through the woods, shooting each other?" Nikolai sounds grossed out, and he sighs. "I understand your uh, enthusiasm over this game, and I would bet you're only doing it because Eva was disappointed we weren't, but won't Eric and Four be upset over this? You told that person on the phone we were still in Dauntless. Aren't you worried about being responsible for all of us when they discover we aren't even in the very faction they think we are?"

"My dear, precious Nikolai. I fear nothing, let alone Eric. My only fear of Four comes from the fact that some days, he sits a little too close to me in our meetings. If he's upset that his son must complete an age-old traditional part of initiation, then let him be. He needs something new to sulk over anyway. I'm tired of hearing that he doesn't like the paper straws Jason is making everyone use."

Nikolai looks at Adam, and Adam grins. "Come on, man. It'll be fun. The darts don't even hurt. We already got shot with them when we did the mock version of this exercise."

"He's right," Rylan agrees, and he glances out the window. "Pick your teams. We only have a few minutes."

"Okay, I pick Gunner." Adam easily picks his best and closest friend before he smirks at me, assuming he's about to win this entire game by picking a team of the strongest, fastest, and best initiates.

Joke's on him.

I'd also been trained for this.

"Your turn, Coulter."

I survey the train car, and I'm met with a lot of hopeful stares. I know most of them, but something hits me, and it's the pure want of being on a winning team mixed with the pain of being picked toward the end or maybe thrown on a team that didn't really want you. Adam wasn't exactly known for being approachable, and now, it was clear he wanted to win, and wouldn't be picking the ones who were struggling. I smile back at a few, girls who I sort of know, or had worked out alongside, but they hadn't even tried to say hello because of who I am.

After a few seconds of silence, Rylan nods, encouraging me to go on, and I make up my mind.

"I'll make this easy. I want every girl on my team. Plus Nikolai. Adam can have all the boys. We jump first."

Adam looks at me, not even bothering to hide the grin that tells me he thinks my plan is going to backfire. I smile back, and Rylan's smirk is slow while he tries to figure out what I'm doing. Whatever his conclusion is, he likes it.

"Done. Boys head to Adam, girls plus Nikolai head to Eva. This is already turning out way better than I thought it would."

"Why did you pick Nikolai?" I turn to see Rachel and Pink already by my side, and they step closer as Kat slowly creeps up a few steps, but winds up pushed to the side when Brexley and Brentley shove past her. "Doesn't he want to be on Adam's team?"

"You'll see," I promise, finally meeting Kat's nervous stare. I smile, not as friendly as I normally would, but nice enough that she won't feel like the odd man out during this. "Everyone get ready. I think we're not far away now."

"She's right. Ladies! To the doors!"

Rylan announces the words with sheer excitement, and there's a rush as everyone on my team moves forward.

"You'll jump in exactly one minute. You can hide the flag, keep it on you, or pass it around. Don't forget, the woods are fair game. Water tower is where we'll meet up if you need a break, Dome is where we'll be for lunch. You'll have up to four hours to play, then we'll reconvene to eat. Two hours after lunch if the flag hasn't been captured. If it has been captured, we'll spend some time with Harrison and friends. If you're really good, I'll send you all home early so you can rest up and tell Zander how much better your day was with me."

"Sounds like a plan," I grin, and I move to join my team. I stop behind the wall of girls waiting to jump, and I feel nothing but appreciation that Zander had come down with his man cold. "Tell us when."

"Now!"

Rylan gives us zero time to prepare. He instructs the first girls to jump, and everyone scrambles forward. The train has slowed down enough that it's not a terrifying time to leap, but there's a buzz of excitement anyway. I'm pushed closer by the boys impatiently preparing to jump. I wind up in front of Adam, and his chest bumps my back as he bends down.

"You think you're going to win, don't you?" He says the words lowly in my ear, and I smile. "Really? All girls? You think that's your winning strategy?"

"When I do win, try not to take it so hard. Maybe you'll score higher on the next activity." I turn to grin up at him, and he looks at me in total surprise.

I don't wait for him to say anything else; I follow Brexley as she jumps, and seconds later, my boots hit the damp earth along the train tracks.

"What's the plan? We don't have long before they come after us."

Brexley and Brentley both stare at me, wide eyed with impatience, along with everyone else. I find myself in the middle of our team, surrounded by people waiting for me to make a decision on how this was going to play out. Ironic, since none of us had really played this game before, but also perfect, because I knew all about it.

Despite my father's sudden aversion to the game after he deemed it a security risk, I knew how to play it. He had already told me how to play, general rules, a few tactics on how to ambush the other team, and explained that at the end of the day, the easiest way to win was by playing dirty.

My mother had rolled her eyes when he said this, but when he wasn't looking, she agreed he was right.

He'd won almost every time, and not just because he had the best aim.

"Who wants the flag? Whoever takes it, make that your sole focus of the game. Don't worry about getting shot, we'll keep you covered."

"I'll take it!" Rachel immediately volunteers, and I hand her the fabric Rylan had pushed into my hands while I was lining up. "Who do you think has the flag on Adam's team?"

I mull this over quickly, knowing we don't have long. Rylan had given us a single minute to jump, and we had heard him yelling for Adam's team to get ready as we scrambled to our feet.

"I'm gonna guess Adam. He's determined to win. He won't hand it over because he thinks someone else will lose it." I chew on my lip for second, and I know I'm right. "Let's head into the woods. We can pick the best vantage point from there. They'll follow our footprints but if we stay here long enough, they'll find us."

Everyone, including Kat, nods.

"Alright then. Let's go!"

I'm met with a round of cheerful grins, and it's like they know we'll win. The feeling is good, far better than expected, and there's a rush of vibrant comradery we haven't had before. We take off as a team, heading deep into the looming forest without looking back.

All around us, the woods create a dark canopy, drawing us in deeper and deeper, until the train tracks are completely gone from our sight.

"Can we talk?"

I turn in sheer surprise to find Kat beside me. We'd been out here for a couple hours now, and to my surprise, it was way more fun than I had anticipated. We'd explored the woods quickly, pleased when we found all sorts of wooden structures to hide in; ancient rotting treehouses built for the Amity children, some crappy pens for animals that were no longer brought out here, even some dilapidated barns. At first, I had hesitated in picking this location as a place to hide out. I didn't like the ominous vibe it gave off. There was minimal sunlight in this particular area, and I would bet that's why it wasn't used anymore.

But it offered protection from the other team, so we took it. We divided our group in half; half stayed here to defend our flag, and the other half took off, carefully and silently slipping through the imaginary perimeter we'd set up to shoot anyone who came close.

Another hour passed and we'd managed to take down twelve of the boys from Adam's team. They hobbled away, swearing and snarling in defeat, yelling for someone else to come try. After a few more were shot, they all retreated to regroup, realizing we had the upper hand. By the time I'd sunk down onto the wooden floor of a treehouse I wasn't so sure was safe, I was grateful for the break.

"Sure, what's up?" I stare as Kat gingerly sits down beside me. The wood creaks, somewhat safe for one of us, but probably not both. It has a strange feeling to it, like the wood was permanently damp out here, or maybe I was just cold. "How you've been?"

"Eva, stop. Don't…don't be like that. I came to apologize. I know I've been a total asshole to you. I took out every single thing I was going through on you, because I could. I think I did it because I thought you'd forgive me no matter what I said. But really, I shouldn't have said any of it. I've been trying to figure out how to talk to you about this for days now."

I let her words hang there, and I shrug.

"Eva…"

"You weren't very nice to me. I'm not sure what I ever did to you that made you think I was so terrible." I remind her, feeling a flash of annoyance when I think about all the shit she said to me. I was the first person to agree it was coming from a place of hurt. Panic, maybe. Fear, that not only would she fail, but she'd lose everything.

Including Zander.

It still didn't make it right.

"And my uncle, really? I don't care who you date, but you could have told me it was him."

"I know." She nods, wrapping her arms around her knees. I get no satisfaction in how crappy she looks. Her hair is a mess, she looks run down, and even her uniform seems ill fitting. She smiles feebly, shivering as the wind picks up.

"I don't even know how to explain to you what's happened with Zander. I never told you that I met him before. I ran into him a few times before training." She speaks softly, like she's afraid I'll turn and shove her right out of the tree. "I don't even know how to tell you why I like him. It's just…he's the only person who's ever liked me for me. No one else really cared if I made it or not."

"That's not true! I cared! You just chose not to be around me!" My words are louder than I'd like, and I peer out over the railing, trying to see if anyone was coming near us. "You said I sucked. You said I kept secrets from you and you treated me like garbage. And I still cared if you failed or not!"

"I know, I know. Zander's pointed that out a few times. I know I was wrong. I just didn't want to admit it," she answers miserably, and I glance over at her.

I should be smirking over how upset she looks, but I'm not.

"I don't even care that you're dating him. I asked you a million times where you were and you could have said with him." I tilt my head when I hear a crunching sound, and I squint into the endless woods, trying to see if it's someone from my team or Adam's. "I wouldn't have been that mad. Zander is…he's a nice guy."

"He's really nice. Nicer than anyone I've ever met. I just…do you ever just hope someone cares about you? Like so badly it physically hurts? I'm so afraid he's going to dump me when this is over. He was distraught that you were mad and it still bothers him."

"Let's not brush off how you also felt the need to tell me how terrible Adam and I are." I remind her, rising up onto my knees. "Or have you forgotten that?"

"I didn't mean it. I don't think you're awful together. It just seemed ironic since you swore he never spoke to you. Eva, I didn't mean any of it. I wanted to apologize." Kat's tone is desperate, realizing this won't be as easy as muttering all this at me. She could. Eventually, I'd accept her apology and forget about it. But right now, I wasn't so sure I could trust her.

After all, if I sucked, why would anyone want to be my friend?

"Yeah, well, maybe you meant what you said. Maybe all those things were what you'd been thinking, and you were finally brave enough to say them. Maybe…maybe we aren't meant to stay friends after all this." I answer her, not totally having made up my mind on any of this, but unwilling to forgive her just because she expected me to.

"Eva no! I didn't mean them. I swear!" I glance over to see her face fall, but that's not the only thing that falls. A second later, there's a crack as someone shoots, and she shrieks as they manage to hit her in the arm. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

I don't wait to save her.

Not this time.

I jump down from the treehouse, glancing around frantically. The shot came from the same vantage point we were at, and it could only be one person.

Nikolai.

"I couldn't listen to her yammer on anymore. She's only sorry because once this whole thing is over, she knows you and Adam will go on to be happy. Her future with Zander is up in the air. In fact, it's made him sick if you ask me."

Nikolai talks quickly while we walk. We'd left Kat in the treehouse, groaning that her arm hurt, and he and I walked closer to Amity.

"By the way, thanks for picking me. If I had to listen to Aja talk about how many squats he does on a daily basis, I might have shot everyone on the team myself and shoved the flag down their throats."

"No problem," I grin, carefully stepping over the canyon of boulders. "I know you don't want to play this game, and I know Adam's team is super intense."

"They are. Bunch of raging hormonal boys all excited to shoot at things," Nikolai scoffs, as if he weren't the same age as them. "Not to mention the fact that you freaked them out by picking all girls. While competitive, most are struggling with the idea of shooting the girls they like. They were frantic on the train."

"I figured." I laugh, imagining Aja's struggle if he found out Rachel had the flag.

"I have no desire to listen to Adam bark out orders at everyone. He's not quite the brilliant strategist he thinks he is." Nikolai continues, and we walk further, until one of the barns of Amity comes into view. I had picked Nikolai because I knew he hated this game, but he was an excellent spy. He had a knack for overhearing everything that went on, and people felt compelled to let him in on their deepest secrets. Maybe it was because he seemed older and wiser, or maybe it was because he didn't give a shit, and if he did, it meant he cared.

I also knew he was still reeling from his mother's attack on practically everyone in the faction, and no one else would understand that more than me.

"I bet. Hey, I do need one thing from you, and it's the only thing I'll ask. Who has the flag on their team? You were standing toward the back by them on the train when they were discussing it."

I pause, glancing at Nikolai out of the corner of my eye. I knew it was a long shot. He more than likely knew, but his hatred of this game might be enough to make him keep his mouth shut.

To my delight, he smiles.

Widely.

"Aren't you clever? Well, I'm gonna bet you already know the answer to that question."

He points toward the barn, the large and sun washed structure that technically we weren't supposed to be in and he shrugs.

"Through there, yell if you need anything. I'll keep an eye on things out here. Godspeed, my Captain."

With that, Nikolai mock salutes me, then walks off, looking incredibly relieved to have a break.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? What if you lose? Isn't this going to distract you from the game you think you're winning?"

Adam says the words against my lips, and I smile back sweetly. His nose is cold, and so are his hands.

"Who cares? It's just a game. I just didn't want Rylan to think no one would like it. I felt like this was personal, like he's having us play it because he knew I wanted to." I answer softly, trying to work the buttons of his uniform jacket off. It takes longer than I'd like, because my fingers are cold and so is this barn.

I had found Adam in here, wandering around looking bored out of his skull.

To my surprise, he wasn't with his team, surrounded by his friends or stomping through the woods trying to find us. He looked like he was enjoying a moment of silence and the chance to warm up, and he wasn't expecting anyone to come in here.

He'd turned around to see me standing there smiling, and I gave him the opportunity to shoot. I knew he wouldn't, and I was right. He didn't even reach for his gun; instead, he smiled and asked where my team was. It only took a few minutes of explaining that I was bored with this game before he reached for me and pulled me back onto the piles of hay waiting to be put away.

"How's your team?"

"Lousy. Arguing over how we can take down your team," he mutters, completely distracted by taking my hair out of the ponytail I'd put it in. He yanks it harder when it tangles at the end, then shoves his hands in to grasp the back of my head. "Upset that your team got the better look out spot. Rylan laughed when we told him where your team was."

"Sounds like a bunch of sore losers," I tease, and I laugh when he pulls me onto his lap. He takes a second to adjust us, spreading his legs wider, and his hands move away from me. "Why are you in here? Why aren't you out there with…" I lose my train of thought when he lets go to shrug his jacket off, and he resumes kissing me as his jacket lands beside him. "Gunner."

"Don't talk about Gunner now." Adam ignores me, grasping the fabric of my jacket and trying to yank it off without letting go of me. "Is the flag in your jacket?"

"Rachel has it," I answer, figuring I owe him a second of honesty here. "She's been great. Who knew that our resident French speaking friend had it in her to keep the flag from getting caught?"

"Are you sure you should be telling me this?" Adam stops to look right at me, but he's kidding. His lips turn up and he touches my cheek as he pushes the hair off my face. "You're freezing."

"Well, the woods are cold. I should have dressed warmer." I watch him carefully, and he pulls me back further onto his lap. The position makes me smile, because if anyone walked in, they'd definitely know we weren't focused on the game anymore.

At least Adam wasn't.

"Your father would be very displeased that you only brought one jacket," Adam reminds me, pulling my face closer. My nose bumps against his, and I smirk against his lips.

"Are you gonna be the one to tell him you took it off?"

He laughs against my skin, and for a few warm, lazy minutes, I forget that outside, our teams are still busy milling around, fighting for the flag. I ignore the shrieks of both joy and horror that drift into the barn, and I turn my full attention to him, impatient and focused beneath me. He lingers for just a moment, then groans when he pulls his mouth away to remind me the others will be looking for us soon.

"We don't have very long. Rylan said we had until noon then…"

I cut him off by pressing my lips to his. One of my hands is behind his head, my fingers curled into soft hair while my other rests on his chest. I move it lower, liking the way he holds his breath, and he locks eyes with me when I find the waistband of his pants.

"And then…" I question slowly, and he freezes when my fingers find what they want.

His pocket.

It's awkward given the position we're in, but he sits upright, and I lean back triumphantly.

"I just wanted to thank you," I tell him, and his cheeks are red. Actually, he looks really red now, his skin flushed, and I smile even wider. I can suddenly imagine that look on him in a very different situation, and the idea makes my stomach tighten.

"For what?" he blurts out, and he tries to move me back close to him. "Eva…"

"Rylan! I won!" I yell loudly, and I manage to climb off Adam's lap as his eyes widen. "I have the flag!"

"Are you serious?" Adam jumps to his feet and reaches for his jacket with an urgency that wasn't there before. "SHIT! EVA!"

I watch his expression change. It goes from frustrated, to confused, a flash of annoyance, a flash of impressed realization that I had won the game, and then determination. He stands there for a second, keeping his stare locked on mine, then he takes a very slow step toward me.

"That's cute, but there's no way I'm letting you turn that in. Rylan isn't even here. He's been inside for hours. Said it was too cold out. You'll have to make it all the way to your grandpa's before you can officially claim to have won."

I stare at him, his lips turning into a satisfied smirk while his eyes narrow, and I realize he's right.

I had the flag now, but that didn't mean he'd let me keep it.

Good thing I knew every inch of Amity.

"Eva…"

Adam says my name lowly, but I take off, sprinting out the barn doors, past a waiting Nikolai, completely forgetting my jacket behind.

I don't make it very far.

Adam is just as fast as I am, probably faster, and he does his best to catch up to me as I try to cut through the woods.

"Eva, give me the flag back! That wasn't fair at all!"

I laugh at his words, feeling more arrogant than I should for someone running so fast, with no jacket, through a rough, uneven section of the forest. I turn sharply, hoping he'll slow down since he doesn't know the ground slopes, but I'm the one who stumbles.

My boots catch on a dead tree branch, and I hit the ground harder than expected.

"Fuck."

I shove myself away from the dirt and brush, and I wipe my hands quickly. The cut from before stings, now reopened to a bloody mess, and I groan at the thought that I should probably see Arlene for a bandaid. I push that thought aside, because even though Adam is still a good distance behind me, if I stay here, he'll catch up eventually.

"Shit, the flag." I realize I've dropped it, but I spy the bright yellow a few steps away. I reach for it, stumbling for a second until my fingers touch the worn fabric, then I rise up in triumph.

"EVA COULTER!"

"Over here!" I yell back, and I turn to start running again, thinking it won't take me long to find Rylan.

I can run pretty quick and my grandpa's house is maybe a few minutes from here. But I don't get very far. Anywhere, actually.

Because in front of me, there's someone standing, and it's not Rylan or Adam.

"EVA! Where did you go?"

I glance back over my shoulder, panicking more than I'd like, and I realize Adam has gone a different direction than I had. He'd smartly avoided taking the ravine, but that meant he wasn't as close as I had thought.

"Can I help you?"

I blink at the man before me, just standing there, watching me.

The panic hits harder, worse than the simulation, and very much on par with the one where Adam walked right past me.

"Hello?" I call out, but he doesn't answer. His smile is sickeningly slow as he watches me backing up, trying not to look like I was preparing to turn and run. "Do you need some water?"

It wasn't uncommon to run into someone who was factionless. For the most part, they were usually harmless. A little hungry, and a little irritable over being out in the cold and cast aside. Sometimes desperate, begging for something to eat or drink. They favored the Amity and Abnegation factions because they usually helped without question, and they were smart enough to know that a feigned smile got them more than a nasty sneer.

This man has neither of those expressions.

Only pure and terrifying glee at bumping into me.

"Hey Eva."

He steps closer, into a section of rare opportunistic sunlight, and his face is lit up.

I immediately step back again. My father wouldn't be retreating, but he also wouldn't be standing here, letting this man just wander closer and closer.

"That's your name, isn't it?"

He moves in an unhurried pace. He must know the forest well; he walks without looking, keeping his eyes trained on me.

My boots crunch over a branch, and the snap makes me jump.

"Eva Coulter? From Dauntless? The Eva Coulter?" The man keeps walking, and once again, I don't know his name.

A few days ago, he'd been well dressed. His shirt had been pressed as nicely as Blythe's, and his jacket had been crisp and new. Even his haircut was the same, typical Erudite special, neatly parted and perfectly cut.

He looks different today.

His jacket is worn, a dark color that reminds me of something I'd see around Dauntless, and his hair isn't parted. He smiles, showing all of his teeth, and he keeps his eyes on me.

"I think maybe it's time I formally introduce myself. It seems these …run ins are becoming a thing now."

I keep my stare on him, but I keep stepping back. I mentally remind myself the ground is rising behind me and I'm careful with where I step. I would take off running, but I don't want him to have any advantages over me.

"What do you want? Why were you with Blythe?"

His expression changes; it darkens to a glower of satisfaction, and he shrugs.

"I bet you have lots of questions about her. Unfortunately, you won't be getting any answers today. Neither will anyone else." His eyes flick to the trees, and I try not to look away from him.

The air around me grows absolutely still. There's a slow hum that vibrates through the air. Sort of wiry and electric and it symphonizes with the rustling of the tree leaves. Somewhere, high above me, someone is up in the trees. I glance around quickly, knowing there's a camera or two out here, but before I can figure out where, one falls.

Right out of the tree.

It lands with a heavy thud. It mocks me, the lense cracking from the high fall, the wires roughly cut and ripped apart, and a wheezing groan as the mechanical guts rattle from their fall.

I take another step back, shaking my head. I scan the woods behind him trying to figure out the best route of escape.

"ADAM!"

I call his name again, hoping he's nearby. He'd sounded close before, but I don't know where he is now.

"Adam. Yes, Adam. Where is he? What's Adam's last name? Is it… oh gosh, don't tell me. Let me guess. I'm gonna say his father is none other than the wonderful, unbeatable, absolutely miserable Four."

The man grins again, his lips curling up in delight and I panic at the way his face changes. There's pure malice behind it, and I have a feeling I only have a few more seconds before I need to run.

"Blythe will like that. I had guessed that's who he was but I wasn't entirely sure. Been a long time since I was with Tris. But I figured out you were Eric's daughter right away. You look just like Everly. Same dumb fucking hair that she never bothered to get out of her face, and same tiny frame that'll be easy for me to dispose of."

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

My chest clenches so tightly I almost keel over. This is nothing like the simulation. Even as real as they had been, I knew that at some point, it all stopped, and Zander would be waiting there for me.

This doesn't have that same feeling.

"You know what's funny? I saw all your friends out there, playing this dumb fucking game. I had to play it, too. Then I got to watch when your mom played. Ironically enough, she cheated too. She always thought she was above the rules. I guess once you got into bed with Eric, anything was possible."

"What do you want?"

I step back again, and in the distance, Adam yells my name. To my horror, he sounds further away rather than closer. He yells it again when I don't answer him, and then once more, even louder as the trees rustle again.

"Poor guy. Sounds like he misses you. And really? What do I want? Fuck, you're just as stupid as your mother was. What I want, little Coulter, is you. I had promised Blythe I'd leave you alone, but I guess I'll be the one to tell you. She doesn't want anything to do with you. She just wants to fuck with Everly."

"No," I shake my head, and I wonder if the person in the tree is still there. They're clearly part of this, which means I am trapped. I try to walk faster, at least giving myself the chance to put some distance between me and them. "That's not true. She didn't even say…"

"She doesn't believe you're Eric's daughter. Once we visit her, she'll tell you. Then you and I will really have some fun. We'll see what Eric and Everly are willing to do to get their only child back."

I open my mouth to yell, to scream really, but I don't get a chance.

"Don't stress, Eva. I'll tell you what's gonna happen. Before your friend gets here, we're gonna talk. You and me. Then, when I have what I want, we'll go see Blythe. We'll see what your daddy says about you going missing. Then, if you're good, and your dad agrees to what I want, maybe I'll take you with me. The factionless might like you. They like destroying things that are pretty."

"ADAM!" I scream his name one more time, praying he's close by, and I turn. I turn to run just as he lunges for me, but neither of us actually succeed in our plans.

A shot rings out, loud and explosive, right past me.

"Fuck."

The man crumples to the ground, clutching his head in agony and he writhes in pain. "Fuck you, you…" He barely gets this sentence out before he collapses, but there's no blood. He yanks at his head, the dart lodged perfectly into his temple, and he holds it out in confusion.

"The fuck is this…"

His words slur, right along with my thoughts.

"Eva, RUN!"

The voice behind me yells, and it takes me too long to realize it belongs to Adam. He's running right toward me, his gun drawn, his face steeled into sheer determination and his skin pale. I almost don't recognize him, but he's the one who shot this man, right in the head

"Eva are you okay?" Adam calls out to me, and I retreat from the man's form on the ground. He'd made a few odd noises, probably because the dart was kicking in, but I didn't know what it was doing. I'd never heard of anyone being shot in the head with one, and I wondered if it was making it hard for him to think.

All I knew was the guns caused temporary paralysis, but not for long.

"Yeah, we gotta go! We have to leave now! There's someone in the tree!" I answer Adam louder than I mean to, panicked until I can see he's right in front of me. I reach for him without thinking, without bothering to see if the man is still conscious or if his friend is coming for us, and I grasp Adam by his shirt. I cling onto him, the fabric slipping between my fingers as I rise up until my lips touch his. I kiss him frantically, feeling a sense of grateful desperation for him saving my life and I allow myself a single second of feeling safe despite what had just happened. "Adam…"

"Okay, we have to find someone," Adam answers slowly, and his blue eyes find mine. "Eva, are you sure you're…"

"Yeah, I'm fine. He was just looking for me. He said he was going to take me to see Blythe."

"Did you tell your dad about her? I thought you were going to tell him?" Adam asks, watching as I reluctantly shake my head no.

"I didn't want to. I guess I thought…." I trail off, glancing down at the man a few feet away. He's still groaning, but his eyes have shut. "He knows who we are."

"Shit, you have to tell your dad. Or I have to tell him. Maybe it's your grandma. Maybe she set this up!" Adam speaks quietly, and he pulls me in the direction opposite the man. "Eva, come on. We'll tell Rylan. I don't know how long the tranquilizer lasts. Rylan said two minutes."

"Okay." I let go of him, and my hands shake. The action throws me off, but I ignore it. I glance back, and I notice there's something beside Blythe's friend. "Wait, hold on."

"Eva…" Adam says my name pleadingly, but he follows behind me as I return to where I was. Next to this man lies a vial, larger than expected, full of a light blue liquid. "Eva, do not touch that."

I ignore him.

I crouch down slowly, keeping an eye on my friend as he screws his eyes shut. There's some blood where he ripped the dart from his head, and his breathing has slowed down. I wait for a second to make sure he doesn't move. My fingers touch the vial, a cold, strange glass that hasn't shattered, and I shove it in my pocket.

I don't know what it is. It has the faintest lettering etched into the side, and I have the sickening feeling it was meant to be injected into me.

"Okay, okay, let's find-"

My words die as I feel a hand grab my leg. I react without thinking, kicking away furiously and stomping on his hand as soon as it's away from me. He howls in pain, but it's short lived. He manages to get hold of my arm, pulling me right back down with him. My head bumps his, then something jagged, sharp enough to send a flash of pain through the side. I groan as he reaches for my neck, but I have no plans of dying today.

I shove him away from me, kicking wherever I can and as hard as I can, and luckily for me, I connect with something that hurts enough for him to let go. I faintly register Adam trying to help, but the rest of the shuffle is a blur. I finally wrench away from him when the second shot rings out, this time completely different.

"Mother fucking asshole! I thought Everly already shot you! So did Karl!"

I push my hair out of my eyes and I'm helped to my feet by Adam. He holds me upright, his hands frantically sliding through my hair to figure out where I was bleeding from. He keeps saying my name, but my eyes are glued past him, to the man who also saved my life.

My grandfather.

He's right there, standing a few feet away, holding a gun that is most certainly not loaded with tranquilizers.

"You come here, thinking you'll disrespect my faction. Not on my watch, you lowlife."

He speaks calmly, his face tight with a tension I haven't seen before, and a dark look I don't recognize. He aims the gun right at the man, and he doesn't flinch as he pleads for his life.

"Harrison! NO, NO, NO! Don't kill him! Eric wants him!"

The panic recedes like a wave as I realize it's Rylan yelling, racing through the woods and leaping over a branch like it's nothing. He, too, has a look of panic, this one familiar. It's the same look he had when he realized he'd actually hurt Four's feelings, once, by insulting his hair. The same look he had when my father was really mad at him, or when he and Jason were truly fighting over who my dad liked more.

It was the panicked look of a man who had taken an entire training class out of the faction and dropped them off in the woods then went inside for a leisurely visit with some of the locals rather than watching them.

But just like anyone would think, it's short lived.

"Eva, oh thank God. You're okay!"

He tries to rip me away from Adam, and I somehow haven't even moved. I'm leaning against Adam, and his grip on me is so tight that Rylan frowns, and confusion flashes over his face

"Um, are you okay?"

"No, she's not okay! That guy was going to kill her! She said there's someone else. In the tree." Adam answers before I can, snapping the words at Rylan while Harrison glares from behind him.

"Rylan, I'm going to shoot him. He's not in your jurisdiction. Amity is mine." My grandpa points this out while he raises the gun again, ignoring Rylan furiously pleading with him not to shoot.

"If you kill him, we get no answers! You taught me that!"

"Eva, are you…are you okay?" Adam pulls me back away from the groaning body and Rylan and Harrison arguing. One of his hands is on the side of my head, keeping me pressed close to him. I nod against him, and by the time I can speak, my words are croaky.

"I want to go home."

"Let go of her."

"No."

Adam glares at my father, and my father glares at Adam. There is a silent, emotionally driven stand off as the two men in my life both stand there, asking me to come with them. To be fair, Adam was winning mostly because I was panicking. It was a sickly feeling, one that felt shameful and embarrassing and led me to believe I should have picked Amity instead of Dauntless. I should have picked a life of raising chickens and picking flowers and not one where people wanted to murder me.

Every time I thought I was okay enough to lift my head away from Adam's chest, the world proved I wasn't. My vision tilted, my head throbbed, and I couldn't breathe.

Lucky for me, Adam didn't let go.

He only held on tighter, even when my father showed up. Murderous was a weak description for how he looked. Enraged didn't even cover it, and had I been a little less dizzy, I might have feared for Rylan's safety.

He wasn't even in here. After Adam announced there was someone else in the woods, it was like some strange wave of action started. Men and women from Amity and Dauntless both showed up, and what unfolded was some sort of chaotic, loud, messy battle to see who could find the second person. The ones from Amity were determined to defend their territory, and the soldiers from Dauntless were determined to win, because that's just who they were.

Neither side found anything.

"Eva, I need you to come with me."

My father barks the words at me as though I'm a small child and he fully expects me to listen.

Normally I would.

But he hadn't been there, not when the man had been.

I had learned his name was Jeremy, he had actually worked in Dauntless, but that didn't make things any better.

I shake my head slowly, and my father stares. He kills time by swallowing down whatever he was going to command, and instead he stares at me. Grey eyes wide and unblinking, until my grandmother grasps his hands in hers and instructs him to follow her for some tea.

"I don't want any fucking tea."

He snarls at her, the words and tone normally an offense that would land him in trouble, but my grandmother understands. She shushes him, unafraid of him and his rage, and somehow leads him away from the kitchen.

"Drink the tea, Eric. I have to look at her hand."

Her words send a spark of fear through me, and I wonder what she means. I'd neglected to do anything when I cut it while climbing because it seemed fine. I'd ripped it back open during the fight with Jeremy, but it wasn't as bad as my head.

It was throbbing.

Maybe because I'd hit it while fighting for my life, or maybe it was the stress of what happened.

Or maybe because this was feeling like my fault. Had I just told someone I'd run into Blythe, none of this would have happened.

"You should tell him," Adam half whispers, right as Rylan comes bursting through the door. His look of triumph is dulled only by the fact that he knows my father is mad at him, but he's undeterred. In the woods, he'd announced that finding Jeremy was a good thing.

He'd vanished years ago, and now, he had resurfaced with a plan to get back at my parents.

And Four.

"Is she….Eva you're good, right? I mean, besides the bleeding head and the fact that you look ready to pass out."

I lift my head away from Adam, pleased when the room doesn't tilt or spin and I stare at Rylan. He looks hopeful, almost too optimistic, but still hopeful.

"I'm alright. I'm just freaked out by what happened."

I figure answering him honestly is best now, and I step forward, feeling the chilly air now that I'm away from Adam.

"Rylan, I didn't tell anyone, and I should have, but I saw Blythe in Erudite. Adam and I went the other night, and I bumped into her. That man was with her. I should have told someone, but I thought…I thought maybe she wanted to know who I was."

The hopeful expression falls right off Rylan's face.

"You saw Blythe?"

Rylan steps closer to me, and in this moment, he looks older than I remember him looking. His cheeks aren't as filled out as they once were, and he looks mildly stressed. His hair is a mess, not at all unusual for him, but it's from running through the woods, and he seems taller. More like an actual adult I should be listening to, and less like the Rylan who took me to breakfast and told Four to go away.

"Blythe? You saw…your dad's mom and you didn't tell him?"

His tone makes my heart sink, because I've clearly made a huge error by not telling him.

"I didn't…I didn't think anything of it. She just asked my name and that was it. She didn't tell me who she was." I stare up at Rylan, his grimace darker than I'd like, and shake my head. "Rylan, I'm so sorry. My dad is going to kill me. This is my fault. I didn't tell him and they came after me."

"No, it's not your fault," Rylan's expression turns guilty, and he crushes me against him. His jacket is as rough as my father's, and I can feel him exhaling heavily as he hugs me tightly. "Blythe is a piece of shit person. She tried to hurt your mom over and over again. She even went to some weird, stalker like efforts to get all the dirt on her she could. I don't know how she got hooked up with Jeremy, but they both have some issues."

"I should have told someone," I answer, dimly aware of people filing into my grandmother's kitchen.

"She would have found you regardless. It's my fault- I brought you here. I figured Amity would be the perfect spot. Harrison had his army practicing today, and I wanted you to get to experience the War Games. I just didn't mean the real War Games. It's okay, though. We got Jeremy, and with almost no effort on our part, we'll make him talk. So, in a way, congrats. I think you found whose been fucking with Dauntless. That's more than Four's done all year."

"Rylan!" His words make me smile, and he snorts at his own insult.

He finally lets go of me, and I glance around to find the stare of my father. My mother, also here, looking reasonably upset as she stands next to Jason. Karl, yelling at someone on his phone to hurry up with the other trucks, and of course, Four. He looks like he doesn't know what to do, so he crosses his arms over his chest and sighs when my father elbows past him.

"Eva…"

My father says my name, but I stop him. He's probably mad at me. No, furious. No, so livid that he'll deactivate my entire life, making me work for him so he knows I'm safe. He'll probably make it so I can never leave Dauntless again, all because I had hoped Blythe was a better person than I had heard.

"Before you say anything, I just want you all to know…" I pause, and I turn to look back at Adam. He nods encouragingly, a small smile crossing his lips, and that's all I need.

"I won the War Games. Adam willingly handed the flag over to me."