Chapter 27

TOBIAS

Terrified out of my mind, I watch as my entire world rushes through the door, and as much as everything inside me wants to chase behind them, I know I can't. I have to stay here and I have to stay calm; there are things I need to take care of at Dauntless to ensure their safety, not only for today, but for the rest of their lives. Whether Tris and I stay or end up leaving Dauntless, I need to make sure Evelyn will never again be a threat to us and our son.

I try to remember to breathe as I hear the screaming outside. As much as I know how this will play out and what I need to do to stop it, the reality of what's at stake weighs heavily on my chest and every single breath is difficult.

The guard holds me at gunpoint and he yells at me to sit still when I swing my legs off the bed. I'm not afraid of him; in fact I'm certain he won't be standing there for too long. Zeke and I had expected the soldiers being placed as my guards were all loyal to Derek. He'd never be able to sleep otherwise. That's why step one of our plan is taking care of the guard and getting me out of the infirmary before Evelyn's men can find me. I suspect they would be on the lookout for me since I know how to stop them. If they're smart, their first manner of business will be to take me out.

On a regular day where I wasn't a week out of surgery, I'd be able to defend myself easily. Taking out this guard would be a piece of cake. He's tall but scrawny, and his hands tremble in front of me. He's nervous- whatever's happening outside is left to his imagination and I can only wonder where it's taking him. I doubt he'd shoot me even if I tried to walk out of here.

Who knows, maybe I still can take him, but needing to save my strength for far more important things, I don't engage and I wait for Zeke's signal.

Just as I'm about to run out of patience, I hear Paula let out a scream just outside the door. I quickly get up off the bed and I stare at the guard and yell, "Something's wrong! We have to help her!"

His eyes open wide when Paula screams again, and he quickly turns and points his weapon toward the door. "Stay here!" he warns me, and he cautiously opens the door, but Zeke and Paula are already waiting for him.

The guard doesn't take more than a step outside the room when Zeke moves in from beside the door and disarms him, twisting his arm behind his back. His gun falls to the floor and he cries out, and tries to fight back, but it's futile. Just then, Paula stabs him in the arm with the longest needle I've ever seen in my life, and she empties the contents of the syringe into his body.

He collapses almost immediately, and Zeke stands over his crumpled form looking satisfied. "That went way better than I expected it to," he says, though he doesn't celebrate like he typically would.

"I know, right?" Paula chuckles, looking rather proud of herself.

"You almost look like you enjoyed that," I say to her as I walk toward them, yet again pleasantly surprised by Paula and her willingness to help break me out of here. I wasn't sure to ask it of her, but Zeke was certain Paula wouldn't hesitate to help us.

I'm far from being a perfect man, but I've realized in the eyes of many Divergent I might as well be. I pray I don't let them down today.

"What can I say? Maybe I have a little Dauntless in me too," Paula says with a shrug and she glances at the syringe in her hand.

"Quite literally," Zeke smiles at her, but it fades as quickly as it had appeared. "But that's it for you. Stay at the front desk and hide. Don't come out until someone finds you. If anyone asks, you didn't see shit."

"You got it," she nods quickly.

"How long will he be down for?" I ask as I kick the guard's skinny, flaccid arm. For a moment I wonder if he's still breathing.

"A couple hours," Paula answers. "I gave him a cocktail."

"Good," I answer, just as Paula bends down and picks up his gun. She passes it to Zeke, but he doesn't take it.

"Keep it," he says. "You might need it. And you," he turns to me looking rather grim, "Put these on." Zeke tosses me a small bag with a T-shirt and a pair of dark pants. "You won't get far walking around in that hospital get-up. Let's hope no one recognizes you on your way to the conference room."

Zeke bends down and hastily removes the guard's jacket off his body. His head swings left and right as he's flipped about like a rag doll, and his arm drops hard onto the floor when the jacket is pulled from under him. He is sure to wake up with a ton of new bruises.

Pressed for time, I start to pull down my pants to get changed. Paula's eyes open a little too wide and she instantly blushes and turns away to walk toward the front desk like Zeke had told her to. I hadn't thought twice about changing in front of her since I'm absolutely sure she was the one sponge bathing me when I was unconscious and when Tris was still locked up. It's easy to forget she's half Abnegation after watching her fearlessly stab a man twice her size in the arm.

"How are you feeling?" Zeke asks me as I pull on the fresh pair of pants, and he entirely ignores the opportunity to make a joke at Paula's expense. I suppose he's just as worked up about this as I am.

"Like it's time to get this done," I answer seriously. I'm not at my best, but I hadn't expected to be. I knew Evelyn would come early. "How many of them are there?"

"A few factionless came in through the emergency doors, but not too many. Not from what I could see… which wasn't much cause all the lights are still out."

"They took out the generator," I shake my head as I pull on the jacket. "But even if they hadn't you wouldn't have seen them. The majority are dressed as Dauntless. This is phase one; infiltrate. Unless Evelyn altered the plan, next they're going to knock out our communications. We need to stop them before they can. And I need to get to the cameras to make sure Tris got out."

Zeke stiffens and then takes a calming breath.

Immediately knowing something is wrong, I freeze.

"What happened?"

"She didn't make it out, Four," he says and his eyes sink a little. "At least not on her own terms."

"What?" I almost choke. "Where is she?!"

"She was taken. So was Andy." He swallows and holds his head. "One of Evelyn's goons was waiting for her by the exit. By the time we realized it, he'd already taken them out of the building."

"Fuck!" I exclaim and I slam my hand into the door post. "Evelyn must have known I would think to use that exit as an escape route. It was the only door I'd decided to leave unmanned in our original plan since hardly anyone knew it was there."

"We'll get them back, Four," Zeke presses his hand firmly into my shoulder. "You and I will continue as planned but Uri and Chris will go after Tris and Andy, and they might even lead me and my men right to Evelyn. But even if they're taken somewhere else, Chris and Uri will be with them every step of the way; we can use Tris' ankle monitor to trace her. Hopefully Evelyn's men don't realize she's wearing it."

I growl a little, remembering what my mother's men did to Tris the last time she was in their custody. Those two had better pray I don't lay eyes on them today, or I will be the last thing they ever see.

"Will they attempt a rescue?"

"Not immediately," Zeke replies. "We weren't counting on Tris being captured so we're going to have to play this by ear. Everything we do depends on where they take her. But Uri and Chris will be in the shadows and we'll be in contact. They'll only reveal their position if Tris and Andy are in immediate danger or when I give them the signal."

I nod, mostly because I need to believe they'll be okay. Nothing else matters if they aren't okay. Saving Dauntless only makes sense if I'm doing it for them. But I'll do my part, trusting our friends will bring them back to me safely.

"My men are ready to head out. The second I catch sight of Evelyn, you and Harry will be the first to know," he continues.

"Good. And Harry and I will deal with Derek and Chad. You said they're already in the conference room?" Part of our plan was getting them to call a meeting, but if they're already there it makes it all a little easier.

"Yeah. They called an emergency meeting because Derek is now ready to take action against the factionless." Zeke rolls his eyes and kicks the guard's limp foot out of frustration.

"All it took was them breaking in and trying to take over our faction," I say angrily, more upset now than ever knowing they have my wife and son, and this only happened because Derek is an arrogant fool playing a child's game.

"Well that's as far as they'll get," Zeke growls. "Evelyn's going down. And after Tris and Andy are secure, I'll be waiting for you on the other side."

Zeke stares me in the eye and the unmistakeable loyalty in his reminds me that despite all that is happening, I'm not in this fight alone. Truthfully I never was. Even when I was gone, the loyalty of my friends never wavered for a moment. I can't help but say, "Thank you, Zeke. I feel like I owe you so much."

"Well this plan doesn't work without you, Four," he smiles a little. "Don't give me all the credit."

"It's not just that," I shake my head. "It's everything. Thank you for looking out for my family… long after I was gone."

"You don't owe me anything, brother," he answers softly, and his face takes on the kind of seriousness that's rare for someone like him. "They're my family too, and we'll get them back. Now you go deal with Derek and Chad. Harry's waiting for you."

I smile ever so slightly. Then, with resolve, I begin to make my way out of the infirmary and I walk faster than I ever have during the past few days. With all the uncertainty in the air, one thing I know for sure and it's that I will stop at nothing to save and protect my family.

"Be careful, Four," Zeke yells behind me.

"You too," I say back. "Just let me know when you've found Evelyn or Tris and I'll be there."

"You got it."


If someone would have told me a week ago that today I'd be strong enough to march through the halls of Dauntless, I'd have called them a liar. But that was before I found out Dr. Watson had jumped through several hoops to acquire the special bags of blue medicine he was administering to me, and that he'd stop at nothing to guarantee my recovery. I was grateful the very second I came to know, and I'm even more grateful now knowing I might have to hunt down my mother and rip my family away from her.

I push past the frightened Dauntless, and so far, aside from the lights being out, nothing or no one seems out of place. But I know better than to let down my guard, especially since Evelyn most likely made certain changes to her master plan, taking into account I'm no longer on her side.

I move quickly, needing to not be recognized by anyone, Dauntless or factionless.

Finally arriving at my destination, I push the doors open like a mad-man and I storm into the conference room, not giving the guards at the front a chance to stop me. Derek immediately stands to his feet at the sight of me, Chad's eyes open wide, and from the corner of my eye I see Harrison release the slightest breath of relief.

"We're still wasting time with pointless meetings I see?" I say as I walk up to the table where the three of them sit.

Absolutely nothing has changed about this room; it even smells the same. It triggers so many memories, both good and bad. I glance at the corner of the room where Max was detained and I almost hear him yelling in my head. Then I glance at the spot on the table where I had pressed Tris' bare back as I slammed myself inside her after a meeting just like this one. The moaning on her lips I hear quite well.

"Who let you out?" Derek snaps at me, standing in the position where I once stood.

"I did," I answer firmly. "I heard you were finally taking the factionless threat seriously. I wouldn't miss this meeting for the world."

"Four, you are to return to the infirmary immediately," Derek says in the most commanding tone he can muster, as if I would ever listen to him. He presses his hands into the table. "If you don't, you'll be taken into custody and put behind bars."

"If I do, then we're all dead. How does that sound?"

"They took a few lights out," Chad chips in uninvited and unwanted, seemingly unaware that I know he's working with Evelyn. "Whatever they're doing, I'm sure it won't end in our demise."

"Oh, it absolutely will," I assure them. "Unless you all shut up and listen to what I've been saying from the very beginning. But you do have a choice, Derek," I say, staring at him from the other side of the table. "Now that Evelyn has my wife and son, that changes things. Should you choose to continue taking my advice lightly, then Evelyn can demolish the place if she likes. I'm going to do what I have to do to get my family back, with or without your help."

"You're not leaving this building," Derek snarls at me, still standing at the table. "We've already been informed of Tris' capture. Chad has set up a team to find Tris and they'll head out as soon as this meeting is over."

I'm sure I audibly gasp. "Really? You really trust Chad with her life, Derek?" I almost laugh, only able to find the humour in it all knowing Uriah and Christina will do all they can to ensure Tris and Andy's safety. "I expected better from you." And that's not even a lie. I'd assumed Derek would send his best men after Tris, unquestionably grasping at the opportunity to be her hero.

"I am more than capable of carrying out a simple rescue mission," Chad spits, and his face twists into the most hideous scowl.

"You sure about that? Cause your track record says otherwise. I think Tris has a far better chance of escaping on her own before you ever find her," I snap at him. Traitor or not, he's a pig-headed imbecile and he wouldn't be able to rescue Tris even if he were actually trying to. "And if you're supposed to be finding her, why are you sitting in here?"

"Why are you here? You are part of an active investigation, and we have this under control, Four," Derek says with a little anger in his tone.

"No, you don't," I shake my head at him. "You don't have a clue what's happening and this is just the beginning. This isn't just lights and generators going out. This is phase one of their attack- penetrating the compound and planting people inside. While all our security doors opened, countless factionless men and women walked right into our compound dressed in Dauntless attire."

"What?" Derek's jaw drops a little.

"They're inside," I warn him. "They'll go for our cameras next, and then our communications system, and then we'll be sitting ducks as they lock us underground. We'll be cut off from the rest of the city with nowhere to run."

"How do they expect to pull that off?"

"How do you expect to stop them if you can't tell them apart from your own men?" My eyes square in on his, and I see when he begins to understand, though unwillingly.

"Assuming this is even true, we'll find a way to flush them out," Chad answers stupidly. "We have a record of every Dauntless member living in the compound. I think it's safe to assume whoever is not on that list is not one of us."

Derek turns to look at Chad who is sitting on his left. "So we're supposed to round everybody up in the middle of this chaos? We don't have enough time for that."

"We surely don't," Harrison finally decides to input, having waited for Derek to at least begin to come to his senses. "I've heard enough. I say we listen to Four, or we risk losing our faction to these assholes."

I nod at the same time Derek shakes his head and says to me, "I can't let you be a part of this, Four."

"Derek, he knows what they're planning to do. It's the only way to stop it!" Harrison insists from his seat.

"I know you're his friend," Derek turns to his right this time, "and I know you're his kid's Godfather. But you're a leader of Dauntless first and justice should be your primary concern. We can't have someone who is to be on trial for treason aid in stopping an attack he most likely orchestrated himself. He needs to be put away until we can end this."

"And then what do you suggest we do? What's your plan, Derek?" Harry asks, crossing his arms.

"We'll secure the cameras and go over the footage. We'll mark their faces, we'll find them, and we'll engage. We'll get our best men on top of it, because if Four is telling the truth, they've spent the last five years training and preparing for this."

"Which is exactly why we need him to help us!" Harry pushes himself to his feet.

"To help us mitigate a situation he caused?" Chad blurts out. He scratches his eyebrow piercing and leans back into his chair. "That's rather trusting. How do we even know he isn't still on their side?"

It takes everything in me to maintain composure, because all I want to do is stab Chad in the neck and watch him bleed out on the floor, though I'd settle for beating the eagle on his face until it was unrecognizable.

"Hasn't he been telling you that Evelyn was going to attack? You chose to not listen!" Harry argues. "Just like you chose not to listen when I told you the factionless were plotting something. We could have been preparing this entire time."

Becoming entirely impatient, I almost yell, "Every second you waste questioning me, is another second Evelyn has my family. And if she hurts them in any way," I glance from Derek to Chad, "neither of you will see another day."

"Are you really threatening us?" Chad scowls at me.

Completely fed up with his bullshit, I walk up to his chair and stand over him. I see the fear in his eyes and I see when he tries to swallow it down. I remember him from his initiation. He was even more of a coward then than he is now, preying on the weak, trying to cheat himself to the top. He was the first initiate in a long time I wished I could send off to the factionless. I don't know what Derek ever saw in him.

"I trained them just as I trained Dauntless' best soldiers," I growl at him. "I know you don't know me well, Kid, so I'm going to warn you. Don't test me, because even at half strength and with my hands cuffed behind my back, I can still kill you. And that's not a threat, that's a promise. So watch yourself."

"Easy," Derek says, having come to stand between me and Chad at some point or the other.

"What's it going to be, Derek?" I ask him one last time, ready and willing to take my leave of this place. If I have to choose between saving my family or saving Dauntless, they can kiss their faction goodbye.

He swallows and he spends a few seconds contemplating before he softly says, "I'm listening."

"Yes!" Harry claps enthusiastically and he abandons his spot by the table to join us where we stand. "How do we stop them, Four?"

Chad stays in his seat, trying his best to not look nervous. He fails.

"It's not foolproof, but there might be a way we can outsmart them," I begin. "The ones on the inside won't do anything without orders because they're outnumbered and their success heavily depends on them taking control of our surveillance and communications, but they're trained in combat so it wouldn't be wise to just engage. What we need to do, instead of swatting at individual bees, is heavily guard our systems while we go after the queen. Once you have her, the rest will retreat."

"How can you be so sure?" Derek asks.

"She's sold them a dream," I answer him. "But that dream dies with her. Without Evelyn in the picture, they're disorganized and loyal only to themselves. They'll jump ship the second they hear she's been captured," I reveal my mother's army's greatest weakness. "However, she also knows this, which is why she wouldn't think twice to sacrifice them if that's what it came to."

"What do you mean?" Chad raises an eyebrow.

"I mean we need to keep control of the situation, because the second we lose it, it's over. Evelyn's going to level the place if she even senses things are going south; the roof is probably already lined with explosives, so we need to let her think everything is going as planned."

Chad begins to sweat, just as I expected him to. Evelyn doesn't intend to blow up the building she is trying to commandeer, but it's important he believes that. I'm certain he will find a way to contact her from down here, and as long as he is trapped in the compound, he will tell her exactly what I need him to- everything is under control. That is, unless he's willing to die for her cause, and I'm betting that Chad isn't willing to die for anyone or anything.

"So we go after Evelyn and we bring her in," Harrison says questioningly, as if it's the first time he's hearing this plan.

"Can we do that?" Chad inquires. "She's not a member of our faction. She can't stand trial here."

"No, but we are in charge of this city's safety and Evelyn is a threat to that. We can detain her and keep her as a prisoner for as long as we'd like. It's not like any of the other factions would question it."

Harrison nods. "How do we get her?"

"I know where she is and I know where she's headed," I quickly reply. "I doubt she'd deviate from the original plan since certain hideouts are far easier to defend. But I know the ins and outs, and if I take fifty soldiers I can corner her."

Chad listens attentively as I describe the two locations where Evelyn is most likely to be found, making sure he is able to relay this information to her at his earliest convenience. More than anything, I know for a fact this will force her to abandon her chosen hideouts, fleeing to the one place where she doesn't expect us to go looking for her, the place where Zeke and his men will be patiently waiting.

"How would you get fifty men out of the compound?" Chad's voice trembles a little when he speaks.

"The roof," I lie, hoping he'll divert the factionless to the top of the compound while I lead my men out through one of the tunnels on the bottom floor.

"I think I should be the one to lead the attack," Chad scoffs. "We can't trust you to bring in your own mother." Maybe he is clever after all. Him leading the attack would ensure he gets out of the compound. But I can't have that. I'd kill him first.

"You are entirely unprepared to lead such an attack," I say plainly. "I trained these men, all of them. If anyone knows how to win this war, it's me."

"Four, I'm sure you know what you're doing," Derek interjects, "But you're in no position to lead this attack either. You said it yourself, you're at half strength. And as much as we appreciate your input, you're not leaving this compound." He walks around the table and returns to his seat.

Chad looks smug and satisfied for a brief moment, all up until Derek says, "I'm leading the attack. Just tell me everything you know and I'll get it done."

"Okay," I happily agree. That will keep him out of my way. "The only thing I can't tell you is who is leading their army now. With me gone and my old second dead, it could be anyone."

When Chad looks up at me curiously, I realize he knows I'm talking about Tony. He must know him somehow.

"Doesn't matter," Derek answers. "Once we find them, it's over."

"And Tris and Andy?" I remind him. "You can't seriously believe Chad is the best person for the job."

"Let me go after Tris," Harry says firmly, "I mean, I honestly doubt she'd believe Chad was there to rescue her. All things considered, she wouldn't let him within twenty feet of Andy."

Chad's eyes open wide, and I hold my breath, waiting for Derek to agree.

"No," he disappoints me. "I need you here, Harrison. If I lead the attack to capture Evelyn, I need to make sure everything is under control in Dauntless. And that goes for you too, Chad," he adds to my surprise.

"But I-"

"Let me go after my wife and son, Derek," I say sincerely, not caring to let Chad finish his sentence. "Don't gamble with their lives because you underestimate Evelyn. Unlike anybody else you should choose to send, you know I'll find them no matter what." I play on his own feelings for Tris, knowing as egotistical as he might be, he won't put her life on the line.

"You'll find them and run!" Chad blurts out.

"Your men can arrest me after," I say levelly, looking only at Derek. "I won't fight them. You have my word. All I care about is their safety."

Harry raises an eyebrow at me, knowing full well I might not be able to keep my word today. If Evelyn isn't found and there's no way to prove my innocence, Dauntless will never see me or my family again.

I can tell Derek is conflicted, struggling between the two things he wants most- keeping me captured and saving Tris. My heart skips a beat when he points a rigid finger at me and says, "If you run, you better pray I never find you."

"You're not seriously considering letting him go," Chad squeals. "Derek!" He throws an arm in the air.

"Harrison, you're in charge until I get back," Derek ignores the childish cries of his pathetic protégé. "Be sure the factionless get nowhere near our communications and surveillance systems."

"You got it," Harry nods.

"You're taking five men with you, Four," Derek strongly adds, holding an open hand in the air. "The second Tris and Andy are safe, you will be detained. Don't you dare forget you're still under investigation. This changes nothing."

I nod, yet again strangely relieved that a man I abhor is undeniably in love with my wife.

Meanwhile, upset he'll be stuck inside a compound he believes is rigged to explode, Chad practically pushes his chair from under him and storms out of the room. Little does he know he's lived to die another day.

Derek slowly walks over to me and leans into me a little. "You'd give up your own mother for the greater good… but you refuse to give up your wife for her own good. Interesting," he says, and he sizes me up.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Scoffing, Derek pulls an envelope from his pocket. It's stamped with the seal of some Erudite medical facility. He gives it to me and says, "See for yourself."

I'm hesitant to open it, but given that he probably won't leave until I do, I take the letter out of the envelope and slowly unfold it.

It's a casual greeting from Dr. Hemmings, followed by several comments on the official report of Tris' evaluation.

"Plot twist," Derek says darkly. "You really are toxic to her. You somehow managed to convince the strongest woman I know that she can't live without you." He brushes past me and doesn't look back as he walks through the door, and I'm left standing there with a piece of paper that says my wife has been hanging on a fragile thread since I've been gone, and it would really be in her best interest to seek therapy.

I want to run behind him and hit him in the face, even though it would change nothing.

"What the fuck is that?" Harry asks me. He and I are left alone in the room.

"Dr. Hemmings' personal thoughts on Tris' psych eval."

"He probably typed that up himself, Four," Harry sighs.

"No," I almost whisper, looking at the official seal on the letter and remembering all Shauna and Christina had said. "He didn't need to."

Harry's eyes soften, but before he can say anything, I find my legs and begin to make my way out of the room.

"Four-" he yells behind me.

"I'm going after my family."