A/N: So firstly, it's been almost a year since I last updated. Long story short, my drive was erased and I lost this entire story. I was QUITE distraught, especially since I was way too busy to rewrite the unposted chapters from scratch. Thankfully, I got a little time on my hands this week and I finished it up for you guys :) To everyone still following this story, thanks for your patience! Thanks to everyone who PMed and commented in my absence :) And thanks to Bamberlee, my darling Beta :) Hope you enjoy!


Chapter 29

TOBIAS

"Four!" Harrison yells after me again, but I don't turn around and I sure as hell don't stop walking. I don't have time to waste when saving Tris and Andy feels more important than breathing. Reading Dr. Hemming's report on Tris stirred something in me. It feels like fear and anger, wrapped up with the strength I need to get this done. My family can't lose me again, and I can't lose them; I'll do whatever it takes to save them and God help anyone who gets in my way.

I hurriedly make my way through the chaos of armed Dauntless and screaming children. The lights are still off, but I see clearly enough that it doesn't slow me down. I'd say the darkness is in my favour, but everyone is too caught up in what's going on; no one looks directly at me, so I doubt anyone would recognize me anyway.

"Sir!" Someone yells from a corner. When I look to my left I see some of Zeke's men, my men, armed and ready to go. Standing in their ranks are a few others I don't recognize, but if Zeke trusts them then so do I. I run over to them and urge them to quickly follow me before we're spotted by Chad and his men.

When I look up to the ceiling, I see Chad has already played his part, and there are about a dozen of his factionless goons headed toward the roof. They wear Dauntless black, but I can tell they're not Dauntless by the way they move, by the way they hold their weapons. They are a reflection of my crimes against Dauntless, and were it not for the unnecessary attention it would bring to me and my men, I'd shoot them all down this very instant. Either way, I have far more important things to attend to.

"Zeke left this for you, Sir," a woman says to me. She's tall with thick, black hair. I recognize her from Tris' old team. I think her name was Cora. As she passes me the radio she says, "It's an encrypted line, and it connects only to his frequency. Interference from anyone else won't be a problem. But if you do need to speak to someone off this line, we all have our standard issue coms."

"Good. Thank you," I say with a nod, and as I take the radio from her hands, I say, "Let's move."

After making it past the crowd, we head to the lower levels of the building and make our way through the dark, wet tunnels beneath the compound. Most of these were sealed off for security reasons, and I'm the only one who knows my way through the maze of tunnels that weren't. Everyone stays close behind me, and for a few minutes all that can be heard is our footsteps echoing in the darkness. We run faster when we see sunlight, and we come out of the other end of the tunnel to find a truck waiting for us. It looks like it's seen better days, but it'll do.

"Good going, Zeke," I whisper under my breath. "Get in!" I yell to everyone else, and they move without a second thought. I turn the key in the ignition, the engine roars to life, and in less than a second the gas pedal is flat beneath my feet as we speed farther and farther away from the Dauntless compound. I keep an eye out for Derek and his men, though I'm certain they'll have a harder time getting out than we did.

"Bird, come in," I decide to radio Zeke when we're far enough away from the compound.

There's a short wave of static and then, "It's about time. I was getting worried."

I smile at the sound of my best friend's voice and the evident concern I hear in it. "Not to worry, we're on the move," I answer him. "Everything went as planned on our end. Well, most things," I correct myself. "Chad and Harry are on the inside, and Derek decided to lead the attack on Evelyn himself."

"Hmm," Zeke says. "Well that might work out for us. We might need his help capturing Evelyn. She's moved all her forces to one place just like you said she would, but it's a lot for a few men to take on. I guess she decided to spare herself some men."

I sigh. It makes sense that she would. If all her men were part of the attack at Dauntless, she'd be too exposed with no way to defend her position.

"You have a headcount?" I ask Zeke.

"It's at least sixty of them… that I've seen."

I raise an eyebrow. It wouldn't be impossible to take them down without Derek and his team, but we'd have to regroup and be smart about it. Between Zeke's team and mine, Uriah and Christina, it's no more than twenty of us.

"Do you have eyes on Tris and Andy?" I ask cautiously, gripping on to the steering wheel.

"We do," Zeke quickly answers, and only then do I remember to breathe. "Her ankle monitor led us right to her. Me and my men are a little further out where we can't be seen but Uri and Chris are parked outside the building. They've confirmed her position, and they've assured me she's safe. She's with Kate."

I loudly exhale and I feel my heart sink back into position. "Remind me to thank her when this is all over," though a 'Thank you' seems like a harsh understatement. Now more than ever, I'm grateful for Kate's defection from my mother's regime. At the very least, I can do my best to make sure she doesn't suffer for any of the crimes committed by the factionless.

"Will do," Zeke replies sternly. "So when do we call Derek?"

"Oh, don't worry about that," I say with a sudden smirk. "When he and his men realize they've ambushed two empty buildings, he'll find a way to call us. And that's when we let him in on the plan."

"When he's no longer a threat to it."

"Exactly," I nod. "Anyway, I'm about thirty minutes out. I'll radio in when I'm closer."

"We'll be right here, Four. We'll talk when you get here."

"Over and out." I set the radio on the dashboard, and Cora stares at me curiously from the front seat. She then says, "It's Chad, isn't it?"

I only nod, not sure how much I'm to share with her. Although, Tris once trusted Cora with her life, and she is here to help me rescue her.

Cora looks away determinedly, as if she has her own fish to fry with Chad.

"If you want to kill him, you might need to get in line," I say, my voice rough.

She chuckles darkly. "That's fine. I can settle for watching." Seriously, she says, "But you do know that turning Derek against him is going to be a bit difficult, especially given your position."

I huff. "Tell me something I don't know." The way I see it, if two abandoned factionless hideouts aren't proof enough that Chad is our leak, then it makes no sense to try and further reason with Derek. If he refuses to help us capture Evelyn, that's my cue to grab my wife and son and never look back.

The rest of the drive is pretty quiet, aside from the sound of the engine, and the tires speeding through grass and rock. When we're as close as we can get by road, I pull over to the side, and everyone jumps out and gathers their weapons. I then find myself standing in front of a team of five, staring at me, waiting for instructions.

"It's about a mile's walk from this angle," I tell them, and I point toward the bushes. "But it's our best shot at getting close without being seen."

"Yes, Sir," they all nod, ready to move.

And right on cue, Cora's radio begins to sound in her pocket. Even beneath the static I can hear Derek shouting angrily at me. I take the radio from her and prepare to yet again try and convince Derek to believe what I have to say.

"And here we go."


"And you didn't think this was something you could have told me before you sent me on a wild goose chase?!" Derek storms angrily toward me after practically flinging himself out of a speeding truck.

In reality, he volunteered himself to go on a wild goose chase because he wanted to be the hero who captured Evelyn. Instead, I simply say, "Would you have believed me otherwise?"

He's inches away from my face when he growls, "Four, you are treading on incredibly thin ice here. You do not have the luxury of playing games with me!"

"Games seem to be the only thing you understand, Derek," I answer boldly. "You disregard everything I say up until the moment you can't anymore, and you expect me to just offer up Evelyn's informant at the risk of losing my wife?" Taking my gun in my hand I snarl, "No. No, I would not. Now will you make the call or not? Either way, I'm going after Tris now."

Of course Derek didn't take too kindly to the idea that Chad was a traitor, and I wasn't going to waste my time trying to convince him of it. But he did show up in record time after I sent him our coordinates, which just confirms what I already know- Derek will believe whatever is most convenient for him to believe. And I loathe the fact that what he does next determines what I do next.

Derek rolls his eyes and opens his mouth to speak, but I cut him off when I realize I already know what he's going to say. "With all due respect, Derek," I say, "On the drive here, you've had about thirty minutes to think this through. If you decide to be angrier at the role I let you play in all this than you are at the fact that one of your leaders is actually a traitor, and it's not me, then you don't deserve to lead the Dauntless."

Cora folds her arms beside me, and she takes up her gun in her hand and taps it rhythmically against her arm, waiting for an answer from Derek. All the other men follow suit, both his and mine, all ready to charge in there and rescue Tris and Andy.

Derek takes slow, shallow breaths. "Harrison," he finally speaks into his radio.

"I'm listening, Derek," Harry answers only a few seconds later, most likely anxiously anticipating the call.

"Arrest Chad. Lock him up in a secure area," are Derek's orders.

"You got it," Harry doesn't hesitate to say.

Pushing the radio in his pocket, Derek simply says, "Harrison knew? So everyone else knew then?"

"Everyone else who would listen knew," I answer tersely, and I wish to cut him in half. "But this is not the time for that, Derek. Tris now, your ego later."

"Fine, Four. Let's do this your way," he huffs, and he cocks his gun.

"Good," I nod. "Zeke's men are already around the perimeter. They're waiting for our signal. Zeke counted about sixty factionless, so we all go in together. Cora," I turn around to say, "You go after Tris and Andy."

"Yes, Sir."

"Derek, you and me, we get Evelyn."

Derek nods slowly.

"Everyone else," I say a little louder, "Take 'em down." It feels painful when I say it, because I'm part of the reason some of these factionless are about to die. I'm a part of the reason they ever picked up a gun in the first place. Maybe stopping Evelyn isn't enough. Maybe there's no real penance for the damage I caused. Maybe it shouldn't matter that I didn't know what I was doing. Point is, I helped cause this. Truth is, if I were still head of security at Dauntless, and I was the one judging someone like me, who had done the things I'd done, I'm not too sure I'd actually let him go.

"Let's move," Derek yells when I hesitate to.

We move quickly through the bushes and tall trees, stealthily, and quietly eliminating anyone who spots us. It takes about fifteen minutes on foot before we see the wooden structure. It's one of the smaller hideouts, but the most isolated and most difficult to find. It's hidden perfectly between tall trees that block out even the sun.

There are two men standing outside the wire fence, but they don't seem to be too worried about guarding their posts. It will be to their detriment.

"All in position?" I radio Zeke.

"We're a go when you are," he answers. "Chris and Uri are with me."

"Then let's move out," is all I say before the two guards at the post are taken down, both with a bullet to the neck. We charge inside, and we're met with brute force. The sound of yelling and gunfire ring out, but the Dauntless are better, and they immediately take charge of the fight. I don't hesitate to move forward. We need to get to Tris, and we need to find Evelyn.

"Cora! Upstairs!" I yell, and she quickly heads toward the stairs with Christina close behind her who shouts, "Cora, she's on the third floor!"

"Derek, follow me!" I instruct him.

We leave the fight behind us, and we make our way to the chamber where I'm sure my mother has hidden herself. It feels strange, running side by side and to a common end with Derek.

When we finally arrive at the door I kick it open, gun at the ready, and I aim inside the small room. And there she is, waiting for us, shielding herself with two armed guards.

"Tobias!" I hear her yell.

I don't hesitate. I take out her guards before they can think to pull the trigger, and their heavy bodies crash into the ground.

"You came for me," Evelyn has the audacity to mutter and she takes a few careful steps toward me.

"Don't move!" I shout. "I came for my wife and son," I spit at her. "You can rot in hell."

Derek is fast, coming up behind her and restraining her arms behind her back while I hold her at gunpoint. She tries to resist but she's no match for him.

"Tobias, you can't let him take me!" she cries out to me when the handcuffs are slapped around her wrists.

"You deserve worse," I answer.

"I never meant… You're my son. I just wanted you with me," she pleads.

"And what about my son?" I yell angrily. "What about my wife who spent the last five years thinking I was dead?!"

She looks up at me angrily, as if she doesn't deserve to be thrown into the bottom of the ocean.

"Evelyn Eaton, you're under arrest for a shitload of things I can't begin to mention," Derek says to her, and he pushes her to her knees.

"Will you ever forgive me?" Evelyn cries, but her vile tears only make me burn with more anger than before.

"Will I ever get back what you stole from me?" is my answer. "You know, even after bringing you in, I have to stand trial for treason… I might be executed," I confess to her, as though I expect it to hurt her. I lift my shirt to show her the scars there, and she gasps, pressing her hand over her mouth. "Look at what your informant did to me. I almost died."

"No," she cries. "I'll tell them everything! I'll tell them the truth!"

"And you expect them to believe anything you say?!" I yell at her, frustrated even at the end of this mission, because I know how little it changes. "You'll pay for what you've done." And unfortunately, so might I.

"I am your mother!" she screams at me. "Tobias, you can't do this!"

"Just take her out of my sight," I say to Derek when I tire of her voice in my head, and thankfully he obliges me. She is no longer any concern of mine. All I want to do now is make sure my family is safe.

Just as Evelyn is taken outside, I hear footsteps running down the stairs, and I turn around to see Tris coming straight at me with Andy in her arms. Kate and Cora walk behind her.

"Tris!" I cry out, and she crashes into my arms.

"Tobias," she exhales my name into my neck. "I knew you'd find me."

"Always," I say to her, and I bring her lips to meet mine in a brief kiss. "Are you hurt?" I ask, examining both their faces. Evelyn didn't have them for very long, but it was more time than she needed to hurt them. They look tired, but I relax when I see no scratches or bruises.

"No," Tris shakes her head. "Andy kept me safe," she smiles.

Pressed between us, Andy smiles.

"You're so brave, Andy," I smile back at my little boy. I press a tender kiss onto his forehead, and the next thing I know, I'm holding him and squeezing him too hard.

"I knew you were coming, Daddy," he says surely. And then he asks, "Is the bad lady really my grandma?"

I sigh as I run my hands through his hair. "She is," I tell him honestly. "But she's not like Grandma Natalie."

He nods knowingly, and I'm glad that's where his questions stop. I'm not sure how much I want to say right now. I just want to hold them both. I just want time to stop because I'm afraid of what comes next.

Sensing my dismay, Tris takes my face in her hands, and then wraps her arms around me. "We're going to be okay, my love," she whispers in my ear, and I want so badly to believe it.

When we turn around to walk out, I see Kate standing there. I feel my shoulders relax and I pass a small smile to her. "Thank you for protecting my family, Kate. They're all that matters to me."

"Don't mention it," she smiles in return. "Just keep your eyes and ears open. I don't know what else Chad has up his sleeve, but I can promise you he won't go down easy."

I nod. "I'll see it through."

"Tobias…" Tris says warily. "Maybe…" and I know what she's thinking. Maybe this is when we run, maybe this is our last chance to escape together. When the frown on my face becomes evident, she asks, "What's wrong?"

But how do I tell her? How do I tell the love of my life that I deserve to pay for what I've done, even if I don't want to?

Disrupting my thoughts, Derek re-enters the room with an empty pair of handcuffs. "Four," he says, though not unkindly. "It's time."

"Daddy?" Andy whimpers, looking at me with the most confused pair of eyes.

I sigh, and I hold him just a bit tighter. "Daddy's gotta go with Derek now. Okay, Andy?"

Tris closes her eyes for a second, and I can see her fighting back tears when she takes Andy from my arms.

I don't fight Derek when he puts the cuffs on me, and all I hear is Kate's voice saying, "We'll get you out of this, Tobias. One way or another."