Chapter Four by Four, only fitting right?

Chapter Four

Tobias

"And I'm telling you one last time, it is not up for negotiation. We have just begun to get our city to somewhat near peace and order. Allowing more guns near the entrance would allow more intimidation to those who want to come here to start a new life as well as anger those who are already weary of our offering." Johanna's voice comes sternly from her office. Her hair drapes over her scar, but the look in her eyes even from this view, I can tell she's not moving.

She's right. More guns. More problems. Still having extra security in certain places wouldn't be completely horrible. The Bureau of Genetic Welfare's memories may have been reset, but there's still GD rebels in the fringe who aren't completely sold on the idea of coming into the city. It just wasn't the Bureau who was involved it was this United States government too.

Johanna ushers the men inside her office away hastily. They look stern and forlorn in their dark uniforms that remind me of the Dauntless capture the flag vests. Then I realize they are former Dauntless. I saw one of them, a large, slightly pudgy man with a blonde buzz cut before in the sparring rooms there. I remember he had a strong right hook that knocked out the teeth of one of the younger guys who got initiated a year before me. He wasn't that approachable by any means.

She looks toward me and motions for me to come. I get up from my plywood desk and knock my knees under the top. The small gold frame picture of Tris and I on our wedding day, falls over. I pick it up and look at it carefully. No cracks. I walk slowly into Johanna's office and see her facing the wide window looking out into the marsh that used to be the lake. I can see the ferris wheel at Navy Pier in the distance gleaming in the sun. As I enter, Johanna turns to me and smiles softly.

"Tobias, how are you this morning?"

I chew the inside of my cheek and sigh casually.

"I'm good. How are you?"

She pulls out the black desk chair and sits down. I reflect her, taking the seat in front of her desk. It is warm on the seat from where the blonde big man and his partners have sat too long. I feel it through my jeans.

"I'm alright. Tired a little. It's almost time for me to meet with some other state representatives. I'm not quite sure what to expect. This all still feels so new."

I nod and say "Understandable. Who are you meeting with?"

"Maxwell Faraday from a…Springfield, Illinois. Also a Candace Burton from Saint Louis, Missouri."

She has to look at her list to see exactly what the places each person is from. I have never heard of either of them.

"I assume our state outreach is progressing?" I say, leaning back in the chair.

"Yes." Johanna says straightening her shirt, then shuffling some envelopes on her desk. They are torn at the top, open and frayed. "We've been finding out a lot. There's so many people out there. So many different experiments being dismantled. People want the truth. Candace says a faction system existed in this Saint Louis as well. There were only three however. They were Probity, much like Candor with a value for honesty, Repudiation, who weren't that unlike Abnegation, and you'll like this one, Intrepidity, they were the fighters and I heard they were even more dauntless than the Dauntless. Apparently their initiation involved jumping off some ruin of a giant metal arch in the sky. Sounds right up your ally, Four."

She grins at me and I laugh. Jumping off a metal arch doesn't sound too far off from something Dauntless would do.

"How's Tris?" she asks warmly. "Enjoying married life?"

"She's good. Wasn't feeling too well this morning. But she seemed okay. Married life…is interesting. But I have no regrets."

Johanna closes her eyes and nods her head with a smile.

"You two. I forget how old you both are. You seem much older than you are. I guess when you've seen the things we've seen, life will do that you."

I nod. So much has happened.

"What about your mother?" Johanna asks quietly. She struggles to keep her tone even. I know her and both of my parents didn't leave on the best of terms. Although I think there's no hard feelings, I know some things are hard to let go of.

"I helped her move into her new place near Union Station last month. Well, Tris and I did. She's doing alright. She's working at the old Erudite research to develop some healing serums there."

Johanna nods softly. She moves her long hair behind her ear, her scar peeking out from underneath the tuck. "And…Marcus?"

"No." I say quickly. She doesn't ask any further. Truthfully, I don't know where my father is. Last I heard he was living near the marsh or something. It wouldn't surprise me if I went to Abnegation and found him living amongst the fringe transfers. Trying to rally them behind him. But Johanna or anyone else wouldn't have that, I'm sure.

"Well I'm glad you're doing okay Tobias. Thank you for all your help here, I appreciate it." Johanna says folding her fingers into each other on top her desk.

"I'm glad to help. Amar is still trying to recruit me to join the police force. I keep telling him, I'm done with violence."

"Understandable. It's only natural I suppose, everywhere knows how well of a fighter you are."

I grimace and say "I'm trying to rid myself of that image."

Johanna chuckles lightly and says "Don't lose it completely. You never know when we may need your skills again."

Her tone is playful, but it is also sends a shudder through me. What scares me is that Johanna may be right. I push the thought out of my mind. Imagining the weight of a gun in my palm, my knuckles splitting open against the jaw of someone, even worse, Eric's sick and taunting grin when I executed him years ago. No. That Tobias, I want no part of anymore. Almost losing Tris made me realize I needed new hobbies. But sometimes, I go to gym rooms in the city and hit the punching bag.

As Johanna prepares to open her mouth again, the doors of the office burst open. I heard a rushed, panicked voice behind me. Johanna's eyebrows furrow together and she sighs sharply.

"What is it now?"

I turn and walk out of with her and see the office all looking toward the doors. Security has someone in their grasp and they're putting up a fight. I feel my hands curl into fists by instinct. It surprises me how easily they come, even after I say I want to put fighting behind me.

As I push through my coworkers and their worried voices, I freeze when I see Christina in the guards clutches. Her eyes are wild and slightly bloodshot and her dark hair is ruffled and sticking up. She grits her teeth and tries to free herself from their grip, her eyes darting back and forth. They land on me and she shouts "Four! Oh Four! Thank God, Four it's Tris!"

My body stiffens and I shout to security hoarsely. "Let her go."

They eye me suspiciously and then each other and then Christina. They let her go and she rushes toward me with something crumpled in her palm.

"What happened?" I say as my heart pounds in my ears. I feel like it will most certainly explode through my chest. My face feels hot and the room seems to grow smaller my vision.

"She's gone! We were at work and—-and— and there was this grenade full of some kind of serum that knocked us out! The entire office was knocked out when I went for help. I went to Amar and Zeke, they're outside, Four you have to come, whoever took her left this note. It has your name on it."

I wanted to think this was some sick joke she was playing, but Christina wasn't the type nor would she kid about something like this. I snatched the note from her and read it. It was only two lines.

Four,

If you want Six back, I suggest you come to the top of the Hancock Building in one hour.

There was no signature and I re-read the letter three times over quickly. I turned to Johanna and she breathed "Go Tobias. Please be safe! I will send for backup to help you."

I turn on my heel and run out the door with Christina down the stairs. The elevator would be much too slow right now.

"Who is Six?" Christina asks as she leaps down two stairs.

"Never mind that, did you get any look at all at the guy's face before you got knocked out?"

"No, I'm sorry!" Christina stammered as she almost tripped on the step.

We burst through the doors of the office building on to the street. Zeke's black police truck was roaring with life. He yelled out the window and said "Get in, c'mon! Amar is gonna meet us there with some of the squad!"

I jumped in the truck bed with Christina and we zoomed off.

Whoever took Tris would make me go back on my promise today. Today I would shoot someone.

Hope you're enjoying reading. The good stuff is on the way!