Chapter 13
"Do we disable it?" Tobias asks, he's moved in the direction of the tiny camera but doesn't look directly at it. I presume he doesn't want to let on to whoever is watching us that we have discovered it.
"No, I think its best we act as normal as possible. We shouldn't raise any alarms. I probably have already by just being here, but we should keep their curiosity to a minimum" He nods his head in agreement.
I just hope they can't hear us. From my experience in the Control Room, they won't have enough manpower to listen in to every single room. However, that doesn't mean to say they won't be watching over our every move.
"Would you like something to eat?" Tobias asks.
"No, thank you." I smile tentatively and move to sit on the bed. I couldn't possibly eat anything, my stomach is in knots. It suddenly seems like all of the feelings I should have felt during the first stage of the test have overwhelmed me, like an aftershock of an emotional earthquake. My throat tightens and tears prick the back of my eyes.
Tears are seen as a weakness in Dauntless, but I can't help it. Maybe I am weak. I feel personally bullied by a terrifying, power-hungry man who I can imagine will go to the end of the earth to get exactly what he wants. But what does he want from me?
My breath hitches as tears roll their way down my face. The sound that choked its way from my throat alerts Tobias to my emotional state and he immediately stops busying himself in the kitchen and is by my side in a flash.
He sits down on the bed next to me but doesn't wrap his arms around me like he usually would. Instinctively, when I felt this breakdown coming, I moved to the side of the bed in which my back would be facing the camera. For all they know, I'm looking down at the floor lost in my own thoughts.
"Tris, why are you crying?" His tone is soft.
"I'm … scared" There. I said it, I admitted it, finally. I feel better for saying it aloud, setting the words free from being trapped within me.
"I think everybody is." It seems as if he wants to say more, but he stops himself.
"I think Darius is singling me out, but I don't know why." I admit.
"I don't know why Darius is doing any of this."
"Can't you see it, Tobias? He's creating an army. He wants to control everything. Ava told me."
"What does Ava think about this?" My heart tightens when he says her name. God, I hope she's okay. If I thought Darius was singling me out, imagine what he'll do to her.
"She found out his real motives the night before the tests commenced. When she confronted him" words fail me. How do I say this to Tobias of all people? I continue tentatively, "Well, let's just say it didn't go very well for her." I can't meet his gaze, but I can feel it on me.
"Well we all know how I feel about men, if that's what you can even call them, that hurt women." His fists clench and unclench. I know I have set alight a fire within him, putting an end to the test and defeating Darius will have a completely new meaning for him now. It will be personal. I don't know whether this is a good or bad thing, but I guess we will soon find out.
"We have to put an end to this." I say.
"I know, and we will." As simple as that.
We already helped overthrowing one leader, can we really do it again with minimal bloodshed and violence? I'm frightened we won't be as lucky again.
Our conversation has dwindled, no longer knowing what to say about Darius. All we can do now is wait for the second round of testing to commence.
I look up to the clock on the wall. Seconds, minutes, possibly hours go by, the hands moving at their own pace. Telling myself that watching the clock will not stop time, I begin to glance around the room. Tobias rises from the bed and walks across the room to the wardrobe, he reaches for something on the top shelf. What is he looking for? I immediately think he's searching for a weapon he's kept stashed. Panic in my chest blooms when his face lights up as he locates whatever he has been searching for.
He turns to face me.
"Game of cards?" I laugh loudly, it seems inappropriate to do something as trivial as playing cards. But I am drawn to the simplicity of playing a game to take my mind away from the current situation.
We sit on either side of the bed, facing each other. We have halved the pack and we each take turns placing a card in the middle of the bed. Whenever the same suit comes out twice, whoever yells SNAP first, wins all the cards already in the middle. The player with the most cards is in the lead.
Playing with Tobias is difficult, he is prone to cheating. His hand is always hovering near the pile. Sometimes, he leans over to plant a gentle kiss on my lips, and when I am still enthralled in his gaze he places his card down. When he shouts snap and clears up his winnings it completely throws me off. I'm laughing so much my sides hurt.
I am just about to place my card down when the monotone voice crackles, "Tris, please make your way to the Dauntless meeting room for the second round of testing." The locks begin to click on the door. "For anybody who attempts to leave their room while the door is unlocked, there will be consequences."
Tobias looks to the ground, as if they have read his mind. I rise from the bed and make my way over to the door, straightening my back and checking my face in the reflector for any signs that I've been crying. I don't look as bad as I'd expected.
Tobias waits by the door, anxiously chewing at his lip.
"I'll see you soon." The words tumble from my mouth as my lip quivers.
"Be brave, I love you." He plants a gentle kiss on my lips and opens the door. Forever the gentleman, my gentleman.
I turn and leave our apartment, unsure of my fate.
I am waiting in front of the meeting room door to be called to enter. I cannot think of a strategy for this, not when I'm going in blind to their questions. This reminds me of tests at school, my dad, as any Erudite would, always taught me to prepare.
"Fail to prepare and prepare to fail" He said.
I have an immediate urge to begin pacing. I don't want them to see I'm nervous, so I stay stock-still, my face void of any emotion. I clench and un-clench my jaw, satisfying my need to do something.
The door swings wide, Uriah stands in front of me in his Dauntess uniform. Black pants and t-shirt with a leather jacket and large laced-up boots. His eyes are once again dead.
"Come in and take a seat please." He doesn't even look at me like he knows who I am.
The long meeting room table is occupied by three people. To my left is Jack Kang, the representative for Candor. He's wearing a black suit with a white tie, the official uniform for Candor. They wear this because they see the truth as black and white, so that's what they wear.
To my left is Imogen Yates, her platinum blonde hair once again scraped back in a tight ponytail. She wear her impeccable blue suit, indicating which faction she is from.
To the centre, of course, is Darius. He is smiling brightly at me. His thick fingers thrum against the glass meeting table.
"What a pleasure to see you again Tris, please take a seat." He indicates to the chair in front of him, even though each chair other than the ones to be occupied have been removed.
Uriah has closed the door behind me and is now stood in front of it, probably in case I attempt to escape. Like I'd give them the satisfaction.
I take my seat, never breaking eye contact with Darius. I flinch when Uriah moved my hair away from my neck. He holds the needle filled with blue fluid, evidently holding the truth serum, ready as ever to inject it into me. The real Uriah could never do that.
Darius rises quickly and saunters his way around the large meeting table and says, "Please, let me do the honours."
That's when I leap from my seat and grab the needle from Uriah.