Thank you all for your reviews, and please keep them coming! I'm sorry for the delay in posting a new chapter. Work and family life have been pretty busy (I'm a bit older than most here, lol) and I was less sure of where I was going with this chapter than others. I promise more Four-Tris soon, though, an ultimately a happy ending.
I don't want to believe Matthew. I don't want a new enemy or a new fight, and long for the quiet, simple happiness that seemed possible, just a few minutes earlier. I stare at him wide-eyed for a moment as endless questions flood my mind.
Right now, though, I need to know that Tris is safe. I pivot and bolt back down the hospital corridor to her room. Matthew runs with me. We sigh nearly in unison, relieved to see that she's still there, and still breathing well and sleeping peacefully.
"I know how to get the tubes out of Tris' arms. I'll get her ready to go," begins Matthew, anxiously. "You can go tell Cara, Christina and the others.."
"I'll take care of Tris," I interrupt forcefully, unwilling to let her out of my sight. "But I need some quick answers first..."
To our shock, a balding, middle-aged man suddenly steps out from behind Tris' door.
"I believe that I can provide you all the answers you need, Four," he says directly to me, as he extends his hand with a droll smile. "I'm Alan Cerberus - better known as Cerb, but even better known among some as 'Matthew's supervisor,' apparently."
Matthew and I stare at him, dazed, for a moment. My head literally hurts from the questions filling it. When did he get into Tris' room? Why haven't I met him before? Two facts are obvious from his greeting: He knows who I am, likely from watching years of live video feed from Dauntless, and he has not been reset.
Despite his outward amiability, those facts plus Matthew's warning makes me even warier than normal. Also, lack of sleep and sustenance I do not accept his hand, which he finally lowers.
"Let's cut to the chase,then," he says, his smile fading quickly to a cool, business-like gaze. "I respect a man who feels that trust needs to be earned."
Something about his beady-eyed gaze that makes me feel like he's looking through rather than at me.
"You need to know first that I don't wish to hurt either of you, Tris or your other friends who I suspect were also involved with resetting the Bureau..."
"Cerb...I'm sorry," blurts Matthew, looking panicked, only to be abruptly cut off by Cerb, shaking his head.
"I think I understand your reasons for the resetting, and for not confiding in me beforehand, Matthew," said Cerb, with a thin smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "After all, as head scientist here, I've been an obedient soldier to David and to the Genetically Pure agenda for much of my Adult life - certainly for the years you've known me. However, what you don't know is that my acceptance of the entire concept has been at the surface, only."
I glance at Matthew out of the corner of my eye. He looks calmer, and not all together shocked.
"For years, I've quietly presented research to David and others that clearly demonstrates major flaws in our initiative. I've continually recommended a very different approach to undoing our mistakes of the past," continued Cerb, moving to seat himself in the worn armchair at Tris' side, and within an arm's reach of her.
He looks as me for a reaction. I fight to keep my expression neutral, out of instinct, but silently move to stand at the chair's side, equally close to Tris, which forces him to strain his neck as he looks up at me to speak. This makes him chuckle lightly, but he doesn't budge from the chair.
When he finally shifts his gaze from me to Matthew, I glance quickly at Tris. She hasn't shifted her position, her eyes remain closed, and her breathing remains slow and steady, as if she's still sleeping deeply. I know she isn't, though - I've watched her sleep enough to know when she's faking. I focus on keeping a poker face as Cerb continues.
"For years, David told me that it just wasn't the right time, because of political difficulties, to introduce my findings. He allowed me to continue research covertly, with the promise of his support - when the time was right - in exchange for my continued work on serums on correct genetic damage," he says, with anger now evident beneath his calm and amiable veneer.
"I recently learned that he was only placating me. I was a fool to ever think otherwise. After all, why would he ever present evidence that his life's work was, in fact, based on utter garbage?" he continues, his voice literally shaking with disgust. "While I generally find the practice of resetting to be reprehensible...well, let's just say that I can appreciate your choice to reset hundreds at the Bureau in order to prevent the resetting of thousands in Chicago."
"However," he continues with a droll smile at Matthew, "I am rather glad that I correctly guessed you were up to something, and left the compound at the right time."
He folds his hands neatly in his lap, and gazes primly at both of us.
"No - I have no desire to harm any of you. However - if others here ever get their hands on the recording that I found on David's corpse - well, that could be a different story. Especially for Tris, since it's clear that she planned to sacrifice herself to reset the Bureau before her brother heroically pushed her aside."
I feel my chest tightening in denial.
"That isn't true! It was always going to be Caleb," I say, trying to keep my voice calm. "She wouldn't have..."
My voice drifts off on its own, though, as I realize she would have. Of course she would have. Regardless of everything else, he was her brother, and Tris...
I tighten my fists into balls at my sides to keep from exploding as I recall the times she's recklessly risked her life, and our promises to each other since then. Had she always planned to go instead of Caleb? Was our last night together meant to be an ending, rather than the new start we spoke of so hopefully, in the atrium? I glance painfully at Tris, desperately hoping for answers that I know she can't give me now, as she's still wisely pretending to be asleep.
Matthew is silent and he know? Cerb, on the other hand, raises an eyebrow at me with great interest.
"That is what happened, I assure you. And I have the proof."
Matthew runs a hand through his hair, and asks, "And the memory and death serums? You have them, as well?"
"Of course," says Cerb.