Life during a war
Chapter 22: Bureau
I wake up the next morning to find Tobias entering the room with a tray of food in his hands. I sit up in the bed and he places the tray on my lap before sitting next to me.
"Good morning, beautiful." He says.
"Morning, handsome." I reply before kissing him and digging into a croissant. "Aren't you going to eat anything?"
"Oh, I've already eaten. When I was down in the cafeteria." He answers.
"Okay. When are we leaving?" I ask.
"In about an hour and a half. So, I am going to go and meet with Johanna and get the food she's giving us for the trip to the Bureau. I will meet you at the truck at eleven, okay?" He says.
"Okay. See you later." I say.
"Love you." He says.
"Love you, too." I reply, we kiss and he leaves the room. I continue eating my breakfast.
…
It is now five to eleven and Christina and I are heading to the truck.
"So have you thought of any names for the baby?" She asks.
"Why do people keep asking that?" I ask.
"Because you're twenty one weeks pregnant and have to at least come up with a shortlist of names." She answers.
"Well, we haven't really thought of any names, we've been too busy worrying about everything. Also, if we had thought of a name we wouldn't tell you it until after the baby is born." I tell her.
"But why do we have to wait so long?" She whines.
"Because that's what our decision is." I say.
"Whatever. Though, you really should think of some names." She says.
"I know, and we will. We've just been busy." I say.
We arrive at the truck to find everyone, including Johanna, already there.
"Hello Tris, how are you feeling?" Johanna asks me.
"I'm okay thanks." I answer.
"Good. Well, you're all ready to go. Hope everything goes all right for you." She says.
"Thanks. We hope so too." Tobias says before wrapping his arms around my waist.
"Well, have a good trip and I hope you all have a good time. Maybe I will see you soon, who knows? Maybe next time there will be a baby with you as well." Johanna says, winking as she does.
"Yeah." I say.
"Goodbye. I have to go and do some paperwork, now." She says before hugging everyone and walking away.
We all get in the truck, Tobias in the drivers' seat and the rest of us in the back, and we head off to wherever it is we have to go.
…
The world beyond ours is so different, full of roads and dark buildings and collapsing power lines. We would have had to start walking a long time ago but because of my condition Johanna said we could continue driving after the stop sign.
We look around and see railroads, much different to the ones in the City. There are posters, with words I don't understand on them, like 'Coca-Cola' and 'energy drink', etc.
All of a sudden the truck stops moving and Tobias gets out of it, we all do the same, the others getting weapons and me just standing with Tobias who has his own gun in his hands.
There is a truck coming towards us, slightly different to our one, because it is black and much larger than any truck I have ever seen.
It comes to a stop twenty feet away from us and a man and a woman get out of it.
"God." Tobias, Zeke, Tori, Harrison, Bud, Shauna and Hana say at the same time.
"Hello, my name is Zoe. This is Amar." The woman, Zoe, says.
"Amar is dead." Tobias says.
"No, I'm not. Come on, Four." Amar says.
Tobias' face is tight with fear. I don't blame him. It's not everyday someone you care about comes back from the dead.
I wonder if my mother and my father are still alive, I'm hopeful, even though I know it is foolish. I watched them die.
"We work for the same organisation that founded your City, the same organisation that Edith Prior came from. And…" She takes something out of her pocket, a photograph, her eyes find mine in the crowd of people and guns. "I think you should look at this, Tris. "I'll step forward and leave this on the ground, okay." She says, doing as she said she would. Tobias steps forward and picks it up, giving it to me. All I can think is, how does she know my name? My nickname?
I look at the picture, it shows a row of people standing in front of a chain-link fence, their arms slung across one another's shoulders and backs. There is a child version of Zoe and a few people I don't recognise. I am about to ask what the point of me looking at this photograph is when I recognise the young woman with dull blonde hair, tied back, and a wide smile.
My mother. What is my mother doing next to these people?
Something – grief, pain, longing – squeezes my chest.
"There is a lot to explain, but this isn't really the best place to do it. We'd like to take you to our headquarters. It's a short drive from here." Zoe says.
Tobias touches my wrist with his hand that isn't holding his gun and guides the picture closer to his face.
"That's your mother?" He asks me after a few seconds.
I just nod.
"Do you think we should trust them?" Tobias asks.
"We came out here because we wanted to find these people, we have to trust someone, don't we? Or else, we're just driving around in a wasteland, possibly starving to death if we stay out here long enough to run out of food." I answer.
Tobias releases my wrist and lowers his gun, the others follow suit, Christina putting hers down last.
"Wherever we go, we have to be free to leave at any time. Okay?" Christina says.
Zoe places her hand on her chest and says, "You have my word."
I hope, for all of our sakes that her word is worth having.
"Leave your truck here, Amar will come and collect it after we have you settled in." Zoe says.
We nod and follow them to their truck. All getting into the back whilst Amar and Zoe get into the drivers' or passenger's seat at the front.
The truck starts and we head to the Bureau.
Hey Ravens, sorry for the wait.
I will update as soon as I can.
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