JEANINE
The sun on my skin and the wind in my face. Strange things, it is the first time that I really see it.
- Don't get left behind! - Angela yelled.
My mare began to go faster, as if understanding the words of my partner.
Around the south side of Chicago is a kind of desert area. It's not the best scene for ride a horse. The last time, I was twelve, and who taught me is the same woman who is in front of me.
She has taught me many things. I am not mistaken, most likely I would have died ten times longer without Angela. And without the need of a Tori Wu to murder me. Many times she was my psychological support.
Now I have other support, and other reasons for wanting success.
I failed in my "life mission": I don't eliminated the Divergents of Chicago. On the contrary, I am in love with one of them. And if it wasn't little, is a Prior.
My father would have jumped off a cliff.
Angela looked back and said me that we were not far off, and I nodded. I could not stop thinking in Beatrice's face when I said goodbye. The girl for who I lost completely my mind.
Some part of me, the selfish part, wish I'd never known her. This part wished see her as just another stubborn and cocky pure, another of the millions of people who live their empty lives, slowly waiting to die. But it was useless. What happened, it happened. I should be happy that she also loved me. Something in that head was bad enough to make her fall for me.
So I decided I would do the things the right way. Tris was my second chance, and I would not ruin that.
- Thinking about your girl with blue eyes? - Angela asked me with her version of a smile.
I frowned and didn't answer. We were side by side.
- We will do everything possible, and even the impossible to keep your girlfriend safe, you know?
- Her name is Beatrice.
- Funny name for someone so young. That name was fashionable 200 years ago.
- Andrew was always addicted to ancient literature ... and I like her name. But she prefers to be called Tris.
I could not help thinking of her pretty face, her arms crossed in time to say goodbye.
She didn't understand that I couldn't stay doing nothing. If so, I would have to be alone and thinking. Thinking about things I did not wanted. If I couldn't do something, anything, I would go crazy.
I should not have been angry.
I saw, fast as thunder, the flash of fear that went through her eyes. Seeing the fear on her face - fear of me - made me sick like before made me sick to have her locked up like a little lab rat, feeling her eyes full of hatred through the security cameras. I could not bear it.
Her fear hurt me more than her hatred.
At that moment, I felt terrible. I took two steps and kissed her, to show her that I was not angry, and that she should no longer be afraid of me.
Because I was able to do anything for her.
I just hoped she would believe me.
- We're almost there.
- I see nothing. - I replied.
- What I taught you all your life? You need to see, not just look.
The horses stopped.
Angela bent down in a quick jump. To me, it had cost more for the sudden pain in my ribs, but I could down alone.
- I don't see anything. - I said, a little cranky because of the heat.
- We are on the door.
I looked down. A big cover like a sewer was one meter away from us.
- You did an underground base. - I said with surprise.
- Today anyone has a 200 IQ. - she replied sarcastically.
I prefer her horrible jokes.
Angela lifted the lid cement without much effort.
- Blondes first.
...
TRIS
It should be a rule that all powerful lunatics are blondes.
I already had enough with my own girlfriend, to be honest. But David was the exact opposite.
Where Jeanine was cold and poker face, David's face had too many expressions. Bright eyes, hair fixed, and a gentle smile of welcome.
Jeanine warned me that this man would make every effort to be friendly ... to me and to the divergents that accompanied me.
David just looked at Christina, Lynn, and the others non-pure as if they were not there.
- We have waited for this day for 200 years. - he said with a smile.
Tobias looked into his eyes intently, trying to find a chink in his perfect disguise.
- We feared that it never happened, actually. But I knew you would eventually defeat Erudite. It would have been illogical to think otherwise.
- You saw everything. - Tobias said, pointing to the cameras behind the wall. - You could have intervened at any time.
- The Bureau can't intervene under any circumstances. - David answered quickly. - Although we were about to do it when the cameras went out.
- The city is in chaos today. - I said, looking into his eyes. - We stayed a few days under siege by your colleague, Angela.
- Oh, she. - David sighed - No surprise. Yes, I concluded that perhaps she had intervened. Very unwise.
- Yeah. - I agreed - Angela is a bit scary, but she helped to control the chaos in the city after the end of conflict.
- Speaking of which, I'd like to know in detail what happened in their city. You see, the Center isn't used to losing control of the experiments, but this sudden problem with the cameras made us totally blind.
Tobias and I looked at each other like we were in a minefield. Any lapse, any word spoken in the wrong order or in the wrong way would take our plan to the ruin.
- Before reporting such important facts about our town, it would be reasonable that you explain us who you are and what is this place. All we know is what we saw in that video, that doesn't explain much.
My heart raced with fear. David's eyes seemed to be reading my mind. I felt as if he already knew everything and was just playing with us. I repeated to myself in thought that everything was fine and there was no way that he knew about anything. I just hoped I was being a good actress.
- You're right. - David sighed and looked at each of us - Right. Long ago, the United States government ...
- United what? - asked Lynn.
- It is a country - Amar replied - Very large. It has specific borders and own government, and right now we are in the middle of it. We can talk about it later. Go on, sir.
- A few centuries ago, the government of this country was interested in applying certain desirable behaviors in the citizens ...
He started to report in detail the process of genetic manipulation to which the population had undergone and about as, instead of improving, had become the humanity worse.
The report included the Purity War, the irreparable damage caused by it and, finally, the cities-experiment, which aimed to restore humanity to its genetically pure state.
It was extremely hard to pay attention to what he was saying and stamping on my face a surprise that I didn't feel.
More difficult was to do all this looking at the faces of my companions, ensuring that they were acting accordingly.
Overall, we did a good job.
Lynn had a look of pure terror, Christina was frowning and seemed totally incredulous, Tobias was standing as if he were in shock. Caleb looked close to tears.
The others had similar expressions. Eyes on wide, frowning and skeptical faces. Tori maybe decided to imitate Tobias, and also stood still as a statue.
- I'm smart - Caleb said. - So, you're saying that because my ancestors were changed to be smart, I, their descendant, can't be totally compassionate. I and every genetically modified person, we are limited by deficient genes. And the divergents aren't.
- Well, - David said, shrugging - think of it.
- Of course, genes aren't everything. - said Amar - Everyone, pure or damaged, are able to make choices.
So David turned his full attention to me.
- You already know the whole truth, now you could tell me what's going on in Chicago, Beatrice?
I looked at the whole group, which seemed to be struggling to keep on their faces the adequate expression. When I realized that all was well, I turned my eyes to David again.
- I don't know how much you saw. - I started - But I think you know that Dauntless joined to the Factionless to attack the Erudite headquarters and destroy all the information and knowledge they have acquired since the beginning of the Faction System.
- Yeah. - David looked bored - I saw when Jeanine put the Dauntless members under that simulation. A girl threw herself from the abyss ... What was her name?
- Marlene. - Lynn said in a painful whisper - Her name was Marlene.
I turned to look at her, and the sadness in her face made me look away.
- Yes. - David agreed - This was the name.
- The attack occurred. - I continued - The Erudite headquarters was almost completely destroyed. The destruction wasn't higher because of Angela. She ended the conflict and the video was revealed.
- Where is Jeanine Matthews? - David's cold eyes shone with curiosity and I felt a cold chill down my spine.
He was asking about my girlfriend as someone who missed an episode of his favorite show and want to know what happened to one of the characters.
I took a deep breath and looked him in the eye.
- Jeanine is dead. - I said in the most indifferent way that I could. A sharp pain shot through my chest and I struggled to hide.
- I killed her. - Tori said from across the room. She had her big black eyes fixed on me. - It was a kind of justice to my brother. A great honor, indeed.
Her words caused me chills, but I threw her a grateful look. I couldn't talk about it convincingly, and she knew it.
- And now, the city is being governed by Jack Kang and Johanna Reyes, the only leaders who remained able to exercise their leadership. - said Tobias for the first time - They sent us to find out what was in the world outside of the fence while the most serious problems are serviced. There are many dead, wounded, many war criminals in judgment, chaos …
David listened very carefully what we said. He seemed to be deciding if he could to believe in us or not.
I crossed my fingers and asked to any deity that could exist for him to believe. Otherwise, we would be in serious trouble.
I remembered that Jeanine had told me that eye contact was important. I didn't looked away from David.
He smiled reassuringly.
- You must be tired. Tomorrow we can start teaching you our world.
- Just like that? - Tobias asked.
- See at the reality: the city can no longer live alone. It is time to reintegrate them to the world. After all, the number of pure, or divergent, as you say, just has reached the adequate amount. - David looked to his left. - Nita, please show them their rooms.
A brown-haired girl who was watching from her desk came to us with a cautious air. She should be just a few years older than us.
- Follow me, please.
The crowd followed the girl inside the building for the hall on the right. The whole building looked a bit like Erudite, but not so blue. The quantity of colors overwhelmed me. I didn't know how they bear so much imbalance.
Nita took us to a cream colored corridor and Caleb slid to my side.
- Undoubtedly there are cameras everywhere. I'll put one thing in your pocket.
I remained stoic as I felt my brother's hand sliding down my pocket and leaving something.
Caleb stepped forward.
- These are your bedrooms. - Nita said. - Girls in the left, boys in the right, and homosexuals in front.
We looked at her with surprise. She didn't understand for a moment, but then her face tensed.
- Sorry, I forgot how it works in your city. Don't misunderstand me, it isn't for discrimination, is just the way in which we split us. - The poor girl was nervous and red. - Have a good night.
So, Nita disappeared where she came from.
- Poor girl. - Tobias whispered biting his lip with a tight smile.
- Let's go to front, Tris? I can tell you a bedtime story. - Lynn scoffed.
- Before that, I would sleep with the devil. - I replied.
- You already do it. - Will told me laughing, and I punched him in the shoulder
We represented our relaxed performance for the cameras for a few minutes, and then went to sleep. Nobody went to the bedroom in front, of course.
Once I was alone in my bedroom, I sat on the bed. The place was very simple. A bed, a wardrobe, a table, and a bathroom.
I reached into my pocket. The things that Caleb had left were a pair of glasses and a note.
"First, turn off the light, so that the cameras can't see. Then, lie down and put them."
They were similar to those glasses often used by Jeanine. It seemed a toy.
I followed my brother's instructions. I lay in the bed after taking off my clothes, turned off the light, and put the glasses.
Then, everything went black.
...
Don't forget the review :)