My entire body goes cold like someone replaced all the blood in my circulatory system with ice cold water. The thought of a serial killer in Dauntless is bad enough but two serial killers. I know my name is on the shrinking list of potential targets but that isn't what I fear most. The name of the person I love most in this world is also on that same list. I can't let myself think of someone hurting him. Hurting him would hurt me and killing him ... killing him would kill me.
"What can we do?" I ask, putting my good hand on his shoulder. He returns his tired eyes to mine and lies his hand on my thigh.
"I'm not sure. I've actually been thinking about adding more leaders but I would have to trust them implicitly, and there aren't many people here in Dauntless I trust even a little, especially now."
"What can I do, Tobias?" I ask. There has to be something I can do.
"You can stay safe," he says leaning over and placing his lips lightly to mine. Too soon he pulls away. "I don't want you to go anywhere alone. In fact, I don't want you here alone either." I shouldn't need a babysitter at 16 years old but I understand his fears, they're the same as mine.
"I don't want you alone either. What about the others on the list, Tobias. We need to warn them somehow. They aren't safe. What if we talk to Daniel or Hana to see if we can get them to confirm they're Divergent? I don't know if proving the names on the list have a commonality will help us or not but we need to do something before someone else gets hurt or worse." He gently pulls me into his arms, ever aware of my injuries. I lie my head against his chest trying to ignore the throbbing in the shoulder lying against his muscled body. "Do you have to go to work today?" Part of me doesn't want to give up time with him, but I know the fact a Dauntless member was killed trumps my selfish feelings.
"I think I need to get my face out in front of people to let them know I'm still here even if it's just for a few hours. I don't think the timing of this attack is a coincidence, Tris," he says, anger sounding in his voice. "I think they took advantage of your accident and our absence to make their move. They are smart, too smart and dangerous. That's a deadly combination." I shiver. "I'll make breakfast. Why don't you give Christina a call and give her a heads up. I don't want any of our friends going anywhere alone either. They could be targeted simply because of their association with us."
I call Christina and give her the unfortunate news about Ivy. I then ask her to have Will walk with her when she comes over later. I also ask her to relay to the rest of the table that it's best not to go anywhere alone for the immediate future. I try to downplay the danger but I'm scared for my friends and especially for Tobias.
He serves me blueberry pancakes with whipped cream this morning, and I eat them, barely registering the taste. The last thing I remember eating was yesterday morning's breakfast. I make a vow to myself to try my best to stay awake today. I take the anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers Tobias brings me with a glass of water but I refuse the pain pill. He tries to talk me into it but right now the pain isn't bad. I promise him if the pain increases I'll take one.
After he's done with breakfast, he excuses himself and goes upstairs to get ready for work. I lounge on the couch trying to read the book I was reading before my accident but I don't get past the first page thinking about all that's happened in the past week. This isn't the first time this week I've wondered why my hero left without giving anyone his name. Didn't he think I would want to thank him properly? Plus why does he look so much like my brother right down to their matching eyes. I've kept this information to myself, although I'm not sure why. I guess I feel once I see him in person again he won't resemble my family as much as I think he does. Soon a loud knock at the door brings me out of my reverie. I try to get up to answer the door but Tobias comes bounding down the stairs to do it. He opens the door to find Will and Christina.
"Come in," he says to them. He steps aside and lets them enter then closes and locks the door behind them. "Sit down. I've made an important decision, and it's going to impact you directly, Will," he says. He sits down next to me, turning his body slightly to face Will. Will has a reserved and somewhat shocked look on his face. Although he's one of my best friends, I don't think he and Tobias have had more than two conversations in the time we've all known each other.
"What is this about, Four?" Will asks.
"I take it Christina told you about the death we had in Dauntless last night?" Will nods. "We found out it's directly related to the assault on Daniel Parks that happened the week Tori, Tris, and I became leaders." Will, Christina, and I all gasp at Tobias' statement, me because I cannot believe he just told them a very sensitive secret and them because of pure shock. "Before I explain everything to you and Christina, I need to know I can trust you, Will." He pauses for a moment to let the statement sink in. "I need to know if I put my faith in you, you won't break that trust. You have to know what's holding me back."
"Erudite ... I was Erudite," Will says shakily.
"That's exactly right. After what happened with Erudite trying to take over Abnegation and enlisting our old leaders to make it happen, how can I trust that faction, and you were born into that faction. I need to know where your loyalties lie." Tobias gets up and starts pacing back and forth. I wish I could get up and go to him but I'm trapped where I sit by my stupid ankle.
"I'm loyal to Dauntless, Four. The moment I cut my hand at the Choosing Ceremony and let my blood drip onto the sizzling coals, I cut ties with Erudite," Will says. "There's a small part of me that will always carry what I learned from my old faction with me like I'm sure all transfers would tell you, if they felt they could be honest, but I would die for Dauntless." Tobias stops pacing and looks at Will. The minutes tick by then he sits back down beside me and nods his head.
"Here's my offer, Will. Dauntless leadership," he says. I honestly wasn't expecting that but he's made a good choice in Will.
"Leadership?" Will repeats, astonished. I remember Will voicing a desire for leadership during initiation, which seems like a lifetime ago. I never told Tobias that. "You want me to be a leader?"
"Yes, I do. What do you think, Tris?" Tobias says turning to me. All eyes move to mine. I don't have to think long about my answer.
"I think Will's an excellent choice, Four," I say looking into Tobias' eyes. Then I look toward Will and Christina. "Will, you have the strong character, drive, fearlessness, and caring nature to make a great leader. You're trustworthy, confident, honest, hardworking, compassionate, supportive, and self-aware. Yes, you'll be an ideal leader." I can't help but notice the pride in Will's eyes and the tears in Christina's.
"If you want it, the job is yours, Will. There are a few things you should know about the job. It comes with a substantial raise and a new apartment right here in this hallway." Tobias takes a deep breath before he continues. "There are two killers hunting ... we aren't sure exactly who they're hunting. That's something Tori, Tris, and I have been working on since we were made leaders. The details are something I'll share with you if you take the position. I hate to force you to make a hasty decision but I need your answer right away. Tris and I can go upstairs and let you and Christina talk about this if you would like." Will looks at Christina.
"This has to be your decision, Will," she says holding his hand in hers. "Just know I'm behind you whatever you decide. By the way, I agree with everything Tris said. You would make a great leader. I've thought that ever since I met you." He caresses her cheek and leans over and gives her a quick kiss.
"Thanks, Christy," he quietly says. Tobias and I look at each other. Christy?
"I'll give you my answer now, Four. Yes," Will says getting up from the couch and walking over to shake Tobias' hand.
"And you never heard him call me Christy, you both got that," Christina says pointing her finger at both of us menacingly. We all laugh heartily.
"Do you two want to check out the apartments while I'm still here with Tris?" Tobias says. Will and Christina nod in unison, and he walks over to the counter where a small black metal box sits. He opens the padlock on the box and takes out the keys for apartments 12, 14, and 15. He hands them to Will and tells them to look over each apartment and let him know which one they want. About a half-an-hour later they come back, excitement on both their faces.
"We decided on apartment 14," Will says. Christina comes and sits down next to me.
"It's official. I'm moving in with Will. We're going to be neighbors, Tris!" she excitedly says giving me a big hug. Once her mind catches up with her actions, she freezes and pulls back. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"
"That didn't even hurt. I'm getting better," I announce to whoever is listening in the apartment. Tobias winks at me from across the room then turns his attention back to Will.
"Did you have any plans today, Will, or can you start right away? There are a lot of things to go over with you. Plus I would like to formally introduce you to Tori."
"I definitely can start right now. Christina, please don't go anywhere until I come back to get you."
"I won't. Tris and I will be right here." Tobias walks over to me and kisses me quickly as Will is kissing Christina then they head out the door.
"What's this about two killers hunting in Dauntless, Tris? Should I be worried?" Christina asks me once the guys leave us alone. I have to make the decision on how much to tell her. There are no rules I have found that prohibits leaders from telling sensitive information to their significant others so Will more than likely will tell her anyway. I decide to tell her, especially since some of the information pertains directly to me and my divergence. I just don't know how to start.
"I'll tell you everything you want to know, but I don't know where to start, Christina," I say, noticing her impatience.
"How about the beginning?" she says. I tell her about the well-hidden secret files Tobias found on Max's old computer shortly after we became leaders and the two lists of names that were created by Eric. I divulge how Daniel and Ivy's names are on that first list of names. I then continue telling her Daniel's girlfriend, Samaire's name is on the second list. I also inform her that for every name on the first list, there's a corresponding initiate classmate on the second list. I continue with the story revealing to her two names were erased from the list after their deaths, and now there is DNA evidence connecting George Wu, Tori's brother, and Amar Atwood, Four's mentor, deaths to Ivy's death and Daniel's assault.
"Is there something the people on the first list have in common?" she asks after a lengthy silence.
"We honestly don't know if there's a connection or not but we have a theory because of a few names on the list," I say not quite ready to divulge my divergence. Christina is actually only the third person I will disclose my divergence to. "What do you know about Divergents, Christina?"
"My mom told me about them when I was little. They're supposed to have special powers," she says, "but I don't think they actually exist."
"Actually, Divergents are very real," I say. I see shock and fear cross her face. "The definition of Divergent is extremely simple. It means having the aptitude for more than one faction, nothing scary. As a matter of fact, I had never even heard the word until the day of my aptitude test ... when my test results came back as inconclusive."
"Inconclusive? That's impossible, Tris. What does that even mean?" she asks.
"Remember when we talked about killing the dog in the simulation, and I confessed I didn't and my test results were Abnegation. That wasn't entirely true. Yes, I got the aptitude for Abnegation but I also got Dauntless and Erudite. I could as easily fit into Abnegation or Erudite as I do here. Christina, I'm Divergent, and my name is on the dwindling list of names that has been targeted by these killers."