Tobias, Tori, Will, and I all sit around the huge table in the conference room discussing what I've learned about our prisoner who's still recuperating in the infirmary. I tell Tori and Will that his name is Jason, he's from Erudite, and the dead man in our morgue is his brother, Jared. I also tell them Jason made it known he and whomever he's working with know about my and Caleb's involvement in stopping the war on Abnegation, and they are extremely angry about it. Will's eyes widen at my admission. I forgot he didn't know the entire story. I quickly relay what my mom wanted Caleb to do. I also let them know our attackers are in fact targeting Divergents, so more than likely all the names on that first list are Divergent but for some reason Erudite's obsession with taking down Abnegation seems to be at the heart of this matter. I also let it be known that even though he didn't come right out and say it, Jason implied Tobias' assault was actually meant for me.
Tobias, Tori, and Will tell me they have contacted a fourth of the names who are on the first list but no one recognized the sketches or Cameron's photo. They were told they were on the list, that individuals on the list have been assaulted and killed, and they were told to be extremely vigilant and notify any one of us if they're in need or are suspicious of someone. Now these individuals need to be interviewed again and shown Jason and Jared's pictures to see if they recognize either of them. Tobias made the decision not to notify them of the names on the second list who have been watching their every move. They were, however, told to watch their surroundings carefully, that someone might be following them around as was the case with Hana. They all indicated they understood and they would be careful. They weren't asked about divergence though because no one could figure out how to broach the sensitive subject.
Tobias tells us Dr. Parrish has given him the results of the additional DNA tests he requested, and my DNA is a familial match to one of our two unknown samples, indicating it more than likely belongs to Cameron Wright. We also have a familial DNA match between Jason and Jared, confirming they are in fact brothers. However, there's no familial match between the brothers or myself and the remaining unknown sample we have. Although we have a cache of new information, we still have no idea who's actually planning the attacks or why they act when they do.
"I think we need to talk about Peter and the faction ambassadors," I say. "I'm not sure exactly how, but he's messed up with those who are ordering the attacks and has been acting strangely. I would like to minimize any damage he might do."
"What do you have in mind?" Tori asks.
"I know it isn't fair to the other ambassadors but I want to assign a permanent faction to each of them instead of having them rotate every three months," I say. "I want to make sure Peter's exposure to Erudite is limited. The way it is right now, he can just walk into Erudite any time he wants, and I don't like it."
"How would we spin it to the others?" Tobias asks. "Ambassadors have rotated every three months for as long as I've been here."
"For as long as I've been here," Tori adds.
"Four, let's talk to my dad today and get his opinion but my suggestion is we have the council vote to make permanent ambassadors that way it looks like we aren't the ones who made the decision to do this. Maybe the factions will like working with the same five individuals all the time."
"Where would we assign Peter?" Will asks.
"Amity," Tobias, Tori, and I all say at the same time, causing us to chuckle. I continue after the laughter dies down. "He can't be assigned to Candor because that's his born faction. We want to limit his exposure to Erudite. I don't trust him with Abnegation. That only leaves Amity. Maybe some of their happiness will rub off on him."
"I don't have a problem with it. Does anyone else?" Tobias says. Tori and Will shake their heads. "Who will we assign to Erudite? They seem to be the wild card faction at the moment."
"Uriah definitely. He can be on the lookout for Cameron. Maybe Ciara. I trust her. I really don't know the others. I've only had limited exposure to them over the past few months. I suggest you and Tori make the assignments," I say, addressing Tobias.
"I don't have a problem with that," Tori says. "Four?"
"We'll get to work on the assignments tomorrow if Tris' dad thinks it's a good idea," he says.
"How are the plans for the masquerade ball coming?" Tori asks, addressing me.
"To tell you the truth, I haven't talked to Christina about it for a while. We have plans after supper, I'm sure she'll fill me in then but considering how well she's done with the other parties, I'm sure everything is on schedule and speaking of a schedule, if Four and I don't get going to Abnegation, I won't be back on time for Christina, and I don't want her yelling at me."
"Yes, I would appreciate that," Will says grinning. "If anyone upsets her, she takes it out on me. I know it's just the pregnancy hormones, but damn that girl has a hell of a temper right now." We all laugh then go our separate ways.
After Tobias and I gather all the information requested by my dad, he gets the car and pulls up in front of the compound where I'm waiting for him. I slide into the warm car, and we make our way to Abnegation. We ride in comfortable silence. I can tell he's stressed about having to return to Abnegation so soon, and I can also tell he doesn't want to talk about it.
Soon he pulls up in front of a plain gray two-story office building, which serves as Abnegation's headquarters, and we get out of the car. Several Abnegation members notice our arrival and bow their heads in welcome. We just head into the building without acknowledging anyone. We take the familiar path to my dad's office, the one I took hundreds of times growing up, and I knock. My dad opens the door to us and invites us in. He takes our coats and hangs them on a small coat rack that hangs on his wall just inside the door. It's the only thing that adorns the light gray painted walls of his office.
"Beatrice, Four. It's nice to see you again. Please sit down," he says motioning to the plain office chairs that sit opposite his desk.
"It's nice to see you again, Mr. Prior," Tobias says sitting down. I smile brightly at my dad.
"Please, Four, call me Andrew," Dad says to Tobias, then he turns his attention to me. "Your mother will be joining us shortly. She believes she remembers where she saw Cameron when he was here dressed as an Abnegation member."
"Here's all the information we've gathered, Andrew," Tobias says, handing the file to my dad.
"We learned a little more about the two men who attacked Four Christmas night," I say. "Jason, the one who is still in our infirmary is from Erudite. The dead man in our morgue is his brother, Jared." I stop to calm my anxiety. I have to tell my dad about Caleb. "Dad, Erudite knows about Caleb's involvement in stopping the attack on Abnegation."
"What?" he says, worry crossing his face. "We were assured no one knew of his involvement or yours for that matter."
"The only way I could make Jason talk was to upset him and when I did, he said quite a bit. They know I asked Caleb to research the simulation serums and that it led to stopping the attack. He also called me a damn Divergent. He also hinted I was the one they were after when they assaulted Four." My dad sits staring at me.
"We have to find a way to warn Caleb. Did this Jason mention any other names?" he asks after he finds his voice again.
"No, just Caleb and me," I tell him. A knock on the door interrupts us. Before my dad can get up to answer it, the door swings opens, and my mom walks in followed by Marcus. My mom sits down on the small gray couch that's against the wall to the left of me. She has a sheepish look on her face.
"Someone told me my son was here but I didn't believe them. I thought I would see for myself," Marcus says, oozing fake charm.
"Four, Tris, and I are just finishing up some business," my dad says to Marcus.
"You could have come to me, Tobias," Marcus says. "I would have helped you." Tobias' expression hasn't changed since his father walked into the office. His Four mask is firmly in place not betraying his true feelings but both his hands are balled up into fists. He looks up at his father for a moment.
"Tris and I got the information we needed from her parents," Tobias says, his voice low, steady, and firm. "Thank you anyway." I'm amazed he's holding it together so well right now. The last time he saw his father he practically fell apart.
"I think I'll sit in on the rest of your meeting anyway," Marcus says addressing my dad. "I don't get to see my son often enough."
"That really isn't necessary," my dad says, knowing how uncomfortable everyone except for Marcus is right now. He seems to be thriving on the environment.
"It's okay, Andrew. He can stay," Tobias says, surprising me. I would have thought he would want him to leave as soon as possible.
"Alright then," my dad says. "Natalie, what did you have to share with Four and Tris?"
"I remember where it was that I saw Cameron, and it's not good. It was in a closed council session," she says, catching Marcus off guard. He obviously doesn't know what we're here to discuss.
"What's going on?" he asks, confused and suddenly concerned.
"Dauntless has been having some troubles with assaults and deaths," my dad says. "Tris found a suspect and came to her mom for some information." Before he can continue, Marcus interrupts.
"Why would you come to a member of Abnegation for assistance with Dauntless matters? That's not customary," he says to me. I have to remind myself to stay calm. I'm acting as a Dauntless leader right now, and I must put aside my personal feelings and show the top member of the council respect even though he doesn't deserve it. I look toward my mother, and she nods at me, encouraging me to continue.
"I think I should start at the beginning," I say to him. I tell Marcus a shortened version of what's been going on in Dauntless since Tobias and I took over. I tell him about the lists, assaults, and deaths but I leave out our suspicions that the names are Divergent. He doesn't need to know my secret. He nods every once in a while but he's mainly looking at Tobias who's sitting in the chair with his eyes on me. "On Christmas night, Four was assaulted on the path in Dauntless. Two men attacked him. One of the men is in our infirmary right now, and the other is in the morgue. While he was recuperating, I went through some Dauntless files, and I found a match to one of the sketches that were provided to us by a witness."
"Are you alright, Tobias? How badly were you hurt?" Marcus asks, actual concern in his voice. I wonder where this concern was when he was beating him as a child. Tobias raises his nearly black eyes to his father. I'm sure the exact same thing is running through his mind.
"I'm fine. It was nothing," he says. I know better than that, and my heart constricts. He could have died. After it has been quiet a moment I continue.
"The person in the file, who matches the sketch of one of the killers, is my cousin named Cameron Wright. He was born in Dauntless and transferred to Erudite when he was 16. He's the oldest son of my mother's older brother. I just recently found out my mom was Dauntless born, and I have family there." Marcus studies my mom like he's seeing her for the very first time. I don't like him looking at her. "When I saw Cameron was a match to our sketch, I needed to talk to my mom about her brother and see if she could give me any helpful information about him and Cameron. I believe she did, but Four and I are planning a supper with Nathan and his family soon to see what information we can gather from them. Also, one thing about the two that attacked Four, they were both from Erudite. The survivor indicated to me this is partially in retribution for stopping the war on Abnegation and whoever is doing all this knows that Caleb and I helped stop it. They're not happy with us."
"When Four and Tris showed me the sketch of Cameron I almost fell out of my chair. Immediately I knew I had seen him sometime not long ago dressed in Abnegation clothing but I couldn't remember where. Last night it came to me," my mom says, wringing her hands nervously, which is out of character for her. I've never seen her nervous in my entire life. My dad gets up from his desk and sits on the small couch next to her putting his arm around her. She looks up and smiles at him, relaxing. I can't believe my eyes. This is so unlike any behavior I've seen from them in the past. "Your father forgot his lunch the day of the last closed council session so I thought I would drop it off to him before I went to the soup kitchen to serve meals to the factionless. I saw Cameron sitting in the back of the hall where the meeting was getting ready to take place. I know it was him. He looked up at me, and there was instant recognition but I dismissed it because I know so many of the council members and their families. I'm sorry. I wish I would have known so I could have notified someone."
"We know now," my dad says. Everyone is quiet for a while. "I have to go get Jonah and Matthew. Marcus, we need to have a meeting as soon as we're done here. I'll be right back. Natalie?" He holds his hand out to her, and she takes it. I can't believe the changes I've seen in my parents since I'm no longer a dependent. They leave us alone with Tobias' father. I really wish they would have taken him with them. Hopefully he'll just stay quiet.
"Tobias, it's nice to see you," Marcus says, showing no emotion. No such luck about staying quiet.
"I wish I could say the same thing," Tobias says looking him directly in the eye, his Four mask disappearing. He's angry. "I would have loved nothing more than to never see your face ever again."
"You ungrateful little ..." he starts to say but I get in his face.
"Don't you dare speak to Four like that. You don't even know him." Tobias gets out of his chair and puts his hands on my shoulders.
"Does she always fight your battles for you, Tobias? I don't know why you insist on using that idiotic nickname. Four is a number not a name." I've had it by now. I try to take a step forward but Tobias keeps me firmly rooted in place with his hands. I quickly realize he's more afraid of what he will do to his father if he lets me go than of the damage I will do if I get my hands on him.
"It's a name that was given to me by a man who valued me as a person and never once disrespected me. I learned more from him in the short time I knew him than I learned from you in 16 years. I'll proudly wear the name Four for the rest of my life." This leaves Marcus speechless, and I can't help but smirk at him. Slowly his calm facade falls away, and I see the real Marcus, the one from Tobias' fear landscape. Tobias' fingers clamp down even harder on my shoulders, but I don't react to the pain. There will be bruises there later I'm sure.
"I still don't understand where I went wrong with you. I did my best trying to make you into a man but it was never enough. You are such a disappointment," he says, a scowl on his face, shaking his head.
"You don't understand?" I yell at him, unable to hide my revulsion. "I understand you are a sadistic son of a bitch. I've seen the marks you left behind. If you think that's how you raise a child I'm glad you never got the chance to ruin another childhood. One was too many."
"Tris, don't," Tobias says calmly.
"I bet she's a real wildcat in the sack, Tobias. You picked a real good one here son. In that at least I'm proud of you," he says with an evil leer on his face looking me up and down. I suddenly feel the need for a shower. I lunge at him but feel Tobias' arms wrap tightly around my waist and pull me back to him.
"What's going on here?" my angrily dad asks. I knew I shouldn't have let my temper get out of control but Marcus is very good at pushing all my buttons, and he knows it.
"I'm so sorry, Dad..." is all I get out before Marcus interrupts me.
"Beatrice and I are just having a little misunderstanding," Marcus jovially says, looking over his shoulder at my dad. My mom is standing beside my dad with a murderous look on her face and Jonah and Matthew are absolutely stunned. My mom takes two giant steps forward and slaps Marcus across the face, leaving a bright red hand print on his cheek. Confusion crosses his face as he covers his cheek with his hand.
"I heard the revolting things you just said to your son about my daughter," she whispers between clenched teeth.