***I DO NOT OWN THE DIVERGENT SERIES

Chapter 17:

I shudder at his name. Eric. This is Eric's brother? He looks just like him, with the dark hair, broad shoulders, big nose.

"Surprised?"

I stay silent.

"Don't take it personally. This is mostly between Tobias and me. But what does Tobias treasure most? You. I want him to feel the pain I felt when I saw him point a gun at my brothers head and shoot him. But I want him to see you suffer, then have to live with the fact of knowing you died because of him. Catch my drift?"

I shudder.

"I didn't think you were such a quiet girl. You aren't known to have a loss with words."

"Don't do this." I plead thinking of my baby…and my Tobias.

He laughs then his face turns cold again.

"He shouldn't have killed my brother." He walks out the door and slams it. I begin to cry.

Tobias POV:

I can't find her. I'm getting scared. The guard said she came back over an hour ago. But I have yet to see her. Something is wrong. I walk to the garage. Maybe I'll find a clue to where she is. I open the door and walk towards the truck. I suddenly trip on an object. A book? I pick it up. Odd. A paper is sticking in the middle of the book. I pull it out. It's a picture…of Tris' parents. This confirms it. Something is seriously wrong. I look down where the book was, and there is a syringe. I know who did this. That red headed hostess. Damon.

Tris POV:

I just lie there staring at the ceiling and try to pretend I'm safe. But I know I'm not. I hear the door open, but I can't tell who is until they come closer. My neck can't move. It's Damon.

"While you were out, we ran some tests. It looks like we have a third party."

I cringe. He knows about the baby. He's going to use it against me.

"Knocked up…by the famous Four. Going to have to put an end to that. I can't have another Four running around here. So…here is what I'm going to do. I'm going to make Tobias watch you suffer with pain. When I'm done with that, I'm going to stab you right in the stomach. He's going to watch the blood drain from your body, and then he's going to watch the life slip from your face. Goodbye, baby. Goodbye, Tris. I can't wait to see Tobias' face."

I tremble. How could someone be so cruel?

"I'm going to go…collect Tobias. Don't move. Oh, wait. You can't." Then he slams the door.

I'm starving. I've haven't eaten since I've been here. I've been here for at least three days. My throat is dry. I haven't had to use the bathroom, mostly because I have no food or water in my body.

"Tobias will save us." I whisper to my baby…or to anyone who is listening.

Tobias POV:

I'm shaking. It's been four days since anyone has seen Tris. Christina is in the corner crying like she knows Tris is dead. I push that thought out of my head as quickly as it came. I can't think that way. It's 8:00pm at night, and we just got back from another search. Everyone in the whole Bureau is looking for her. We haven't slept in days. Everyone is in the living room of our apartment. Christina, Zeke, Amar, George, Caleb, and Cara. Evelyn went home to her apartment. Shauna is at Zeke's. They live together now. Everyone is dealing with the situation differently. Christina cries. Amar wont look up, he's always staring at the ground. George bites is fingernails…endlessly. Caleb's face is red, and he's always mumbling to himself, he talks to her. Cara keeps a straight face, but the light has drained from her eyes. Zeke sweats endlessly. I tremble. I don't talk. When I'm alone, I cry. I miss her. I need her back. I need her.

The TV screen in the living room turns on by itself; everyone looks at each other then at the screen. It flickers then a picture of Tris enters the screen. We all jump.

"Where is she?!" I scream, as if the TV will answer.

Tris is lying on a metal table in a white dress, she's not moving, like she's paralyzed. A voice interrupts my thoughts.

"Tobias, she is going to die…" I tremble at the words. No. No.

"You are to meet me tonight at ten o'clock at the same garage as she was taken. That is all."

The screen goes blank.

I fall back into my chair. They want me. I'm going.

"What do we do?"

"I go. Simple as that."

"No. Tobias we will go too."

I stand up with rage.

"No! If you go, they will kill her. You all will wait here."

"But, Tobias…" Christina pleads.

"We need a plan. Just you will go tonight. But we will follow them. I'm sure they will take you somewhere…right?"

I nod.

"Fine."

"Amar…we need a game plan."

"I'll head over to the garage now and put a camera in one the trucks windows. It will look like I'm just messing with the truck, so if they have cameras in there, they won't notice."

"Good. Cara, we need you here watching the cameras, so you'll tell us via walkie-talkie. Got it?" Christina has taken control.

Cara nods.

"The rest of us will follow them. Sounds good?"

Everyone nods. Slivers of hope races through my body. This could work.

I arrive at the garage at exactly 10:00pm. Everyone is in his or her game plan places. As soon as I arrive I'm grabbed by at least three people. I get two of them on the ground with my elbow. But the third injects me with a serum. Shit. Black.

I wake and I'm strapped to a chair. I'm restrained and I can't move. I look up and see Tris, lying on the same metal table.

"Tris!"

She doesn't flinch.

"Tobias." Her voice is dry and weak.

"Baby, what have they done to you?"

"Paralyzing serum…I can't move anything below my chin."

I struggle in my chair. I need to touch her. Her legs and arms are skin and bones. Her ribs are showing through the white dress. They are starving her.

"When was the last time you ate or drank?"

"Since before… this happened."

"That's been four days, Tris!"

She struggles to talk. Her body is too week.

"Eric's brother."

"What? Eric's brother?" It all clicks into place. Eric's brother! He had mentioned having a brother a couple of times. That's it. His brother wants revenge…against me through Tris. If she dies, it's because of me. I can't bear the thought. In comes a boy with dark hair, Eric's brother.

"I'm Damon. I believe you knew my brother, Eric."

I stay silent but I struggle in my seat, hoping something will give.

"Look, it won't break. You are in that chair until I decide you aren't."

"Probably wise of you. You and I both know that I could kill you with my bear hand."

"But you and I both know I have the ultimate power because I have her?"

I shudder.

"Have you every watched someone you car about die? I have. I watched you hold a gun to his head and shoot him. So now…I'm going to kill her right in front of you, so you know exactly how it feels."

No. No. I can't let this happen. He walks over to a small table in the corner and hold up a syringe with green liquid in it.

"This will un-paralyze her so she can feel the pain with full concent." He injects her with a purple liquid. She immediately starts to move. He straps her on to the table. She reaches out for my hand. They barely touch. Her skin is cold but soft. He walks back over to the table and grabs a different syringe with green liquid.

Is he going to kill her now?! My heart starts to race.

"This will be very painful. This causes her blood to feel like lead. It's painful beyond words and you get to watch."

Tris closes her eyes and prepares herself for what's to come. I try with every muscle in my body to try to break free from the chair. He inserts the liquid in her neck. For a moment she is still. The she jumps and screams. Tears role down her face. She keeps screaming and she moves like she is trying to out run her body.

A tear falls from my eyes.

"Tobiaaas!" She screams.

"Tris. I love you, baby." I'm crying now. My body shakes. I reach for her hand as far as the chair will allow me.

"I'm thirsty. I'll be right back." Damon leaves the room.

"No! You can't leave her like this!" He slams the door.

"Baby! Hold on."

She keeps screaming the tears fall like rain from her face. I can't stop myself from crying.

"Tobias…it hurts!" The screaming continues. In comes Damon. He sticks her with a syringe.

"Stop your blabbering."

Her body stills, but she breaths very heavy. He takes out a knife.

"Don't do this. I beg you. Please. Don't do this."

"Too late for that."

"He takes the knife and holds it over Tris' stomach, the baby, my Tris.

"No! Please!"

He begins to drop the knife towards her then the door slams open and someone tackles him. Tris screams. The knife is in her. Zeke. Zeke is on top of Damon.

"Tris! Hold on baby. They are here!"

Christina runs in and comforts Tris. Amar undoes the chair and I jump to Tris. She is stabbed right on the side of her waist. She and the baby could make it but we have to hurry.

"Do we have a car?"

"Yes. Follow me."

I hear a gunshot. Damon is dead.

I carry Tris to the truck. She's lost a lot of blood.

"There is another truck. We can't wait for Amar and Zeke."

I nod, keeping all my attention on Tris. She sweating and moaning in pain.

"Tobias."

"I know. I know, baby."

We arrive at the hospital and Tris is barely conscious. Christina called ahead. There is a stretcher and nurses standing outside waiting for us.

They grab Tris and put her on the stretcher then start to run inside. Tris' eyes meet mine. I mouth the words.

"I love you." And a tear roles down my cheek.