It was four in the morning and the room was eerily still. Eric lied there staring up at the ceiling expecting a call from Jeanine at any moment, unable to sleep. Meanwhile, Victoria lightly snored beside him. The closer they got to breaking out the more on edge he became. Tobias had gotten the same way, but neither of the girls knew what was happening. Neither of the guys had gotten much sleep and Eric wondered how long he could keep going like this.
Just then the phone rang, its shrill ring startled him despite him anticipating it. He looked over at Vic who had opened her eyes and watching him as he scrambled out from under the sheets. He shuffled over to the landline on the wall and picked it up before the third ring.
"Yeah?" His groggy voice crackled into the phone.
"I'm ready." Jeanine crisply spoke into the phone that Victoria could hear it. She wondered what Jeanine had planned with her husband, because he hadn't been telling her anything. She knew better than to ask him any questions and that he was doing it to keep her safe.
"10-4." Eric hung up the phone, pressing his forehead against the wall and resting it there for a moment. Victoria crawled out of bed and Eric turned to look at her as she made her way over to him. He pushed himself off the wall and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight for a long time. He took a deep inhale, smelling the top of her head.
He knew after today they would get to live the life they wanted, or they would die trying. He was betting on the first one… He wanted his children and family to live a life of freewill and achieving the things they dreamed of. Not to mention, Jeanine had an intense fascination with his twins and he didn't like it. Yet, he maintained composure while also keeping his wife in line. The thought of Jeanine taking her children from her, to turn them into child soldiers infuriated her.
"It's time." He whispered, letting her go. They made their way to the bathroom and Victoria started to noticed things looked different. It was then that she realized the dog was nowhere to be found and that scared her the most. She imagined Chicago was freaking out without her… For being such a well-trained dog, he had horrific separation anxiety.
"Where is Chicago?" She pulled on one of Eric's black tee-shirt and a pair of her favorite black stretchy cargo pants. He turned back to look at her with a bit of a scowl on his face. She knew the rules, but not having her dog beside her made her feel sort of… naked? Chicago was her security blanket as much as she was his.
"Do not ask questions." He firmly reminded her and she bit her bottom lip, holding back a snappy remark. She knew better than to push her husband's buttons today. She finished lacing up her boots without another word before they made their way out of the apartment. As they walked out, she noticed Eric didn't bothered to lock anything behind them, which was very unlike him. It was like he didn't plan on coming back and things started making sense in her head. They were going to leave.
They walked down the stairs to their car and Eric helped Victoria inside, holding the door open for her. When she climbed in, she realized this wasn't their car at all. It was a brand-new patrol car that looked just like theirs. Eric climbed into the driver's seat and Vic just stared at him, not sure what to say. She decided to keep her mouth shut as he started the engine and peeled away from the curb. On the ride over they were both quiet, Eric reaching across the center console and grabbing her hand. She took it and squeezed it three times, not letting him go. She was nervous.
When they pulled up to the main training annex, it felt eerie outside. Not one recruit was outside and only a few cars were parked in the lot. A pair of officers stood out front of every door, armed with large rifles resting against their shoulders. Eric looked over at his concerned wife who was examining her surroundings very closely. She felt too pregnant to be dealing with this bullshit, but she was willing to do anything to keep Jeanine from putting her hands on their babies.
"Ready?" Eric asked Victoria who made sure her gun was securely tucked into her waistband before nodding at him. Together, they stepped out of the car and marched inside. They passed two of the guards at the door, of which they both recognized. They had been friends of Eric's when they first started their training as Divergents, but quickly faded once Eric became one of Jeanine's star students and eventually top officer.
The doors pushed open and they stepped into an empty hall that was normally crawling with soldiers. Without hesitation Eric led them down to where Jeanine had told him to meet her. They walked all the way down to the end of the hall to the last room on the right. It was the biggest room in the annex, capable of assembling more than half of the troops. Victoria quietly gasped when she saw almost every single officer, including Tobias, standing in formation. They were all quietly staring ahead, awaiting Jeanine's next order. Eric looked back at Vic, taking her hand and leading her up a set of metal stairs. They walked up three flights before coming to the top platform where Jeanine stood. She was waiting for them. Victoria couldn't help but stare out at the sea of people, it made her want to come out of her skin.
"Well, good morning." She smiled at the couple as Vic nodded back. Eric dropped his wife's hand, stepping in between the two women. He didn't trust Jeanine with his wife. Especially after she made it obvious that she wanted to implant one of the chips into Victoria's brain. Eric and her had worked out a strict deal to keep his pregnant wife from becoming a test subject.
"Enough small talk, let's get to work." He coldly answered her and she smiled at him.
"You know the plan." She replied, turning back to face her captive audience. Eric turned back to his wife and pulled her to the side. He didn't trust Jeanine with his wife, but he knew they would see each other later.
"I will see you later." He kissed her before marching back down the stairs and towards the troops. She watched her husband closely while staying aware of her surroundings. She watched as he took his place at the front of one of the lines of soldiers, picking up a large needle gun, filled with a tube of something in the back. She watched as Eric looked up at the platform, waiting for Jeanine's signal to execute the mission. She gave him a subtle nod before he turned back to the first person in his line and injected something into the base of their skull. He pushed them through the line as the next officer handed them a gun and sent them outside to the next thing awaiting each of them.
"Would you like to watch?" Jeanine asked Victoria who stood behind the evil woman, watching her husband very closely. Without saying anything Victoria stepped closer to the railing just in time to see Eric inject the same thing into her brother. Without hesitation Tobias continued through the line, acting like the rest of them. A few people down the line and they weeded out their first Divergent who started freaking out. Victoria watched them drag the screaming girl away and it made her blood run cold. She realized her brother and Tris knew what they were doing, but the anxiety of getting caught got to her somewhat.
"Funny, I thought the serum would have no effect on your brother." Jeanine's cold voice broken the tense silence. Victoria said nothing back, staring down at the crowd. Just then she felt a pair of rough hands wrap around her face, muffling her screams. She bit the hand pressed over her lips as he drew his hand back and smacked her.
"Ah!" She gasped, holding her cheek. She turned around and saw Peter Hayes was the one who was attacking her. She tried fighting back before he punched her hard in the eye, sending her down to the floor. He was a violent asshole and once Eric found out what he had done, Peter would be dead. She lied on the floor, holding her left eye and staring up at him from the floor.
"Get up!" He ordered her as she struggled to get to her feet. It wasn't as easy for her anymore and he was taking advantage of that. In the past she was one of the only soldiers who could stand up to him and it ate him alive. This was his moment to take revenge and get even.
She stood back up on her feet, ready to take him on before he came at her and swooped her up in his arms. He slung her over his shoulder and they rushed down the stairs and out to the car that was waiting for them. She wondered if her face was bleeding because it felt like it was on fire.
Peter threw open the hatch of the SUV and threw her onto the floorboards, slamming shut the door. She groaned, holding her stomach as she lied there. Peter got in the driver's seat and peeled away, throwing her around with each sharp turn he took. She knew not to waste all her energy on Peter Hayes… but she remembered she had a gun in her waistband.
Without making too much noise while being tossed around in the back she cocked back her gun before pulling herself up over the back row and firing her gun at him three times. He swerved the car before nearly crashing it.
"You crazy bitch!" He screamed, slamming on the brakes. The momentum of the car threw her through to the front seat beside him. She looked over at him, bent like a pretzel before he slammed the butt of his gun into the side of her head. Everything went black.
When she woke up, she found herself bound to a chair in Jeanine's office. She could feel blood crusted to the side of her face and her head was pounding. Not to mention her babies were kicking the crap out of her from the inside. She looked around the room and saw Peter sitting on the sofa against the wall with Jeanine sitting behind her massive desk.
"I heard you tried to kill your fellow soldier?" She asked with a smirk on her face. As Victoria tried to make a response, she realized something had been stuffed into her mouth with a piece of tape stuck over her lips. Victoria nodded, 'yes.'
"You realize that can be considered treason, don't you?" Victoria said nothing, staring Jeanine back in the eyes. "However, you have something that is valuable to me so killing you isn't an option." Her words made Victoria's blood boil and she knew the second she got out of these bonds she would personally slice Peter's throat.
"You know what this is about, don't you?" Victoria shook her head, no. "Liar!" She screamed, standing up and pounding her fist on the desk. Vic maintained her composure, staring the woman in the face. "Try again!" Jeanine screamed but Victoria wouldn't break that easy. She had literally been through torture camps before to withstand this type of thing. Something Peter nor Jeanine could imagine. Jeanine walked around the desk and up to the young to-be-mother, gripping her scalp in her fist and shaking it.
"Mmphf!" Victoria let out a muffled cry. As Jeanine let her go Victoria's head hung down and a drip of blood fell from her eye brow. She then noticed a wet dark spot on her pants from the blood dripping down her face.
Just then the office door 'clicked' open and Caleb stepped inside. Everyone turned back to look at him as he froze, staring at the pregnant girl tied to a chair. He watched the blood steadily drip off her chin. He looked at Jeanine, his mouth hung partially open and at a loss for words. He had come to warn her about what had happened out on the battle field but now he had forgot what he came to say at all.
"What is it that you want, Prior?" She angrily snapped.
"What are you doing?" Caleb asked, stepping both feet into the room and letting the door close behind him.
"Mind your business, desk boy." Peter sneered at him, getting up from his comfortable seat on the couch. Caleb looked from Peter then back to Jeanine.
"Why are you doing this to her? She's pregnant…" The sight made him angry, rushing towards her to undo the gag from her mouth. He ripped the tape from her mouth, pulling out the fabric wadded up in her mouth as she reached her head up to the sky and gasped for air. She heaved a few breaths, trying to cool herself down from the hot-flash she was having. She hated being pregnant so far.
"Keep him." Jeanine calmly said to Peter who quickly tackled Caleb to the ground.
"Please, no!" He shouted as Peter forced him into a chair and taped his arms and legs down. Victoria looked over at the wimpy guy and she realized it was Tris Prior's brother.
"You'll learn your place." She sneered at her former assistant as he looked up at her with terrified eyes. She smiled, running her fingers through his hair and walking back to Victoria.
"You're the devil!" Victoria cried out, her voice echoing down the halls before they taped over her mouth again. Caleb and her stared at each other, fighting against the silver tape restraints. After a moment Victoria gave up and Caleb continued to flop around in his chair before tipping himself and landing on his side. He was like a turtle stuck on its back as Peter started laughing at him.
The room suddenly went silent when the repetitive sound of gun fire came from the hallway. It sounded like it was more than one person outside of the room. Vic knew it was Eric coming to save her. She looked up at Peter with a mischievous grin in her eyes and his smile faded. He looked to Jeanine who stood back behind her desk, pulling out a tiny handgun. She also knew it was Eric and she knew she stood no chance against her greatest creation. Everyone in the room froze waiting for the firing to start again but it didn't.
They all sat frozen before the doors blasted open as gun firing ensued simultaneously, sending everyone into panic. Jeanine tried one shot before three bullets from the machine guns of the unknown shooters, blew through her chest and exited out her back. Victoria watched as Jeanine fell dead onto her desk, blood spilling out everywhere. Caleb thought he was going to be sick.
"Shit!" Peter shouted, rushing over to get Jeanine's gun from her stiff hands. Before he could two bullets blew through his shoulder and he fell to the ground, screaming out in pain. The room went quiet, aside from Peter's cries, and three masked individuals stepped into the room. Victoria let out another 'Mmphf!' as she prayed to God that was her husband. The men both looked over at her before one of them dropped his weapon and rushed to her. It was Tobias, who pulled out a pocket knife and ripped her out of the chair.
Without a word she took her brothers gun and stood up, feeling a slight headrush. It didn't matter to her as she snatched his gun off the floor and marched over to Peter who was laying on the ground behind Jeanine's desk.
"Hey! Victoria! Look, I'm sorry. I was just following –" Without letting him finish his sentence she fired two bullets into his skull, killing him instantly. She threw the gun to the floor and looked up at the two other masked people standing towards the back of the room. As she walked around the desk Eric ripped off his combat goggles and face covering staring back at her.
"Doll?" He asked, staring at her bloodied face in horror. She rushed to him throwing herself into his arms. She let out a deep breath, squeezing her arms around him. They held each other for a moment before he pulled her back and examined her head. "What did she do to you?" He whispered, gently touching the side of her scalp as she flinched.
"I'm fine." She pulled his hand down from her face. She sighed, rolling her eyes. She didn't like showing any sign of weakness and Eric knew that, but he still worried about her. It was his job as her husband to stand by her side and protect her. "I took care of it." She said, looking over at Peter's feet which peeked out from behind the desk. She looked back at her husband, taking his rifle from him. She looked over and saw Tris freeing her brother while helping him to his feet.
"We need to go." Tobias urged to everyone, tossing Caleb a handgun. He looked back down the hallway, expecting someone to be coming after them. Except no one was… Jeanine was dead, but they knew that other officers would be after them once they learned the truth.
"Let's go!" Victoria snapped, cocking back her gun. She led her new family out of the office and down the hall. As soon as they stepped out Caleb gagged, staring in horror at all the dead bodies that lined the floor. He coughed, forcing back his gags and covering his face. He knew so many of them, but he wasn't going to say anything. They had just saved his own life. Eric, Tris, and Tobias had probably killed close to 100 people in this building alone. Eric knew it was safe right now, walking up to the elevator and pressing the button. The doors chimed open and they all piled in, peacefully riding down to the ground level. They stepped out into the lobby and saw at least 70 more bodies on the floor. They calmly walked out of the building, piled into the patrol car and rode like hell.
They drove like hell through the city merging into the chaos of downtown. They rode along in the rioting and fighting for a mile before turning down an alley and exiting out on the backside of downtown. They were headed straight into the tree line where they would ditch their car and run to where their real car was waiting for them. It was hidden in a small natural cave.
"Why do you think no one is following us?" Tris asked, terrified by the thought. Did it mean something worse was coming their way? No one said anything for a moment while Tobias thought of the right thing to say.
"Jeanine is dead, but no one knows yet." Caleb broke the silence. "But when they do, they'll want our heads on sticks." Everyone began to feel uneasy again and Eric could tell it scared the girls.
"We'll be long gone by then." Eric replied as they neared the trees. The sun was starting to set and it was getting later. Eric figured they would arrive to their destination by nightfall, maybe a little past. Everyone was quiet again after that. Eric looked in the rearview at his wife who looked tired, holding her stomach. Her head was absolutely pounding and she felt like she needed to throw up a little bit, but not enough to actually do it. He focused back on the road.
Finally, they approached the tree line. Eric kept heavy on the gas as they hopped a small bump in the ground and flew into the dense forest. He turned hard right, throwing everyone in the car around. He drove a bit until he came to his makeshift road that pointed him in the right direction. Up ahead was a tree with a blue scarf tied around its thin trunk. He smashed on the brake and everyone was thrown forwards.
"For fuck's sake!" Victoria screamed at her husband as she picked herself up from the floorboard of the backseat. She was tired of being thrown around in cars and she knew it wasn't good for the babies. He turned back to everyone and saw he had jostled everyone except Caleb who was wearing his seat belt. He turned around and smiled to himself as they piled out of the car, leaving the doors wide open.
Without warning Eric and Tobias took off sprinting to where their car was waiting for them, forcing everyone else to run behind. Victoria and Caleb struggled the most as they hung way back. Caleb really just stayed back to help Victoria who really couldn't run but wouldn't admit that to anyone yet. Finally, everyone made it to the car. Eric had gotten there first and he already had the electric engine running. Victoria and Caleb piled in last and he took off towards the river where he would ride it down for quite a way on the bank of the water before finally making it to the secret location.
The sun dipped below the horizon just as they pulled up. They sat in the running car, silent, staring at a seemingly normal pile of boulders. Without warning a rock slid to the side, revealing the entrance to a dark tunnel. They all looked at each other before Eric rolled the car forwards and the rock door slid shut behind them. They were encased by darkness forcing Eric to turn on the headlights. He wondered how his solar car was going to hold up down here for a couple days.
They rode down the long dark tunnel for close to 15-minutes before seeing any sign of life. Up ahead they saw a glowing green opening in the tunnel. The dirt walls then turned into metal with fluorescent lights hung from the ceiling that glowed a greenish color. Eric slowed the car down as he came up to a front of people who looked like they were waiting for them. From the passenger seat Tobias stared out the windshield and saw his mother. He had seen both of their parents today, but he wasn't going to tell Victoria that. Seeing his father scared the shit out of him and he knew it would only upset Victoria to know that bastard was still out there.
"We're here." Tobias looked back at the car full of people before climbing out. Eric went around to the back and helped his wife out who looked like she would fall over if you blew on her. She was exhausted and she felt like total shit.
"You okay?" He whispered as they walked around the car to where the others were standing. They were already mingling with the people who had been awaiting their arrival and Tobias was hugging someone. As Vic stepped around the car fully, she heard a yip from what sounded like Chicago. Just then, she saw her dog waiting for her.
"Chicago!" She cried as the dog bolted towards her and she threw herself to the ground. She wrapped her arms around him hugging him and petting him as he excitedly licked her face and pranced around in her lap. "Oh my God." She started sobbing into his long coat, holding the dog close to her. Eric smiled down at the two of them before looking back at his new family and feeling something, he had never felt before. He felt free, like a weight had been lifted up off of his shoulders.
He looked up at the massive underground cityscape behind them, there were towers and structures that were as tall as the ones above ground. It was an entire city with street markets, people riding bikes through the streets or walking in front of endless rows of high rises. It was only a taste of what he hoped waited for them beyond the walls.