Happy Sunday, thank you for all the follows and reviews. They mean the world to me!
Tris smiles when she sees the mark outside the building across from the school a few days later. She had been checking it faithfully for a message from Tobias. She missed him desperately, but she wondered what could be wrong if he needed to talk to her.
She tells Caleb that she volunteered to stay after school to help her science teacher clean the laboratory and she'll be home not long after him. That got him off her trail. Since Tobias transferred, she could see Andrew pulling Caleb closer and closer to him. There was a time when Caleb confided in her, and now he was more distant. She wasn't sure if she could trust him now.
Tris takes a look around before she ducks behind the building in the alley next to the school.
"Tobias" she squeals as she runs to his arms.
He hugs her tight. It had been so long since visiting day.
"I've missed you" Tobias squeezes her tight like she would disappear.
"We don't have much time; I have to get home before he does" Tris reminds him and Tobias nods in understanding.
"I know, I want you to keep gathering any information you can about what Marcus and Andrew are into."
"What are you planning?"
"I'm not sure yet but see what you can find out. I'm not sure but I want to have as much information as possible if we are going to expose them. We have less than a year before you leave, and we won't be able to get the type of information you hear around the house once you come to Dauntless. And see if your mom can remember anything from before she was made factionless."
"I will" Tris promises, her eyebrows furrowed as she thinks back to the last conversation, she overheard Andrew and Marcus having after dinner. Tobias was right but she knew she could find out more.
"There's something else. Our leader Max approached me about taking a leadership position."
Tris can see the hesitation in his eyes.
"Tobias, you have to take this position!"
"Tris, I don't think this is for me, I left Abnegation to get away from all of this. You know I'm not great with people" He admits leaning against the building.
"Tobias, we can change things. You can change it from the inside. You can gain enough power to take on Marcus and Andrew, people will have to listen if you're a leader."
Tobias nods his head; Tris was always the one to put things in perspective for him. He knew she was right.
"You can do this Tobias; I know you can"
He grabs her hand and squeezes it tightly.
"Be Careful Tris" Tobias tells her, and he hangs onto her hand. Going up against Marcus and Andrew was risky but the people of Abnegation deserved better.
"Don't worry, I will" She gives him a smile before letting go of his hand and walking back to the street to head home.
Eric leans against the wall hidden in a dark corner away from the light. One good thing about Dauntless was it was easy to stay hidden when you wanted with the underground network of caves and paths. All the other transfers were asleep in the dorm, he had done this so much since he'd been in Dauntless, he knew exactly when to sneak out.
He had taken Jeanine's offer to join Dauntless and gather information thinking it would be better than being factionless. Jeanine wasn't happy that he wasn't ranked first to secure a spot in leadership, but he had a plan. Four wasn't cut out for leadership, he could tell. Jeanine had contacted him and sent a message through one of her other spies in Dauntless of what needed to be done. Eric had been watching George Wu as Jeanine had directed when he had a free moment from training during initiation. Most people didn't notice when he slipped away during meals or a night when everyone was asleep. George didn't seem different, but he was the one Jeanine wanted. He knew he would leave the tattoo parlor where his sister worked and head this way to meet his lover, Amar. He had ranked fourth in his initiate class so Eric could count that he was somewhat of a skilled fighter.
He focuses when he hears voices and clutches the syringe in his hand. He'd mapped out this hallway because there was a blind spot with the cameras and there was an access door a few feet away.
"Where are you headed?" George asks as Tori locks the door of the tattoo parlor. He'd brought her dinner since she and Bud had a steady stream of customers and Amar was finishing up his reports now that initiation was done.
"To get in a run" Tori grins.
"At this hour?" George scoffs scrunching up his face as Tori laughs.
"Do you know me at all?" she teases. Tori loved running late at night. It was usually quiet, and she needed to wind down sometimes after a long day like today and she could see the stars on a clear night. They had broken up three fights that evening and Tori had threatened everyone that she would shut down the shop if people didn't get themselves under control.
"How about lunch? I need help thinking about what to get Amar for his birthday"
"Fun, I have some ideas" Tori jiggles her keys in her hand.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Sis, be careful," George tells his sister with a laugh shaking his head.
"Always, see you tomorrow" Tori calls as she walks the opposite way throwing her bag over her shoulder.
George walks down the hall intent on heading to Amar's apartment. It was 1 am and he knew Amar would be asleep, He usually caught up on sleep after the long days of training initiates, but he had been working on a special project in the week since initiation ended. He was coming up with ideas for how to strengthen the initiation program and he wanted his presentation for Max and the other leaders to be perfect. The last two nights when George got home, he had found Amar asleep in bed with papers across his chest. He pulls out his key to their apartment and smiles, he'd never thought he would find anyone like Amar. Erudite wasn't Abnegation but it wasn't as free as Amity or Dauntless. Amar and Tori had bonded during their initiation and the three became inseparable. Geroge had been working up the courage to ask Amar on a date when Amar asked him first. He wished Tori could find that special someone that completed her as Amar did for him.
"Is someone there?" George asks as he stops thinking he hears a sound in the hallway. He narrows his eyes and takes a few more steps.
"What the hell" he grunts as he feels the sting on the back of his neck as Eric swiftly injects him. George crumples to the ground and Eric gives a sadistic smile before pulling him into the access door.
George groans as he feels the ache in his body all over. He didn't think he had felt like this since the fighting stage of Dauntless initiation. His head was throbbing as he tried to remember what he was doing last.
He sits up with a grunt, his eyes squinting at the pain. His mouth was dry, and his neck was stiff as well. He looked around feeling the solid surface beneath him that he had been lying on and noticed the smell, it was familiar. It takes a minute, but he realizes it's the cleaning solution used in Erudite. He would help his father clean up his lab on the weekends and he'd always hated that smell.
He stands up and sees that there are bars in front of him. He turns his head able to focus better now. It was a cell. How the hell was he in a cell? He had dinner with Tori in the shop and waited with her to close the tattoo shop and was making his way to his and Amar's apartment, then he woke up here.
"George?" A female voice calls out.
George looks around and looks through the bars into the cell next to him and sees Clarissa, she worked in the dining hall at Dauntless, they always exchanged hellos at mealtime, and he'd been in the shop when Tori had done a new tattoo for her a few months ago.
"Clarissa, where the hell are we?" he groans. It was dark and cold, and there were no windows, but he had the distinct feeling that he wasn't in Dauntless.
"Erudite…" she says, her voice trembling.
"Why?" George asks, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"I don't know she whispers, but they took the person in your cell two days ago I think, and I haven't seen him again. You showed up this morning."
George finally manages to get up off the cot and make his way to the bar. Clarissa touches his fingers through the bars. He could tell she was scared.
"How long have you been here?"
"I think it's been five days; I'm starting to lose count. I was on my way to the dining hall one morning to start my shift for breakfast and the next thing I knew I was in here."
George looked around, there was only one reason he could think of that would be the reason for him being kidnapped and held prisoner. The sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach told him this wasn't going to end well.
Tobias makes his way to the tattoo parlor. Tori and Bud had been working on a tattoo that he wanted to cover the scars on his back. He had been there for three sessions and Tori said she thought it would take about two more to complete. During initiation, after a tense day of fear landscapes, it was a weird way to relax but Tori and George made the hours in the chair fun. After his talk with Tris, Tobias accepted Max's offer for the Leader in Training program. It had only been a week and it was intense. Now that initiation was over and he'd been spending his days reading Dauntless law and organizing files for Max, sitting in the tattoo chair gave him that same sense of relaxation again.
The first time he met Tori, he felt like she was someone he could trust. Amar had taken out some of the Dauntless-born initiates on their day off from training for a game of dare and Zeke dragged Tobias along. When it was his turn, Zeke dared Tobias to get a tattoo. Tori could have thrown out the rowdy group, but she smiled and worked on the flames he picked out to go on his side. After that, he came back and asked Tori if she could create something bigger to cover his scars. She asked him some questions and pulled out her sketchbook and within 10 minutes she had a design to show him.
He frowns when he sees the closed sign that was up on the shop door because he knows when he was here a few days ago Tori told him to come by later in the evening. He tried the doorknob and it turned so he went in. He stops when he hears Tori sobbing.
"Tori, what happened?" Tobias asks as he approaches slowly.
Tori looks up, her eyes red. Amar was there with his arm wrapped around her and wiping his eyes as well.
"George, he's dead" Tori sobs.
"What!" Tobias asked, not believing what he was hearing, and slowly sat down on one of the chairs near where Tori and Amar were sitting. George and Amar usually hang out around the tattoo parlor after dinner. Tobias had talked with him while Tori worked on his design and the outline. He was kind and Tobias could tell how close he and Tori were.
"How? When?"
"He never made it home two nights ago. We went to security and the last thing they saw was him leaving the tattoo parlor. They said he must have jumped into the chasm."
"Oh my God" Tobias whispers. He had been nine when his mother died but other than that he hadn't experienced the death of someone he knew. The Abnegation didn't believe in showing emotion, so he wasn't sure how to console Tori who was sobbing uncontrollably.
"They said he had to have jumped, It's bullshit. George wouldn't do that" Amar adds the hurt and anger evident in his voice.
"It's like he disappeared. He said I'll see you tomorrow. I know my brother, he wouldn't have killed himself," Tori sobs.
Tobias stays to help comfort Tori and Amar, but he could feel it too. George had no reason to kill himself. Something wasn't right, he just didn't know what it was.
"Staying late again Four?" Max asks Tobias as he walks by seeing Tobias was still typing away focused on his computer screen.
"Oh yes, sir, I've been categorizing all of the housing files for Stacy, and I still have some reading to do"
Max nodded. Tobias was a hard worker; he'd been putting extra effort to learn about Dauntless law and customs since he was a transfer. Max appreciated all the arduous work he was putting in for the Leader in Training program. He had time to grow and learn but Max expected great things out of him.
"I do have this missing person report for you. This is the fifth one in six months"
"Thanks, Four, I'll take a look at them first thing in the morning. Just set them on the desk in my office. Don't stay too long. Make sure you get some dinner," Max tells him quickly, wanting to push the thoughts of the deal he made with Jeanine away. Ten lives, ten dauntless lives he sacrificed but if he saved his faction, was it worth it?
"Good night, Four," he says shaking his head, wanting to clear his mind.
"Good night, Sir" Tobias calls back and looks back at the file. Five people in six months, all said to have jumped into the Chasm, but no bodies were found. If what was happening in Abnegation was happening in Dauntless, there had to be a connection.
"Beatrice," Caleb hisses in a low whisper as he sees his sister sitting at the top of the stairs. Why couldn't she just do what she was told? He wasn't naive to the fact that Marcus and Andrew were up to no good but what could he and his sister do about it? Eavesdropping could only lead to more trouble.
"Go Away" she mouths.
"Jeanine wants more test subjects Marcus" Andrew complains.
"How we're already drawing too much attention, people will start asking questions if we have people missing. It's been five in the past year. We can't keep telling people that factionless attacks are increasing or there were mystery illnesses" Marcus hisses in detest.
"She insists this is necessary," Andrew says in a calm voice.
"All the factionless out there why in God's name do we need to sacrifice more members" Marcus argues.
Caleb stops now hearing what was said and he knows that there were three Abnegation members that they were told had died from factionless attacks. One man they said went out to hand out supplies and never came back.
Tris bites her lip as she listens. First people in the Factionless sector were missing and now Erudite wants more test subjects from Abnegation, and Marcus and Andrew were helping. Was Erudite working with the other faction leaders too? She hoped Tobias would take that leadership position because this was so much more than exposing Marcus and Andrew as abusers.
Tobias walks and blows a breath into his cupped hands as he patiently waits for Tris to get out of school. He looks down at his watch and hears the familiar yells and hoots of the Dauntless running for the train now that the school day has finished. Even though it had only been a few weeks since their last meeting, he couldn't wait to see his best friend.
Ten minutes later, a grin splits his face as he sees Tris walking toward him looking over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't followed.
"I missed you so much!" Tris squeals as she throws herself into him. Tobias chuckles as he wraps his arms around her.
He would never forget the first time she hugged him. He was eight and she was seven, and his mother had just died. He stood there stiffly unsure of what to do knowing that touching was frowned upon in Abnegation. Her little arms were so tight around him, it stopped being awkward and he relaxed feeling comfort in the physical touch.
Over the years of being friends, it became one of their rebellions. They found safety and comfort in embracing each other instead of breaking down after Marcus or Andrew would take a belt to either of them. Tris was the only person he could remember doing this with, he couldn't even really remember hugging his mother. This was something that made his bond with Tris even more special.
"I missed you too. How are you doing? Are you training?" he asks, feeling her arms and noticing they felt more solid already.
"Yes, I'm training, Mom has me doing push-ups and sit-ups every night before bed and we've been working on punches and shooting."
"Good, ask her to see if she can get some knife throwing in too. I wish I could come help but I've been busy with this leadership training, I have so much to learn being a transfer"
Tris smiles, even though she and Tobias decided to go to Dauntless to escape the abuse of Andrew and Marcus, Tobias had been scared to leave behind Abnegation. He fit in better than she did, much like Caleb. She could see how Tobias was embracing Dauntless now.
"I know, I understand. We'll have plenty of time together once I get there. I'm glad you took the leadership position"
"Yeah, there's so much for me to learn being a transfer but it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be so far" He admits.
Tobias pulls a drive out of his pocket and hands it to Tris.
"I need you to see if you can get this installed onto Andrew's computer"
"What's it for?" Tris asks, turning it over in her fingers. Tobias had a knack for working with computers.
"It's a program that will allow me to see what he has on his computer. I've installed it on Max's computer too. If they are sharing information with Erudite, we'll be able to see what it is"
Tris puts the drive in her pocket and then wraps her arms around Tobias again breathing in his scent. She had her mother, but she still missed him terribly.
"You okay? Has he…" Tobias asks wrapping his arms around Tris.
Since initiation was over, he realized things weren't so bad for him now. He was free for the first real time in his life, but Tris was still trapped. Part of him wished he would have stayed.
"I'm fine, I just miss you. I missed some mud while mopping the other week, it set him off… But it hasn't been too bad. He seems preoccupied lately" Tris tells Tobias as she stares off at the wall.
Tobias takes a deep breath and looks up at the sky, the guilt of leaving her creeping up into his chest.
"Stop beating yourself up, and I would have never spoken to you again if you had stayed"
Tobias laughs and pulls her in for another hug. Only Tris would be able to read his thoughts.
"You better get going"
Tris sighs and gives a nod then holds out her hand to do their secret handshake.
"And Tris, be careful" Tobias adds as she walks down the alley.
"I know, I know" she huffs rolling her eyes, and Tobias chuckles.
