My body feels limp, my head is throbbing. I try to open my eyes, but the light hurts and I close them again. I am moving slowly. As my senses are coming back, I can feel pressure in my stomach, weight around my knees. My neck is shooting pain as my head bobs with each step.
I open my eyes. I am staring at the ground. Someone is carrying me, my body thrown over their shoulder. We are walking down a street. I see dots on the ground as we move. Not sure if those are real or just what my foggy vision is seeing. I think I was hit in the head, hard. My arms are heavy. I can feel my pulse in the very tips of my fingers as my arms just hang limp. I try to scream but it's difficult. My lungs are compressed against this person's shoulder. A muffled groan escapes me.
The person holding me shakes me and yells, "Shut up. We are almost there."
Almost where? I try to look around as best I can but don't recognize any buildings or landmarks. Doesn't help that I am upside down. This person carrying me is a man, light skin, muscular wearing dark clothes and oh shit. That neck tattoo, I know that tattoo. My eyes begin to water. It could be from the pain in my head, or wrists or the awkward position my body is in. However, these tears are for one reason. Tobias is the person carrying me.
I try to squirm out of his grasp. I feel like a fish flopping around on dry land. Helpless and heading towards their demise. I pound my fists into his back and kick him anywhere I can, but he is too strong. I am still a small girl from Abnegation not built to overpower a Dauntless golden boy like Tobias.
"Stop," he demands. I do because I know my efforts are useless. Defeated, I drop my head and feel the blood start to pool in my ears.
Suddenly, he comes to a halt. With almost no effort, he heaves me back over his shoulder where my feet hit solid ground. My knees buckle and he holds me up with one arm under my armpit. We are in front of Erudite headquarters. Several guards run out, armed and ready to shoot on site.
"Who are you? What do you want?" One guard says, his rifle aimed at us.
"I am here to propose a trade," Tobias says. He does not look at me.
"What kind of trade could you possibly make that would interest us?" the other guard asks.
"Her," he says. My head snaps around. I scream again, this time a piercing shriek does leave my lungs. I use all my energy to jump to my feet and rip my arm from his grasp. Just then a hand comes from my periphery. The back of his hand collides with my cheek, his knuckles scraping across my eye. Water bursts from under my lid. And I grab my face. I don't fight back. I don't know this man. Tobias would never hit me. At least that's what I believed. But this man, this man would do anything to see his plan through. Hit me, hurt me, kill me.
I hold the side of my face feeling my blood rushing to the area as it swells. He does not take the chance I will attempt an escape again grabbing both my wrists and wrenching them behind my back. I look sideways at him trying to plead with my eyes, but he refuses to look at me.
"Can't even control a little thing like her?" The first guard laughs. "Why should we care? Who the hell is she anyway?"
"Her name is Beatrice Prior. She is the former Dauntless member who shut down the simulation your bosses created," he pauses for his words to sink in and as expected the guards exchange looks of surprise. "And oh yeah, she is also Divergent." At this fact, the guards nod at each other. Tobias knew that information would catch their attention if the previous did not.
"We need to bring this to our faction leaders. We will see what they want to do about you and her," the second guard says. "Stay here."
The guards leave. I continue to look towards Tobias who is avoiding eye contact with me at all costs. Why is he doing this?
"Tobias. Tobias? Why are you doing this?" I plead but he continues to ignore me. "Am I really this expendable to you? Is this easy for you?" He won't look at me, but I see his mouth twitch like he wants to respond. He has made his stand and nothing he has to say will matter. However, I need a reason. Something deep in me needs to know why the man I thought loved me would betray me at the lowest level. "Fine. Don't speak to me. Just know what you are doing right now whether it is saving yourself or whatever you have convinced yourself to please your twisted morals, you are a coward. You are not Dauntless nor Abnegation. You are a selfish coward. His mouth twitches again before his lips pinch together. He turns to look at me as the doors open again and his eyes snap away to inspect the new arrivals.
Eric. Of course it would be Eric. And Max, another Dauntless leader. Eric's pin cushion of a face breaks into a wide toothy smile and I immediately feel nauseous.
"What a sight to see, huh Four," Eric says as he, Max and the two guards walk forward. Tobias does not respond, only tightens his grip on my arms. I wince, and he eases up. Eric leaves his ranks and walks up to me bending over to be eye to eye with me. He looks me up and down, and then touches my cheek and newly formed bruise. I yank my head away from his reach. "What happened, Four? She too much woman for you? Need to control her just like your daddy?" Tobias' grip on my arms tightens again.
Through gritted teeth, Tobias says, "Like I said before, I have a trade to propose."
Eric straightens up to face Tobias. "Yes, yes. So, we get her, and you get what exactly?"
"I get to live and join your faction." Eric burst out laughing.
"You? Why would you think we would want your Divergent ass for anything more than to just kill you?" Eric walks back to his fellow traitors in disbelief.
"You need me. As a spy, of course and because your puny little mind can't possibly understand half of the plan that Erudite is creating. I, on the other hand, specialized in technology. I am a trusted member of Dauntless and can provide first class intel on plans and locations of their Divergent." Eric crosses his arms. Not wanting to agree though Max whispers something into his ear and Eric rolls his eyes. If I wasn't being used as Tobias' sacrificial lamb, I would think it was a pretty good plan. Tobias' skills would very much help the Erudite's cause for destruction.
Eric sighs, "Well, I may not be fully on board with this plan but, as my fellow leader explains, Jeanine would really appreciate your certain set of "skills"," Eric says putting skills in quotes. Tobias forces a smile. Then Eric pulls out a gun, "But like I said, I don't like this. I don't like you. So, what stops me from just killing the both of you right here?"
Eric cocks his gun, the other guards raising their guns, too. Tobias then releases his grip on me. My arms drop like bricks, and I stumble to stay upright. He puts his hands up slowly. Don't accept defeat, my mind screams. He lowers one hand slowly beginning to unzip his jacket.
What the fuck. It's a bomb. A fucking bomb is attached to him. What is he doing? His hand grabs a cylindrical piece of metal connected to his belt before saying, "This."
Eric's jaw drops and his ranks take a few steps back. "A bomb. You came here to blow us up?"
"No, I came here to make a trade. If it went south, as it did, I brought this as insurance. You know using that certain set of skills I have," he winks at Eric who aims his gun back at Tobias. "Oh, and this," Tobias shakes his cylinder, "it's a dead man switch. So, go ahead and shoot me, but then you would blow up everyone on this block." Now, Tobias is the one smiling. He outsmarted Eric. Why am I cheering for him, I am still losing no matter what. I'm still going to die regardless of whether by bomb or firing squad.
Eric lowers his gun and Max motions to the guards to do the same. "So, do we have a deal?" Tobias asks.
"Yes, under one condition," that evil Eric smile spreads across his face again. "Since you have no problem hitting your girlfriend and offering her up to us, you'll have no problem being the one to shoot her." Eric holds out his gun loving every moment of this. "I'm sure Jeanine would like to do some testing on this one," he points at me with his gun, "But I don't trust her kind to even step foot into our headquarters."
Tobias finally turns to look at me. I look for his deep blue eyes, but I only see dark, lifeless eyes staring back at me. He breaks our gaze and nods to Eric, "No problem."
"Great," Eric returns his gun into his back waistband clapping his hands together. "I trust you brought your own gun."
"I did."
"Wonderful." He slaps the guards on the back, "These guys will stay with you until the job is done. That is if you can even do it. If you can not stomach it, they will simply kill you both and I will sleep easier tonight. Either way, Tris, say hi to your parents for me." With that, Eric winks at me before turning with Max and walks back into Erudite headquarters an extra skip in his steps.
Bastard. That little pin cushion rat bastard. A flaming heat rises within me. My cheeks might be steaming at this rate. How dare he mention my parents. How dare he? He may not have personally killed them but I hold him just as responsible as the rest of the Erudite army. My parents would not have had to sacrifice their lives if this uprising had not happened. Erudite and all the Dauntless traitors are guilty of their murders. If only I could take Tobias's gun and shoot Eric in the back right now.
In my hatred haze, I don't realize the guards are escorting us to the side of the building. Keeping up Erudite appearances would not include any firing squad executions in front of their building. They always need to look in control. We round a corner and I notice Tobias has shed his bomb vest. His dead man switch lays forgotten on the ground behind us. He must've turned off the switch or diffused it, at least I hope it's diffused. I guess I'd rather die by bullet than bomb. Less messy, less painful I would assume. Then, I realize without the vest, Tobias is unarmed.
This is my opportunity. I attack.
I throw a punch, then another. I connect both times. No idea where, I just keep going. This is my only chance to escape. My knee, and a kick connect. Tobias is fighting back now. My next punch stops in midair. He grabs my wrist twisting my arm just like he did before. Guiding it behind my back with extreme pain. My back presses up against his chest. His other arm wraps around my neck locking in place. His forearm and bicep flexing against my throat. Immediately, my breathing halts.
He squeezes tighter, my air decreasing. "Tris, stop fighting." No, I will not. I refuse to let him beat me. I refuse to let him betray me. I refuse to believe this is my Tobias. I squirm and writhe any way I can. My free arm trying to pry his bicep away from my windpipe to no avail. Then he let's go of my one arm. But before I can strike, his arm pulls his gun out and jabs it into my rib cage. "Stop, Tris. This is happening. Now get on your knees." He releases his headlock on me and steps back, gun drawn.
Is this it? Tobias has a gun. The guards I am noticing now, are also pointing their guns at me. One way or another, I will be shot. I turn to face Tobias hoping, if anything, making him shoot me in the face will give him some kind of guilt that will haunt him in his fear landscape for the rest of his life. He will see me, forever.
I drop to my knees without breaking eye contact with me. I'm making him uncomfortable. He's biting his lip, hard. Maybe he won't go through with this. At least then, I will know he cared for me enough to not kill me.
Tobias cocks his gun, "Goodbye Tris." Bang. I scream one last time.