Ordinary Acts of Bravery [A Divergent Fanfic]

Chapter 51 - Fight or run

"Hope is the only thing stronger than fear."

Eric—I had seen Eric for the first time in weeks. I was shaking. It was the only reaction that my body could handle right now. A small cry left me as I settled on my knees, forehead against the wall. From where we sat, I could even hear Eric's voice travel through the stable. My heart ached and I longed to go to him. But when my head turned in the direction of the stairs, Ezekiel reacted. He grabbed my arms, forcing me to look at him as he mouthed no and shook his head. It made the curls on top of his head bounce a little.

He had guessed exactly what I had been thinking when Eric's voice traveled to us. "You cannot go to him—Max will kill you on sight. He can do nothing, to protect you." Ezekiel whispered as Four stood up. My eyes snapped to him as he strode across the room, towards the staircase I had been looking at moments earlier. I lowered my head in defeat when Ezekiel tightened his hold on my arms. I knew he was right. Eric had no means to protect me against all those people.

"Eric's here. We need to move now! Come on." Four whispered before reaching the staircase. Eric's voice was closer now as if he was right below the staircase. He even dared peek but the dread that settled on his face. Eric had to have been standing right below us. Then he strode back, quietly, and quickly. Four turned towards the right and a pair of windows. He opened the one closest to him on his left as Peter came closer, Four turned back towards him, a small scowl on his lips. "We have to split up." Four began, immediately Peter looked crossed.

Ezekiel helped me stand as he seemed to have figured out Four's true meaning when Caleb and Tris moved towards the open window. We were too many to go out the same window, luckily there were two sides to the building. Three people on each side would improve our chances exponentially. Ezekiel got the other window opened, but not as quietly as he could have when Peter snorted.

Peter had taken it completely the wrong way. "Yea, of course. Every man for themselves? Right." He scoffed. There was a moment of pause as everyone looked to him. Then he jumped into action, screaming as loudly as he could. "Eric! They're up here!" He sprinted towards the staircase, and I threw myself towards Ezekiel, already halfway out the window when storming steps reached my ears. Eric was running up the staircase with a speed almost not humanly possible.

Peter was a little rat. It was all I could think about as I jumped down towards the ground. Four and Tris had done the same, taking down the two guards on the ground.

When I landed, I landed hard. Unable to soften my own jump, I was forced to land on all four. Ezekiel landed more gracefully beside me, only slightly bending his knees before he hooked an arm underneath mine. I was pulled to my feet when two other guards turned the corner. I saw their blue bands and we both knew what to do. I grabbed the gun of the first guard and yanked it out of his grasp before sending a well-deserved elbow towards his face.

I heard the crack as he covered his nose with both hands. I chuckled and sent the base of the gun towards him, hitting him on the side of his head. The man fell to the ground, very unconscious, just as Ezekiel overpowered the other guard. "Come on!" Ezekiel urged and grabbed my arm again, but something made me turn and look back up to the open window we had jumped out of.