Nothing Without You | Eric Coulter [2]

three

The chaos taking place outside seemed to be dying down and I cracked the door open.

I rush forward to check on one of the fallen Dauntless members, checking their pulse and noticing a small tracker-like device embedded in the skin of their neck.

I'm about to leave to get help when I hear voices filtering down from a stairwell leading upstairs.

I follow the voices, creeping up the stairs with my gun at the ready.

As I draw closer to the top of the stairs, I hear my brother's voice yelling.

"Zeke, what are you doing?" Tobias's voice sounds tense and I rush up the last couple of steps, emerging to see Zeke pressing a gun to my brother's head.

I notice that Tris and Christina are standing off to the side, though neither of them notices my arrival, too focused on the scene unfolding before them.

Behind them, Tori kneels beside Eric who has his hands cuffed behind his back and she works at them to free him with Max overseeing everything.

"I'm proving my loyalty," Zeke answers.

"Zeke!" I call, drawing his eyes to me. "Don't. Don't do this, please."

Zeke simply scoffs at me and turns his attention back to Tobias as he cocks his gun.

"Zeke..." My voice comes out pleadingly, "Zeke, please. You don't want this."

"Don't act like you know what I want, Nessa." Zeke snaps.

"Okay. So what is it you want, Zeke?" I challenge, "What's so important that you're willing to betray your best friend- the man who's practically a brother to you- to get it?"

His eyes lift to meet mine, "I don't like to lose, Nessa. The way I see it, you're on the losing team."

My eyes hold his, and there's just something I see in his eyes that makes me not buy any of this.

"Bullshit."

"Yeah?" He lifts his gun, pointing it straight at me. "Does this still feel like it's bullshit to you? I will put a bullet through you without even batting an eye, you little shit."

"Leave her out of this, Zeke," Tobias grits out, "I'm the one you wanted. So, go ahead and do it already. Or are you too afraid to do it?"

Everything over the next couple of seconds happens so quickly that my mind feels as if it's barely able to keep up.

It feels as if time had slowed as I watched Tobias dart forward, trying to disarm Zeke. But before he could, Zeke opens fire and Tobias jerked back at the impact of the bullet, collapsing onto the floor.

My heart sinks to my stomach as I rush to my brother's side. Hardly able to bring myself to care as the Dauntless traitors, now including Zeke and Tori, make their escape.

"I'm fine," Tobias grits out as I check the wound on his shoulder, "It's just a graze."

"Still, let's get you checked out."

I help Tobias to his feet with the help of Tris and got him to the infirmary where he gets looked over by a nurse.

Just as he's finished getting bandaged up, Uriah enters the room, his face pale and looking like he's about to throw up.

"Is it..." He trails off as if it pains him to say the words, "Is it true? Was Zeke with them?" Uriah asks, his eyes falling onto the blood coating Tobias's discarded jacket and then onto his bandaged shoulder. "Did he do this?"

My silence must've held the answers he was looking for and he falls to his knees beside Tobias looking crestfallen.

"God, I'm sorry, Four." Uriah buries his face in his hands, "I can't believe my brother would do something like this."