The Girl Who Cried Dauntless

Chapter Thirty: A Secret Meeting and A Murder Attempt

Tris, Christina, and Will didn't remove their eyes from the door where Peter and his friends left until they heard the heavy thud of it close. They all turned to me afterwards.

"You guys broke up?" Christina asked, glancing at the door and then back to me. I nodded my head. "It would appear so," I said, unfazed. I refused to go into greater detail about the break-up, seeing as I would most likely get their fake sympathy. They didn't like me dating him to begin with and I imagined they wouldn't care how it affected me.

"I think that it's for the best, Adelaide," Will said, sympathetically. With him, I knew the sympathy was genuine.

"It doesn't bother me. We didn't date for that long," I told him, trying not to cause him worry.

Will looked as though he didn't believe me but decided against pressing me further on the topic. "Well, if you need anyone one to talk to, we're all here for you." Christina said. I was tempted to laugh at her empty gesture. Now that Peter and I weren't dating anymore she's willing to be my friend again.

Tris remained silent in the background and her silence did not go unnoticed by Christina who chastised her for not trying to console me.

"It's fine, Christina. You guys have already done a great job at making me feel better," I lied. "But I'm going to head out now."

I tried to leave the room but soon found my way was blocked by Eric. "Someone would like to talk with you," he said, purposely withholding information from me. "And may I ask who this person is?" Eric's brow twitched in annoyance. "Just follow me."

The trio wasn't concerned with me anymore and didn't notice when Eric came to talk to me. That made it easier for us to leave without prying eyes.

When he continued to lead me down the hallway, I realized how close we were getting to the chasm. Although it made me uneasy to be near it with Eric around, I continued and we eventually pass it. I was about to ask where he was taking me but an indistinguishable figure delayed my question asking. It was only until we got closer to the figure did I realized it was my mother.

"Mother?" I was glad she was present but I wanted to know for what reason. "Adelaide," she greeted. She glanced at my hair and I could feel her holding back her criticism. "I see you still have your hair dyed." Before I could answer her, Eric interrupted.

"So far there haven't been any signs of it."

I instantly knew what Eric was talking to my mother about. The Divergents rebels.

"I expected there to be at least a few suspects by this point," her cold voice responded, clearly not impressed with Eric's performance. "Combat training didn't give us anything, but that was to be expected. The stimulations, however, should have revealed who the Divergents are by now. We will have to examine the footage several times to be sure."

Eric couldn't explain to my mother why he was failing the task she gave him. It was enjoyable to watch him struggle under my mother's hard stare but I soon grew tired to it. "What about Tris?"
"What about her?"
"isn't it odd that a Stiff was able to beat all the other transfers in a task that involves mental strength. She beat the Erudites, Candors, and the other Dauntless." Her mother pondered the information given to her. "That is quite odd," she agreed. "I want you both to keep an eye out on her." Eric and I both agreed. "And Eric? Don't forget the reason I had Max appoint you. Your first priority is always finding them. Always." Eric nodded. "I won't forget."

With those words, she left and Eric took off in a different direction.

The hall now became eerily silence with no other noise other than the violent waves of the chasm. That was until I heard a muffled scream coming from the direction Eric brought me from. I peaked around the corner and found a blindfolded Tris struggling against three assailants. One of them securing her to their chest with their hand over her mouth while she thrashed.

All three of them dragged her towards the chasm. Their intentions were obvious.

"Come on! Get her over!" I knew the voice as soon as the person spoke. It was clearly Peter's, meaning the one of them must be Drew. The other was too large to be Molly. "Hurry!"

They pinned her to the weak barrier of the chasm, holding her until Peter gave the final go-ahead. "Wonder what it sounds like when a Stiff begs for mercy," he chuckled to himself.

I went over the pros and cons of helping Tris. A pro would be me saving a life. On the other hand, my suspicion that Tris was a Divergent was strong. Another pro was that Peter could possibly be severely reprimanded for his actions and that thought greatly pleased me at the moment. Though it might cause him to get kicked out of Dauntless and live Factionless. A fate I didn't want him to endure.

Tris kept fighting against the person who was restraining her. As she squirmed vigorously against them, she knocked their mask off to reveal Al. With the reveal, she stopped squirming and looked at him in shock.

"Three against one, Peter? You really are a coward," I said cooly as I appeared from behind the corner. Peter's head snapped to me, his face contorted and his teeth bared. I actually took a step back from the sight of him. Not only did he look enraged, but Peter took on the expression of something completely animalistic.

I decided I needed to keep him in this primitive state to stall him. If he was preoccupied, he couldn't give the final orders to send Tris over the edge.

Peter started towards me but a shout had him halt. Four had Drew on the floor, sending repeated kicks into his stomachs and his face.

Peter and Al fled, and after Four stopped beating him up, Drew fled as well.

Figuring Four would take care of Tris, I walked back around the corner. As soon as I turned, something took hold of my biceps and forced me onto the jagged rocks of the walls.