With Dauntless Abandon

Chapter 10

"We're stopping... I have to go," she whispers in a panic as the car suddenly pulls to the side and then goes silent. She hangs up with a final whispered goodbye and shoves the phone in her bra as the trunk opens.

~~~

"We're in business," Christina says cheerfully. "I've got your court hearing scheduled for tomorrow."

Four's eyes widen. "W-what?"

"Your hearing to expunge your records and throw out your conviction. It's tomorrow. Let me just tell you that the judge I presented my motion to was not pleased to hear that you were in prison so long for something you didn't do. The DA is being cooperative. Congratulations. You're going to be a free man."

"Just like that, huh?" Four mumbles thoughtfully. "What do I have to do?"

"Just stand there when they say, and the judge will give you some useless apology, which you'll accept as graciously as possible, and then you'll be given the option for compensation-in other words, we'll be allowed to sue the shit out of the state, if that's what you want, and then we'll come back and get your things, and then you'll be free to leave jail for good."

"Alright, I guess."

"Sweet. so... you know, pack your shit. I'll have something for you to wear tomorrow. Will and Fer will be there, and Tris too."

"Will she really be there?"

"Of course. Just cause you two aren't together anymore doesn't mean she's not interested in your well being. It's all she talks about. She keeps saying this thing... she keeps saying 'he's not scum'... like some sort of mantra. Like we don't already know that you're the most important thing to her. Each time you come up in the investigation... each time you're mentioned in relationship to some Dauntless thing, she glares at everyone. I don't even think she realizes she does that, but she does. She's like... your own guard dog for your reputation, or something."

"She doesn't want to love me anymore," he mumbles, disbelieving.

"But that doesn't mean she doesn't. Give her some time. She's stubborn as fuck, but she knows what the right thing to do for herself is. She'll come around. Let's focus on getting you out of here for now, okay?"

~~~

Eric yanks her out of the car by her hair. She grits her teeth to keep from crying out, but she glares at him, purposefully stomping on his foot as she stumbles onto the curb. He retaliates with a resounding smack that sends her crashing to the ground, lights flashing in her vision. She climbs to her feet quickly, moving away from him so he doesn't pull her up by her hair again.

He wrenches her by the arm toward a door to what looks like an apartment building. The stairs are steep and narrow, and poorly lit. She stumbles twice on the way up the stairs, her ears still ringing and her vision still swimming. He guides her forcefully to the door directly in front of the stairs on the third floor, producing a key he didn't have in his hand before. It's not attached to keychains or other keys.

A spare key.

He opens the door and pulls her past the dimly lit living room, with dingy couches that have holes in them, to a chair in what seems like a dining room. There are no other chairs, however. There is only a desk and a small laboratory set up. She sits on her hands on the chair, purposefully staring at her lap, and waits for him to speak. However, all she registers is the click of the door closing and a lock sliding home.

She looks up, curious. Eric didn't bother to tie her down or anything... why? She stands, moving toward the door they walked through. There is no door knob, only a lock. The key unlocks both the inside and the outside. She knows trying to open the door would be useless, so she moves back into the space she was put in and looks around. There should be a fire exit around here...