Holding On||Peter Hayes (Divergent)

Chapter 26

Zeke and Tori arrive at the compound the next day. Tori came injured with Zeke hauling her inside. The woman was treated by Helena, the Dauntless nurse. All the Dauntless in the compound were surprised to see the 'traitors' arrive back to us, however Uriah, Shauna and I welcomed them with opened arms.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us," Lynn shakes her head. A group of us are all seated around a table in the Gathering Room: a large room draped with cloths in the Candor colours. We're sitting upon one of the many round tables that surround three podiums in the middle of the room. The room is usually used for debates held every month and religious services every week. Zeke was cleared by the Candor not long ago, so a few of us decided to hold a "'Hey you're not a dirty traitor!' celebration," as Uriah liked to put it.

"Don't get all huffy about it," Zeke says. "I wasn't even supposed to tell Uriah and Shauna. And it sort of defeats the purpose of being a spy if you tell everyone that's what you are. Uriah doesn't seem to get the point seeing as he ran his mouth to little Piper over there." All eyes are on me. I smirk and look at Uriah who's glaring at his brother.

"Yeah, but we've been insulting you since the simulation attack," Lynn tells Zeke, "and now I feel like a jerk about it."

"You are a jerk, Lynn. It's a part of your charm." Zeke snickers as he puts an arm around Shauna. Lynn tosses my plastic cup of water at Zeke. He instantly hits it away from him and it splashes upon its rightful owner: me. I let out a frustrated scream and throw the plastic cup back at Lynn.

"Don't get me caught up in your crap!" I exclaim. Uriah, Marlene, AJ, Tris and Shauna all look between us in anticipation. Nothing else happens, instead Zeke continues to talk while wiping his eye free from water.

"Anyways, as I was saying," Zeke continues, "I was mostly working on getting Erudite defectors out safely. That's why there's a big group of them here, and a small group at Amity. But Tori... I have no idea what she was doing. She kept sneaking away for hours at a time, and whenever she was around it was like she was about to explode. It's no wonder she gave us away.

"How'd you get the job?" I ask. "I mean, you're not that special."

"It was more of where I was after the simulation attack," he explains. "Smack-dab in a pack of Dauntless traitors. I decided to go with it. Not sure about Tori, though."

"She transferred from Erudite," Tris says.

"Oh," Zeke merely says. "How'd you know that?"

"Well," Tris begins, leaning back in her chair, "all the faction transfers have a secret club. We meet every third Thursday." A few of us snort with laughter.

"Where's Four?" Uriah asks. "Should we start without him?"

"We can't, he's getting The Info." Zeke says mysteriously. Uriah nods as though he understands. Stupidly he asks what 'The Info' is, as if he has forgotten. "The info about Kang's little peacemaking meeting with Jeanine, obviously."

Tris then ducks her head randomly, looking rather stupid. "What?" Uriah says loudly, looking over his shoulder.

"Stop it!" Tris splutters. "Could you be more obvious? Will's sister is over there." She's hiding so she doesn't have to face the guilt. I see Cara with Christina, who isn't speaking to Tris after she found out she killed Will.

"Yeah, I talked to her about getting out of Erudite once while we were there," Zeke tells us. "Said she saw an Abnegation woman get killed while she was on a mission for Jeanine and couldn't stomach it anymore."

"Are you sure she's not an Erudite spy?" Lynn asks sceptically.

"Lynn, she saved half our faction from this stuff," Marlene taps the bandage on her arm from where she was shot. "Well, half of half of our faction."

"In some circles they call that a quarter, Mar." Lynn tells Marlene like she's a two-year-old.

"Anyways, who cares if she's a traitor?" Zeke shrugs. "We aren't planning anything that she can inform Erudite about. And we certainly wouldn't include her if we were."

"There is plenty information for her to gather from here," Lynn says. "How many of us there are, for example, or how many of us there aren't wired for simulations."

"You didn't see her when she was telling me why she left," says Zeke. "I believe her."

***

AJ and I are talking upon my bed when Zeke comes in, seating himself next to me with one of his legs upon my bed, just like AJ who is opposite him. I lean against the wall with my legs crossed. "I've been wanting to speak to you two since I came," Zeke tells us. "You know your dad is working with Jeanine."

"Yeah we do," I nod. "And don't ask how we know, it's a long story." Really, I don't want to go over my Amity escape story and have pity thrown my way by another person.

"He told me to tell you two this if I was to ever see you," Zeke explains. "He wants you to go over to Erudite. Or even to meet him."

"Why?" AJ asks.

Zeke shrugs. "He wants to talk to you about your mother; about the past few years and something he's found out about her death and past events in your lives - something along the lines of that."

"Sure, he probably was drunk when he was talking to you," AJ snarls. "I'm not meeting with him. Over my dead body."

"Wait, about my mother?" I narrow my eyes, feeling more intrigued.

"Yeah," Zeke nodded. "It sounded pretty important, and he wasn't drunk. I'd go if I were you."

"He's a drunk and always will be." AJ scoffs. "He used to hit us when he was drunk. All the time. You call my drunk father's bullshit important? He only wants to get to our heads."

"AJ, don't have a go at Zeke," I sigh. "He's only telling us what Dad told him. About Mum, remember her?"

"Piper, she's dead for God's sake!" AJ threw his hands up in the air. "Why won't you fucking get over it?"

"Shut up!" I yell at my twin. "I've blamed myself for four years for her death, we both saw her jump and it's been haunting me ever since. I want to know. And let go."

"Then do it! Forget it! She's dead. End of story." AJ glared at me.

"It's hard for me, AJ!" I cry out. "I don't take stuff like this very well. And he knows stuff about her. What if she's still alive? They never found her body!" As I say this I realise how crazy I sound. My cheeks flush immediately. I've never considered her being alive, but now that Zeke's telling me dad knows something about my mother... it could be as impossible as that.

AJ howls with laughter, clutching his stomach. "See! He's already getting to your head! What's wrong with you?"

"Ever since he came to us on Initiation Day I've been wondering. I didn't fully care until those guards from Erudite told me that Dad wanted me in Erudite alive. Aren't you the tiniest bit curious?" I question him.

"No! Because I'm not stupid!" He shouts. "If you go, Piper, don't expect me to talk to you ever again." My brother stands up and storms off without a glance.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Zeke," I sigh, leaning my head against the wall. "I don't remember the last time we fought like that."

"I get it," he assures me. "When my dad died Uriah and I used to fight a lot, but it gets better."

"It's been four years and I can't escape it," I look at Zeke, exhausted. "It's only gotten worse. And I'm tired."

"My advice is you go see your dad and settle this drama you have going on, but talk to AJ." Zeke says. "But then you risk your relationship with him. It's a tough decision."