Holding On||Peter Hayes (Divergent)

Chapter 34

I'm immediately woken up the next morning by a guard I don't recognise. He drags me up and throws me out of my cell at the feet of Four and another guard. "Four," I say. The guard that entered my cell lifts me to my feet and leads me, Four and his guard to a simulation room near to one of the Erudite laboratories on the floor. We're chucked inside a room with one window, two chairs and two computers.

"Jeanine's going to come in here to continue testing on the both of you," one of the guards tells us, standing in the door frame. "Tris Prior's execution is today."

My head begins to spin. They can't do this. Tris is meant to live. She can't die, not here, not now. Not in the hands of our enemy. And I can't face another loss, not after Marlene just recently. "What?" I shout. "I-I -"

"You can't do this," Four says, his face a mask of defeat. "You need her."

"Well, clearly we don't," the guard chuckles. His bald head bobs up and down as he does so. The door slams shut and Four and I are left alone in the room.

"I want to see her!" Four yells so loud his voice rings in my ears slightly. "I want to see her!"

"Four," I say quietly. I know he won't hear me, but the way he's acting startles me.

"Tris! I want to see her!" He continues to bellow. I turn my head and notice a hand touch the glass window six feet up. I think it's Tris.

"Four, it's Tris," I say loudly, pointing to the hand. He turns his head and runs to the window, looking down at Tris. He puts his palm to the window and holds that position for a while. When he pulls away, he stands with his hands hung loosely at his sides. I approach him, noticing his face is blotchy. "Is she -"

"She's gone," he whispers.

***

The cell door clicks open and Peter walks in with Tris in his arms. A still, lifeless Tris being held bridal style in his arms. "What the hell are you doing?" I scream at Peter.

"Oh my God," Four gasps. "Oh -"

"Spare me your blubbering, okay?" Peter snaps. "She's not dead; she's just paralysed. It'll only last for a minute. Now get ready to run." At his words I pull my knife from inside my jacket, wrapping my hand around it comfortably. Peter looks at the knife and then at me, slight admiration glinting in his green eyes.

"Let me carry her," Four says.

"No. You're a better shot than I am. Take my gun." Peter pulls his gun from his holster and hands it to Four. We start running out of the cell and down the hallway.

"Left!" Peter shouts. We skid around the corner where a guard stands, completely befuddled. In his state of confusion Four shoots him and we carry on running. "Right!" Is Peter's next order. Another guard is standing in the hallway. Four shoots him at first glance. "Wait, stop here!" Peter opens one of the steel doors and Four and I run through. It's pretty much empty with a few trash cans lining the wall and a square metal door on the other wall, presumably a trash chute. Just before Peter charges in he's stopped by Tris. He carefully enters and shuts the door with his foot. Tris is set upon the floor where she reunites with Four.

Peter leans against the wall a few feet away, recovering from carrying Tris. He notices me looking at him and shifts uncomfortably. My eyes them fix on Tris and Four who are passionately kissing. "Unless you want me to throw up all over you guys," Peter grimaced at the couple, "you might want to save it for later."