The Divergent Spirits

29)

Carmen's POV

"Guys! You may want to get on the roof! Now!" Zed yells as he was running past me.

I raced to the roof and notice Zed was looking at Will, Hector, Marlene, and Christina were there. They stood on a ledge near the roof, a fall from that high could very easily prove to be fatal.

"We have a message for the Divergents." They say in unison as they stood inches away from the edge, "This is not a negotiation, this is a warning. Traitor Tris Prior and Outsiders Emily and Olivia Unlay must be surrendered to Erudite or everyday, more death will follow." They say as they took one more step towards the edge.

"Go!" Four yells as he, Tris, and Eric run past me.

"Carmen, come help me get Marlene!" Zed hits my shoulder, making me sprint towards the stairs leading up to the ledge, my legs moving as fast as they could. It felt as if eternity as I made my way up one flight of stairs after another.

"Traitor Tris Prior and Outsiders Emily and Olivia Unlay must be surrendered to Erudite or everyday, more death will follow." They repeated again as Zed and I grabbed the rail and pulled ourselves onto the ledge.

I throw myself forward as soon as I was close enough. I watched as Marlene took a step forward, letting herself slowly fall forward. Seconds felt like minutes as I reached out to grab anything I could hang onto.

"Christina! Will!" I faintly hear Tris shouting behind me.

My heart fell to my stomach as I stared at the outline of her body lying lifelessly on the ground beneath me as I looked over the edge.

"Marlene!" I yelled as tears continuously poured out of my eyes. "Marlene, no! Fuck!"

I gulped for air, anguish lamenting through the wetness of tears.

"Carmen!" Zed yelled as he pulls back and into his chest. "Shh, it's okay. Everything's gonna okay." He whispers into my ear.

"Not Marlene! Fuck! Fuck!" I yelled as my screams muffled as I sobbed into his chest.

"We removed this from the body of the suicidal-"

"Her name is Marlene." Emily cuts off Evelyn as she cradling a crying Olivia.

"I'm sorry, Marlene." Evelyn continues, "It's a very sophisticated sim serum injector. It also has a radio transmitter in its head." She says as she holds up a small device, finished with tentacles, with a pair of tweezers.

"Well, how do we get them out?" Steph asks.

"I don't know. This tech was built to defend itself. This tendril wraps around the nearest major artery. If you try to remove them, it kills the host." Evelyn explains.

"Kill the host? So what do we do?" Lynn asks.

"We must find a way to neutralize the disk before we do anything else." Eric clenches his jaw.

"Or do the logical thing, we hand that girl, the mother and daughter over since they already have the other four in custody." Edgar, one of the Factionless that worked with Evelyn as he points a finger at Tris, then Emily, and Olivia; mentioning Seth, Ellie, Maci, and Cheyenne.

"Nobody is not touching them!" Molly snapped as she and Uriah stepped in front of them.

"Nobody knows about this alliance, we have to protect that advantage. If we hand them over now, it might buy some time." Edgar argues, looking at Uriah and Molly as if he was challenging them.

"I think it's a good idea." Four spoke up before he and Eric shoves Edgar away from Uriah and Molly. "Expect you have to go through us first."

"Me too." Lynn says as she rests her arms on the table, prompting the Dauntless to cheer in agreement as well.

They don't blame them; it's all Jeanine's fault. She was the reason why Marlene was even on the ledge in the first place. She's the reason why she has Seth, Ellie, Maci, and Cheyenne right now.

Then, Olivia runs off, prompting Tris and Emily to go after her. Are they-no, they couldn't.....