Finding The Courage

Part 51

We gathered outside of the trucks. Johanna said a brief farewell before she turned the truck around and took off back towards the city. She had a rebellion to organize. We followed these new shiny tracks that looked nothing like the ones back home. We passed an abandoned train car filled with seats, I watched as Four balanced on one of the rails of the track like a child. Holding both arms out to keep himself steady. For the most part we were silent, only pointing out things that hinted to us about how this world had been. The walls held pictures of things we weren't familiar with. Things like coca cola or vodka. I stopped when I heard a familiar sound. Four noticed my hesitation and stopped too.

"Tris do you hear that?" I hissed at her. She didn't stop moving.

"Tris." Four hissed, putting his hand on her shoulder. When she turned to look at him he nodded towards me.

"Do you hear that?" I asked again. For a moment I watched the confusion on her face play out before she heard it too. The sound of a car engine.

"Everyone stop." Tris called out. We gathered together in the center of the tracks. Peter raised his gun, I already had mine raised and Tris followed suit. We waited with baited breath as something came around the corner. A big black truck. Close to what the Dauntless had to move around groups of members I'm sure but nothing close to any of the vehicles we had seen before. The truck stopped twenty feet away from us and I moved to the front of the group ready to open fire.

The driver was visible at this point. He had dark skin and black hair that he had pulled back into a knot behind his head. Four stiffened as he raised his gun at the man. A woman exited the passenger side of the truck. We all bristled, she was older looking to be about the same age and Johanna. She was covered in freckles and had hair that could have been mistaken for black it was so dark. She threw up both hands once her feet hit the ground, showing us she wasn't armed.

"Hello." Her smile was forced and her voice wavered with nerves. "I'm Zoe and that is Amar."

"Amar is dead." Four hissed out.

"No, I'm not. Come on Four." The man called out. I glanced at Four and for the first time since I had seen him in Dauntless I saw fear coloring his expression.

"We work for the same organization that founded your city. The same on Edith Prior came from and-" she paused for a moment searching our faces until she landed on Tris. She held out a crumpled photograph. "I think you should see this Tris. I'll just place it on the ground and then move back okay?" Zoe did just that and I could feel the confusion and panic rippling through Tris. Tris went and grabbed the picture off the ground and huddled back to us without taking her eyes off Zoe or turning her back to them. The picture contained a group of people in front of a chain linked fence. Zoe was easy to pick out due to her freckles but no one else looked familiar until Tris gasped a little. I followed her gaze and my eyes landed on a woman with dull blonde hair who looked similar to Tris.

Four took the picture from Tris ignoring Zoe who had spoken and suddenly Caleb was pushing Four in order to see the picture of his mother. Peter had pulled me out of the way when he had noticed Caleb perk up.

"Think we should trust them?" Four asked in a low voice.

"We came here to find these people. We have to start somewhere. Otherwise we'll probably end up walking around this wasteland and starving." Tris reasoned. The others lowered their guns, except Christina and I.

"Wherever we go we have to be free to leave at any time." Christina said as she lowered her gun.

"You have my word." Zoe said and I finally lowered my gun.

We piled into the bed of the truck taking off towards their home. I watched as Tris and Four began to process the information that had been given to them. Four was standing while Tris sat next to him. I watched her fiddle with the picture. I turned away and tuned out the others as I watched our home fade from view. The hub was just barely visible now. Peter and Uriah sat on either side of me as I tuned out everything but the fading view of home. The view suddenly changes, no longer being the Hub but buildings of all shapes and sizes. Tree that had taken over the cement blocks no longer held in the roots. There were birds like the ones Tris had tattooed, that took flight as we drove past. Four suddenly slumped down on one of the benches and let his head fall into his hands. Before I could move to comfort him Tris was pulling him in her body. I turned away and took in more of the expanse around us.

Suddenly a tall fence comes into view. It looks designed to hurt someone with the ends curved to stab anyone who tried to climb it. Past that was another fence, chain link with barbed wire. There was a low hum coming from this fence, it was electric. People were now walking around carrying guns. Though they only seemed to be similar to the ones we had used to play capture the flag. It was then that my eyes caught the sign on the fence. Bureau of Genetic Welfare. The gates open to allow us in. Everything suddenly seemed to be in order.

Everything was labeled, the buildings had names for what they were. There were signs that pointed people in the right direction. Only a few people were outside besides those guarding the fences, but those who aren't guards stopped to watch us go by. Finally the truck stopped in front of a set of double doors. Peter was the first to jump down, he offered me a hand which I took as I jumped to the ground allowing Peter to control my landing. Everyone spilled out behind us and we all ended up shoulder to shoulder. We could hear each other's breath, there was nothing dividing us now. We were all we had in this strange new world.

"Here we go" Tris mumbled out as Zoe and Amar approached us.