Spitfire - Eric Coulter

Chapter XIII

My brother and the team get off first, and they all start discussing wildly tactics. I see my brother and Tris leave. Towards the Ferris wheel.

"Okay everybody shut up!", I call out.

"If we hide our flag well enough, like a high point we only need little defence. They should be good shots and stay hidden, kind of like the snipers in the old movies?"

The team nods.

"The offence team splits into two groups. If we find out where they hide the flag, one attacks from the front, drawing in firepower, while the second group, fast and small people, come from the back and get to the flag. Let's build the groups."

And we do. Marlene, Christina and Tris will be the offence group sneaking in from the back. Me, most of the dauntless borns, like Sammy, will be on the front offence team. And Val, Emma and Lorcan will be our defence.

I look up to the Ferris wheel, where my brother, who is afraid of heights, stands. At the very top. He definitely has a crush on Tris if he climbs for her.

And after some time they come back down.

"The flag is in the tower", Tris announces.

"Awesome. So we have a defence team of three, two offence teams", I explain the plan to them and my brother nods.

"And where do you suggest we hide the flag?"

"Ferris wheel. Upper cart. Val and Lorcan can take cover in the other carts and the other team would never climb up there at the risk of getting shot."

"Okay. Let's do it."

Sammy and I walk by the side of the containers by side, each of us checking one side. I hear the whir of the gun before I see them and pull Sammy to the ground, rolling to the sides for cover. Uriah and Lynn are taking cover behind another container.

"You shoot here, I'll walk around", I whisper and Sammy nods, opening fire. I walk around the container and am now at the corner closest to the pair. I look around the corner and shoot. Hitting Lynn in the shoulder. She curses. Uriah turns to me and shoots, a dart burying itself in my thigh. I curse as well but shot again while bracing my weight onto the container's wall. Lynn, now getting her senses back, tries to shoot Sammy who still is on the other side. I hit Uriah's stomach, he hit my arm and I yelp but hurry away, towards the tower, but not without turning around and yes, shooting Uriah into his butt. Sammy high-fives me. I pull out the darts. As much as it pains me to say. I have felt worse. Not that that's a good thing, but I have all my senses together because I had to do that since I was about twelve. We move further forward. There are people in front of us then and we stand with our backs to two separate containers, and when making out three voices decide to not fight them but walk around. I am in a crouching position behind some crates when a dart hits my shoulder. From behind.

"Oh, come on!", I growl, with a light wince in my voice and turn around, seeing a smirking Eric. And I don't hesitate to shoot back. Dangerously close to his jewels.

"Oh hell no", he growls and I burst into a sprint, flying past containers and jumping over a pair of crates, towards the old building next to the tower, through the hall and crash through a door, colliding with someone.

"For fucks sake!", that person yells.

"Marlene?!"

"Tessa?"

"One and only. You need to hurry, Eric is following."

I don't need to say more for Marlene and Tris to storm up the stairs. I follow up the stairs for half a turn and press my back to the column in the middle. Heavy footsteps announce Eric's presence and I raise the gun and shoot, missing him by an inch, but he hits, in the middle of my torso. And this time I crumble against the column, a shriek of pain leaving me. For a moment Eric seems apologetic, that is until I shoot him in the same place he shot me. That way we both crumbled against the wall when the victory shouts ring out. I grin. Tris and Marlene come from upstairs smiling widely, freezing when seeing the two of us.

"I am good, don't worry, will be out in a second."

They nod. Marlene wiggles her eyebrows at me, I roll my eyes and she leaves after Tris.

"Well, that went well", Eric complains.

"Yes, I know, I planned it."

"I should have guessed", he smiles. I smile as well.

"Well, let's go, I don't want to miss the victory party", I state and heave myself up, Eric does the same. I also pull out the dart from my torso, trying to reach the one lodged in my shoulder.

"Shooting me from behind was a real dick move", I whine and a calloused hand grabs mine, stopping me from trying to reach the dart, him pulling it out instead.

"Well shooting me in the balls wasn't nice either."

We make our way down the stairs.

"For the record, it was close to your balls."

"Makes it that much better."

Together we exit the building and I am stormed by Lynn, Sammy and Uriah.

"You actually did it you little shit", Uriah exclaims and grabs me throwing me over his shoulders.

"Hey! Let me down right this instance! Uriah!"

Sammy laughs and even Lynn grins.

"Where are we going? This isn't the way to the train", I protest, "I can see that even if your big butt is in the way."

"Oh come on Tess, don't be so mean, you'll make Uriah cry", Marlene giggles. Uriah hurries up to Tris, who looks rather confused but goes with Uriah nonetheless.

"Put me down Uriah, or I'll punch your kidneys so hard you won't be able to walk", I growl and that does the job.

Tris walks by my side and I see that she wants to ask something, so I gesture Uriah away.

"Out with it Tris. If you want to ask something, ask it."

She fumbles with her thumbs.

"So...I...do you...aren't you with Four?"

I chuckle. "No, I am not with Four, or anybody else right now. If you like him, go for it."

"But the two of you..."

"Were coincidentally both awake at 5 am in the morning and I was failing miserably. So he helped."

She nods slowly.

"Let's have some fun, okay?", I grin and catch up with my friends, who now enter a building and start climbing an endless stairwell.

"Gosh they really are crazy here", I huff halfway and Tris chuckles as we continue to make our way further up. And it is rewarded with a spectacular view.

"Holy guacamole", I breathe out and Uriah nods.

"It's amazing isn't it?"

And then I see what exactly the tradition is and smile.

"Hell yes!"

The people around me chuckle. Tris goes second, then Uriah, whose cheering we can hear for about a minute after he was sent down. Marlene comes after and then Sammy. And then finally, it's my turn.

I climb into the contraption check the brake and then I fly. Soaring through the cold night air I laugh. Everything seems so far away, so small and insignificant. And for a moment there is only me. Me and the air and the darkness. I see the wall way too soon and reach for the brake behind me, stopping and opening the clips holding me up, falling into the net below.

My friends cheer and together we make our way back to the train and to the compound.