Stoupající

11

It feels like barely five minutes have passed when the door opens again and Gun-Guy and three others enter.

I can feel my heart starting to beat faster; sweat is forming on my upper lip. I am scared. It cannot be midnight yet. This cannot be the end.

"Get them up," Gun-Guys says. Two of the guys accompanying him walk toward Eric and drag him onto his feet. The last one heads my way before grabbing my arm and pulling me upright.

"Alright, let's go," Gun-Guy orders and motions for the others to follow him.

While they lead us through the corridors of the building I desperately try to get a look at Eric's face but he is walking in front of me and looking straight ahead.

He tries once to look behind him but one of his captors immediately presses his head back forward.

The moment we walk outside and into the night I start to shiver. It is ice-cold and foggy. Winter is well on its way.

It has always been my favorite season and now I really wish I had appreciated the last one a bite more.

Turning around a corner, we arrive at the old market place where a few more factionless are gathered, some carrying torches. Two of them also carry machine guns. Our machine guns, I realize, the ones we dropped when we were taken hostage.

"Free their hands and line them up in front of the wall," Gun-Guy says.

My captor draws a knife and cuts the cable ties in half. I rub my sore wrists while being turned around and led to the wall of an old bakery. A second later, Eric is shoved to stand next to me.

I have a hard time focusing. My heart is hammering wildly against my ribcage and my breath comes out fast in white little clouds due to the cold.

Moving to stand behind me, Eric puts his arm around me, just like all the times in the training room when he choked me, only this time, he puts no pressure onto my throat but uses the arm to pull me straight back against his front. I can feel the heat of his body through my clothes.

Trying to ignore the guns trained on us, I focus on the feeling of Eric's body against mine, on the feeling of his arm around me, holding me protectively. I bring my hands up and clutch his strong forearm.

"Ten minutes left," Gun-Guy announces. "Maybe Dauntless is simply cutting it close. Ruben, go to the train station. Jasper, go and keep an eye on the main road in case they arrive by car."

Two guys that I seem to remember from earlier today nod and then disappear in different directions.

"What are you doing, John?" Sean snaps angrily and steps forward. "She's mine. The leaders said I could have her until she bores me."

The arm around me tightens.

"Eric," I murmur fearfully, my voice only loud enough for him to hear.

"I'm ready," Eric's answer rumbles through my body. "Prepare yourself."

I am wondering how the hell one should prepare themselves for being killed when Gun-Guy – John – suddenly swings his fist and punches Sean straight in the face, causing my former fellow faction member to fall to the ground.

"I've had enough of you," Gun-Guy says, looking down at Sean's bleeding face. "First of all, they have about two minutes left. And second, I'm sick of all this shit, I want it to be over and get back to my heavily pregnant wife. I won't miss the birth of my child because you can't find someone to willingly fuck you."

Sean does not reply but silently gets on his feet and stumbles back to where the rest of the factionless are standing.

"John," Ruben comes back. "No-one jumped off the train and the next one arrives way past the deadline."