Infallible

Chapter 28

  Rae waited for what felt like days. She knew it had only been a couple of hours, but the time inched by. There was no clock, only 4 walls, the desk she was handcuffed to, and the broken chair that lay in front of the locked door. She wondered how many people had been killed. She wondered how many people her husband had killed. With all this time to wait and think, she could not avoid the harsh reality of what was happening any longer. Jeanine had started a war. A war that she and Eric were on opposite sides of.
  She had cried and screamed awhile, but Eric had been right. There was nobody down here. Nobody knew where she was. She would have to wait for him to let her out, and then... what? In her heart she knew that she could never pretend to be okay with anything that Jeanine had a hand in. However, it wasn't as simple as just walking away. She didn't have anywhere else to go. Jeanine had somehow managed to orchestrate the murder of thousands of people. What chance did Rae have of stopping her? Also, as different as they were, her and Eric were still very much in love. The more she thought, the more she realized that she only had two options at this time. To follow Jeanine alongside Eric, or to refuse and die.
  Just then she heard a key fit into the lock and the door swung open. Looking up expecting to see Eric, she was surprised when Sam entered the room.
"Holy shit." He said quietly, taking in the broken chair at his feet, the blood covered desk, and Rae. Her cheeks were tear stained, her eyes bloodshot, and her knuckles on the hand that wasn't handcuffed to the desk were split open.
"He really did lock you in here."
"Why are you here?" She asked.
"Eric was shot, he's been taken to Erudite. He told me to come get you and bring you to him."
"Shot?!"
"Relax Rae. He's fine. Tris shot him in the foot."
"Tris?! What happened out there Sam?"
"Jeanine's plan worked. I'm sure you'll hear all about it at Erudite but we have to go."
  Sam grabbed her bloody wrist and gently uncuffed her from the desk.
"I can't go to Erudite." Rae whispered.
"Why? That's where Eric is."
"I- I just can't."
  She felt panicked. Hiding from Jeanine would be impossible there. If she went to Erudite, she would have no chance of escape.
"I know this is all kind of a lot to handle. And I have no idea what happened that made Eric lock you up in here. But Rae, you know he won't let anything happen to you. He's crazy about you."
She paused, saying nothing.
"I've never seen anyone or anything shake him the way you do. And I've known him since we were kids."
"You have?" This surprised her. "You transferred from Erudite also?"
"Well, yeah." Sam scratched the back of his neck nervously, uncomfortable with the exchange of personal information.
"Did you know Eric's brother?" Rae blurted out before she could stop herself.
  Sam looked shocked for a moment before quickly recomposing himself. He cleared his throat a few times before answering.
"Yeah, I knew his brother."
  He and Rae looked at one another a moment, both quiet and unsure of how to proceed with what they had to say.
"Rae, we really need to get going." He finally said.
"I don't want to go to Erudite." She replied, her voice barely audible.
"I know you don't. But it's the only way. Trust me. At least... trust Eric. Trust the way he feels about you. Now we really have to go."
  Rae's insides were screaming at her not to go, but she followed. The options she had were beyond limited. She only hoped that somehow, some way, she would find a way through this. Although, she didn't see any outcome that resulted in her and Eric together. That piece of truth is what propelled her feet forward, climbing staircase after staircase until they were on the same level as the Pit. She had to see her husband once more, to tell him that she loved him. It was just then that she heard a gunshot.
  They both froze, Sam grabbing Rae's arm. Another shot rang out and then another, followed by the sound of shattering glass. Sam shoved Rae closer to the wall, shielding her body with his. The sound came from above.
"There shouldn't be gunshots here. Something is wrong. Stay close, we need to go now."
He grabbed her arm and tugged her along the corridor toward the exit.
"Shouldn't we stay and see what's wrong?" Rae asked.
"No. Eric told me to bring you to him safely. That's what I'm doing."
  Reluctantly she followed him out of Dauntless and in to a car he had waiting for them. The first few minutes of their drive was spent in silence. Then Sam cleared his throat.
"Don't say anything back at Erudite about the gunshots we heard."
"Okay..." she agreed hesitantly.
"Look. I'm a few years older than Eric. His brother was one of my best friends. And before you say anything, yes I know why he was murdered. He was Divergent."
  Rae's jaw dropped at this new information.
"I tried to help him. Coach him, somehow. I tried to explain to him, all the time, how to fit in. But he was hard-headed... just like Eric." He cast her a quick glance out of the corner of his eye.
"You... wait, Sam-"
"I tried to help him and I failed. And he died. That's why when Eric came to Dauntless, I tried to be a friend to him, tried to help him just in case he was anything like John. In case he was Divergent too. But he's not. You know just as well as I do that Eric has no Divergent bone in his body. So he doesn't need saving."
  Rae's shoulders fell as she absorbed his words. They sat on her like a sack of cement. It made sense now, why Sam was Eric's only friend.
"But you..." Sam continued, as the car he drove jostled a bit from the uneven road. "You might need a little bit of saving now."
  He looked at her pointedly for a moment, as her shocked eyes stared back at him. He couldn't know.
"I know, Rae. You're Divergent."
  Her body became one with the black leather seat beneath her as she froze in horror. He did know.
"How..." She began before she trailed off.
"It doesn't mater how I know. All you need to know is that soon, Rae, you will be discovered. Eric was one of the first to be injected with the transmitter, one which has been activated before and will definitely be activated again before this mess is all over. I think Jeanine has been messing with his head so long that he's not sure what's right and what's wrong. It's why he's gotten so ruthless... he's doing her dirty work, and I don't think he could stop now even if he tried. He's not Divergent, he can't fight the serum. When they find out about you, and they will find out about you, they will probably use him against you."
  Rae could not speak. She could not move, she could not even think or hardly breathe. What was he saying to her? That he knew what she was and he was delivering her to her death? No, that couldn't be it. If he knew about Eric's brother and tried to help, he wouldn't do that to her now... would he?
"You have to trust me Rae. Trust him. Maybe, with your help, he can start to make sense of things again."
  His voice was grave, pointed even as they pulled into the immaculate and well-lit entrance of Erudite.
"What happens now, I don't know. But I  truly wish you both the best. Your love is strong, maybe even stronger then all of this bullshit. All I've done is maybe given you guys a small chance. Trust in yourself and in him, Rae. With any luck he might learn to trust you too, before it's too late."
  As she sat there staring at her husband's best friend, hardly believing and definitely not understanding his words that she heard pounding against her ear drums, she failed to notice the armed figures moving toward the vehicle in the clean darkness. Her door opened and she almost fell to the concrete below when a pair of rough arms caught her, standing her on her feet. She did not fight, only continued to stare in disbelief at the man in the drivers seat. Sam had his hands up as an armed Erudite guard talked with him, but his eyes were locked with Rae's. They held sadness and hope, which she struggled to make sense of.
All I've done is maybe given you guys a small chance.
  What did he mean? That didn't make any sense. None of this made sense, not one little piece of it. Sam exited the car, with permission from the armed guard, and walked over to Rae. He offered an arm which she readily took. Her feet were unsteady. She allowed him to lead her up the precise steps and into the doors of Erudite headquarters.
"Rae." Eric mumbled as his wife slowly entered the room where he sat. He had felt restless, having to sit and stay off his foot so that it could properly heal. It was already feeling better, so Eric rose as he saw her. He walked uncomfortably to where she stood, her arms crossed guardedly over her chest. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he squeezed them reassuringly.
"Glad to see you're okay. Sam." He turned to address his friend. "Thank you." The two men exchanged a brief handshake.
"It was nothing." Sam muttered with a small smile.
"It was not nothing." She snapped, brushing Eric's hands away. She was too angry, scared and confused to let him touch her yet. "You handcuffed me to a desk, then went off and got yourself shot."
While her eyes glared up at him angrily, he met Sam's gaze and Sam took the hint. He exited quickly. Eric looked back down at his wife and sighed.
"I'm sorry." His voice matched the sincerity in his blue eyes.
"It's going to take more than an apology this time, Eric."
"I know." He said, catching her off guard. She said nothing, not trusting herself to speak. He continued as she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Look. About what you said earlier... about Jeanine." He was struggling, Rae could see it in the way he carried himself.
"We were wrong. We were wrong, okay?" His words were loaded with intense emotion. Rae could not read her husband, as he was acting very out of character.
"Who is 'we', Eric?"
  He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. Eventually, after looking his wife up and down once more, he replied.
"I don't know, Rae. Just me, I guess. I don't know."
She raised her eyebrows as she looked at him, trying to make sense of his words.
"You may have been right. Alright? It didn't feel right..."
  His voice trailed off as he turned, facing the window that overlooked the land below. She wanted to rush toward him and run her hands down his back. She wanted to comfort her husband. But this was a sensitive matter. She was not supposed to show emotion. Faction over blood, she was told. Did that count for marriage, too?
"Eric... what are you saying?" She asked tentatively.
"I'm saying... I don't know, Rae. I'm saying you're right. Jeanine was way out of line. She went too far."
  Rae felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders. Finally, Eric saw reason. Finally, he had a conscience. For the first time ever, maybe she could talk to him openly.
"Eric... I-I don't know what to say. I've been wanting to tell you-"
  She stopped suddenly as Eric held up a hand to silence her. The atmosphere in the room turned suddenly cold. Shifting her weight uncomfortably, she searched her husband's face.
"I think I'm ready for bed now."
That was all he said before walking slowly toward the bed in the corner of the room. His movements were so mechanical that Rae immediately sensed danger.
"Okay." She agreed quietly, gently rising from where she was to follow him. She watched as he laid down without removing any of his clothes. Even his shoes were left laced tightly to his feet. Rae recalled what Sam had said about Eric being one of the first to be injected with the transmitter.
It has been activated before and will definitely be activated again before this mess is all over.
Sam's words rang through her mind as she followed him between the sheets of the bed. She didn't know what Jeanine had planned for her husband, but she wouldn't let her take him without a fight. He had shown her a small shard of goodness, and that was all she needed to commit herself to him. Once and for all, she would die before being separated from her husband. Maybe she had been born Divergent... but maybe-just maybe- Divergence could be learned. If it was... she would die trying to teach him.
  He fell right to sleep. His deep, slumbering breaths lulled her to sleep shortly after. Rae did not dream. But she did wake again, only an hour later, to the sound of Eric preparing to leave.
"What are you doing, Eric?" She mumbled groggily. His answer was to glare at her. She knew in that moment that he was lost. Her only chance of survival now was to play along.