Chasm

Chapter 21

TOBIAS POV

Tris is on edge as she rushes around to gather any equipment we might need. It is a little after midnight now, and we didn't exactly spend most of the day resting, instead keeping our minds preoccupied with other unimportant chores. The anxious buzz we both feel was inevitable, but she seems much too frazzled at the moment; that is not a beneficial thing when going into a situation like this. We both need clear minds.

"Tris, calm down," I say, grabbing her arm when she tries to brush past me again.

She sighs and presses her free hand to her forehead. "I can't," she states. "Not when this could easily go wrong, not when we don't know for sure what we're heading into."

"It's just in and out," I reassure her. "You shut it down, I hack in the computer and copy the information, and we leave. It's that simple."

Shaking out her hands, she nods, trying to calm her nerves. It doesn't seem to help.

I clasp her hands in mine and press a light kiss to her forehead, brushing my lips down to hers. I whisper, "It'll be okay."

It relieves her enough to continue packing her bag, much more pensive. After double-checking that I have everything I need to scale Erudite, a gas mask with a communication device hidden inside, and a hard drive, I remove my gun from the nightstand. I tuck it into my waistband, and then I take my other gun out of the top drawer of my dresser.

"I'm not using it," Tris barks from behind me.

"Just carry it with you," I say, leaving no room for argument. When I hand it to her, she refuses to move. "I highly doubt you'll have to even use it. I would feel better if you had it, just in case."

My words break through her obstinate wall. Uncomfortably, she wraps her fingers around the gun before quickly stuffing it in her backpack.

"We're doing this to help people, but I don't want it to be at the expense of your life."

"Same goes for you," she says, her eyes insistent. "Be careful."

xXxXx

Erudite headquarters slides into view as a mass of bright lights and glass windows. I pull my gas mask down over my face and get used to breathing in it, testing out the mic soon after.

"Ready?" I say, my voice muffled.

Tris nods and snaps her own mask into place. With one last brush of our hands, we jump off the train, landing on concrete with steady legs.

As soon as we reach the Erudite perimeter, we head around to the south side as Cara suggested. We stay in the shadows to be on the safe side until we reach the outside generators. Right next to them is a vent.

I get to work, slipping into the harness and tightening it around my thighs and trying to ignore Tris's comment about how similar they are to the ones used for zip lining. Then I hook myself up to the cable-like rope so that I am almost set to climb.

Tris pulls out a screwdriver, which she uses to unscrew the bolts locking the air vent closed. When the screws are loose, the sheet of metal falls open to the ground. This is where we part ways.

"Good luck," I bid her. And the war is the reason I regret not kissing her one last time, because I never really know when I might not see someone again. Never should I pass up that opportunity, but there is no time to fix that mistake now.

She nods at me before crouching on her hands and knees to crawl into the metal trap. With a judging stare, I scan the main Erudite building until my eyes land on the second to the top floor, towering over me and barely visible from this lack of height.