All together, we arrest thirteen Erudite during the raid, including Jeanine, Ashley, and Roland. Dauntless soldiers take them directly to high-security holding cells in Candor.

We also free seventeen prisoners. They are all taken to the hospital, and are given a thorough checkup, clean clothes, and a warm meal. Even though it's been two years, I can't help the unrealistic hope that Amar is among them, and am disappointed when he is not. Whether that really was his body by the train tracks two years ago, or if he had been part of Jeanine's experiment, he is long gone by now, and I am still responsible for his death.

As the night wears on, a Dauntless Security Squad and a Candor Evidence Research Team are brought in to comb through the lab, Jeanine's office, and her apartment for evidence. They find it in abundance. If there is one thing scientists are good at, it's keeping records.

Lt. Thomas and his platoon are sent back to Dauntless in the early hours of the morning when their replacements arrive, but I refuse to leave with them. I'm running on fumes and I know it, but I can't walk away. I'm in too deep to rest while the search for documents and conspirators continues, or while my family's safety is at the mercy of a leaderless faction.

At 8:00 am Harrison arrives to take over and lead the cleanup operation. He reminds me that today is final tests for the initiate class, and that as leader of training I have to be there. I try to wave him off, but am stopped in my tracks by a gentle voice behind me.

"Eric."

Nat? I wonder if I'm so sleep-deprived that I'm hearing things. How would an Abnegation woman get past Dauntless troops and into Erudite in the middle of this operation? I spin on my heel, and there she is in fitted Dauntless black clothing. I even see the edge of a tattoo near her sleeve. She is standing next to Max, which probably explains how she got in.

"How are you doing?" she asks.

I immediately launch into a full report of our progress, but she cuts me off.

"No, Eric, how are you doing? I understand you were shot."

"Just grazed," I reply tersely. "I'm fine."

"When was the last time you ate?" she quizzes me in a motherly way.

"Lunch," I reply. "I'm fine."

She shoots me a disapproving look. "As I recall from the video, you threw that up."

I try again to wave her off. "Vanessa brought me a snack at Candor, and I had a protein bar earlier. I've also had several cups of coffee."

"Have you slept at all?" she asks.

I shake my head, and don't even bother to argue. I'm exhausted, I can admit that to myself, but I just can't leave. I feel so desperate and driven to get this right. I want to personally dot every i and cross every t so I know that I did everything I can to see Jeanine punished, make sure my family is safe, and absolve myself of the guilt I carry for Amar's death. Occasionally I think of Tris, too. I want to end this so she can be safe, and I can be free. I don't want her to be afraid of me anymore.

"Son," Max's deep but gentle baritone snaps me back to attention. "You did a great job. I'm proud of you. The whole city owes you a great deal. But it's just cleanup now. Let Harrison handle it. You and I are going back to Dauntless. That's an order."

I can't refuse, so I give Harrison a few more instructions, then follow Max and Nat to the elevators. Max is stopped by someone with a question, so Nat and I continue together toward the lift.

"There's something you should know," Nat says quietly. "I can't say too much, but I want you to understand that our operation has been about more than just Jeanine. Over the years, some of the supposedly dead divergents weren't taken by her. Some went missing to save their lives. I can't say more than that, but I want you to know that Amar is alive and well."

I stare at her in shock, certain now that I'm hallucinating from exhaustion. I feel rare tears gathering in the corners of my eyes. Nat smiles at me reassuringly and nods. A weight rolls off my shoulders, and I fight to regain control of my emotions as Max catches up to us. He gives me a concerned look as I school my features.

"Let's get some food in you, and have that arm looked at before the initiates start their fear landscapes," says Max.

I nod, still not sure if I can trust my voice, and together we head home.

xxxx

When the evidence is gathered, the trials begin. Testimony given under truth serum reveals the depth of Jeanine's plot, and leads to a few more arrests. In the end, nine Erudite are put to death for kidnapping, murder, and human rights abuses. Among them are Jeanine, Ashley, and Roland, as well as a couple of scientists, and the thugs that did the actual dirty work of the kidnappings and murders. Many others are imprisoned for their roles as informants, jailers, and researchers in the project.

The victims are treated and returned to their factions and loved ones. Most are factionless. Though they can have no place within the factions, they are given compensation in the form of improved housing and jobs to help them get on with their lives. They also receive additional medical and psychological care.

The Erudite-born Candor woman who was turning people over to Jeanine was tried as well. Like me, her family back in Erudite was threatened so that she would cooperate with Jeanine. Unlike me, she had years of turning over divergents and several deaths attributed to her work. Given the fact that Jeanine blackmailed her into participating, the court was generous and offered to reduce her sentence from death to life in prison. In the end it didn't matter, because her guilt drove her to commit suicide in prison.

That so easily could have been me. If it weren't for Nat and her people reaching out to me and giving me a spark of hope and a chance to change, I would have ended up with no choice but to lead divergents to the slaughter. I would have payed for it with my innocence, and possibly my life.

Some people hail me as a hero. Others think I should have been tried with Jeanine, and hail me a traitor. I don't want either. I just want to be a good leader, a good trainer, and a good Dauntless soldier. I just want my family to be safe. I just want a chance to be free and build a life for myself.

The End