Dynasty [Eric Coulter]

1.7

*

The meeting went smoothly and Ana was soon caught up on everything Jeanine planned to do. She wanted to eliminate Abnegation, solely for the belief that they would eventually ruin the faction system and were harboring Divergents.

Ana wanted to warn her friends and thought of any way to get them out of it before realizing that it would be too dangerous for them.

Jeanine had ordered Ana to stick with Eric and Max since she was new to the leadership role. The three of them would patrol the streets, looking for potential Divergents. If any were spotted, they were to be shot on sight.

Meanwhile, the rest of the faction would operate under the serum that they had been injected with. They were to line up the Abnegations in the street before executing each of them when Jeanine gave the order.

Panic was a permanent feeling in Ana's veins now. She thought of Naomi and her new life in Abnegation. She thought of Tris' parents.

The plan that each of the leaders had come up with to take Jeanine down wasn't simple. Max had hoped that she'd keep someone in the control room with her, but the woman made it clear that no one was to bother her or the other Erudites.

With less than a few hours until the beginning, the leaders were at a loss when trying to figure out how to get in the compound. Their guns would be too loud but a fight may be enough to cause a distraction, depending on how many guards Jeanine had outside.

"It's too bad Tris wasn't offered a leadership position." Ana said to Eric and Max in the safety of her apartment. At Eric's curious stare, she continued. "She's from Abnegation, so she probably knows it like the back of her hand. She could've found another way inside."

Eric was quiet as he contemplated. He sat on Ana's couch, forearms on his knees and fingers entwined. She frowned at him after a moment, taking in the tight line of his lips. "What?"

He sighed, taking his hand up to his eyes. "If Jeanine is occupied with whatever she's doing in her room, one of us could sneak off and find a way around."

"Unless she has cameras." Max stated, leaning against the kitchen counter. "If she notices one thing out of place, you will become a target."

"Then we all stick together and look for a way in while we do our job." Ana said, reaching up to twist at her hair.

"We have other people looking into it also." Max said. "This is going to work out the way we want it to. All we have to do is show up tonight."

He pushed himself off the counter and stepped close to Ana, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder briefly. "Leave the worrying to everyone else, okay?"

She smiled at him with tight lips, nails digging into her fingertips as she watched him leave her apartment. Her palms felt sweaty, and she sighed, reaching up to slap a hand to her forehead.