Three bombs rocked the Capitol almost simultaneously. Somehow, Ohm found a way to stream the audio directly to my communicuff. I heard the blasts, the screams in the street as tons of brick, mortar, and steel collapsed, and the terror that followed. It chilled me to the core. Then, the transmission abruptly cut off, and again he was gone, leaving no trace behind.
I jump into action, attempting first to contact the Ministry…but silence is my only answer. After almost ten minutes, I am able to reach Captain Amelia Flagg in Central Briefing. she sounds disoriented, but is physically alright. Luckily for her, Central Briefing's bunker-like construction deep underneath street level is what saved it. The ground floors and above were a total loss.
"Amelia, stay on the line, talk to me!"
"Sir," she says coughing through thick smoke and dust. "We're alright, but we're trapped. Emergency power is holding, but we barely have comms…"
"Have you managed to get into contact with anybody else?"
"Yes," she still says hacking on the barely breathable air. "First Responders are on street level and working to put out the fires. We're spinning up the Quick Reaction Force to lock down the Capital. Also, District Governments have been put on alert."
"Have we been able to ID the other targets yet?" There is a pause.
"Affirmative…" she hesitates.
"Well, what are they?" I say starting to lose my cool a little.
"The Presidential Mansion's been hit as well. Heavy Damage to the building's exterior, unknown numbers of dead at this time." I panic as I think Ohm might have actually dealt a more crippling blow to Panem than I thought.
"What about the President? Is she alive?"
"Yes, Sir. We've already been able to reach her. She was at an early morning meeting at the Ministry of Commerce."
"Thank the Lord. What about the third target? Is it the Legislative building?"
"No Sir…" she hesitates again.
"Dammit Amelia, talk to me."
"It's an apartment building in the Residential Sector….it was totally destroyed. Early reports indicate heavy casualties…."
"What's the address?"
"45th and Forum Avenue." I drop to my knees and bury my head in my hands. That address was completely benign: nothing significant about it at all. The staggering loss of civilian life was pointless…I should know considering I live there.
"It's my fault…." I whisper as I imagine all the faces of friends and neighbors I will never see again.
"Sir!" Amelia screams through the communicuff. "Sir, we're losing you!"
"Just hold on, Amelia I'll be there in less than four hours. Spin up the President and the Defense Council!"
"Yes Sir! We'll be ready for…." Her transmission dissipates into static.
Immediately, I make contact with Fort Boggs in District 13. They had already been briefed on what has happened and agree to send a hovercraft to pick me up and deliver me directly to the Capitol.
"Ares?" I hear Lizzy's voice coming toward the forest. "We're holding lunch for you. Why are you back here..." she freezes as soon as she sees my pale, somber face. "Oh my God, it's him isn't it?"
"He hit us, Lizzy. He hit us hard…" I spend the next few minutes telling her of Ohm's cryptic message, the loss of our home, and so many innocent lives. She begins to cry, but does her best to keep herself together. We run back to the house where Katniss and Peeta meet us on the back porch. They've been through enough in their lives to feel when something is horribly wrong. Repeating the news for a second time is even harder than the first.
"Go," Peeta says immediately. "We'll take care of Lizzy and Octavian for as long as you need…" I remember why I love them so much because I know he means it, and the way he trails off at the end lets me know he'll take care of them forever…if that's what I need.
"Thank You," I say with genuine adoration. Peeta just nods back.
"You're welcome."
The hovercraft screams in from the east, makes a quick circle and then lands in the backyard throwing up a cloud of dirt and flying grass. The roar of noise and vibration wakes Octavian and he begins screaming. Lizzy's does her best to comfort him, I think because she feels it will make me feel better, considering it could be the last time I ever see them.
"It's alright," I yell over the sound of the hovercraft. "I love you so much!" I say before tasting her wonderful lips one final time. Octavian is still crying, but I kiss him on his little forehead and whisper, "I love you too, Little Man." I run out onto the back porch. Peeta and Katniss are there to meet me.
He hands me a plastic container filled with food. I try to refuse at first, but he insists.
"I know you feel like throwing up right now, but you need to eat. Keep your strength up because you'll need it…if not for you, then for them! Trust us, we know." he says pointing back to the house. He's right. I accept it graciously after his explanation. "Good Luck." He reaches over and shakes my hand. I turn to Katniss. Her face may be older, but it is the same one that comforted me through so many dark times in my childhood. I'm glad she's here now because I still need her to be. She gently grabs my shoulders and places a gentle peck on my cheek. Before she retreats, she whispers something to me.
"I'll be your Mockingjay right now, but remember what I said. You can do it." She steps back and Peeta wraps his arm around her.
"Please, just keep them safe," I say a little more desperately than I wish.
"Focus on the task at hand now, Soldier. They'll be waiting for you when you get back," Katniss says with a smile.
"Thank you again, both of you."
"Just go! That damn thing is tearing up my grass!" Katniss actually gets me to laugh as I run to the hovercraft and climb aboard. The pilot guns the throttle and lifts us to the clouds before screaming towards the western sky.
I had asked for a uniform to be waiting for me onboard. Luckily, the crew remembered my request because I did not want to try to make my way into the remains of the Ministry wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a pair of running shoes. As I change, I check the displays for the latest updates coming out of the Capitol. The Death toll is high, but beginning to stabilize. As callous as it sounds, we actually were pretty lucky. Things could have been a lot worse.
The flight will be another two hours till we reach our destination, and I decide to force myself to open Peeta's supplies. Luckily, as the still warm scent of fresh rolls and grilled venison tenderloin hits my nostrils, I don't have to force myself very hard. I am indeed thankful my impromptu meal because in all the shock of the day, I forgot how starving I was. The lesson I learned in Tracks last year seems to have faded.
I begin to think why Ohm would have chosen those particular targets. He knew that the most vital parts of the Ministry were shielded below ground, he probably knew that President Holmes would not be at home when the explosion destroyed the mansion, and he definitely knew that I was not home considering he was talking to me as he had his finger on the detonator.
"No, this attack wasn't meant to do any real damage. It was a message that he still can hit us wherever or whenever he wants."
Tragically, this thought leads me to an even more terrifying realization.
"If this wasn't the real attack…that means something even worse is coming…"
No, now is not the time for fear. I can't let it get in the way. I'm about to head into a disaster zone, and the people need their leadership to be providing the example. Ohm is a terrorist: he wants me panicked so I fail to see his next move. Just like last year in the jungle…I refuse to let him win…again.
I reach down into my pocket, and pull out the gift that Katniss gave me. I curse silently as I realize that I never had the chance to thank her, not only for the generosity of bestowing on me such a precious icon, but also for the incredible faith that she has placed in me. I hope that I am worthy. At least we won't have to wait long to find out.
I hold the pin in my fingers. Its simple golden surface reflects the dim lights of the hovercraft cabin. I never could quite get over the feeling of finally seeing something in person that you have marveled at in pictures and video your entire life. It is as if something from the realm of your fantasies instantly becomes hard reality, sometimes for the worse, but thankfully most of the time for the better. It's like faith is instantly confirmed and rewarded at the same time.
"Do I even to deserve to become the Mockingjay?" Katniss certainly thought so.
"Well, at the very least, this thing seemed to bring her a lot of luck. Might as well see if it has any left to give…"
Considering they were unable to get me a nametag on such short notice, the pin serves a dual purpose as I carefully attach it to my shirt. I have indeed, become the Mockingjay.
Just under two hours later, the pilot's voice comes over the intercom.
"Sir, we've just cleared the outer mountains and are approaching the Capitol." I run up to the cockpit and stare out the view screen. I have seen the Capitol Skyline thousands of times before, but never like this. Three huge billowing clouds of smoke still rise from the sites of the attack. The Ministry and Presidential Mansion are both in the Government District. The third cloud, dozens of blocks away, seems so out of place. I'm afraid it won't be long before people start putting two and two together. "Where do you want to land, Sir?" The pilot asks.
"Get me as close to the Ministry as you can."
'Yes, Sir."
"The pilot certainly does his job. Despite the hundreds of rescue personnel and heavy equipment on the ground among the scorched ruins, he manages to get us less than a block from the front entrance. I run towards the wreckage as the smell of smoke and charred flesh still hangs nauseatingly in the air. The façade is gone: the happy murals of the 12 districts lie in thousands of broken pieces among the blackened, twisted metal and shattered glass. I walk to where the front lobby once stood and find two familiar faces standing on the empty pedestal: President Holmes and General Sturm. Both are alive and unharmed, and doing what they can to reach the trapped personnel in Central Briefing.
"Good to see you're alright, Madame President." I say with relief.
"The same to you, Colonel," she replies graciously.
"What the hell is that thing on your uniform, Snow?" General Sturm yells pointing at the Mockingjay pin. Even though I would call us friends now, he certainly has a funny way of showing it.
"Sir, I'll explain later when there's more time. Have we been able to reach them at all?"
"Intermittently. Back-up power is stable, but it will be at least two more hours before we can get regular levels of electricity down there and restore full comms."
The primary elevator shaft down to Central Briefing was destroyed in the blast, but the Rescuers have managed to dig a new shaft directly down towards the hallway. As they break through the last layer of concrete and rock, the rush of stale air rising from the three hundred foot deep hole is intense. Quickly, a mining elevator is jury-rigged and Holmes, Sturm, myself, and a few others make the decent down into the darkness.
"Madame President, you really shouldn't be down here yet," I say trying to convince her.
"We don't know for sure it's safe."
"If it's safe enough for you, Colonel Snow, than it's damn well safe enough for me. I was helping to install three ton wheel assemblies under bullet trains before you were born!"
"Yes, Ma'am," I can't help saying without a smile. We drop into the hallway. It is illuminated only by red, flickering emergency lighting. I pull out a flashlight and begin walking toward the doors at the end. The damage down here is very light; remarkable considering the amount of explosives used up top. Initial estimates put the bomb that did this somewhere at around half a ton crammed into the back of a delivery van.
We reach the doors to Central Briefing.
"Magnetic Safeties have tripped," I say examining the control panel. "They're designed to hermetically seal the room in the event of a chemical attack."
"How do we disengage them?" Holmes asks curiously. I rip off the front of the control panel and begin to splice together a few wires.
"Like this," I say connecting the last two together. Instantly the doors slide open and we are confronted with a healthy, but very exasperated Captain Amelia Flagg.
"WHAT THE HELL TOOK YOU SO LONG?...Sir."