Chapter 2

Who is Emma Dever?

An assassin. A professional murderer. I know it takes all types but this seems too much. Who has she murdered? How many has she murdered? Did she just murder Capitol people? Has she killed anyone in the districts? Anyone in Twelve? Maybe someone I might have known.

Who would know? Plutarch, yes. But he wouldn't tell me. Haymitch, maybe. Beetee, he might know some. I'll start with him.

I make my way to the weapon's lab hoping Gale is not with him. I would rather talk to him alone. Gale and I have not been getting along lately and he'll just delay me in getting the information I need. When I get down to his level he's alone. "Katniss. Good to see you. Come in, come in." Beetee always reminds me of an absentminded professor. Always coming up with something brilliant but not being able to remember where he put anything. As he leads me in he feverishly tells me of his newest project. Something he and Gale have been working on. A new triggering device. He explains it to me but I don't understand anything he's talking about but I nod politely. After he finishes I bring up my meeting with Emma Dever.

"Oh. Wonderful woman. Great commander of Company S." Company S. That's right, she said that. From what I remember from the little training I've gotten, the labels of the companies are A through J. No S. "What's Company S?" I ask innocently. "S is not regular military. It's one of our special forces." I had never heard of special forces "What's special forces?" "They sabotage, spy, insert small squads, rescue. They rescued us from the arena you know." "I know" I respond in a low voice.

"We work with her quite often. She's always down asking for something for one of her missions. We are making this trigger to her specs. And smart. Very smart. She understands everything I say and she remembers everything." Beete gushes on about the Captain but this doesn't seem to help me. "Thanks Beetee, but I have to run. See you at dinner?" "Oh yes dinner, yes,yes of course." He'll probably forget.

I track down Haymitch. "Hello sweetheart" he says with a nasty tone in his voice. I hate when he calls me that but I write it off to withdrawal. Trying to sound just curious I ask "Do you know Emma Dever?" "I've met her a couple of times over the years. Why do you want to know about her?" That's odd, why would he meet her before coming to Thirteen. "She would be at some of the Games and functions for victors. I don't think she ever mentored though." Mentored, she was a victor. Before I could ask more he adds "Come to think of it I kinda came up with your strategy from her victory. She won her games without any kills. Zero. Not one." Now it's my turn and I have a load of questions. "What district, what year?" Haymitch responds with a two. "It was after me, 56, maybe 57. She was brilliant. Usually tributes who don't make alliances die early. Like the red-head in your games she stayed alone." She was a career who went it alone. That's strange. Now my curiosity has really peaked. I turn around to ask more questions when I see Haymitch is out cold. I don't think he's drunk, I think he just fell asleep. I give him a little kick but nothing. I roll him on his side and put a blanket over him and leave.

Now where. I wonder if they have copies of the games here. Why would they? But it's worth a try. I find out there is a library in Thirteen. I'll try there.

I find the library. It's a cavernous room, rows and rows of shelving units with books and tapes from the floor to a ceiling twenty feet high. It's not near anything, down in one of the lowest levels. Nell, the librarian, greats me cheerfully. She is a plump woman with fading green streaks in her hair. The room has few people in it. I get the feeling she doesn't get many patrons here.

"Hello young lady. Welcome to the Archive. How can I help you". Before I ask for what I'm looking for I have to ask, "You're not from District Thirteen, are you?" "Nope. The Capitol. I was chief librarian. This library is so much bigger than the one in the Capitol. So many more books, so many tapes. Books that I've never heard, tapes I've never seen. Well, how can I help you?" "I'm looking for tapes of previous games. 56 and 57". "You are in luck. I'll get them for you."

Nell gets me the tapes and shows me to a viewer. I quickly realize it was year 57. And I start to watch.