2 Three Days
In the confusion, words failed me. My heart raced as I returned the Peacekeeper's stares.
The smaller Peacekeeper tapped the other man on the shoulder. "I told you we could find her."
The larger man leaned on the doorframe. "Good thing too." He sized up my brother before returning his gaze to me. "So, how about it, red; would you like to come drinking with us?"
Sighing from an unexpected sense of relief, I glanced at my brother who looked as perplexed as I did. I presented a polite smile. "Um, no thank you. It's too early for me."
The smaller Peacekeeper chuckled as he slurred his words. "It's late for us. Come down to our railcar and share a drink. Bring your brother if you want."
"How do you know he's my brother?"
"Duh." The smaller Peacekeeper swayed on his feet. "No two redheads date each other. It goes against nature or something."
I bit my lip. "No thank you."
Hadrian shifted nervously on the bench. "We've got homework to do before we get to the Justice Building."
The larger Peacekeeper huffed. "Don't waste your time. There is absolutely nothing to do in District Twelve. You'll be happy to have homework."
The smaller Peacekeeper stepped into our compartment and extended his hand towards me. "Come on, red. Let's have some fun."
Looking to my brother, I could see the same worry on his face that was now rushing through my body, for even the smaller Peacekeeper was bigger than the two of us combined. I tried to remain polite. "No, thank you. We can't."
When the smaller Peacekeeper took another step in to reach for my arm, my brother stood up between us. "I'm sorry, Sir. We can't go with you."
The Peacekeeper faced my brother with jaw clenched, swaying. The man began pointing a finger at my brother's chest when a loud cough came from the corridor.
We all turned to find the train conductor surveying the situation.
The middle-aged man stood professionally with his hands clasped together before him. "Can I help you two gentlemen?"
The smaller Peacekeeper stepped back from my brother. "We're fine. We were just wondering if red would like to come back to our car for a drink."
The train conductor glanced at me and smiled. "I don't think that would be appropriate."
The larger Peacekeeper glared at the conductor. "That's not for you to decide."
Holding his smile, the conductor looked up at the man. "Yes it is. I think that you two gentleman should return to your car."
Stumbling, the smaller Peacekeeper grabbed the doorframe for support. "Well, I'd like to ask red one more time."
"No." The conductor's eyes focused on the man. "I believe that your superior's name is Peacekeeper Kennedy. Do I need to contact him?"
The smaller Peacekeeper made a fist and lifted it into the air, but the drunk did not strike.
Unflinching, the train conductor lift his chin. "Go ahead, you'll just end up in the brig, and I know Peacekeeper Kennedy punishes derelicts most harshly."
The larger Peacekeeper smirked as he grabbed his friend by the shoulder. "Come on. They're not worth the trouble."
The smaller man staggered out of our compartment, falling back against the wall. "Red, if you change your mind, we're just a few cars down." With a tug from his cohort, the Peacekeeper disappeared from sight.
My brother and I sighed deeply as we glanced at each other.
As my brother slowly sat down, I noticed the shaking in my hands and tried to quell them by gripping the bench.
Remaining in the corridor, the train conductor waited for the men to exit through the passage doorway between rail cars. When satisfied with their departure, he turned to us and entered our compartment. "I'm sorry about that."
"Thank you." I took another deep breath. "Are they always like that."
"Yes, Miss. However, they rarely cause trouble. Most of the time, they pass out as soon as we pull out of the station. Better than the alternative."
My brother's brow rose. "Really, what's the alternative?"
"Irritable Peacekeepers who don't want to go to District Twelve for their deployment. Drunkards are the lesser of two evils when it comes to Peacekeepers. It's tradition that they drink all night before leaving the Capitol, sleeping it off on the train."
Feeling my pulse begin to slow, I brushed my hair back. "Thank you again."
"My pleasure, Miss."
My brother and I began to stare at the conductor as he politely glanced at us in turn.
The conductor turned to my brother. "Tickets please."
"Oh, sorry." Fumbling with his pocket, my brother pulled out his credit card. "We need to purchase en route. Or trip was last minute."
"Very good, Sir. I can take care of that for you."
I pulled out my card. "Me too."
"Very good, Miss. I'll also need your identification cards."
"We're Capitol residents. Do we need travel permits?"
"No, Miss." The conductor smiled. "Capitol residents are free to travel as they wish, but I still need your identification to sell you a ticket.
"Oh, okay." I passed my cards to the conductor, as did my brother.
My brother shifted on the bench unable to keep his hands still. "Are you from the Capitol?"
"No, Sir. I am from District Six. We keep the trains running on time."
My brother nodded. "Six does a great job. I love taking the train to the mountains for camping."
"First time to District Twelve, Sir?"
"Yes." Hadrian tucked his hands under his thighs. "This is the first time out of the Capitol region for both of us."
"How exciting, Sir. If I may be so bold to ask, what do you have planned?"
"Camping."
"School." I looked at my brother confused by his response.
The conductor glanced at each of us in turn. "Separate agendas?"
"My sister is studying district governments. I'm tagging along and thought that I'd check out the camping."
"Very good, Sir." Pulling a small hand held computer from his pocket, the conductor scanned our identification cards. "Juno and Aurelia Cicero. Round trip tickets I assume?"
My brother nodded. "Yes please. We don't know if Aurelia has to stay one or two weeks."
"The tickets have open returns good for a year, Mr. Cicero. Would you like printed receipts?"
"Yes, please. Do many from the Capitol go camping in District Twelve?"
"Just a handful of Hunger Games tourists, Sir. They like to visit after the games. Some in the Capitol become intrigued to see the rough country. I believe that there is a small safe area by the Peacekeeper camp designated for tourists. For a fee, they will take you hunting in the area adjacent."
"I don't hunt, but I'm curious to check out the forest."
"Very good, Sir." The conductor tapped the screen and two small slips of paper came from the bottom of the handheld computer. He handed my brother his cards and the receipt. As he prepared to hand me mine, he flipped over my identification card and paused. He turned to my brother. May I see your identification card again, Sir?"
"Um, sure." Hadrian handed back his card.
The conductor inspected the back of the I.D., squinting as he compared aspects of the two cards. He handed back my brother's card before returning mine along with the credit card and receipt. "Thank you. All seems in order."
We both glanced at the back of our identification cards to see what was amiss.
The conductor replaced his handheld computer into his pocket and pulled out a smaller device from an inside pocket. He began gnawing on his bottom lip as he tapped on the screen. "Well, I'd like to wish you a safe journey, Hadrian."
"Thank you."
I felt the blood drain from my face as my brother sat up, alarmed by the use of his name. I cleared my throat. "My brother's name is Juno."
"I don't believe so, Lavinia." The train conductor held up the small computer screen for me to see.
Stunned, I found my full name with all my identification on the screen. The conductor flipped the screen to reveal my brother's true identification. After the conductor showed my brother the screen, the man stepped back, clasping his wrist.
I began to fidget. "Your computer must be broken."
The conductor simply smiled. "How may I help you?"
"We're just going to District Twelve for a few days."
"I'm not your enemy." The conductor focused on me, then my brother. "I'm here to help."
Hadrian took a deep breath through his nose. "We're going to Twelve to...get lost."
Nodding, the conductor turned and closed the privacy curtain to our compartment. "If there is anything that I can help you with, don't be afraid to ask."
I looked to my brother, who could only shrug in response. I turned to the conductor. "How did you know?"
"You told me, Miss."
"How?"
"You identification chip."
My brother again inspected his identification card. "Did they program it wrong?"
"No, Sir. The identification chips are in your bodies."
Immediately, my skin felt clammy. "Where in our bodies?"
"They sneak the nanochip in with your smallpox vaccination. The chip usually ends up embedded in the scar. Did you get the standard vaccination in the shoulder?"
My brother lifted up his left shirtsleeve to reveal his smallpox vaccination scar for the conductor to inspect. The man passed the computer over it, and the screen flashed a small green icon. I pointed to my left shoulder, and the computer again flashed a green icon when it was passed over the area.
The conductor sat next to my brother. "If you are absolute on becoming lost, I should disable the chips."
"Can you?" My brother's brow furled with suspicion.
"My scanner can destroy the chip." The conductor held up the computer. "It will feel warm for a second."
My voice dropped to a whisper. "Will there be a problem when we later return to the Capitol with our chips destroyed?"
"No, Miss." They will just assume that they have malfunctioned. They have been discovering that the chips only last 10 to 15 years."
My brother stared at me until I nodded. He turned to the conductor. "Do it. Destroy the chips."
"Very good, Sir. You will feel a bit of warmth. You should feel no pain." The conductor placed the small hand held computer against his shoulder and tapped the screen. My brother's eyes registered a sensation, and it was over.
Hadrian inspected his shoulder as the conductor moved to my bench. Rubbing his old scar, my brother gave me a reassuring look. "Doesn't hurt a bit, Sis."
I felt the computer press against my shoulder, and with the tap of the screen, I felt the sensation of a hot cup of coffee against my skin. It was over in an instant.
The train conductor ran a test on his computer before standing. "The chips are destroyed. I'll now leave you to your business."
My brother jumped to his feet. "Wait."
"Sir?"
"Do you have any other advice for becoming lost, especially in District Twelve?"
The conductor glanced at me before addressing my brother. "What have you been told prior?"
"Nothing. We didn't even know that we'd be on this train until two hours ago."
His eyes drifting to the floor, the conductor faintly sighed before returning to the bench. "I'm afraid that I can't tell you much. I would advise staying out of sight. Both of you will stick out like sore thumbs. If you do have to venture out in public, find local clothing. Unfortunately, even that won't be enough hide you."
I slid forward to the edge of my seat. "Why not?"
"You'll have to lose about 30 pounds, Miss. Speaking of food, purchase as much food as you can carry from the dining car. The food in District Twelve is not of which you are accustomed. You don't know how long you will need to be out of sight?"
My brother shook his head as he wrung his hands. "No. Someone is supposed to come get us when it's time. There is someone in District Twelve who is supposed to help us. His name is—"
"Don't tell me!" The conductor bit his lip. "Never share names."
Alarmed by the conductor's reaction, I nervously ask. "Why?"
"You don't want to know names if they catch you, Miss. The fewer names you know, the fewer people you will harm if captured."
The arteries in my neck began to throb. Looking to my brother, I could see in his eyes a matching level of concern.
"And, Miss. You have to aim for three days."
Looking into the man's eyes, I swallowed hard. "Three days for what?"
"When they...interrogate you, try not to divulge the names that you do know for at least three days. This will allow those an opportunity to escape."
"Oh." Leaning back against the bench, I crossed my arms, feeling perturbed by his warning. "I don't think that we're in that kind of danger."
"I hope so, Miss." The conductor stood to leave. "Sorry I can't be much more of a help."
My brother stood and held out his hand. "No. You did much for us. Disabling the chip will certainly help us keep off the radar until we are told to come home. Thank you."
Shaking my brother's hand, the conductor smiled. "I do what I can for the occasional traveler who needs to become lost. Good luck to you both." With a parting nod directed towards me, the conductor left our compartment and slid close the door.
Hadrian sat down and began rubbing the stress out of his neck, his eyes now a little less confident.
"So, Brother, does all this still feel like an adventure?"
Turning his gaze outside the window, Hadrian did not reply to my snarky question. He focused on the landscape under the morning sunrise as he returned to rubbing his small pox scar.
I locked the door to our compartment and readjusted the privacy curtains. When I sat down to stare out the same window, uncontrollable tears began to flow from my eyes. The shock of the morning had fully caught up with me, overloading my thoughts with apprehension.
My brother joined me on my bench, holding me tight, and together, we watched the morning daylight spread across the land.
For lunch, we picked up sandwiches from the dining car. We also took the opportunity to load up on portable snacks. The steward informed us that we would arrive at District Twelve just after sunset. We also discovered that there was a small inn near the station and decided that we would try to get a room there rather than stumble around in the dark.
Back in our compartment, I noticed that my brother enjoyed the endless scenery passing by our window, scenery that had bored me after the first hour. I threw a snack chip at him. "Whatcha thinking about?"
"Nothing much. I was supposed to go rock climbing today." Hadrian ate my chip. "What did you have planned today?"
"Just my singing lessons in the afternoon."
"You can sing now."
I glared at him. "You hate my singing."
"No I don't." His frown broke into a smile. "I hate your choice of songs."
"Gee, thanks."
"Go ahead and sing. I really do enjoy your voice."
To test his sincerity, I began singing a simple tune softly. No one objected, so I sang another. However, I did not feel like singing a third this day as my spirit felt unwilling.
...
We arrived at District Twelve shortly after sunset just as the dining steward had informed us. We were shocked at how dark it was with the lack of lighting. The buildings all appeared rundown and abandoned, but I occasionally spotted a faint light through an occasional window as me made our way to the inn.
We entered the tiny inn and approached the vacant front desk. My brother tapped the bell on the counter, and a gangly old woman appeared from a back office.
"Hello. Will you be needing a room?" Her voice was frail and crackly.
Focusing on our alibis, I cleared my throat. "Yes, please. My brother and I will share a room. We just arrived—"
"Cash only."
"Um, okay." Detecting the old woman's indifference, I paid the requested amount for one night.
The old woman counted the money and tucked it behind her bra before handing me a key. "The room is out the front door to the left. It's three doors down."
"Thank you." Studying the worn key, I could barely make out the door number.
"There's a candle on the table in case we lose electricity. Don't remove it from the metal stand, and I'd prefer you leaving it on the table. I don't want you burning down my inn."
"Okay. Does the electricity go out a lot?"
The old woman huffed. "Yes. Checkout is at noon."
Picking up his pack, my brother pulled on my arm to leave. "Thank you."
I forced a smiled and followed my brother to our room.
When we turned on the dim room light, we found a single bed, the table with a fat candle on a corroded metal plate, and a simple bathroom with a shower.
Hadrian dropped his pack on the floor. "I think that I'd prefer sleeping in the woods."
I pulled back the bed sheets to inspect the cleanliness. They appeared clean, but the fabric felt scratchy between my fingers. "I think that we're at the edge of the world."
My brother's twisted optimism caused him to smile. "Maybe we just went back in time on a magical train."
I went to the bathroom for a glass of water. When I turned on the tap, water trickled out from the low water pressure. I held up the glass so that my brother could see the red tint.
Hadrian's mouth twisted with disgust. "Perhaps we should stick to what we brought from the train."
I surveyed the room. "So, what are we suppose to do now. There is no television, no computer."
"I don't know." Shrugging, Hadrian peeked out the window. "Except for camping, I don't think that I've ever been anywhere so dark at night. I wonder if all the districts are like this."
I sat on the bed and pulled out the camping survival book that father gave me. Flipping through the pages, I set it on the bedside table since I had no interest in reading it. Resting my head on the scratchy pillow, I began to cry.
