Chapter 2
I don't know what to think. I need to say something; we can't just be locked in this endless stare forever. One of us has to say something. After another few moments of silence I decide it has to be me who makes the first move.
"Where is she?" I politely yet sternly ask, making sure there is no sign of forgiveness towards Haymitch in my voice, whatever is going on he has lied to me in some way.
"God boy, don't you want to know where you are first?" he snickers. It sounds like a woeful joke to me, but I can tell straight away that he is sober, so there must be something wrong.
"Haymitch, where is she?" I repeat.
"She's in the Capitol, they got her, Johanna and Enobaria-" he hesitates when he sees my puzzled expression, I am not trying to hide my emotions here as I am sure we are off camera by now, over wise Haymitch wouldn't of referred to Katniss being in the capitol as they got her. I try to speak but cannot find the right words. From Haymitch's reactions, I probably made some kind of awful, painful mumble, "I am sorry, Peeta."
This is what triggers up the boiling rage inside me.
"You're sorry!" I shout at him, "All you can say is that you're sorry! You promised me, Haymitch. You promised me you would get her out alive, now she's in the hands of the Capitol probably being tortured and maybe even killed as we speak. I love her. You know that. How could you let this happen?" I have to stop my speech there as my voice is beginning to croak, either from my fatigue or my emotions; I can't show weakness in front of Haymitch now.
"Peeta," He embraces my arm with his hand in a loving way which only reminds me of my father who will most likely be dead by now, so I try to shrug it off but the straps containing me to this bed prevent that, "I will get her back, I promise."
"I don't believe you."
"I swear to you, boy."
"Prove it."
"I can't."
"Then I cannot trust you."
Haymitch, knowing he won't win an argument against me, decides to leave me. As he exits I hear him say to the attendant who has now appeared with a glass of water "Take the prick to the control room" and then disappears through a whole that appears in the wall.
The attendant unstraps me and allows be to sit up, slowly as I am still quite nauseous from my encounter with Haymitch, and hands me the glass of water. Although the water is the first cold liquid I have had since before I entered the arena, it was unsatisfying. I then realise that the only thing that will satisfy me now is Katniss, safe and hand in hand with me.
I am led through tight, bland hallways until a dead-end appears. I am about to ask whether we went the wrong way when the attendant presses his scrubby hand against the clean stainless steel. It feels wrong, mixing workers hands with this environment; I wonder who this attendant really is. My thoughts are however, cut short as the wall slides open exposing a room full of flashing buttons and interactive screens all over the world with a large, metal table in the centre. As I take in the room I realise something, this room is not empty of people. There are many people of all different shapes, sizes and diversities running around. This is a rare sight in Panem as (apart from when the Hunger Games take place) mixing of the Districts is strictly forbidden so seeing people who are obviously from separate Districts all in one room is a suspicious sight.
Sitting across the table from where I stand in one of the oversized chairs is a young man with bronze hair, and I can see straight away that under as the scars and bruises and bandages, that this is the handsome Finnick Odair.
"Finnick?" I ask, he looks up straight away with a sense of urgency on his face. It must take his a few seconds to place me under all my injuries and my horse voice, "Finnick, what's going on?"
As I trust Finnick, I thought he may be gentle and give me an answer that I am striving for, the answer that everything is fine and this will all be over and I will wake up tomorrow morning with Katniss by my side, unharmed. But, no. Instead he says, "Sit down Peeta, I will go find Plutarch."
"Heavensbee?" I reply.
"Yes, he's on our side-" Finnick pauses noticing my confusion, "It will all make sense, just trust me." Then he rushes off through another invisible door in the wall.
What an earth is Plutarch Heavensbee, head gamemaker, the one who put us all through the pain in his clock faced arena, doing here? Why is of all people, Finnick Odair, associating with him? Where am I exactly? Who are these people scampering around the room pressing random buttons and talking so much I cannot focus on an individual voice?
These are questions that I have to find out myself, sitting here is not helping. So, I stand and I exit the way Finnick left and no one attempts to stop me.