Chapter 3
Three years later…
My hands hit the table so hard everything on top fell off.
"I kill Snow!" I shouted.
The Commander sighed, on the other side of the table, and looked sideways at one of his jokingly. "Fiery one, eh?" he chuckled, sounding slightly forced. Above us, the light flickered briefly. It happened so often now we ignored it. I felt someone grab at my elbow, tugging impatiently. Ever since I returned to District 12 after being brought back from the Capitol, I had tried to get revenge on them. The stinking Capitol reported, to everyone's sorrow, that I had had an emergency miscarriage, and had been given treatment by them. But the truth, of course, had leaked out. Many didn't believe it, but those who did immediately sought me out, for the rebellion. I joined, although Peeta begged me not to. As if begging would work!
"He killed my baby!" I shrieked, losing control. Couldn't any of them see why I had to do this? He was mine to finish. Mine alone. Another tug, meaningful this time. Gale or Peeta. Must be. The others just look irritated with me, but they know not to push it when I get angry, let alone pull at me.
The Commander massaged his forehead wearily, something he did a lot now 'the Girl on Fire' had joined the rebellion. He lowered his hand, and looked to the heavens. "Fine" he said, reluctantly, his gaze locked on to mine again. He pointed his finger at me, and said warningly "But you'll have an armed patrol with you". I opened my mouth to complain, then close it again, grudgingly accepting this is the only choice I could take. I sit back in the chair, and see Gale smiling at me reassuringly. Hm. It had been Gale. But I can't bring myself to grin back. Instead I turn my gaze away irritably. The problem is, because Peeta and I thwarted the Capitol, we are both the 'mascots' of the rebellion. The people everyone looks up to in all of this. It's still secret from the Capitol though. As I gaze idly into the distance, the Commander goes back to planning his mission. They usually included going to other districts, and doing boring stuff, but when I heard the word 'Capital' I sat up straighter.
"…so a small scouting group will explore the tunnels, then? Good. Volunteers?" he finished, looking around enquiringly. He deliberately doesn't look at me. He knows I volunteer for every single thing, but he never picks me, not even once. I'm too precious. I'm like a little doll, taken out of the house whenever needed, but locked safe away, away from the action for the majority of the time. To tease him, I pretend not to care about the mission in the slightest. Whistle, look up and sit back. His face is full of surprise when he turns back to face me. Ha. Looking relived, he shrugs it off, and turns to one of his senior officers, who agrees to bring around ten men.
"I volunteer" I say loudly and brightly.
The Commander grimaces.
"Better make it twenty" he sighs to the officer, and then turns and nods at me. "Fine – But stick to the mission plan. And- Fine, Finnick, you're going too." Wow. Seriously? I look amazed. Oh. It must be safe then, or they would've never let the little Mockingjay go.
They keep talking, about new updates in the Capitols tech. One thing stays in my mind.
"…and they've got it working now. It seems it speeds the growth of the mind and body clock, until mere children could be adults in months. If it's true". He pauses, and I think aloud "Do you think it's so he can have more in the army, or something?" Finnick nods, and says mockingly "Obviously the capitol is not keeping up with enough child births. Most girls these days just want to dye their skin or something". He shoots me a wicked gin, which I return. Then my smile fades as I think 'child births'.
I shudder at mine, and feel Gale's hand tighten around mine. I look back at Finnick, who has a lollypop sticking out of the corner of his mouth like a cigarette now. I give him a smart nod and he looks away, eyebrows raised. Finnick and I are friends, but I want to seem professional now. It's the only way they'll let me kill Snow, and not some high ranking official.