Four: The Takeoff
I'm up the next day at six am, mostly from nervousness. I scurry to the bathroom and wash my face and brush my teeth, then back to my room to dress in my 'runaway' outfit, which I chose last night.
First, a simple pair of jeans with a few rips on the side. They're not stylish rips though, they actually look like they were ripped by wild animals. Then, a plain black shirt that I found at Ronallo's garage sale last year. I haven't worn it to date because it's so ugly and dirty. Leather boots that I think look like something a girl from District 12 would wear. I pull my hair back in a ponytail and head for the door.
I contemplate wearing the navy blue ring from my father on my finger, but I'm afraid that someone might recognize it and get me in trouble so I hide it in the bottom of my backpack, along with my spy phone and keys.
It's raining, unfortunately. I want to grab an umbrella, but I'm pretty sure people from the districts don't use umbrellas or even know what they are. I make do by flagging down a cab and throwing my bag over my head on my run towards it.
"President Sleet's mansion, please," I tell the cab driver, breathless from running.
"Why's a little girl like you off to the president's at an hour when most people aren't even awake yet?" the driver asks curiously.
I roll my eyes. "None of your business. Hurry, please, I'm late."
The driver drops me off at the entrance to the mansion, and I pay him generously. I use the code from Anada's note to open the gates and step inside he door at exactly seven am.
I'm immediately engulfed by several guards in uniform who begin to ask what the hell I'm doing here and how I got in. I reach into my bag to pull out my spy phone, to show them that it's fine, but Anada steps into the foyer.
"It's alright, people, she's with me," she says. "Come on, Rekyah."
I follow Anada back into the spy gadget room, where several agents and more trainers like Anada are waiting.
"What are all these people doing here?" I ask, surprised at the audience.
"They're all here to wish you luck on your mission, of course!" Anada says in delight. "President Sleet sends his apologies. He couldn't make it this morning because of an incident last night. But he wishes you well."
A curly haired girl no older than me steps up to me with a huge smile. "You're Rekyah, right? It's so nice to meet you!"
"Um, thanks?" I tilt my head to the side in confusion.
"Oh, sorry, I'm Talita, one of the field agents in District 4. I'm on a break right now, but I'm scheduled to go back to District 4 next week. So you're going to District 13?"
"Yup."
"That's so cool! I've always wanted to go there, but I've never been anywhere else besides 4 and the Capitol, of course," Talita gushes.
I clear my throat. "What's it like?"
Talita squints her eyes. "What's what like?"
"What's it like leaving the Capitol and doing something to help win the war?"
Talita looks confused. "I don't know. I guess it's different, it's something I really can't describe. It's fun, though. You'll enjoy leaving for a while." Her spy phone beeps, interrupting her. "Oh, I gotta take this. Good luck, Rekyah!"
I talk with a few other agents and learn that it's tradition to visit a new agent in the center before their first mission, like what they're doing to me right now. Some agents say spying is weird, some say it's a pain in the butt, but all agree that they're glad they are helping the Capitol. I wonder if when I get back, I'll be able to help other new agents for their first missions.
After chatting with a really cute blond boy named Carlo about District 11, Anada comes up behind me and tells me that it's time for inspection.
"Inspection?"
Carlo smiles. "It's no big deal. They just check you to make sure that you don't bring anything to your assigned district that will give you away."
I freeze in place. My ring. They'll find my ring. Oh, no. I have to hide it.
"Oh," I say, faking a relaxed smile. "I just gotta go to the bathroom first, okay?"
Anada frowns. "Hurry up. The hovercraft is leaving in twenty minutes and we have to make sure you are prepared."
In the bathroom, I panic about where I should hide my ring. In the bottom of my bag? No, they'll find it there for sure. In the pocket of my jeans? No, they'll find it there too. The only option I have is to hide it in my sock, making walking uncomfortable and causing a pain in my foot. I'll just take it out after inspection and put it back in my bag.
I was right about hiding my ring, though. Anada and several other trainers go through my bag thoroughly, throwing out some scraps of paper from school that I forgot to take out.
"Well, the bag is alright," Anada says, after they are done. "We had to get rid of your phone and school papers, though."
"You took my phone?" I shriek.
"Calm down, sweetie. Yes, we had to. No one from District 12 even has a phone, landline or cell. If the citizens of District 13 see one, they'll know you're a ruse."
"But what about my spy phone?" I ask.
"That'll be fine. There are some buttons on it that can disguise it into a normal looking pad of paper or even a pen."
"Really?"
"Nope!" Anada laughs, and the other trainers laugh with her. I've been tricked. I should have known. I messed around with that phone all of last night, trying to figure out what it did. I would've realized if it could transform into a pen.
"That's not very nice, Anada," Carlo says, and the other agents nod with him. Talita looks up from her phone call and glares at Anada fiercely. I immediately smile. The other agents know what it's like to be a newbie. They'll help me, at least a little bit.
Anada stops giggling. "My apologies, Rekyah. I'm sorry, sometimes I just get carried away messing with new agents."
"I thought I could trust you," I say flatly.
"You can, sweetie. I'm really sorry, honey. I promise not to do that anymore."
"You better," I mutter underneath my breath.
Anada leads me to the launch room, and I say goodbye to Talita, Carlo, and the other agents. "Call me," Carlo mouths before we leave. I blush and nod with a shy smile.
In the launch room, Anada compliments my jeans and says that they look perfect for a runaway disguise. "The top could use a little tattering," she says, and proceeds to smear smudges of fake dirt on it. She then rubs eye shadow underneath my eyes to look like dark circles from no sleep, and even goes far enough to draw thin cuts on my face with a marker.
"The eye shadow will come off, the marker will smear, and my secret will be out," I protest.
"Yes, but by then, they'll completely trust you," Anada says with a sneaky smile.
I roll my eyes to cover my uncertainty. "Okay, what else do I need to know?"
"Well, you know the plan right? We're going to drop you off right outside District 13, and you'll make a run for the fence. Act completely natural. If they catch on any fakeness, it's not going to work."
"Is this what you do for every agent? Fake a runaway disguise?"
Anada shrugs. "It's the best tactic. Sometimes we send them on a train and say that they are from the Capitol, to intimidate the citizens, but this works better because it allows us to pose as people from other districts and earn trust."
I nod, to let her know I'm listening.
"Rekyah, more than likely people won't find out, so get that nervous expression off your face and get in the hovercraft!"
"What nervous expression?" I laugh, knowing very well that I'm as nervous as a rabbit in the woods.
Anada laughs too. "Follow me."
The hovercraft platform in empty, but some trainers on deck assure us that the hovercraft will be arriving shortly. I've never been in a hovercraft, never stepped foot outside the Capitol walls. I admit, this is exciting.
Then I remember. It's Sunday. My family's probably just waking up and preparing a normal Sunday breakfast of pancakes and juice. My brothers might even be wondering by now where I am.
"Anada," I whisper. "Can I call my family? One last time?"
Anada checks her watch and sighs. "Go ahead. Don't tell them where you are going, or where you are!"
"I know!"
I walk over to the corner on the launch pad, near the entrance/exit, and pull out my spy phone. I also take this moment to take my ring and slip it back into the bottom of my bag. Mission accomplished, I think.
Sakei answers the phone, not my mother like I expected. "Hello?"
I scrunch my eyebrows together in revulsion. "Gosh, Sakei, has anyone ever told you to never talk with your mouth full? That's disgusting!"
"Rekyah? Is that you? Where are you? Solei and I have been looking for you all morning! Mom is going to freak!"
"Relax, Mom knows that I'm here."
"Where exactly is here?" Solei has taken over the phone, to let Sakei chew his pancakes.
"I'm down in the City Circle. I'm alright, don't worry about me. How are you guys doing?"
"Um, we're fine? Rekyah, when are you coming home?"
I sigh. I've been dreading this moment for the past twenty-four hours. "I may not be coming home for a while, guys. I'm busy."
"Busy? What do you mean?" It's Sakei again.
"It's personal business. Don't worry about me, I'm fine," I repeat. "If anyone asks about me, tell them that I'm visiting our Aunt Gretchen in Eastend."
The Capitol is divided into four sections. Northend and Westend are mostly business properties, filled with tall buildings for work. Southend and Eastend are mostly homeowner properties, where most people, like my family, live. My family lives in Southend, as close the border as you can get. And, of course, in the middle of everything is the City Circle.
"But, Rekyah," Sakei protests. "Aunt Gretchen is dea -"
"Shut up!" I hiss. "Just pretend she's not, okay?"
I can only imagine the bewildered expressions on their faces. Aunt Gretchen killed herself after learning about her brother's death. Our father's death.
"All right," Solei says weakly.
"Tell Mom that I love her, okay? I love you guys, too."
"Rekyah? Is this what you meant when you asked us yesterday to look out for each other if you ever had to leave?"
I smile sadly at the memory. Damn, my brothers are as sharp as tacks. "Yes, Solei. Don't forget that promise. Good bye. I love you all."
"Love you too," my brothers reply in synchrony.
I hang up the phone just as the hovercraft arrives. Anada waves her hand and ushers me inside.
My journey has begun.
