A/N: If you're reading, I'd love a review *hopeful eyes*

CHAPTER FOUR

FINCH

Her mind was blank with terror as he pulled her roughly through the trees. She couldn't consider what was about to happen to her and she couldn't consider the way Clove had so easily handed her life over. But of course, what else did she expect? Just because they had both lost their minds for one night didn't mean they suddenly weren't in the middle of a fight to the death and didn't mean that Clove was no longer a Career.

Involuntary tears were pouring down her cheeks as he pulled her to a stop. He shoved her in front of him and glared at her. She couldn't meet his eyes. He was terrifying.

"What are you playing at?" he hissed. She shook her head mutely and stared at the ground, wishing he would just get it over with. The rising sun glinted off his sword and she felt like it was signalling her impending death. "You thought you would live longer with her?" he sneered, clearly taking delight in prolonging the suspense. She flinched backwards as he leaned in close to her face. "Don't you know she's more killer than any of us?" he whispered cruelly. He lifted is sword almost leisurely and outlined a circle around her heart with its tip. She couldn't stop every limb from trembling as she felt the sharp tip of the sword pressing against her clothes. "You're lucky she didn't cut your little heart right out of your chest."

He laughed coldly and then fell silent, looking at her with his head to the side. He opened, his mouth, about to say something else when they were both distracted by a loud crashing to their right. Suddenly a boy was upon them, skidding to a halt and staring at Cato with terrified eyes. They all stood there for a moment, frozen with surprise, until Cato let out a roar and the boy tried to dart away. He was too slow though and Cato grabbed him by his jacket, pulling him backwards at the same time he drove his sword forward. Finch backed up in horror as she watched the sword plunge into the boy's chest, crimson blood pouring out over his body. He hadn't even screamed when blood began to choke his throat, spluttering from his mouth. Finch took one look at his wide, terrified eyes and suddenly felt a spurt of energy zip through her body. She didn't hesitate but turned and darted off through the trees, as fast as her legs would carry her. She heard Cato's shout behind her and the thud as he dropped the boy but she moved so fast she was far enough away that she didn't hear whether he followed her or not. Even when the air stabbed painfully at her lungs with every inhale she kept running, darting around trees and leaping over boulders.

It wasn't until she reached a sheer wall of rock that she stopped, leaning against it heavily and trying to catch her breath. Even completely breathless her eyes and ears were scanning the woods for any sound of pursuit. She waited, tensed, for long minutes, but there wasn't a sound of human life. Maybe she had lost him. Maybe he hadn't followed her at all.

She didn't understand Cato and she wouldn't want to second guess anything he did, but she waited and waited and no sign of human life met her senses. Feeling the exhaustion of her sprint she flopped down onto the ground, leaning against the rock wall. What did she do now? She had left all her supplies back at the clearing and she guessed the Careers had collected them up by now. Quickly she fumbled through her pockets, pulling out whatever she had managed to store there. From one pocket she withdrew a piece of string and some leaves she had found earlier. She had collected them because she remembered reading that they served well as bandages, and she had thought morbidly that that would come in handy sooner or later. From the other pocket she pulled a long, cold object and with a start realised it was Clove's knife, the one she had taken from her at the very start. She had almost forgotten she had the dainty little knife in her pocket. She slipped it out of its sheath and held it up to the light. It was tiny, tiny and deadly.

"Just like Clove," she muttered bitterly to no one in particular. She had no right to feel resentful towards Clove. She had just been ensuring her own survival, as everyone here was, but she couldn't help the little flicker of anger she felt every time she thought about her; a flicker of anger that was inexplicably entwined with a prickling sensation all over her skin.

"So what am I going to do with you?" she pondered aloud as she slipped the blade back into its sheath and shoved all the objects back into her pockets. It was hardly enough to survive on. Still, she would find a way. Or she would die. Simple as that.

She waited a whole day before she risked moving back towards the others. She knew she would have to eventually, to find some sort of food. There weren't a great number left now, she had lost track of how many exactly, but she didn't see any sign of life as she slipped her way through the forest. Instinctively she was headed for the Cornucopia. That was the heart of everything and if she was to find food it would be there.

Her heart was in her mouth as she crept up to the edge of the trees surrounding the clearing. She could see the Cornucopia gleaming in the sun, and before it a huge pile of boxes and crates. The Careers had stacked up all the supplies in a giant pyramid. Quickly her eyes scanned the grass and she spotted four small shapes among the equipment. She forced her eyes to keep going as she spotted Clove, easily identifiable as the smallest of the group. She was sitting a little distance away from Cato and Marvel, inspecting one of her knives by the looks of it. The District 3 boy, Oran, Finch thought his name was, was pacing back and forth. They would be difficult to get passed, but something was nagging at her. All four of them were here and awake at the moment, but surely they must have a better system of defence than that? Because some would have to hunt and some would have to sleep. She pushed the thought from her brain as soon as it entered, but she knew Clove would be smarter than that even if the boys weren't.

Her eyes scanned the ground and that's when it hit her. The mines. They had reburied the mines from the platforms in a pattern around the pyramid. It was pure genius. She wondered who had come up with it.

Quickly she scaled a nearby tree, edging out along a branch so that she could get a better view of the pattern of the mines. If she could leap there and there she could find a clear path to the pyramid. And then it looked like on the other side they had left a wide tunnel free, presumably so they could access the supplies. It was certainly doable, but she would have to wait until most of them had left. Just as she was edging backwards off the branch she noticed movement in the clearing. She froze and realised Clove had risen to her feet and seemed to be staring straight at her. There was no way she could see her though, not with the distance and the leaves. She had made sure she was hidden. She held her breath and waited to see if Clove would raise the alarm, but she just kept staring into the woods, at the spot where Finch was hidden. The sun, high in the sky, hurt her eyes. That was when it struck her, she was a complete idiot. Reaching up she ripped the stupid pin from her braid that the stylist had put there. It must have been catching the sunlight and reflecting, that was what had caught Clove's attention. She threw the pin to the ground and glanced back up. Clove gazed towards her for a few more moments before turning away, and walking over to Cato. Finch held her breath, fearful that she would see them start in her direction, but they just shared a few words and Clove wandered away again, picking her knife back up.

With a sigh she quickly scrambled down the tree and landed with a soft thump on the ground. Now she just had to wait for them to split up.