8

It was disappointing to get such a vague response from Cinna. Plutarch did not doubt the man's dedication to Katniss, nor his opposition to Snow, but the book was dangerous, and leaving it in the open was an invitation to calamity. There was something very self-destructive in that act, and Plutarch had to wonder what 'more immediate' action Cinna had in mind. In his own hands, the book would be safe, but there would still be a gap in seeing Cinna's ideas properly implemented if the man himself was not available. Plutarch decided that Katniss' prep team would have the best understanding of Cinna's intent and decided to hedge his bets by planning to take them if necessary.

Freeing Haymitch was a more difficult problem. Mentors were well known throughout Panem. Each was a Victor in his or her own right, and their mentoring duties gave them them a high public profile. Nor were they free to come and go as they please. Like the tributes, they were under virtual arrest, never in public unattended, Peacekeeper guards always close to hand.

Plutarch started making calls.

Fulvia set herself the task of accumulating supplies of cosmetics and theatrical make up. She ordered them through the Gamemaker network, labelling the requisitions 'Emergency Supplies' and having them delivered to her mansion. It raised some eyebrows, but no suspicions. Excess was the rule in the Capitol, and people in positions of authority were expected to use those positions to feather their nests. Her excuse was entirely adequate.

The Reaping for the 75th Hunger Games went smoothly, as did the subsequent Tribute Parade. Cinna dazzled the crowd with his costuming. They were besotted with Katniss and Peeta. All the other tributes paled in comparison. These would be 'The Games of the Ill Starred Lovers', the final act in that tragic tale.

The night of the interviews, Cinna prevailed again. The miraculous transformation of Katniss from doomed bride to defiant Mockingjay was a sensation. Cinna was called on to stand and accept the accolades of the audience. With a sad smile on his face, he waved and bowed to the crowd. Plutarch, his face impassive, politely applauded, a deliberately restrained response to an act act he knew would infuriate the President. In his mind, he crossed Cinna from his list.

On the second day of the Games, Flavius, Octavia and Venia, Katniss' Prep Team, were ordered to appear at the Broadcast Center the following morning. Additional interview footage was required for the planned behind-the-scenes documentary. A limousine would collect them and they were given times to be ready.

Fulvia had a session with a representative from the Department of Corrections. She was planning an extravagant party for early on in the games, and wanted a selection of Avoxes on hand to serve as footmen. The number available was limited. Most Avoxes worked underground, and those few who had bought their way back into the light were in demand at private and official functions as either object lessons on the consequences of dissidence, or as party novelties. She carefully surveyed those before her and made an apparently random selection. The half dozen chosen would be delivered, fitted with tracking devices, in the early afternoon of the third day of the Games to help with the party preparations. A pair of Peacekeepers would, of necessity, also be on hand. One of the Avoxes selected was Pollux Lindgren.

Haymitch was expected at the Broadcast Center on the same morning. For him, it was just part of his mentoring routine.

Flavius was a bit surprised to find a neatly dressed individual already occupying the back seat of the limo. With Octavia and Venia added, the seating was positively tight. When the limo stopped and yet another individual crowded into the back, he was met with some protest. Prep Teams might not be highly rated on a celebrity scale, but they deserved better treatment than this. The limousine continued on its route, tinted windows obscuring the outside view.

Plutrach planned to spend the day at the Control Center, and early on dispatched Cressida and her crew to prepare for the coverage of the evening's events at Cardew House.

Haymitch arrived at the Broadcast Center mid morning. Already he was feeling the effects of a breakfast of red wine and white liquor. As usual, his driver and guard got out of the car before him to be in place as an escort into the building. Haymitch was just getting out when, out of nowhere, his guards were brutally attacked and left senseless on the ground. Before the horrified onlookers could respond, before building security knew what was happening, Haymitch had been dragged to a waiting vehicle, stuffed into the back, and the vehicle had left the scene. The alarm was immediate.

The limo ride of the prep Team went on and on until Venia finally asked, "Shouldn't we be there by now?" In reply, she was punched in the stomach by the man beside her, leaving her gasping for air. The others were aghast. The man on the other end of the seat looked at the three and said, "Shaddup!" The ride continued in terrified silence.

Scant blocks from the Broadcast Center, the car carrying Haymitch came to a stop. All the men, including Haymitch, got out. Those responsible for the kidnapping drifted off to be lost in the crowd of passersby. Haymitch straightened his clothes and entered a nearby store. Moments later, he emerged wearing a colorful coat, and a hat with a very broad brim. A petite lady, wearing a veil and an elaborate hat of her own, had her arm tucked around the crook of his elbow and was chatting away amiably. The two strolled down the street towards the city center.

Plutarch was in the Control Center when he heard of news of Haymitch's disappearance. It was instantly the only topic of conversation. It took stern action on his part to bring the team back to its focus on the Games. There was no mention of the missing Prep Team. No interviews had actually been scheduled.

Haymitch and his companion had stopped at the entrance to an alleyway. A van, its rear doors wide open, was making a delivery to the back entrance of a store. The driver and a store employee were having an animated discussion and soon disappeared into the building. Haymitch and the lady drifted into the alley. The only visible surveillance camera was obviously broken and dangled from a single wire. When they reached the van, Haymitch clambered inside, tossed the lady his hat, and disappeared into a large wicker basket. A driver's assistant sat in the front seat, cleaning his fingernails and taking no notice. The lady reversed her coat, stuffed her hat into her bag and put on Haymitch's, then continued out the other end of the alley. The driver emerged from the store, closed the van doors and drove off.

Early in the afternoon, Plutarch received a call from Fulvia. She was at her estate, already hard at work preparing for the entertainment that evening. She required his assistance.

Over the protests of his assistants, he begged off his duties "for just a couple of hours" and headed for the estate.

The limo carrying the Prep Team crunched to a halt. The smoothly paved roads of the Capitol had been left behind, and they had been traveling for some time over gravel. Ordered from the car, they huddled together beside it. The day was bright after the dim confines of the car and, as their eyes adjusted, they found themselves in the courtyard of a mansion. Men grabbed them roughly, handcuffed their hands and shackled them together. They were led to an outbuilding, an empty gardening shed, shoved inside with the door closed behind them. In the darkness of the shed, all three broke down and wept.

The van carrying Haymitch was taking its time. There were several stops as it wove an erratic course through the streets of the Capitol. Deliveries were made, goods were picked up. All in a day's work. But after turning one particular corner and pulling to a halt, the driver looked back into the van and said, "Haymitch, there's trouble."

Haymitch popped open the lid of the basket and sat up. "What?"

"Peacekeeper cordon."

"Isn't it nice to be wanted. Any suggestions?"

"We were afraid this might happen so we actually do have a delivery scheduled for out here. This is the end of the city;" said the driver, "a few developed streets and then rough country, fairly open. How good is your sense of direction?"

"I can manage." said Haymitch.

"Here's what we can try: there's extra coveralls back there, dark brown same as our uniforms. Put them on. When we make our final stop, wait for us to open the doors, then get out and walk away from the building. Keep going in that direction. If anyone's around, we'll be doing our best to distract them. Just keep going in that direction. Once you're clear of the yard, you should be alright. It's low grade industrial out here. There's usually a bit of pedestrian traffic and people cut through yards all the time. Just try to look casual and keep going. Once you hit open country, you'll have about a half mile before you hit any decent cover. After that you should be fine. If you can keep a fairly straight line, the road curves around, and you should hit it again after a mile or so. Your biggest problem will be that open ground. There'll be some boulders and scrub, and the color of your outfit will help, but if you're going to be spotted, that's where it will happen.

"Let's go." said Haymitch.

The driver put the van back in motion.

"When you get to the road," the driver said, "stay out of sight. There probably won't be any traffic, but if there is, and it isn't us, then it will likely be Peacekeepers. Watch for us. We'll pull off as soon as we can the after cordon and give you an hour. Then we'll hope to find you.

It was nerve racking when Haymitch left the cover of the buildings. In the distance, off to his right, he could just see the road, and the cloud of Peacekeepers blocking it. Frighteningly, the dark mass of a hovercraft hung poised over the roadblock. If he could see them, they could see him. Slowly and cautiously he worked his way across, darting from one bit of cover to the next, waiting each time for the hue and cry. Gradually, the opportunities for cover increased – bigger boulders, trees, a sudden dip in the land. The cover was good, but it made it difficult to keep on a straight heading, and the going was slow. Haymitch was beginning to despair, afraid he had lost his way, when the gravel path opened before him. He crouched at its side listening intently. The sound of an approaching vehicle made him draw back, and he watched as a black limousine rounded a corner, headed towards the city.

Plutarch arrived at the Cardew estate mid-afternoon. Fulvia greeted him.

"The Prep Team is here. We have them locked up out back."

"What about the Avoxes and Peacekeepers?"

"I sent them down to the wine cellar to bring up some cases. The Peacekeepers went along to keep an eye on them. Cressida sent down a cameraman to shoot the cellar. She and her crew had just arrived. It was very fortuitous. I grabbed the one and told him to go. It surprised them, but Cressida just shrugged and the guy grabbed a camera and went. All his gear is still sitting here. Gee. Somehow they got locked in. There's been shouting going on back and forth through the door for an hour, but no one seems to know what's happened to the key. Only the Avox called Pollux is still up here. He was busy elsewhere when I sent the others down."

"Any sign of Haymitch?"

"Not yet."

"It's a huge manhunt." said Plutarch. "They've already blocked off the road. It took me half an hour to get through even with all my papers and ID. They searched my car very thoroughly."

Together, they entered the house and walked to the kitchen packed high with provisions for the evening's feast. It was a hive of activity with preparations furiously under way.

Fulvia explained, "I thought it best to prepare for the party, just in case the plan falls through."

Plutarch nodded approvingly, but said, "Let's hope it doesn't. What about your people?"

"When the hovercraft shows up, they'll head back to the city. Hopefully the Peacekeepers will be more concerned with people trying to get out than trying to get in. These people are loyal, Plutarch, but this is such a great risk."

"I'd better go and talk to Cressida. She and her crew are probably the only ones here still out of the loop."

"Well, she certainly knows that Castor and his brother are back together." said Fulvia, as Plutarch went in search of the camera crew.

Five minutes later, he was back. "They're in." he said. "Castor and Pollux had already decided to make a run for it. Cressida is up for the adventure. Masalla isn't happy about it, but will follow Cressida."

"What about Bill?" asked Fulvia.

"He's in the city. He's staying. I don't think it's smart, but he says he's survived worse, and still has work to do. He has people of his own... and there's the group I'm leaving. It took a lot of people to stage what went on today, and they took a lot of risks to do it. Ultimately it's Snow they're working against. Somebody has to keep that alive."

Together they sat on a back patio as afternoon drew towards evening. There was no sign of District 13's hovercraft.

At the side of the road, Haymitch waited and waited. Convinced that the van must have missed him, or wasn't coming, he started off away from the city, following the road but keeping under cover. The sound of a vehicle brought him to a stop and he watched expectantly. It was the van, and moments later he was crowded into the front seat with the driver and his assistant.

"Peacekeepers, geez!" said the driver. "I thought we were done. It was your coat, you see. They were looking for it, but Ad here was a real trooper – lied thorough his teeth. It was amazing!"

Ad, the assistant, wore gave a grin from ear to ear. "I told them I found it back in the alley, and I wasn't about to let such a prime item go to waste."

"They didn't like it, wanted to take us in, but we do have a delivery here for Cardew House, and that means big wigs, powerful dudes. Don't want to mess with them. What is it they say? 'They erred on the side of caution.' Nearly took the van apart though. And seized the coat. Maybe you should get back in the basket, Haymitch. Hopefully not necessary, but if there's anyone up ahead, there's only supposed to be two people in this van."

Haymitch obliged, and the van continued on its way.

Plutarch and Fulvia leapt to their feet when a hovercraft winked into view at the rim of the backing precipice. Fully emblazoned with Capitol insignia, it settled to the ground. Their stomachs were churning as a squad of heavily armed soldiers disembarked and formed a line. Not Peacekeepers though, these men were dressed in somber grey. An officer, similarly dressed, followed them out.

Fulvia looked to one of her servants. "Get Cressida and her crew, bring the people from the shed, bring the supplies." She and Plutarch, followed closely by a crowd of curious servants, walked down to meet the new arrivals.

The officer introduced himself as Captain Armstrong from District 13. Plutarch responded in kind and told the Captain to get the Prep Team and supplies loaded. It didn't make the Captain happy, but he complied. Fulvia started directing her servants and the soldiers.

Armstrong asked, "Isn't Haymitch Abernathy supposed to be here as well."

Plutarch responded, "Has not yet arrived. Come up to the house. We can't wait more than a couple minutes."

As they neared the house, a delivery van pulled into the yard. The driver and an assistant wrestled a wicker hamper out of the back and lugged it inside, casting nervous glances towards the hovercraft.

Haymitch was standing in the hamper when Plutarch and Armstrong entered. Plutarch introduced him to the Captain. (The two from the van breathed sighs of relief.)

"Yeah, yeah." said Haymitch, "Let's go. They're already after me."

They ran to the hovercraft, which was airborne in seconds.

The mansion disappeared from view as the hovercraft dropped over the precipice and floated down to the bottom of the chasm. Plutarch watched through a view port as the craft worked a slow path away from the Capitol, out of the mountains. He had thrown in his lot with District 13. Would they be able to deliver anything in return?