Chapter 9 The Train

I don't understand. Are we going to sneak on and stowaway like I did on the hovercraft? Do we have agent who will let us on and hide us? The answer, I will find out is no.

Em passes me something she calls a harness. It is flat webbing that goes on me like a rope jacket. She fits me in and tightens it. "The train will stop here and we'll sneak under it. See these snap hooks. You'll hook them on to a rod that's under the train. First the one on your chest then this one for your waist. Then you'll pull yourself up like this. You will be attached to the bottom of the train. Then lift your feet and put them on top of one of the cross rods. Keep them up. If your foot drops and touches the ground while we're moving you'll be ripped to shreds. Do you understand everything?" I nod yes and ask "This is your harness. What will you use?" "I'll make one out of rope and snap hooks. Don't worry I'll be next to you all the way." The thought of ridding under a train going hundreds of miles an hour just hanging by a rope is a little unnerving but none of the soldiers seem concerned. She then continues "When we stop in the tunnel I'll give you the signal and you'll release the hooks by pressing this latch. First your waist then your chest. We'll then roll out the left side and move against the wall. There is a utility room that we have the key for but our agent may be able to leave it unlocked.

"Does the train usually stop here?" " No" she responds "We've tampered with the switch so it will have to stop while they move the switch manually. This will take enough time for us to attach ourselves." I ask "Is this how the train will stop in the tunnel?" "No. It's a standard stop. They search the train including the undercarriage" she responds. "Won't we be seen?" "No. We'll be out by the time they get to us."

"We can relax and eat now. The train won't be here for while." I decide to use this time to ask something to Em. "When did you start to work for the Capitol?" "After the Victor tour at the next Hunger Games. I was there as a guest, I had to watch the Games as protocol dictates but I didn't really pay attention. After the Games I was taken by Capitol." She stops there but I know there must be more. "And what happened next?" "I don't know. That year is a blank. They did something to me. To my mind. Something that took me from being an eighteen year old girl to being a bloody murderer. I did some investigations into my conversion but I only have part of the story. They have something called hijacking using tracker jacker venom but this was something more invasive than that. Plus that venom will pass through your system eventually. With the chemicals they probably used some sort of electronics to turn me, and remember if you are told something often enough, even a lie, you'll start to believe it." I contemplate this. I find it hard to believe that you could change someone so much. "You said there was some sort of electronics embedded in your skull, could that be part of it?" I'm sure but there's no way to be sure. I couldn't find any records or people who knew anything to confirm this."

She looks over and sees Sarge starting to assemble the squad. "Are you ready?" I'm asked. I nod yes. "Then let's go." We move up to the tree line just before the train tracks and hunker down to wait. Em taps me and points to my hat. I take it off and also make sure all my hair is in my jacket and not hanging down.

I can hear the train going and the locomotive passes us and in a few minutes comes to a halt. That's our signal, we move. I look at the train and see it's a cargo train. With no passengers there wasn't much of a chance we'd be seen but we still move swiftly and quietly.

I roll under the train to the opposite side and feel around for the rods. Found it. First my chest snap hook then my waist hook. Em helps me pull myself into position. It's harder than I thought but we get me into position. Next my feet. I look over and see Em start to clip her makeshift harness into place. Because she helped me and she's not wearing a real harness it's taking longer. I hear the train whistle go off which means the train will start soon. She's still not fully up when the train starts to move. Her chest is in position and she's trying to get her waist up. Her feet are still down and dragging on the ground when she takes one powerful tug and lifts herself in. The train picks up speed when she pulls her feet up. I get a thumbs up. We're rolling now and picking up speed.

We're going full speed now and I try to relax. I clear my mind and focus on my breathing like she taught me while hunting. It starts to work. The noise of the train doesn't disappear but moves into the background. My eyes are closed and I see only white, a bright white. Nothing else just this bright white vision when suddenly I see my father. He's in his hunting jacket. It is so real. More than just a picture of him in my mind but it feels like I'm really there with him in the woods. Then Prim appears with her duck tail. Gale setting snares. My mother treating a patient. And finally Peeta. The boy who saved me and the boy I hope to save one day.

We jerk forward when we slow down and then come to a complete stop. We're in the tunnel when I hear voices and see flashlights coming towards us. Why aren't we moving? Aren't we going to be seen? Let's go. I look at Em and she puts her finger to her mouth and signals me to stay still and quiet. They have a plan. But what is it and when will it happen? They're getting closer.