"You know her?" Finnick's gaze wandered from Peeta's face to Katniss' several times before he rested it completely on Peeta. "How?"
Peeta wasn't able to open his mouth. He just continued to stare at Katniss who was being pinned to the ground by Finnick. She didn't meet his eyes. Instead she stared at the ceiling high above her, searching for a way out of this situation. But there was not a single one to be found. She was trapped. And she hated it.
"I…she…," Peeta tried to explain but he didn't find the right words. How was he supposed to explain to them that Katniss was actually his Avox – his responsibility – without getting suspected by the others? How could he ever tell them that this girl on the ground was a present from Snow to him without endangering her life? They wouldn't let her go once they've found out. They would even kill her so that she couldn't tell anyone what she'd just witnessed.
"Hey, isn't that the archer girl back from twelve?" Peeta hadn't noticed Haymitch approaching the whole scene. But right now he wished he did so that he could've gagged him before he even opened his filthy drunken mouth.
"You know her too?" Finnick considered both of the victors from District 12 in disbelief. "What the hell is going on here?"
Haymitch shot a pointed glance Peeta's way. "That's something that only the baker boy is able to tell."
Now everyone was staring at Peeta who grew angry with every second that passed by. He was angry at Haymitch for not being able to keep his mouth shut just for a few damned seconds. He was angry at Finnick for pressing the whole issue even more. He was angry at Katniss for just being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
But why was she even here? And how had she been able to follow him all this time without him noticing her?
"If you won't talk, Mellark, then I'll make her talk. Your decision," Finnick hissed and looked down at Katniss like a predator stalking his prey. She didn't like the way his body pressed down on her. She had never been so close to a boy. Not even to Gale. All she wanted right now was his dirty fingers off her. But he held her down in a firm and unbreakable grip. She was caged. She couldn't escape.
"You can't make her talk. She can't talk anymore," Peeta whispered frustrated. His hands were already clenched into fists and they trembled terribly. He tried desperately to contain his anger but when Finnick asked what he'd said he repeated his words in terrible screaming. "YOU CAN'T MAKE HER TALK, YOU SON OF A BITCH! SHE CAN'T TALK ANYMORE; THEY CUT HER GODFORSAKEN TONGUE OUT!"
Finnick didn't seem to be shocked by Peeta's reaction. He just frowned and said: "Oh, really? Then why did I just catch a glance on her lovely little tongue while she was poorly trying to fight me off?"
Peeta's anger vanished as fast as it had taken possession of him. Now he just stared confused at Finnick. "What?"
"There is a tongue in her mouth. I'm telling you, there really is," Finnick said and looked at Katniss again, "Isn't that so, spy?"
The word stung more than Katniss had expected it to. She didn't want to be called a spy. Especially not by Finnick Odair. So instead of acting her game of silence on, she spoke to him through clenched teeth. "I'm. Not. A. Spy."
"Oh, really? Well what are you then? Just curious?" Finnick considered her with a mocking glance. He knew she was lying. He knew who she was working for and he would make her pay for it. She could see it from the way he seemed to so deeply enjoy making her suffer.
Katniss didn't answer him. She refused to. Not because she wanted to rebel against him but because she didn't know what to say. How could she ever explain to a group of victors that Snow had assigned her to spy on Peeta without making them so angry at her that they'll kill her?
Her silence seemed to frustrate Finnick a lot which she enjoyed a lot before he slammed her hard to the ground and screamed at her: "ANSWER ME!"
"FINNICK!" Plutarch had been utterly silent until now. He saw the growing tension between Peeta and Finnick. He saw the way the other victors looked anxiously at each other because they feared to be revealed to Snow. He had just motivated them to fight. He wouldn't let them lose it just because one single stupid spy.
"That's enough. Your methods won't bring us anywhere with her," Plutarch snapped annoyed and pointed at Blight, "You! Get a chair. Johanna, there is some rope right behind the screen. Get it so that we can bind her to that chair. Finnick, make a tight knot. This is going to take a while."
The cool muzzle of a gun was being pressed against Katniss cheek by Plutarch. The victors were seated in a circle around the chair she had been bound to. Everyone was staring at her including Peeta. He tried to put a blank mask above his face but Katniss could see his trembling lips and they way he seemed utterly disappointed. Utterly disappointed by her.
She pinned her gaze at her feet while she tried to ignore the fact that a gun was being held right against her head. Plutarch hadn't seemed like much of a threat to her before but now with a powerful weapon in his hand she was actually terrified of him. Because she knew that he had the guts to pull the trigger. He would kill her if he had the feeling that she would threaten his mission. So she had to make sure to play a safe game. She needed to tell the truth. She needed to make them understand that she didn't choose to do this. That she had been dared to, punished to do so.
"So, I'm now going to explain the rules to you. I'll ask the questions and you'll answer them. You'll answer with the truth if your life means anything to you. And if I sense just one tiny lie you'll pay for it. Understood?"
Katniss only nodded and raised her chin. She wouldn't break. She would be strong. She would survive this.
"Good girl," Plutarch said, "We'll start with something easy. What is your name?"
"Katniss Everdeen." Plutarch turned to Peeta who nodded to confirm she said the truth.
"So, Katniss tell me, who are you working for?"
"President Snow." His name was like acid on her lips. She heard a few gasps coming from every direction.
"What exactly is your task? What did he ask you to do?"
Katniss hesitated slightly. "He wants me to keep an eye on Peeta. I'm supposed to report everything he says and does to him."
Peeta didn't know wherever he was supposed to cry or to laugh. How stupid he had been. While he was thinking that sending her to him had been Snows punishment she actually was just randomly picked out because she was from twelve and send to spy on him. How could he been so blind? How could he been so blinded by her? Because you love her. That's why.
"And why did he ask such a thing from you?"
Katniss swallowed. "They didn't tell me. Told me that it was none of my business. But I guess they've noticed something strange and wanted to be really sure he is doing nothing which could harm them, so that's why they brought me into the game."
Plutarch cocked his head interested. "And why do you think they picked specifically you?"
"Because I'm from twelve. Because I know him. Not very well, but I know him. I guess they also wanted to punish him a little. But mostly because we're from the same district and because I'm in good shape." She heard how Finnick chuckled darkly behind her. God, how she hated him.
"So you followed him today because it is your duty. Not out of any other motivation?"
"Yes," she answered honestly.
"And why do you obey Snow? What would happen if you said no to him?"
Katniss shrugged. "Well, he would've either killed me and my entire family or rip my tongue out and make me a real Avox like I was promised before."
Plutarch just nodded and lowered the gun. "It's really important that you answer my next question honestly. Your answer will decide over your life. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Good. Are you loyal to President Snow?"
Katniss didn't hesitate. "No."
Plutarch sighed and turned around to face the victors. "What do you think?"
"About what? Her? I don't know. Sort of like her attitude," Johanna answered and winked at Katniss. Her cheeks instantly grew hot.
Plutarch rolled his eyes. "No, Miss Mason. What do you think should we do with her?"
"Well, I still think we should kill her. One Avox less in Panem won't cause any suspicions. We can't risk that she tells Snow about this. About everything," Finnick said and his green eyes made Katniss understand he really wanted her to die. Well, as long as she wouldn't die by his hands she didn't care about his opinion.
"You really think her death won't make Snow curious? If you ask me then that's a very important task he has given her and he probably relies very much on her information's if he wants to find out something triggering about Peeta. Killing her would do us no good. But we can't just let her go so easy either," Beetee shot back.
"Then what do you suggest we do with her, Mister Latier?" Plutarch eyed the elderly man from District 3 perplexed.
Beetee pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Well, we can try to convince her to feed Snow false information's which are working in our favour on him. She could work for us instead of obeying him. It wouldn't be safe for her but working for Snow isn't either so..."
Everyone was silent for a few moments. Katniss couldn't believe that Beetee, a victor, would put so much trust into a person he merely knew a few minutes. Was he just that naive or just that smart? She didn't know. But she did know something. That if they offered her to help them she would take this chance. She would help them rebel against Snow. She'd rather do that than die in a dark wig factory surrounded by people who could've been her allies in an another position.
Finnick was the first one to find his voice again. "But how do we know we can trust her? How do we know she won't run to Snow the second after we let her go?"
"Because I'll be with her and I won't let her do such a thing. I'll kill her myself if I have to, to prevent our cause to fail." Peeta's words shocked her. His cold voice shocked her. His cold everything shocked her. The gentle and vulnerable Peeta from last night was gone. Now she had a bloodthirsty victor sitting right across from her. And for a few seconds she was actually afraid of him. Until she realized that there wasn't any reason to be. She wouldn't run to Snow. She wouldn't destroy the only chance Panem had.
Plutarch considered Peeta for a few moments before he nodded. "Very well. But know one thing, Mister Mellark. If you fail to watch over her, you'll pay for it in your very own way."
"And that would be?" Peeta stared at him mockingly.
"You'll be the very first one to die in the games then."
Sorry it took me so long to upload a new chapter! I haven't given up on this story, I swear! I was just so busy with finals and other stuff that I barely got time to sit down and write. Well, now I'm back to writing here and I hope you liked this chapter. Thank you all for the love you give this story! I really appreciate it! :)