Hi all! I am so so sorry for the long wait, once again. I have no excuse other than life has been busy. I hope you enjoy this new chapter and continue to eagerly wait for the next one. In case you were wondering, I do have a plan for this story and I do plan to finish it, so don't give up on me! I think you will like where it is going! But please leave me a review and let me know what you think! I enjoy reading your thoughts and getting feedback! Until next time! :)

Chapter 9

~Haymitch~

Something was definitely going on with the kid. I wasn't stupid enough to believe that he actually opposed the rebellion. His words were so similar to what he had said in his interviews with Caesar: clearly scripted and forced.

I ran my hands over my face when a thought hit me. Was Snow still making him say those things? To shut down the rebellion?

The more I entertained the thought, the more likely it seemed. But how was Snow still controlling him? There could be a number of possibilities…but one in particular made my heart leap into my throat.

I remembered the night Peeta had been rescued from the Capitol. How easy the rescue team had said it was to get the victors out of there. No resistance, no one trying to stop them. It was as if Snow wanted us to rescue them.

What if…what if they had implanted some kind of tracking device into Peeta? And were tracking his every move, and using it to control him. That if he didn't do as Snow said, they would somehow use it against him.

I had to find the kid. Find out what was going on. I knew he probably wouldn't tell me, but I had to try. Just as I was getting up from the stiff bed in my quarters, I heard pounding on my door.

I rose from the bed, mumbling, "I'm coming, I'm coming."

When I opened the door, I found the kid on the other side. His face was pale and he was breathing heavily, nearly gasping for breath. He looked like he was losing his balance on his crutches.

"Whoa, easy there," I said, as I reached out to steady him and guide him to a chair. "What's going on?"

He continued panting as he said between breaths, "Coin…murder…Katniss."

"What? Take a deep breath, kid, you're not making sense."

He took a few more breaths before he finally said, "Coin…she wants to murder Katniss."

I should have been shocked but I found that I wasn't. "How do you know? What happened?"

"I was just taking a walk and heard her talking to someone on the phone about eliminating the Mockingjay. She said Katniss was useless, Haymitch! Useless! That she would be more useful dead because they could turn her into a martyr!" Peeta was visibly shaking.

"Alright, alright, calm down," I said. He'd made so much progress in his recovery I didn't want him to have a relapse due to a panic attack. "Do you know who she was talking to?"

"No. But it must be someone with Katniss in District 11."

Shit. I forgot that I had told him she was in District 11. I didn't think now was the best time to tell him that I had lied to him, though. The kid was already on the verge of a mental breakdown, I didn't want to push him over the edge.

"What do we do, Haymitch?" he asked, his eyes wide and full of panic. "I've done so much to protect her. So much. You don't even know..." He ran his hands over his face. "And now it might not even matter."

"I'll find a way to get a message to Boggs," I stated, trying to remain calm.

"What if Boggs is the one Coin was talking to?"

I realized Peeta had never met Boggs before. I didn't think Boggs would murder Katniss, but he was supposed to be taking direct orders from Coin. "Okay, we'll tell someone else. Someone we know and trust."

"Gale. It has to be Gale."

I was surprised to hear that name come out of Peeta's mouth after what Gale had done to him. But in this situation, Gale was the only one we could trust. The only one with Katniss that we knew would do anything to protect her. "Alright, we'll get a message to Gale."

"When?" He stared at me desperately, like I was his last hope. But I supposed I was.

"I'll do it in the morning. Coin and her advisors are meeting in Command then so I'll be able to slip in unnoticed to see Beetee. He'll get the message out," I reassured him, reassuring myself at the same time.

That seemed to make the kid relax. He took a deep breath before resting his elbows on his knees and dropping his head into his hands.

"How much longer will this last, Haymitch?" he asked after awhile, barely above a whisper.

"I don't know, kid. Could be a day, could be a year. The team in District 2 was supposed to have bombed that mountain by now. That should have won us the war. I don't know why they haven't bombed it yet."

"What mountain?" Peeta asked, looking up at me.

"There's a large weapons facility under a mountain in District 2 that's supplying the Capitol. You might remember the mountain from your Victory Tour. It's kinda hard to miss," I replied, being careful with how I picked my words so the kid wouldn't figure out that's where the Mockingjay was.

He nodded, gazing off as if he were trying to picture it.

"Anyway, they think if the rebels can bomb one of the entrances into the mountain and cut the electricity, that those still inside will evacuate through the entrance that leads to the Square where the rebels have control. But they've been there for weeks and they still haven't bombed it."

Peeta studied me for several long seconds before he finally said lowly, "That's where she is, isn't it?"

I let out a breath. "Yeah. That's where our Mockingjay is."

His eyes flashed but his demeanor remained calm as he asked, "Why did you tell me she was in District 11?"

"Look, kid. When she left, you weren't exactly doing well. I didn't want to slow down your recovery," I stated, rising from my chair as if it wasn't a big deal.

"So you didn't want me to worry. And why would I need to worry, Haymitch?" His voice was rising. "Is it dangerous in 2?"

"Well, no…not yet." His nostrils flared in anger, but I continued, "Up until you found out about Coin's plot, there was no real reason to worry about her safety. The only risky part was when those under the mountain came out of the mountain." I hesitated. "She was going to make an appearance once they fled the mountain. Rally them to the rebels' cause."

His mouth was now twisting, as if it was holding back an angry scream.

"I didn't like it either, kid. Trust me. But you know as well as I do that it wouldn't do any good to hold her back. She wanted to do it. It doesn't even matter anymore. Now we need to worry about Coin and who she was talking to."

I watched as some of the fight left his eyes. He knew I was right – that we had a much bigger problem at hand now. Shielding the Mockingjay from one president was difficult enough, but now we had another president aiming for the same objective.

When the time finally arrived the next morning for me to see Beetee and send him a message, I meandered out of my quarters. I needed to keep up my recovering-alcoholic demeanor so I wouldn't raise suspicion.

I deliberately walked by Command on my way to make sure Coin was preoccupied. She was. Voices were muffled behind the closed door. I was tempted to listen, wondering if she was plotting Katniss's death at this very moment, but that made me remember how urgent it was that I get the message to Beetee.

Beetee could almost always be found in his technology lab. I didn't understand how he stood being in there. The bright screens, the flashing lights, the incessant buzzing and beeping. It gave me a headache just to think about it. But I ignored all of that for now.

"Hey, Beetee," I called, as I strode into his lab.

He looked puzzled at my appearance, which I guess was normal. But he actually looked relieved to see me as well.

"Haymitch," he stated in a voice that told me something was wrong.

A red light flashed brightly in my peripheral vision, demanding my attention, as I watched him roll toward me in his wheelchair.

"I was just going to send for you," he continued quietly.

"Why? What is it?" I asked warily.

"You better just see for yourself."

I followed him toward a large desk with several computer screens propped on it. A headache began throbbing in my temples as I looked at what was playing on the screens. A young man was being whipped, his wrists bound by handcuffs that hung above him from the ceiling. He jerked violently when the whip snapped against his back and blood seeped from the wound onto his naked skin.

My head was pounding.

"Is that…?" my voice caught in my throat as another lash split open the boy's left shoulder.

"Peeta," Beetee said quietly. "I hacked into the surveillance system in the Tribute Center and found footage from all of the cells."

Even though there was no sound, I could hear the crack of the whip. Each crack resonating within me, telling me that it was my fault. But I remembered something that shook me out of my shock.

"Is there sound?" I asked, directing my attention toward Beetee.

"I haven't been able to access the audio yet. But it shouldn't take me too long. The Capitol hasn't been very creative with their access codes," he replied, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Yes, get that audio," I stated urgently. "We need to know if Snow communicated with the victors and what he told them. It might be useful to us."

Beetee nodded in agreement, as he began typing on one of the various keyboards.

I didn't tell him that I strongly suspected Snow had done something to the kid to control him – to continue controlling him.

But I couldn't forget the Mockingjay. "And I need you to send out a message."

~Gale~

It had been two days since I had been informed of the new plan. I didn't know what to do. I definitely didn't agree with it, but I didn't really have much power in this situation. I was just a soldier. I could tell Boggs didn't like it either, but what was he supposed to do? He was Coin's trusted man. He couldn't just defy her. That would just cause all kinds of unnecessary trouble.

So I put my hunting skills to use. I became invisible, calculating, and patient. Silently watching. Especially Commander Steele. I had a very bad feeling about her, and trusted her about as far as I could throw the Nut. So I watched her. Watched her every movement and listened to every word that left her lips.

I also closely watched Colt. His face was a mask, always the same scowling expression, so he was difficult to read. But there was something about his eyes…I tried to talk to him to read him better, but he usually brushed me off with single-word responses.

So I continued to watch. To be the hunter.

When the sun had finally set, and the stars began to appear in the deep blue sky, I made my way to the Square for my final rounds. As I stalked through the rebel's facilities, Boggs suddenly approached me. "Soldier Hawthorne," he began. "I've been told to relay a message to you from Beetee back in 13."

My ears perked up. Beetee? He had been part of the planning for the bombing of the Nut. I hoped the message regarded the new plan. An alternative maybe.

"He wanted me to remind you to be careful with the incendiary arrows he designed for your new bow. When you practice with them, you must contain the flames or they could be taken away."

My eyes narrowed at Boggs, but he merely turned around and left.

Beetee wanted me to be careful with my arrows? He sent a message all the way from District 13 just to tell me that? And why would he only be worried about the incendiary arrows? Shouldn't he be worried about the explosive arrows too?

"Soldier Hawthorne!" one of the District 2's soldiers called over to me from a group that was huddled around a table.

Beetee's message was forgotten as I made my way over to them and silently listened as they relayed their plans to sweep more of the surrounding areas for Capitol loyalists, using the map on the table to demonstrate. The sweep would take place over the next few days. Just in time for the bombing that will kill everyone in the mountain, I thought bitterly.

Later that night, I sat by the campfire finishing up my meager supper of venison and green onions when Katniss crept out of her tent and sat across from me. I was mildly surprised, since she had barely looked at me since the night I woke her up from her nightmare. She seemed embarrassed about it. I wanted to tell her that she didn't need to be ashamed. Not in front of me. But somehow I figured she would take it the wrong way.

I had still been watching her though. Was it just me or did she seem…bigger? Her cheeks were more filled in, her belly seemed slightly larger, her hips more curved, and her breasts…I pushed back the thoughts. I shouldn't be looking at her like that. Not anymore.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey," I replied, noticing her eyes on the last of my supper. I held it out to her. "You want the rest?"

She looked at me, her eyes wide as if she had been found guilty of stealing. "What? No, that's yours. I already had mine."

"Katniss, you were looking at it like your sister used to look at the cakes in the bakery. Go ahead. I'm full anyway."

She gave me an apologetic look, but gently took the plate from me anyway. Before I blinked, she had eaten the rest. Her appetite had seemed bigger lately. I assumed that's why she'd gained a little weight. But she looked healthy. Not all skin and bones anymore. If I could contribute to her health just by surrendering the last of my supper, then I would gladly do so.

After she had set the plate aside, she picked up a cup of water and gripped it tightly as she stared the fire. The orange light cast from the flames danced on the apples of her cheeks and flickered in her eyes. Girl on fire.

Before those thoughts went any further, and to keep the situation from getting anymore uncomfortable, I rose from my seat on one of the large rocks surrounding the fire.

"Well, we're going to start sweeping the surrounding areas for Capitol loyalists tomorrow, so I should probably get some sleep," I said.

She nodded. "Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight," I replied, as I brushed aside the flap of my tent.

It wasn't until I was deep in my sleeping bag, staring up at the wavering orange glow that the fire spread across my tent, and thinking about the way the light of the flames danced on Katniss's cheeks, that the meaning of Beetee's message hit me.

Be careful with the incendiary arrows. When you practice with them, you must contain the flames or they could be taken away.

He knew I wouldn't practice my archery skills with incendiary arrows. And now it made sense why he only seemed concerned with the incendiary arrows and not with the explosive ones...because he wasn't talking about arrows at all. He was talking about Katniss. She was the incendiary arrow. The one that set things on fire. After determining that, the rest of the message was obvious. If I didn't protect her, she could be taken…or killed.

But by who?

I recited the words of his message over and over, trying to catch any hints of who was threatening to hurt Katniss. But I couldn't think of who. Maybe they didn't know. I realized Haymitch had to be behind this, or at least was aware of it. I wondered if Peeta knew. He was probably freaking out if he did.

But the more the gravity of Beetee's message set in, the more the panic threatened to overcome the clarity of my thoughts and mental processes. And I couldn't afford for those to be clouded if I had to protect Katniss.

But a thought hit me that made the panic threaten to rise again. I was going to be gone, sweeping the region for Capitol loyalists! I wasn't going to be near her! I wouldn't be able to protect her! No, that wasn't an option. I would have to convince the other soldiers to let her come. I was confident that I could. She was just as good of a hunter as I was…better, even. She would probably be thankful for having something to do anyway. She had been so restless lately.

As I somewhat relaxed again, I realized I might not sleep again for awhile. I would be too high-strung, listening for any noise of someone approaching her tent. I was tempted to go sit back out by the fire, but knew that would only arouse suspicion.

I could only keep being the hunter.