"So is it all true then?"
"What?"
"You and him?"
I laugh, because that's the only thing I can do. I can't exactly tell her the truth when the Star Crossed Lovers act may be the one thing getting me sponsors. Of course, I haven't been acting much like a Star Crossed Lover, but neither has Peeta.
"What about you and Cato?" Rue asks carefully and this time I stare at her, confused.
"Me and Cato? What do you mean?"
"Well, he hasn't killed you yet. And he's had plenty of opportunity."
"He has?"
"He had a clear shot when you were stung but he let you go." She tells me matter-of-factly and I widen my eyes.
"That was real? I thought I was hallucinating."
Rue nods and I open my mouth to respond, to come up with some sort of excuse for Cato's behaviour but I can't, because she's right. That's twice he's let me walk away unscathed. Why? It's not in Cato's nature. He wants to win these Games as much as I do. He can't wait to be crowned Victor. So why does he keep letting me walk?
"Did anyone go when I was out?" I ask abruptly, eager to change the subject. I can't afford to be thinking about the implication that another tribute, a Career, may have feelings towards me. I mean, the idea is ludicrous. Laughable, even. And what if it were true? What could I do about it? Nothing, because at least one of us is going to die in this arena.
"The girls from 1 and 4 and the boy from 10."
"Peeta's OK then?"
"As far as I know."
I nod. Good. Peeta may have betrayed me by teaming up with the Careers, but the fact remains that if I die, it's him I want to win. Not because he deserves it, but because it'll be better for my District. For my mother and Prim. And Gale.
Because getting home to Prim is my biggest priority, Rue and I come up with a plan. A plan to destroy the Careers' supplies. Being raised in the more wealthy Districts, none of them know how to be hungry. Not like we from the outlying Districts do. If their supplies are destroyed, it tips the odds a little more in my favour. Besides, I'd rather they starve to death than have to face them myself.
So I'm going to destroy their supplies.
I ignore the nagging voice at the back of my head. The voice that's yelling at me because I owe Cato for sparing my life. Twice.
I can't afford to be thinking that way. I hate owing people, I really do, but it's different in here.
The nagging voice is also wondering why Cato spared my life twice. But I refuse to think about it.
So here I am, crouched in the foliage waiting for the Careers to spot the fire and go hunting.
Cato is sat on the ground with his back to me. He's talking to Clove who, judging from her expression, is very happy about something. Viciously happy. The boy from District 1 is throwing his spears at the Cornucopia. The boy from District 3 is also there. I frown, it's not often that tributes from Districts other than 1, 2 and 4 make it into the Career pack, but this year two have managed to worm their way in. I wonder what skills this boy has that makes them want to keep him around. They accepted Peeta because he was their best chance of finding me, what does this boy have to offer?
Speaking of Peeta, where is he? Has he finally come to his senses and ditched them? I know he isn't dead, there have been no cannons today and Rue said he was OK.
"Hey!"
I jump, thinking that I've been discovered, to see the boy from District 1 pointing up at the sky. I grin, Rue must have lit the first fire.
"Let's get her!" Clove exclaims, jumping up. She and the boys from District 1 and 3 run in the direction of the fire. Cato slowly stands up, sword in hand, and takes a moment to survey the mound of supplies that they have piled up. After a brief moment, he runs after the others.
I grin, do they honestly think that I'd be so stupid as to light a fire in broad daylight? Have they learned nothing?
One thing that does strike me as odd, though, is that they've left their supplies unmanned. Why would they do that?
The Capitol must be going wild right now as they watch me preparing to destroy the Careers' supplies. It's not often that any of the non-Career tributes get an upper hand on the Careers. In fact, by this time the tributes from District 12 are usually dead.
A flash of red dances across my peripheral vision and I look up sharply. The fox faced girl from District 5 is making her way over to the supplies. When she gets close enough, she stops and surveys the ground for a moment before commencing in what can only be described as a bizarre game of hopscotch. She hops her way over to the supplies and I can see the sheer relief on her face when she reaches them unscathed.
That's when I realise.
They've set a trap.
Foxface is running away again and I watch her as she speeds past the Cornucopia, past the metal plates…
The metal plates. The ground around them has been dug up.
The mines, I realise. The boy from District 3. It all makes sense. He must have somehow managed to reactivate the mines. They've planted them around the supplies. Of course they don't need anyone to man them. Until now, of course.
Arrogance is one of the few things about the Careers that can contribute to their downfall. They think that they're the best, the cleverest, the strongest and that no one will work out any of their grand schemes.
Oh, how wrong they are, I think as I draw an arrow from my quiver. There's a bag of apples hung up on one of the crates. If I can tear the bag, the apples will drop to the ground and set off the mines, destroying the supplies beyond repair. I position the arrow on the bow and take aim. It won't take much, two arrows, three at the most, and my job will be done. I let the arrow go and it tears a hole in the bag. One of the apples is teetering precariously, tantalising close to falling. I let another arrow go and retreat far enough into the foliage so that I'm not affected by the enormous explosion that follows.
Oh, how wonderful, I think as the supplies are blown sky high. Burning and broken. There'll be nothing left except debris. It's an even playing field now.
I creep forwards silently, wanting to see the looks on the Careers' faces when they return.
Only Cato and the boy from District 3 return. Clove and the boy from District 1 must be still out there, hunting me.
Cato freezes the moment he sees the ruins of the supplies. Only for a second though. The next thing I know he lets out a scream of pure anger. He throws down his sword and I know that the boy from District 3 is about to feel the full impact of Cato's wrath.
He must realise this too because he takes a few steps back, his hands held up in surrender as Cato's advances on him angrily. He doesn't have chance to get out so much as a word before Cato has snapped his neck.
I'm about to turn and leave the scene of the crime when Cato looks up and looks straight at me. I know that he sees me because a look of the purest loathing flashes across his face and he starts to walk slowly in my direction. I back away, my eyes fixed on those monstrous arms of his, capable of an incredible amount of damage. I'm armed and he is not but that doesn't stop me from turning on my heel and running as hard as I can away from him. I can hear him running after me. His footsteps are heavier than mine and easier to hear even over my ragged breathing. He's angry. Furious. Livid. I know that, despite him having mercy on me before, despite what Rue said about him having had plenty of clear shots, this time he won't fail. I've blown up their supplies, one of the few things that made them superior to the rest of us. He'll snap my neck like a twig the second he catches me.