I seriously did not mean for it to be so long between chapters, and this time, it's all my fault! I hope this chapter makes up for it.

Moving things right along here with our people to get them to 13. This is the first part of a two part chapter; it got so long I had to split it. There's also a surprise early on. Let's see if you spot it!

I don't own the Hunger Games. That honor belongs to Suzanne Collins.

Read on!

Trespass, Part I

We're still only long enough to assess damage to the truck and determine what we're running short of. That's all. No eating or sleeping. No putting out tracking senors. Once everything is accounted for, we're on the move again. Instead of Tailor and Tomas driving us, they're in the back while Benedict and Haymitch sit up front. None of us talk until Johanna asks about Plutarch's holo.

After this question, I don't know what to say, because Plutarch didn't have his holo when I was sitting next to him. So either Haymitch or Finnick must have it, unless it was destroyed by the explosion that killed him. Naturally, I look at Finnick as he sits across from me, but his face is blank.

"You have to have it," I say, and everyone looks at me. Finnick's expression changes because he's obviously annoyed at being called out. Then I add, "You were the only one he would trust with it."

Averting his eyes away from me toward the front, he pulls off his pack and then extracts the small device Plutarch had been using. He doesn't turn it on, not wanting anyone else to see it, and I look at Peeta. Johanna follows our line of thinking, thankfully, laying her hand over Beetee's shoulder so he'll look at her. As soon as he does, she nods over to Annie while glancing at Tailor and Tomas as they sit oblivious to us. Our prisoner is again sedated, unable to cause anymore trouble.

"Annie," Beetee calls, "perhaps you and our new friends could assist me in finding a more comfortable place to sit as our prisoner over here shouldn't be taking up so much space on his own."

Annie doesn't question him, carefully scooting along the bed of the truck to where he's sitting and leaving the four of us otherwise able to communicate without Tailor and Tomas hearing us.

"What did Plutarch say to you?" Johanna asks, clearly reading his expression in a way I can't yet.

"Just to make sure Katniss got to 13," Finnick says as quietly as he can. "And to not let anyone else have this." He looks at the holo, and then he looks at me.

"Not even Haymitch?" Peeta asks. "Why?"

"I don't know," Finnick says. "But with those two," he gestures to Tailor and Tomas, "and our prisoner, I have to believe he was afraid someone would get word to Snow about our position. And I don't completely trust our new friends. How did they know we were so close? And why did they have so many supplies already in the truck? It doesn't add up. So until I'm sure neither of them poses a threat, I'm hanging on to this. Don't tell Haymitch I have it. I took it before he and Tailor carried Plutarch into the substation."

"And Annie?" I ask. "How are you going to hide it from her? What if it can keep us from getting caught?"

The incredulous look on his face should make me retreat, but I don't. He purses his lips, irritated. "If it comes to that, I'll make sure we're safe. Getting us to 13 is just as important to me as it was to Plutarch, and him giving me this means he wanted me to be in charge. He might have disagreed with me on a few things, but he trusted me."

I look at Peeta, and he looks at Johanna. She looks at me, and then I look at Finnick. "Then we do too," I say.

Peeta nodded, and Johanna chuckled softly. "Well, Fish Brain, it looks like you're our leader now. So why are we really going to Nine? Because no way would it be a good thing unless there was a good reason."

"He just told me that Three and Six were bad places to go because of a revolt in Three and the high security in Six," Finnick says. "It's just as bad there as it is in Eleven, and if we don't at least have a good plan to get into Six, we shouldn't even go there."

"Is it possible to drive all the way to 13 in the condition we are now?" Johanna asks, glancing back at the others who are still unaware of us. "Without Plutarch — "

"I said without a good plan," Finnick presses. "We can come up with a plan when we get to Nine, and it might or might not include those three. Just sit tight and once we know what they're really doing here, we can decide from there."

Johanna looks at me, and I look at Peeta.

He nods and looks at Finnick. "Sounds like a good plan to me."

"Thank you," Beetee says a little louder than it seems he should have to, and quickly, we scatter, scooting back to our places as Annie finds her way back to Finnick. He stows the holo and sits back while side-glancing at Tailor and Tomas.

It's the last thing we talk about while we're still moving, but with the night passing along outside, I know it's just a matter of time before we stop to really replenish ourselves.

We don't get very far because it's summer and the first week in July, when the nights aren't as long as the days. Benedict and Haymitch have to "eyeball" it to make sure we're safe, and the sun is coming up in the east, indicating that our cover is diminishing. The terrain is still flat, but there's an abundance of trees to protect our camp. As soon as it's deemed safe, Benedict and Finnick go around putting up the sensors. Johanna and Peeta put an extra pair of restraints on the guard, leaving him in the truck so the rest of us can relax a little.

But I have to know where we are, waiting for Finnick to come back and watching him duck into our tent before I follow him.

I am not expecting him to be naked.

The sharp intake of breath that fills my lungs startles him before he turns, and he covers himself quickly, but not before I see an ugly scar along the bottom of his rib cage that I didn't see before.

"Katniss," he exclaims. "Damn it! You can let somebody know you're there, can't you?"

Quickly, he pulls on his pants, and I look away the same way I did when Johanna stripped in front of me. "Sorry," I mutter. "But I need to know where we are. I want to see the holo. Away from everybody else."

He huffs and kneels to his pack, extracting the small device and handing it to me with an annoyed glare in his eyes. "Haymitch was right about you, you know," he says in a not so positive way.

I don't respond as I take the holo and try to turn it on. But there is no 'on' switch.

Finnick sees that I'm struggling, and he takes a cleansing breath, guiding me to the sleeping bags and sitting me down. Then he runs his finger along the side, initializing the screen and then the beams that immediately show the seal of the Capitol, followed by a floating map of the surrounding terrain.

"Do you know how to read a map?" Finnick asks.

I shrug, and he exhales, pressing a button here and there to make the image change until it is much bigger.

"This is our country," he says, gesturing to the landmass at the center. Then he points to the middle of that landmass. "We are right here. About 375 miles from where we were. And we're going there, to the river just outside District 9. Because we're stopping today, it'll take another night or two to get there. It should be dark when we make it."

Gently, I cradle the holo like it is a precious object, able to show my world to me and as well as my place in it. But I know it is only an illusion. I don't know what my place is in this world. Not anymore.

"I was seventeen too you know," Finnick says after a few seconds.

I look at him, and he sighs, crossing his legs and clasping his hands together.

Then he says, "When I knew it was my job to keep my family safe. It's a lot for a seventeen-year-old. And I didn't do that great of a job at first. My family barely had a chance after what I did. My father and my brother. They both died because of me."

Despite knowing he's naked under his pants, I'm no longer embarrassed to sit next to him. He doesn't retreat, instead fidgeting as he keeps his head down.

"What exactly happened to them?" I ask.

"Officially," he says, "they were lost at sea."

I lean closer. "And unofficially?"

"Snow had them executed," he says, his voice cold and detached.

He doesn't talk for a while after that, fidgeting again and biting his lip and clenching his jaws. Something else is clearly simmering beneath the surface, threatening to emerge. I don't want him to feel like he has to tell me anymore, but if he did tell me —

"I can still remember waking up after the explosion," he says as steadily as he can. "That boat should've brought them home. Instead it became their grave. I was sixteen. My mom was pregnant with my little sister. Overnight, I was the man of the house, and I had three mouths to feed. Which was easy I guess since I was already a Victor. My mom was depressed for a while after that, and she barely survived having my sister."

Slowly, uncertainly, I reach for his hand, taking it in mine. "I'm sorry," I say to him. "My father died in a mine explosion when I was eleven. My mom wasn't the same after he died, so I had to take care of my sister Prim."

"I know," he says and looks at me. He lays his hand over mine. "Haymitch told me. And I was at the Games last year mentoring. Well as much as I could. I saw you. And I saw her at the Reaping. Mags thought it was the most selfless thing she'd ever seen anyone do for someone they loved."

"Like she volunteered for Annie," I comment, to which he looks away. "I never realized that until now, knowing the two of you."

I don't wait for him, wrapping my other hand around his arm and laying my head over his shoulder. We don't say anything else. We don't have to. It's this understanding between all Victors I suppose, like the one between me and Peeta.

"Are you two decent in there? We have to talk."

I recognize Johanna's voice immediately, rolling my eyes and scooting away from Finnick. He pulls on a shirt only a second before the flap of the tent opens unceremoniously to allow her inside. She looks at me and then him before promptly sitting down between us.

"This isn't going to work," she says and acts like we know what she means, which must be a common trait of all the older Victors despite her not being that much older than me. She sees that we don't understand, huffing and groaning. "Oh, fuck, I mean, the guard and those two bafoons we brought with us."

Finnick reaches for the holo and easily changes the image being projected, aiming it outside to scan the area surrounding us. "What's happened now?" he asks her.

"Tomas is acting weird, and Tailor doesn't seem to understand that he isn't in charge. Benedict doesn't seem capable of convincing him, so I think one of us needs to do it. And I thought since Plutarch did technically leave you in charge, that responsibility falls on you."

"Wonderful," he says, but he doesn't sound very enthusiastic.

It's quiet another minute, and Johanna keeps looking between us, sighing heavily and addressing us both.

"Look, it wasn't your fault," she says. "Either of you. We knew splitting up was a risk, and so did he. As long as we do what he wanted, we'll all be okay. You need to remember that when you talk to Tailor. Because the head on his shoulders is about as big as a two-ton boulder, and someone has to take him down a notch. I'm watching the guard, so I gotta get back."

She doesn't say anything else, climbing out of the tent and closing the flap back. After a minute, I stand up too.

"I'll get back out there too," I say and move toward the flap.

I've got the flap unzipped when he speaks.

"Katniss," he says, and I turn back to him. "Thanks."

Though I don't really feel like I've done anything but stir up old feelings, I still nod like I've been doing and leave, closing the flap behind me.

Finnick doesn't come out of the tent for a while. I help Peeta make breakfast for everyone, and Annie spends nearly an hour reorganizing the first aid kit bag before going into the tent after him. I know not to disturb them. I wouldn't even if I wanted to. But when they do emerge, despite that Finnick still looks upset, they both seem to be a little more clear headed.

The first thing Finnick does is walk over to where Tailor is arguing with Benedict about the way supplies have been distributed.

"The last thing we need is to run out of supplies before you get to wherever it is you're taking us," Tailor says, adding, "and we might not even get there at this point."

"We need to talk," Finnick says to Tailor. He side-glances at Benedict, who steps away and leaves immediately.

I'm sitting around the small fire we've built, watching as the two young men engage in what can only be described as a pissing contest. And I silently wonder who will win, even if I know who must at this point.

"Stand in line, son," Tailor says sarcastically. "Apparently, you're not the only one."

Tailor starts to walk away, but Finnick stops him.

"I'm not exactly sure how old you think I am," Finnick says, "but I can promise you I'm old enough to tell you to take it down a notch. You're not in charge around here."

"Oh, really," Tailor says, folding his arms and nodding, his expression mocking Finnick's. "And who is? You?"

"Actually," Finnick says holding up Plutarch's holo, "yes, I am. And I'm telling you to take it down a notch. You're just along for the ride, so it would be appreciated if you wouldn't argue with any of us on how this is going to go down. We know the place we're going to actually exists. The hovercraft we were in after leaving the arena came from 13. And Plutarch was working closely with the woman who runs the place. That's our goal. Getting to 13. Not 3 or 6 or even 9. You can help, or we can leave you here. It's your choice. But you're not in charge."

For the first time in hours, Tailor looks surprised, glancing at Benedict and then over at us and realizing he's had an audience. His eyes fall on Finnick again, and this time, he gives in and nods.

"Good," Finnick says, turning to walk away but stopping to add, "and by the way, I'm 24. Not 14. I haven't been 14 since they pulled me out of the arena bleeding to death after I killed six other kids so I could survive. I haven't been 14 since they threatened to kill my family if I didn't do exactly what they told me to do. So trust me when I say I know a little about survival."

With that, Finnick walks away from him, passed me and Peeta to where Haymitch and Beetee are sitting with their breakfast.

Because we're in a truck running on gas now, and the tank is apparently full, we pretty much sit and do nothing all day. Johanna and I discover a creek nearby that has a few deep pools in it, and we go there with Annie to wash up while the men guard our prisoner. I still haven't bothered finding out what his name is. I don't think I care.

At noon, we eat and go over our options to get into District 9, which I remember only having a fence like 12, so getting in and finding food shouldn't be too difficult. It's after we do that that's the hard part, because by then we'll need gas for the truck to get us to Six where Haymitch is already hinting at stealing a hovercraft. I don't even want to think about how complicated and dangerous that will be. But it's an option that floats around between those of us who know we might not have a choice.

Because it's daytime, the tracking sensors do a lot of the watching for us, but Johanna still walks the perimeter of our camp, and Haymitch still keeps our prisoner under sedation. The drugs will run out soon, and then I don't know what we're going to do. Peeta and I lay down in our tent while Finnick and Annie eat their dinner, and we're awakened just as the sun is setting. It's time to get moving again.

The dark makes me uneasy. Now it's even worse even with the dash board lights shining through the glass that separates us from Benedict and Haymitch. I can barely make out the guard as he sits in the front corner, and Tailor and Tomas are the farthest away from me. I've already decided to keep Peeta as far from them as I can, and I don't care if they try anything. I'll be the one to take them down.

Several of us, despite having napped earlier, all sleep on the way. Benedict and Haymitch stop once to switch drivers, but other than that, we're on the road for eight hours. I've never been cramped in a truck with anyone for this long. It's disorienting.

The truck stopping a second time wakes us all, and Haymitch shouts back at us.

"We're about an hour and a half from the edge of Nine," he says. "That's two hours from the substation, and it's underground. So who's up for a little planning?"

"We'll have to surprise them," Benedict says. "And we're down a rifle."

Everyone is quiet a few minutes before I speak, suddenly remembering something very important.

"We have explosives," I say.

Benedict looks at Haymitch, and he ponders it for a minute before nodding, agreeing.

It takes that hour and a half to really devise a plan of attack, and in that time, the sun comes up, illuminating the fences around District 9 in the process. This is the point when I decide it's time to wake our prisoner, because we need him for this plan to work. I don't really expect him to help us. But I don't really care what he wants.

Annie is the one who finds the syringe we need in the first aid kit to wake him up, administering it because I've never been good with needles, and she says she did it for her mother when she was still alive. Finnick and Peeta volunteer to tie him to the tree we find for our mini-interrogation, and Haymitch backs me up while Benedict had Tailor and Tomas help him set up camp. We'll be here most of the day while we wait for a good time to put our plan into action. Now is as good a time as any for this.

The guard is understandably disoriented when he comes to, looking around and obviously trying to figure out where he is before I speak to him.

"What's your name?" I ask him, drawing his attention to me.

He smirks and says, "Andreas. Andreas Artem."

I look at Finnick, and he nods. "Do you know who I am?" I ask.

His pale blue eyes drift up to Haymitch and then back to me. "Of course I know who you are. There's probably a capture and kill order out on you."

Inhaling through my nose and then holding my breath, I decide to change my tactics. "Where are you from?"

"District 4," he says, like it should be obvious.

I shake my head. "No, I mean, originally. Don't most Peacekeepers come from District 2?"

"Most of them do," he confirms. "But I'm not most of 'em. My father was clammer from north of the Slip. Before he was executed in the town quare for poaching."

Stepping closer, I press a little harder. "And you became a peacekeeper why? Did they threaten the rest of your family?"

"No family for them to threaten," he says bitterly. "My mom died when I was a baby. My dad was all I had left. I was eighteen, which they said made me lucky cause it was too old for the reapings, but they said I was perfect material for guard duty. Didn't really give me a choice though. And here I am now, staring at Public Enemy Number One in the face. Right next to Two, Three, Four and Five. You know you really shouldn't herd together. Makes you easier to catch."

Haymitch takes a step toward him, but I keep him back.

"You have no idea where we are, do you?" I ask him.

He shakes his head. "Don't matter. Every Peacekeeper between here and the Capitol, and everywhere else knows what you look like. They'll all be looking for you."

At this, I smirk and lean in so my face is close to his. "Then it's good for me I've got a guard."

His face falls when he realizes my intent, and he tries to lunge at me only to be stopped by Peeta and Finnick.

"You might not like it," I say to him, "but you're going to help me. Because while a few of us are getting food and fuel for the truck, the rest of us are going to be making a diversion in town so the guards won't come this way no matter what they want. And I only have two conditions. Help me now and you can lose the restraints. Don't, and you can spend the rest of your life in a cell for helping me — or you'll be dead. Because we both know that's what they'll do, regardless of what you tell them about me."

Slowly, he realizes he doesn't have a choice but to do what I say. He stops struggling, and Peeta releases him so Finnick can untie him.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Haymitch asks me. "We really don't need to split up again. Even without there being land mines out there, I don't trust him."

"I don't either," I say, "but we don't have a choice. Plus if he gets caught, that'll be one less thing to worry over. Right?"

Haymitch grudgingly agrees and nods like he did in the truck.

Once the guard, Andreas, is untied, I turn back to him. "You won't be armed," I tell him. "But I'm sure you can figure something out." Then I nod to Finnick, and he pulls Andreas away from everyone else.

Hmm. Well, that is an interesting turn of events there!

What could possibly go wrong while they're enlisting the help of a Peacekeeper? Well, maybe not what you think, but we'll see.

I so totally meant to upload this sooner. Please forgive me! And what do we think about the scene with Katniss and Finnick?

Until next time!