A/N: Thanks to everyone that has followed/favourited/reviewed this story. I know it has been a bit of a roller coaster so far.
Warning: There are images of drug use and non-consensual sex in the chapter that some people may find upsetting.
Chapter 11
Katniss
I watch stunned as the door is slammed in Peeta's face. He stares at the door, shell shocked and motionless. My heart clenches as I see the devastated look on his face. It only takes him a minute of staring before he lunges at the door and begins banging his fists rapidly against it.
"Damn it, Prim! Prim, please hear me!" he yells through the door.
He bangs the door so hard I'm scared his fists are going to bleed. I lurch forward and grab his wrists to stop his bashing. He struggles against me as his cries for Prim get more strangled. My arms wrap around him and hold him tight, until he stops thrashing.
"Stop, Peeta. You're only hurting yourself. We need to leave and regroup," I state.
Slowly his cries soften and his body stops jerking against mine. Eventually he stops completely until his whole body sags against me. I don't let go of him as I lean my forehead against his. Silently the tears begin falling down his cheeks. I know all I can do for him at this moment is be here for him.
After what seems like an eternity, Peeta eventually speaks. His voice is croaky from all his screaming and I hate the despondency he has in it.
"She didn't even recognise me. She looked right past me," he chokes out. "She's in there but I still can't get her out. I don't know what to do."
My heart grips when I hear the helplessness in his voice. I know he is blaming himself again for the situation Prim has got herself into. My heart goes out to the young girl inside. I have had some bad times in my life but even in my darkest moments I can't imagine making the choices that ended with Prim here. I can't imagine how desperate and lonely she must have felt.
Peeta is acting defeated again. It doesn't take a lot for all his hopes to be dashed. He's been let down too many times in the past. But I am not about to let him give up. We are closer to Prim than we have ever been. We're not leaving Meadowview until we get her.
"We'll think of a plan. There has to be a way into that house. Or we can intercept her when she comes out. I don't have it all figured out but we'll come up with something. Together," I state determinedly.
Peeta looks up at me with tired but hopeful eyes.
"Together?" he asks.
I smile at him and take his head in my hands. I look him deep in the eye as I speak to him.
"Together," I confirm. "I'm not giving up on Prim and neither are you."
Peeta gives me a weary smile and pulls me close to his chest. He squeezes me tight as he buries his nose in my hair. I squeeze him back as I try to give him some more strength. He needs to believe more.
Slowly we pull back and Peeta lets out a sad sigh. I slide my hand down his arm to interlink our fingers together as we make our slow walk back to my car.
"I feel so tired," Peeta says.
"We have time to rest. We know where Prim is now. We can take our time figuring out how to get her out," I reply.
Peeta nods his head as we approach the car.
"I guess I have to be patient for a little while longer," he sighs.
It's the best I'm going to get out of him now. We get into the car without any more words and our heads racing with ideas of how to get Prim out.
Peeta collapses on the bed as soon as we get back to the motel but my brain is buzzing too much with thoughts about Prim to join him. As he closes his eyes and tries to get over this latest disappointment, I grab a paper and pen from the dresser and begin jotting down any ideas that come into my head.
Peeta wakes about an hour later to find me hunched over the dresser, chewing on the end of the pen and tapping my foot lightly against the floor. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes as he sits up and looks at me confused. I stop my foot tapping to turn and look at him. An excited smile spreads across my face as I see that his is now awake. I lunge off my chair to jump on the bed next to him. I smile up at him as I show him the bit of paper I am scribbling on.
"I think I've got it. A way to get Prim," I say, practically bouncing on the mattress next to him.
Peeta looks at me sceptically as he takes the bit of paper out of my hand. I doubt he can make much sense of my scribbles randomly arranged on the paper.
"What's your plan?" he asks.
"It was stupid of us to just turn up like that. It was obvious by our clothes that we didn't run in their circles. We need to blend in more," I state.
Peeta shakes his head.
"But that guy saw my face. I'm pretty sure he'd recognise me if we turned up again even if we had different clothes on," he says.
"He got a good look at you but he barely glanced in my direction. If we mess me up a bit I bet he won't recognise me. And if I go there with cash they are not going to refuse me entry," I say.
Realisation dawns on Peetam and he begins shaking his head furiously as he moves to grip my hands.
"No, Katniss. I can't let you go in there by yourself. It's too dangerous. Who knows what's inside," he says.
"That's exactly why I need to go. Or don't you remember that Prim is still in there? This may be the only way to get her out," I say.
Peeta shakes his head again.
"I'm not going to let you risk your life for this," he states determinedly.
"You're being a bit melodramatic. Don't you want Prim back?" I reply.
Peeta leans forward and grips my hands tightly.
"Of course I want Prim back but not if it risks the safety of the only other person I care about," he states passionately.
My heart sinks at his words. If this situation was reversed I would be terrified at the thought of Peeta going in there. I would do everything in my power to convince him not to. I can't lose another person I care about. But I also know that if the situation was reversed, Peeta wouldn't be dissuaded. If it was my sister in there he would go in a heartbeat. No matter what. He'd do it for me.
I squeeze his hands and lean in closer to him. The terror in his eyes is even more prominent this close. I wish there was an easier way.
"I care about you too. And that's why I have to do this. Let me do this for you," I say.
Peeta opens his mouth to protest again but I stop him with a firm shake of my head.
"I'm not arguing with you anymore. I'm going in and there is nothing you can do to stop me," I state.
I hold his stare and eventually Peeta's shoulders sag in defeat. He releases my hands and leans back on the bed.
"You're so stubborn," he sighs.
I let my lips quirk up into a small smile.
"So I've been told. But it's going to help us get Prim back," I reply.
Peeta sighs again before leaning forward and reaching up to cup my face in his hands. He gently caresses the side of my face as he looks deep into my eyes.
"I just want to keep you safe," he says.
I smile sweetly at him as I reach up to place my hand over his. I keep his stare as I answer.
"I promise to get us both out of there," I reply.
The next morning I stand awkwardly in the doorway of the bathroom, tugging down the bottom of my skirt and fiddling with the neckline of my top. I've never felt so exposed.
Peeta eyes me carefully as I stand in front of him. I know I don't look anything like myself. After our discussion yesterday we went into the centre of town to find some clothes that would make me look like a convincing drug addict. I now wear a short denim skirt that is frayed at the hem with a tight white tank top that we spent all of last night dirtying up with grease and food stains. I've thrown on a navy long sleeved top with holes in it and fight the urge to wrap it fully around my body to cover up my chest. My hair is knotted and piled high on my head and I've applied a layer of foundation, a shade paler than my skin tone to try and appear sickly. The rest of my makeup has been smudged and I wobble slightly on my too tall high heels. I chew my bottom lip nervously as I wait for Peeta's reaction.
He looks at my sadly as he takes me in. While I know there will be men who would leer at me dressed like this, it only pains Peeta. I grow even more anxious as he stays quiet.
"Do I look convincing? I need to stop feeling so jittery before we get there," I say.
Peeta snaps his eyes to look back up at me and shakes his head. He gets off his seat to come and stand in front of me. He reaches up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.
"No. Your nerves make you more convincing. I assume most girls are nervous about going there," he says.
His words make me feel a bit better. I've never been a good actress and even though I now look the part, I'm not sure I can pull off the acting side of things.
Peeta sighs as he continues to look at me. He keeps his hand resting against the base of my neck while his thumb gently rubs circles there. If we were in a different situation I can imagine the butterflies that would swirl due to his touch.
"Run me through the plan once more. I don't want anything going wrong," he says.
I nod my head as I stroke a bit of his hair back. I'm nervous but at least I will know what is happening. Peeta is going to be stuck in the car wondering if Prim and I are going to get out okay.
"I go up asking if they have any drugs. I'll show them the money and hopefully they'll let me in. Once inside I will try to sneak away and find Prim. I'll check upstairs first and once I find her, sneak out the fire exit at the side of the house. You'll be in the car waiting for us and ready to drive us away," I reply.
Peeta nods his head in agreement but still looks worried. He sighs as he leans his head against mine.
"I still don't like it. There's still so much that could go wrong. You can't sneak away. Prim's not there. They recognise you," he says.
"If I sense things getting out of hand I'll leave. I promise I won't put myself in any danger," I reply.
"Just you going in there is putting you in danger," Peeta says. "But this is probably our best chance of getting Prim back."
I give him a small smile as he takes a step back and fishes something out of his pocket. He reaches out and puts the small object in my hand. It's a brightly coloured marble that is chipped a bit round the edges.
"A marble?" I ask.
Peeta nods his head.
"It's Prim's. I gave it to her when she was small and told her it was magic. That as long as she had it no one would harm her," he says.
My heart clenches as I am reminded what Peeta's mother did to them both. For all that Peeta blames himself he was once a very caring and protective big brother.
"Show it to Prim when you find her. Hopefully it will make her trust you," he adds.
I nod my head as I curl my fingers around it. I clutch it tightly in my hand as I look back at Peeta.
"I'll keep it safe," I reply.
Peeta gives me a small smile as he reaches out to caress the side of my face.
"As long as you stay safe with it," he says.
I smile back at him and Peeta leans forward to press a kiss on my forehead. My skin tingles where his lips meet my skin and some of my nerves disappear. When he pulls back his eyes scan the room looking for his keys and his wallet. With me now dressed there is nothing left but for us to go back to that house and get Prim.
I take a deep breath before I raise my hand to knock on the door. The nervous butterflies have multiplied in my stomach and I'm scared whoever answers the door will be able to hear my heart hammering loudly in my chest. I quickly glance back to my car, which has Peeta sitting anxiously inside. He catches my eye and gives me a brief smile before I turn back to face the door. I only have to wait a couple moments more before it is wrenched back and I am staring at the same guy as yesterday. The man still intimidates me but I remember who I am doing this for and tell myself to be brave. There is a young girl in there that has it much worse than me.
The man glares down at me and I shiver when I see his eyes slide over my body. His eyes end up resting on my chest and he licks his lips as he continues staring. I hold my breath as I wait to see if he recognises me.
"What do you want?" he demands.
I take a shaky breath, relieved he doesn't seem to recognise me, as I fumble about for my purse and removed the notes I have stashed in there.
"I was looking for a fix. I was told I could get something here. I have money," I say.
I fan the cash out in front of him and he reaches forward to take it. He flips through it, mentally counting the total before being satisfied and tucking it under his arm.
"Follow me," he states.
I take another deep breath as I prepare to take a step into the house. I can feel Peeta's anxious eyes watching me as I take a step in and fight the urge to turn round and look at him for reassurance. From now on he won't know what I am doing.
The door closes behind me and my eyes struggle to adjust to the gloom of the entrance way. The smell of sweat and weed fill my nostrils and makes my nose crinkle. The only light comes from dim wall lamps that flicker and shut off. Scraps of foil, used syringes and burnt out cigarettes litter the floor. We pass several people as we weave through the corridors but they all seem to be passed out or duped up and most don't even notice us walk past. The few that do make me shiver as they look back at me with hollow eyes and pale faces.
I stumble over what I think it a pile of dirty rags until it lets of a groan as I tread on them. I jump back as the person underneath stretches out their arms and makes a low growling sound. The man who is leading me looks back angrily and grabs hold of my arm to drag me away.
"Keep moving. Don't disturb the trash," he snarls.
His hand is large and sweaty against my arm and I struggle to wriggle away from him. He pulls me along the rest of the corridor and throws me into a room at the end of it. I struggle to keep my balance on my heels and fall back against the wall. The man's eyes fall to my legs, where my skirt has ridden up, and his glare turns to a lustful glint. The look he gives me makes me shiver again and I press my back against the wall. He takes a step towards me and reaches out to touch the side of my face. It takes all my courage not to flinch away from him.
"I'll get Crane to come and see you. He should have what you want," the man says.
His hand runs down the side of my neck and toys with a lock of hair that has fallen loose there.
"If you ever don't have the cash, I'll be more than happy to help you out. There are other ways you can pay me," he says.
The bile rises up in my throat and I wonder if this man has slept with Prim as payment for a debt. The thought of him having his hands on her makes me feel sick and I am glad that Peeta is not here to see this. I don't think he would have been able to control his temper.
"I'll keep that in mind," I reply.
The man gives me a leery smile before he steps forward and smells my hair. He inhales deeply and grins as he steps back.
"So sweet," he says.
My skin crawls again and I watch him cautiously as he turns to leave. I let out a huge breath of relief once he has gone and closed the door behind him. I want to scrub my skin clean after my encounter with him. But I don't have time. I've struck lucky and I have been left alone in this room. This will make it easy to sneak off in search of Prim. But who knows how long I have before they come back. I need to move quickly and find Prim as soon as possible. Without another thought about that man, I push myself off the wall and head for the door.
No one turns to look at me as I push open the door and enter the gloomy corridors. I carefully pick my way through the garbage and drugged up people and make my way up the stairs.
My eyes flit about nervously, hoping not to catch sight of that man again or be caught by someone who questions my presence. There are several bodies of young girls lying on the steps of the stairs and I search their faces for any sign of Prim. But I don't catch sight of her blonde hair and blue eyes.
There is a warren of rooms when I reach the top of the stairs. Most have the doors missing and I can clearly hear and see what is going on in each one. The majority of people up here seem to be female and most don't look more than in their mid-twenties.
I walk past girls tapping their skin to get their veins to show and almost want to stop to pull the syringe out their hands. Aren't there people out there who care about them? What's happened to force them to end up living here? Some reach out for my legs and beg me for some cash or a fix. If I had the time I would want to get them all out of here. It makes me mad that the police know these girls are in here and yet they do nothing to help them.
I find no sign of Prim on the stairs or the corridors so begin peeking in rooms to find her. The girls in the bedrooms are in an even worse state than the ones on the stairs. Nearly all are passed out and many lie naked on the beds. In one room I find a man rutting on top of a young girl who looks blankly at the ceiling as he pounds into her. I am about to step in and pull the man off her when I suddenly catch sight of a blonde head of hair in the room next to them. I leave the girl behind as I take a step closer to the blonde girl.
I tread carefully into the room and find that the girl is awake but her eyes are hazy and struggle to focus in on me. However my heart leaps for joy when I recognise the familiar shade of blue in her eyes. The identical shade of blue to her brother's.
"Prim! It's you!" I exclaim as I bend down closer to her.
Prim groans and tries to swat me away but her hand misses me by miles. I grab hold of her shoulders and shake her gently to try and get her to focus.
"Prim, you need to get up. I'm Katniss, a friend of your brother's. We've come to get you out," I say earnestly.
Prim groans again as she rolls her head against the pillow.
"Peeta?" she asks.
It's clear she's on something and has no clue what is going on. At least she is dressed although her top is torn at the top and exposes a lot of her breast. I turn my head to look around the room and find a blanket draped against a chair. I grab it and wrap Prim up so she is less exposed.
"Yes, Peeta," I say before I reach into my purse to pull out the marble he gave me.
I push the marble into Prim's hand and bring it up for her to see.
"Peeta gave me this to give to you. He wants you to know that he's not going to let any harm happen to you again," I say.
Prim still struggles to understand what I am saying but her eyes do zone in on the marble in her hand. She squints and then there is a flash of recognition. Her fingers curl around the marble and she holds it close to her chest.
"Peeta," she repeats but this time it is with some understanding.
I let out a sigh of relief that she understands what is happening on some level. I just need to get her out of here.
"You need to get up, Prim. Peeta is waiting for you. We need to go now," I state urgently.
I pull Prim up into a sitting position but her head just lolls forward and I know if I let her go she is just going to fall back again.
"Come on, Prim. You need to help me a little bit. You need to be able to stand," I say.
Prim rolls her head and I let out an exasperated sigh. I am going to have to carry her out of here. I wrap my arms around her tightly and heave her off the bed. Prim falls against me as she stands and I wrap my arms around her waist to support her.
"That's it, Prim. Now let's put one foot in front of the other," I encourage.
Prim lets out a groan of protest as I begin moving her but I have no time to molly coddle her. I've been missing for a few minutes now. It won't be long until someone comes and finds me.
As if on cue, I hear a door slam open from downstairs and someone come stomping along the corridor.
"Where's the girl who I put in there? She better not have tried to steal from us!" the male voice demands.
Panic grips my heart as I hear the guy from earlier storm through the house. I will be powerless to defend myself if he finds us. Our only hope is getting down the fire escape before he reaches us. A new sense of urgency overtakes me as I begin dragging Prim along with me.
"We need to move fast, Prim. You've got to move!" I exclaim.
Prim just groans in response as I keep dragging her along. I can hear the man downstairs barge along the corridors and soon the tremors of his footsteps shake the stairs. I look back anxiously as Prim continues to stumble along. The man's footsteps are getting louder and the fire escape doesn't seem to be getting any closer. I turn back to focus on the fire escape ahead of us and will Prim to work that little bit harder to help us get there. Finally we reach the window that leads to the fire escape.
But the stamping up the stairs stops and I look back quickly to find out the reason why. My eyes meet the ones of the man earlier and he looks at me and Prim with angry confusion.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demands.
I don't even bother giving him an answer as I turn back round and push Prim out the window of the fire escape. Prim moans as she falls onto the ladder but I don't give her a reprieve as I jump out after her and begin pulling her down the rickety stairs. The man swears and charges down the corridor in pursuit of us.
My heart is beating rapidly in my chest and I don't waste time looking back at our pursuer as was we hurtle down the stairs. He jumps onto the landing outside the window and the whole thing shakes as he begins his descent.
"You're not going to get away from me. Cray left me Prim. She's mine until he gets back!" the man shouts.
He continues to shake the stairs as we go down and I struggle to maintain my grip on the railings as well as Prim. As the last few steps approach I look out and see the car waiting for us. Peeta catches sight of us coming down the stairs and throws the car door back so he can jump out and race towards us.
I can feel the man bearing down on us. I quicken my pace but as the man sees us nearing the bottom he stops and purposefully shakes the stairs. I finally lose my balance and topple down the last few steps. I let out a yelp of pain as I fall and roll over on my ankle. My arm drops from around Prim's waist and we both land on the ground with a thump. I reach for my ankle and grimace as I try to put pressure on it. Prim seems to be unconscious as she lies spread eagled on the ground. Peeta finally reaches us and drops down to pick up Prim. The man above us lets out a loud yell when he sees Peeta before he begins storming down the rest of the stairs.
"We need to get out of here. Can you walk?" Peeta asks me.
I grimace again as I try to stand but know there is no way Peeta can carry us both. Peeta looks at me worriedly but I know I have to move for him.
"I'm fine. Get Prim to the car. I'll follow behind," I reply.
Peeta hesitates for a second. He doesn't want to leave me but Prim needs him more than I do.
"Go, Peeta! Get her to the car!" I urge.
Peeta nods his head and looks up to see that the man is nearly at the bottom. He gives me one last look before turning and darting back to the car with Prim. I force myself to stand fully and ignore the man coming down behind me. With all the adrenaline left in my body I push down on my ankle and force myself to run towards the car. Peeta is already back there with Prim and he jumps in and starts the engine once he's put her in the back. I continue to drag my foot along the ground, desperately trying to move as fast as I can.
The rattling of the stairs stops, signalling to me that the man has reached the bottom, and I will myself to get to the car. Peeta starts driving towards me and screeches to a halt in front of me. I practically fall against the door as I fumble with the handle to wrench the door open. Peeta reaches forward to give me a hand and help pull me into the car. I groan in pain as I collapse against the car seat and Peeta wastes no time hitting the accelerator and speeding off.
I turn to look out the window as we rush away. The man has made it to our car and slams his hand against the door. My eyes grow wide as he rattles the door handle but Peeta doesn't even flinch as he just ignores the man and runs over his toes. The man lets out a howl of pain as he lets go of the car and falls to the ground. I let out a loud sigh of relief as we leave him rolling in the dirt.
I lean my head back against the head rest and turn to give Peeta a relieved smile. He gives me one in return before his eyes flick back to look at his unconscious sister in the back. Her chest rises and falls steadily and I hope it is only the drugs that have knocked her out and not a head bang.
Peeta's eyes are soon back on the road as we try to put as much distance between us and that house as possible. I finally let myself relax as I allow myself a moment of triumph at getting Prim.
"We did it," I say with a smile. "We got Prim back."
Peeta turns to me with a smile and nods his head.
"Yes. And I'm not letting her out of my sight again," he replies.
I grin back at him as I focus back out on the road ahead. There is still going to be a lot of hard work ahead of us. Prim's got a serious addiction that is not going to go away overnight. But I have faith we will get through it. We'll get through it the same way we have got through everything up until this point. Together.
We continue to drive along in a happy silence. We are so focused on our achievement that neither of us notice the two cars following closely behind us.
