AZRI ROPER-DISTRICT 4
The arrows fly. The knives slash. The spears thrown. The swords chink with one another in combat. A hatchet flew, not inches from my face, chopping at least ten inches of hair off my right side. Beside me, Everest dodged a huge piece of asphalt thrown by a slingshot.
We were advancing in the streets, taking every life we found. Weapons were hurtled from nearly every building, giving tributes away. We had only one target-Hemlock, Ricardo, Reyna, Lee, Archie, Arella, and Ridge. They needed to be eliminated. Ridge could have certainly one the Games. He was a proper Neanderthal. And a dead man, or at least, about to be one. Besides, this was a good chance to make up for letting so many lives go during the bloodbath.
Ribbon sent an arrow through a window. Moments later, there was a cannon. Pride was locked in combat with a girl from 7-Arella. Just as he pinned her on the ground, ready to slit her throat, I yelled, "Wait!"
"What?" Pride snickered. "She's about as threatening as a rabbit. We aren't taking her in."
"Definitely not!" I snapped, and grabbed Pride by the arm. "She is the key to finding them."
"Azri, we've already gotten three tonight. There were the boys from 3 and 12, then a girl from 10. Then Wilma."
"You don't want to find out where your biggest enemy is, do you?"
Pride blinked at me. "Actually, you guys will be giving me the most trouble, if I make it that far."
"I'm talking about the tribute from 11! He's with them. And so is Lee. And Lee refused to join us. And Lee is the one who killed Quaint. And then there's Reyna, and she killed Robin. And then that damn boy from 9-Ricardo-killed four tributes in the bloodbath alone! Do you know how dangerous it is when someone kills more tributes on the first day than you've killed yet? The girl lives. You can be the one to kill her, once she tells me where her allies are." I turned to Arella. "Where the hell are they?"
Her eyes were full of hate. I had to admire that. "Up in the tower." She jerked her head up.
"What floor?"
She didn't answer. It was then when I saw the blood pouring from a wound in her stomach, her eyes glazed over, milky white. A cannon fired. "Pride, you-"
He interrupted me. I had to admit he had nerve. "She told you where the damn tributes were! God, cool it, Azri!"
"Why the hell did you spear her?"
"You told me I could kill her if she told me where they were!"
"This isn't over, District 1." I turned and hollered to Xavier, "There up there!" I pointed to the tower. He nodded and pushed open the door.
I glanced up, searching the balconies. I caught sight of a girl, standing next to who I recognized as Ricardo. They were watching in disdain. I counted the floors. The fifth floor was where they were. A ghost of a smile danced on my lips. "Pride, do you see them?"
He grinned. "Indeed I do, Azri." He picked up his axe. "It would be quicker to climb the balconies. Easy enough, too."
"Easy enough for them to shoot you," I returned. "Come on. I've been waiting to kill them since I found out Hemlock was handy with a sword."
HEMOCK GOLDTHORN-DISTRICT 9
"Guys! Wake up! The Careers are coming!" We had at best five minutes. If they took the elevators…
Lee stood up. His eyes were foggy with sleep, and he scowled down at the streets, where several bodies were being picked up by hovercrafts. "You have to be kidding me."
Ridge scooped up Reyna, while Archie was poised on the balcony, ready to escape. Pounding came from behind the door. I flew across the balcony. "Archie, come on!" I rushed him to the ledge. Ricardo followed. Ridge, Lee, and Reyna were being held up. I heard wood splintering and arrows flying through the air. Ridge bellowed in pain. Cannon fired. Another. The cannon fired altogether four times. Then I heard a voice. Azri was talking to some of her comrades. "Well, the other three weren't much trouble. Just Ricardo. But I imagine they'll be dead in three, four days." I scooted along the balcony, hand in hand with Archie and Ricardo for balance. I feared Azri would have them search the rest of the building, so I managed to jump onto a balcony of an adjacent building. It was smaller, but still provided more concealment at the moment. Ricardo hesitated, surveying the distance, before telling Archie to jump when he did. Archie was younger than me by at least four years, and I feared he wouldn't make the jump. But he staggered on the balcony for a few seconds before regaining his balance. I slipped inside, followed by Archie.
"They killed them."
"What do you mean?" Archie breathed.
"They killed Lee, Reyna, and Ridge. Four cannons fired. So they took down a Career, too." Ricardo collapsed against the wall. "I think Ridge killed one of them. He put up a good fight, but when you see a guy snap another kid's neck, well, they look unstoppable."
Lee. He was dead. It was hard to believe, and I knew the Peacekeepers would be going to get Marie and his other sisters to take to the Community House. My own family probably had tears in their eyes-Lee was a good family friend. Or maybe they were thrilled that I'd eluded capture.
I didn't exactly feel very sad, though. Sure, I had tears coming to my eyes, but I wasn't as sad as I should have been. Someone I'd wanted to marry not two weeks ago was dead. And I realized I hadn't wanted to marry Lee. In a way, I had loved him. As a friend. Nothing more. All those kisses had been meaningless.
I thought about my kiss with Ricardo. It was not meaningless.
I glanced at the sky. The first face belongs to a girl from 1. Then comes the boys from 1 and 3. Arella is next, followed by Reyna, Lee, and a girl from 10. Lastly came Ridge, his eyes glaring down from the projection.
"The girl from 1 was Wilma. The boy is Pride. From the balcony I saw him spear Arella."
Archie's eyes glistened. "Where was she? She wasn't there when I woke up."
"Your sister left our alliance."
Archie blinked. I found Ricardo's hand in the dark, and it gave some reassurance. As much as I'd like to admit, the deaths had scared me. Eight died in a day.
"Let the Games begin," I muttered to myself. "For real."
