Prim's pov

The morning wind was chilly on my skin as I fought to keep my eyes focused ahead of me and not look back at Zeyer as he walked off in the other direction. I may not have been ready to admit to the feelings coursing through me after spending the night awake with him, but I recognized the early fluttering of something I was too afraid to name. I knew I would never love anyone the way I loved Rory, but I felt this pull toward Zeyer that terrified me. I didn't want to be happy again, not without Rory, and what scared me the most about Zeyer was that he had the ability to make me forget that. Being with him was making me happy; the problem was that after I was with him, I felt guilty about that. My shoes crunched in the dewy grass of the open field and provided background music to my thoughts. The quiet, steady rhythm made the sudden, piercing scream all the louder and unexpected, causing me to jolt from my thoughts and run toward the sound.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing? Let go of her!" I heard Peeta yell angrily as if in a struggle.

"Let me go!" Katniss' voice screamed in anger, quickly followed by a "Peeta!" filled with fear.

I ran closer to their voices as fear coursed through me. I didn't understand what was going on. I turned the corner in front of the house and saw Peeta on the ground, his body convulsing painfully from the shock of an electric stun gun. One of the gang members Zeyer and I had seen earlier on the beach was holding the gun and had it pointed at Peeta. Katniss was being carried by the other two men I had seen walking on the beach this morning. I ran after them and punched one of the guys carrying Katniss in the neck. I had caught him by surprise and he let out a scream of pain and dropped Katniss' legs. Before I could move to help her attack the other guy who held her I felt someone grab me from behind and fling me over their shoulder.

"We got them both! Let's get the fuck out of here," the guy with the pierced eyelids, who was still carrying Katniss, screamed. "Leave Mellark, he's just dead weight anyway."

I was screaming and kicking like crazy and so was Katniss. All we had to do was keep fighting to slow them down enough for help to arrive, we were still in front of the house after all. Suddenly my body was thrown to the ground hard, my right arm let out the unmistakable crack of broken bone. After I absorbed the impact I looked up to see my attacker fighting none other than Zeyer. My heart let out a cry of gratitude and relief as I saw him. He had come back. I watched Zeyer take a sharp right hook to the face and saw his nose begin to bleed. Without letting it phase him he returned the blow with a series of sharp upper cuts, quickly taking down my attacker. His chest expanded with his heavy breaths as he turned toward the man who held Katniss.

"Slash, you don't know what the fuck you're doing. Drop the girl," Zeyer said with a calm menace to his voice as he slowly rounded on the man who held Katniss. I didn't realize he knew the men on the beach, but hoped that maybe since he did know them, this Slash might listen to him.

"Shut the fuck up, Condor, you think I take orders from you?" Slash spat out at Zeyer. I didn't have long to contemplate the nickname Condor because I only then realized why Katniss was no longer struggling – Slash held a knife to her neck. I let out a small cry of panic that Zeyer noticed. When he tore his eyes to me his face was masked with focus and power and his words were bit out slowly with the air of authority as he turned back to Katniss' attacker.

"I don't know what kind of orders you're running on, but the Falcon has definitely not authorized this. Let her go, Slash. Now!" The last word was said so menacingly that I couldn't fathom that the man who had whispered funny stories to me for half the night was the same as the one speaking in front of me now. I crawled slowly towards Peeta who was conscious but still shaking heavily from the aftershocks of the stun gun that now lay discarded near him. I watched helplessly as the other two attackers ran into the tree line and to safety. I had thought about trying to hit them with the stun gun but they were clearly out of my limited shooting range.

Slash gave a gruesome smile and took a meaningful step back, forcing Katniss to move with him. "Shows how much you know. I know the Falcon's true desires, and I will be rewarded greatly for presenting him with these two trophies before he expected them."

"You're wrong, Slash. The Falcon has made it perfectly clear to me that we are to leave these people alone for the time being. Your ambition is jeopardizing everything we have worked toward. You were supposed to follow orders. Instead, not only have you given away our whereabouts to the Red Union by accosting this woman in broad daylight, but you've gone completely rogue as a Tomahawk. Drop the knife and I will make sure that you are not severely punished. I have that power, you know I do, but you need to drop the knife. If you harm her in any way there is no going back for you. Do you understand me, hawk?"

My mind couldn't process everything Slash and Zeyer were saying because my body was so seized with fear. I understood Zeyer had lied to me, but I couldn't concentrate on that tidbit in the midst of all this danger. What felt like hours, but was likely just seconds, of silence passed before Slash moved the knife and pushed Katniss to the ground in front of Zeyer.

"The Falcon will hear about the opportunity you have cost him today, Condor. You think this is the rebellion? You think the Falcon respects those who simply follow orders? No. The Falcon respects ambition and bravery, those who take the initiative. You'll be sorry you ever got involved," he said, before spitting on the ground and turning to run. In my anger I picked up the discarded stun gun and aimed it at Slash before pushing the trigger.

Slash had been close enough that the shot should have hit him and forced him to convulse on the ground, the way it actually happened could not have been more different. After I pulled the trigger not only did Slash continue to run unaffected but Peeta let out another cry of pain and jerked sharply on the ground adjacent to me.

"Prim, no! The Stunner is planted in Peeta's skin!" Zeyer yelled at me. In the distance I could hear Slash cackling as he ran. I was scared, angry and now mortified beyond belief.

"Oh my god, Peeta, I am so sorry," I said quickly while Katniss looked over Peeta's shaking body helplessly.

"Prim, go run and get help. Get Annie and a stretcher. Bring some shock absorbers, burn therapy and a defibrillator just in case. Hurry!" Katniss yelled at me.

I didn't have time to think. I did what she asked and ran behind the rocks that hid the stairway to our home and banged through the door at the top. I screamed for help and didn't stop until my voice ran out.

The morning passed in a blur of activity. The house was on high alert after I had come in running. Damien, Gale, and Annie came out quickly with a stretcher. Finnick and Thresh were close behind and provided necessary security; they held enough weapons to take down an army of a hundred. Even though I was in pain, Johanna and I moved Finn and Hope into the safe house and got ready to get Peeta into the infirmary. No one had to say it – we were going into lock down while we decided as a team how best to continue.

Everyone was clearly angry and on edge about the situation. I would catch angry comments being muttered as I passed by but no one would speak to me directly about it. I think they blamed me partially for the attack. I couldn't be sure but after they brought in Peeta I heard Damien mutter something like, "I'd just leave these animals and build a new fucking safe house for us," but Thresh quieted him down before I could hear the rest and replied by saying, "Not now, we'll talk at the family tribunal."

After Peeta was taken care of Annie came out to tell me how he was doing. The stunner had struck Peeta in the back and given him third degree burns at the entry points. He was tired and out of it from the attack to his nervous system, but otherwise was doing okay. He and Katniss, who only had a small cut on her neck from the knife, were resting together in their room.

My arm was broken and Annie set and wrapped it. She then administered a rapid heal prescription that was supposed to jumpstart the bone growth, before going to wait anxiously by the security room to see when Thresh, Damien and Finnick would get back from the community. They had all gone in armed together to pick up Rue, who was supposedly still asleep on the boy's dormitory front porch, completely oblivious to this morning's attack.

Everyone in the house was furious at Rue and I for staying out the entire night and putting everyone's safety in jeopardy. I didn't blame them for being angry with me, but I did blame Johanna for many of my mistakes. She should have warned us all about the gangs and the unions before last night. Her failure to speak up put us all in danger. I went through the safehouse to search for her and came across Gale standing in front of the door to the storage room.

"Hey have you seen Johanna?" I asked him uncomfortably. We had barely spoken to each other since I came to America.

"She's in the study with Hope and Finn," he answered with an edge in his voice.

"What's up with you?" I asked him confused by his sharp tone.

I was clearly asking about his mood but he answered me literally. "Why, I'm guarding your gangster boyfriend, since the little shithead can't be trusted. He's chained up to the back wall in the storage room right now."

I understood immediately. Zeyer. Zeyer was in the safehouse? I couldn't believe he was in our house, and after the conversation I heard between him and Slash outside I was uncomfortable with having him here. He knew too much, and whereas a few hours ago I could have trusted him, now I knew it was a mistake.

"You brought him into the safe house! Are you crazy!?" I said to Gale, fuming now. I decided to ignore the boyfriend comment as it was ridiculous and it hurt to have Gale even suggest I could have feelings for someone other then Rory.

"Calm yourself. He came with us willingly and blindfolded. I checked him for trackers and he was clear. We couldn't just let him go seeing as it was his gang that attacked the three of you," Gale responded, a little calmer. I could see he was trying to control his temper so I decided not to push him.

"Move aside, I'm going to talk to him," I said, trying my best to keep my frustration in check as well.

"You really think that's a good idea, Prim?" he asked me with an arched eyebrow. I didn't answer him. "Fine, but I'm going in with you and we're locking ourselves in with him. If that bastard tries anything I'll be armed and he won't have anywhere to go."

I nodded in agreement before taking a deep breath and entering the room. Zeyer was hunched over on the floor with his head in his hands when I entered, refusing to look up. Only after Gale turned on the light, shut the door and locked us inside did he look up. He seemed surprised to see me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked me looking at my broken arm. His face held a quiet smile that was far too innocent. I suddenly felt an emotion well up in me that I hadn't experienced in a long time; some might call it anger, but for me it was borderline rage.

"I'm fine, Condor. Thank you for asking," I replied with a sarcastic sting in my voice. He had the decency to at least look guilty.

"Prim, what do you want me to say? It's not information I could have readily volunteered about myself," he admitted in a defeated tone.

"So, are you a good gangster or a bad gangster?" I asked mockingly, trying to give him a shot to come clean.

"I'm not sure anymore," he confessed, meeting my eyes. The emotions I saw in his made me all the angrier. He had no right to look at me that way, like he cared about me. Like he was sorry. I knew it wasn't real, he was just following orders.

"What the fuck kind of answer is that, shithead, and don't look at her that way or I'll break your face." Gale said angrily from the corner to Zeyer. Even though Gale's comment annoyed me he was just trying to protect me so when I saw Zeyer gearing up to answer him it was Zeyer I attacked. I may not be to thrilled with Gale right now but on this we were aligned.

"He's right. Don't look at me like that, you have no right too. You're a liar and a traitor. I feel like an imbecile for trusting you. I thought…I honestly thought for a minute there that you were a good guy, that you could be my friend. Turns out you're one of the low-life gangsters you were warning me about. Gain little Prim's trust, make her feel special, until the time was right for the Falcon, whoever the hell he is, and kidnap her just like all the other orders you follow. That about right?" I choked out as I held in angry tears.

"Prim…I... It's more complicated than that. There's so much that you don't understand. That I want to tell you," he pleaded.

"There's nothing fucking stopping you." Gale spit back with venom. I turned to look at Gale briefly telling him with my eyes to back off and that I could handle this. He begrudgingly gave a small shrug and took a step back allowing me to continue.

"So explain it to me then, Condor, Tomahawk, whoever the hell you are," I suggested, feeling the tears stinging the back of my eyes. I couldn't cry, not in front of him and definitely not in front of Gale.

"So, I guess you've figured out at this point that I'm a member of the Tomahawks, the rival gang of the Red Union, made up mainly if not solely of Panem refugees," he said slowly.

"Go on," I replied angrily.

"What do you want me to say?" He looked almost defeated.

"Tell me the complicated part! Tell me why you lied! What you do! Why you even joined a gang in the first place!" I yelled at him.

"I joined because I believe in the cause." He answered back vaguely.

"And what mighty cause is it that the Tomahawks believe makes them so superior to the Red Union, or any other criminal gang, hmm?"

"The Tomahawks believe in the unification of Panem and America. They want to get rid of both countries' systems. No more profitalism and no more dictatorship. Profitalism is basically a watered-down version of anarchy at this point, and that doesn't work. We have figure-heads who don't do anything. Laws that are rarely enforced, and at the end of the day everyone suffers because of it. I don't have to go into detail to you about how screwed up Panem is. Did you know that they're still selling people from the districts to people in the capital? So Tomahawks want to unite what's left of the old lands and reestablish a true democracy, the way it once was. We're only criminals because we need a way to fund the cause, and sometimes it isn't legal to protect ourselves, but I don't participate in any of that anymore."

"So then what the hell is it that you are doing now, Zeyer? And why not just join the rebellion?"

"I didn't join the rebellion because my heart isn't fully in it. The rebellion's main goal is to overthrow the Panem government and release the oppressed citizens of the districts. I can guarantee you every person fighting in that rebellion has a loved one still waiting back home. That's how they ended up slaves to begin with, don't forget. I don't have a family, so it's a different level of loyalty. The Tomahawks have a larger plan, but still consider the rebellion their allies. There are a lot of people who fight in the rebellion who are also members of the Tomahawks," Zeyer responded smoothly.

"And there are more then enough that don't." Gale spit back at him from the corner of the room.

"Well, that answers one part of my question but not the main one. What the hell is it that you're doing now? Why were you out last night in the first place, Zeyer? What's your supposedly 'legal job' with the Tomahawks, hmmmm?"

"I can't tell you that. I did what I had to do to protect you, it wasn't even a choice!" he yelled back at me.

What the hell was he talking about? What did he mean it wasn't a choice? And how did his choices have anything to do with protecting me? He was talking in riddles and I didn't like it.

"What the hell does that mean? No choice? Protecting me?

He was silent. "Tell me," I said again.

"I can't," Zeyer said, looking uncomfortable.

"Why not?" I demanded.

"Because you would hate me."

I laughed snidely. "We may have already crossed that bridge. So what do you have to lose? Try me," I spit back.

"Some of the things I would have to tell you are not for me to tell," he said.

"Then tell me what you can tell me."

He let out a soft laugh that threw me off guard in the midst of our heated conversation. It was quiet for a few moments while he let my request hang in the air. His face was pale and he was biting his bottom lip hard. I could tell he was having an internal argument with himself and watched, fascinated, as he worked his way to a decision. He looked me in the eyes before he spoke, his face was twisted in what looked like pain.

"I can't tell you anything else." He replied back quietly.

"Then we're done here. You can rot in here for all I care." I said, fuming, and turning around and grabbing the key from Gale to unlock the door myself. When it was open I handed the key back to Gale.

"Prim, please wait. Please don't go like this." Zeyer said from inside his makeshift cell.

I kept walking and refused to look back.

Thanks for you patience everyone I hope you enjoyed the chapter, but either way I want to hear about it! Special thanks to the dedicated Katnissinme, Beta Editor extraordinaire. PLease remember to favorite, follow and review!