12.
Effie and Katniss were both asleep, Haymitch was drifting off and Johanna was keeping a lazy watch.
Suddenly, the sky burst orange in a sizzling sound and, for a second, the dome shaped force field surrounding the arena was perfectly visible.
Both Katniss and Effie startled awake, wary of another Gamemakers' intervention. Johanna was already on her feet, axe in hand, staring at the sky that was gradually returning to its dark color…
"Is it…" she asked.
Another bomb hit and, this time, the orange color burst forth and they were all flattened to the ground by the shockwave. When it died, it left behind the real sky with real stars and an armada of hovercrafts hovering above.
"Haymitch?" Effie asked in a small frightened voice.
Haymitch didn't pause to think, he pulled out his knife, grabbed Katniss' elbow and cut her forearm before the girl could even blink. She shouted in pain and tried to struggle free but his grip was strong.
"Haymitch, what are you…" Effie's question ended up in a scream when Johanna violently dug her blade in her own flesh.
He succeeded in taking out Katniss' tracker, checked that Effie was now just as untraceable and followed Johanna's example by cutting his own arm.
"Where?" Jo asked in a clipped voice, hauling Katniss to her feet. "Where do we go?"
"The tree." Haymitch answered at once, not even hesitating. "That was the meeting point. Midnight at the lighting tree. We need to get there."
"What's going on?" Katniss insisted, shrugging Johanna's hand off.
"Thirteen has come for us." Haymitch told her. "The boy has come for us if we're lucky. We're escaping."
Or, at least, he thought, gritting his teeth as he fought to keep standing, the girls were escaping. Effie seemed to find it equally difficult to remain on her feet, she clutched at the tree next to them, her lips pursed tight, her injured arm wrapped around her middle.
"Okay, which one is the lightning tree?" Johanna asked, looking around. The arena was a bloody pain when it came to orientation.
Haymitch looked up at the sky and gave it his best bet. He pointed east. "That way. Two sections over."
Or at least he hoped so.
It was slow going despite the urgency. Katniss supported Effie, and Johanna passed his arm over her shoulders and forced him to go on, forced him to walk despite the pain and the exhaustion.
"Come on." she hissed. "You will rest when you're dead."
"Could come sooner than expected." he snorted, clenching his jaw.
The hovercrafts with Capitol seals were now searching the ground with huge spotlights that they had trouble avoiding. Johanna was relentless and she kept shouting at Katniss to get a move on, to hurry. He glanced behind them to find that the girl had tossed Effie over her shoulder despite their escort's protests and was pushing forward.
They had barely crossed one section when they stumbled upon the mutts.
Johanna immediately dropped him to take out her axe and the thud behind him probably meant that Effie had known a similar fate. Arrows flew, slightly askew. One of the big cats died from the arrows in his side, the other found its death on Johanna's blade.
"They're going to let them all loose." Haymitch hissed. He looked at the sky, at the Capitol's hovercrafts circling above searching for the victors down there as well as for the cloaked rebel aircrafts around them… "Jo, take Effie, and go ahead. I'm slowing you down. You need to get Katniss there. That's the priority. Katniss…"
"Oh, shut up, Haymitch." Johanna spat. "I'm not leaving you behind and neither is Katniss, right, brainless?"
Katniss didn't even gratify that question with an answer, she picked Effie up and on they went again. They were almost there when Finnick and Annie burst out of the bushes right in front of them. Annie, Haymitch saw at once, was in a state that even the boy couldn't prevent. She was digging her heels in the ground, pressing her hands against her ears, and Finnick had to drag her by the arm.
"They're behind us!" Finnick shouted.
It was the only warning they got before the lizard mutts were upon them. Annie let out a piercing scream. Finnick let go of her and swung his trident, Jo immediately jumped in the middle of the fight, trying to help cover her friends…
Katniss notched arrow after arrow, keeping a physical barrier between the lizards and her mentor and escort but still the mutts kept coming and soon her quiver was empty. Fortunately, the mutts didn't seem interested in them, they were circling around Finnick and Annie, only fighting Johanna because she was in the middle of the fray. The mutts' behavior puzzled Haymitch until he realized they were most likely targeting Four's victors because they hadn't taken out their trackers.
He and Johanna locked eyes and she nodded once.
The plan was to get Katniss out.
The plan was to give the rebellion a Mockingjay.
The rest was collateral damages.
"Go!" Haymitch shouted. "Katniss, go! Get to the tree!"
Katniss, of course, was not listening. She was looking for an opening, clutching her knife in her hand…
He used the strength he had left to push himself to his feet and grab the girl before she could join the fight.
"You have to get to the tree." he repeated, shaking Katniss' shoulders. "Everything depends on you now. You get to that tree, you lead that rebellion and you make me proud, hear me? Get Effie and go. Go."
Katniss was stunned. Too much happening too fast, too few explanations and not enough trust. However, she had always known when to obey him and when to defy his orders. His tone wasn't one she could mistake. And yet she shook her head like a frightened child.
"I'm not going without you." she refused. "I'm not losing you. I can't lose you too. I can't."
"I'll be right behind you." he lied. "Get Effie and go."
Effie was barely following the conversation. She was breathing hard, her eyes riveted to the formidable fight happening only a few feet away. Annie was crouched in the middle now, between Finnick and Johanna who were doing a good job at keeping the mutts at bay. How long before the lizards realized that, tracker or not, they were there?
At last, Katniss nodded. She tossed a last hesitant glance at their friends, forced Effie to her feet. When she understood Haymitch wasn't following, their escort started struggling but Katniss dragged her away kicking and screaming. Her screams echoed through the night but Haymitch didn't answer her desperate calls, he drew out his knife and he tried to think how best he could help his kids with a busted leg.
"They're targeting the trackers!" he shouted.
It was just as useless as it was helpless. There was no possibility for Finnick to take out the trackers right now, not when he was busy not getting killed. He considered jumping in to try to get Annie out but he knew the second he actually reached the mutts, they would be on him and he would go down.
One of the lizards leaped and clung to Finnick's back, sinking its teeth in his shoulder. The howl of pain was loud and one of agony. Without thinking, Johanna twisted around and swung the axe. She freed Finnick but left her injured side open to attacks.
"Jo!" Haymitch screamed in warning.
Too late.
One of the mutts, probably attracted by the blood, bit her right on the already existing wound, another went straight for her knee. She didn't even have time to scream before she was on the ground, covered with lizard mutts intending to tear her apart. Finnick tried to help, Haymitch stumbled closer, tripped and ended up on his stomach in the dry earth.
He understood there was nothing left to do when the boy starting waving his trident again with something akin to despair.
"Haymitch, go!" Finnick shouted right after. "Go!"
Haymitch shook his head and stubbornly pushed on his good leg, he wouldn't leave Finnick and Annie behind to be eaten by monsters. He would…
Finnick's eyes darted to something over his shoulder. "Take him! Go!"
He didn't have time to wonder what that was about. Hands grabbed him under the shoulders. He tried to resist until Katniss snapped at him to stop being a stubborn bastard.
"What are you still doing here?" he growled. "Where's Effie? Where…"
"They have her." she answered.
He didn't find the courage to ask if that they meant rebels or Capitol.
He had no choice but to give up on Finnick now.
He needed to get Katniss to the tree.
Or rather he needed to let Katniss get him to the tree if he wanted her to escape. She wouldn't leave without him, stubborn as she was.
They hurried through the wilderness of the jungle. He limped and hopped on his good leg in an attempt at going quicker, unaware of what was going on around them. Katniss seemed to know where she was going.
He could glimpse the tree towering above the others when they were suddenly blinded by the light of a hovercraft circling ahead.
They tried but there was no escaping the ring of light.
They were trapped.
And there was no way to say if they were friends or foes.
We're only two chapters from the end now! I hope you enjoyed this chapter despite the death and cliffhangers ;) Please do let me know!
