We stare blankly ahead the walls all too familiar. The training center. Katniss and I spend nights together, making love sure of our imminent demise. Now we sit on our bed dressed in black for Annie's funeral. Katniss only speaks to me since we heard the terrible news. She blames herself. I stroke her hand, and she rests her head on my shoulders.
"She's with Finnick now." I tell her
She nods and pats my hand. That's the only consolation they're together again. We're being hunted once again. The world has become the arena. The only way to win is to "stay alive". Enobaria told us that many of the terrorist group came from Two so we know they're specially trained. Gale is in charge of clandestine operations into Eleven extracting and killing known supporters via informants. A car bomb went off outside the bakery back home, Beetee's headquarters was blown up, as well as Johanna's house. Helmut is no where to be seen. Which is good news. Katniss is surviving by the day. There are days I have to dress her, bathe her. Other days it's like nothing happened. We sit and wait for the others to be ready. I'm in an all black suit, Katniss in a black blouse and skirt wearing her Mockingjay pin. Johanna is the first to meet us. She's wearing black slacks and a shirt her hair slicked back and a veil is covering her face. Effie continues to where her hair gold while she dresses demure all in black. Beetee and Haymitch follow. Johanna rushes to him and puts her hand in his. The oddness isn't lost upon me even in tragedy. Enobaria is wearing a black dress suit with a golden headband. Soon Gale arrives to pick us up in his military uniform. Diamond in a mid-length black dress and veil. I've been smoking like a chimney these days. I can't quite process how this happened. Everything was supposed to be okay. They won't let us fight. Too dangerous for everyone involved. We're only allowed a short private memorial for Annie in an underground bunker for fear of violence. Gale escorts us down. It's though I have to carry Katniss, like she's forgotten how to walk. She's shaking as though she'll break. When we see Annie laying there I feel a scream welling up in my throat, Katniss clings on to me sobbing. It's Enobaria who loses it.
"She didn't deserve this! She was too fragile! Fucking animals! Animals!"
We've never really seen her display any emotion. Annie's fragility invoked some sort of maternal response in her. She would always be gentle toward her, not like she was with all other humans.
"She's with Finnick now." Haymitch says.
"Yes, they can be together like they were supposed to." Johanna cries. Spike who has been allowed on the premises whines while she cries.
Warriors crushed. The effect that one dead Victor is that of devastation. We are beacons of hope we survived.
"We have to be resilient. This is what they want. They want to break us, they want to break everyone. If we're not dead then broken. We're better than that. No one can break us and we have to show them that. For everyone." I say
Haymitch nods.
"Peeta's right." Beetee says.
Annie's body is taken back to Four where she will be buried at sea. We go back to the training facility for a dinner though no one wants to eat. I lean over to Katniss and whisper to her.
"Let's go right now." I whisper to her.
"What?"
"Elope. I want our love to be sealed. They can't stop us. We're greater than that."
"How? They won't let us out without an escort."
"I'll arrange it with Gale." She adds
"What? No! He'll torpedo it." I say. Gale is the last person who would be complicit in this.
"I'll convince him."
I believe her. Gale will do anything for her. She gets up and heads toward him, my stomach is in knots. She sits with him talking for what feels like an eternity. Looking back and forth at me. Finally, he stands up and nods, Katniss motions for me to follow.
"There's a back entrance and exit. I'll take you to the Justice Building and wait outside."
Gale led us silently through a series of corridors to a freight elevator which we used to descend to the loading entrance. Gale halted us, then trotted off returning with a car motioning for us to hop in. We covered ourselves in the backseat, my heart racing. The only thing that matters is the fact that we're getting married right now. The car finally comes to a stop behind the Justice Building. Gale escorts us out.
"I called ahead, they don't know it's you but they're expecting important citizens. The Justice of the Peace will be ready with the documents." He holds his glance on Katniss sadly. "Fourth floor use the stairs to your immediate left."
We hold hands and trot up the stairs counting the flights as we go. The only sound the tapping of our shoes on the stairs. When we finally reach the fourth floor we fling open the door, to shocked faces.
"Mr. Mellark, Miss. Everdeen!" The Justice announces. "You're here to get married."
"Yes." I reply.
"You're wearing black." A woman sitting at a desk says her face powdered, her lips blue and she has blue ivy tattooed onto her cheeks.
"We didn't have time to change." Katniss says.
"Shall we get started?"
We nod.
"The law of Panem declares that it's citizens are free to marry whomever they choose. Is this union one that is of free will?"
We both say yes.
"Peeta Mellark, you take Katniss Everdeen to be your wife, you understand it is in your duty to love her, protect her from harm, and live the rest of your days with her.?"
"Yes."
"Katniss Everdeen you take Peeta Mellark to be your husband. You understand it is in your duty to love him, protect him from harm, and live the rest of your days with him?"
"Yes."
"Then I do so with the power entrusted in me by the country of Panem and before the witnesses gathered here declare you to be joined in marriage. Congratulations, you may kiss the bride."
I gleefully take her into my arms and kiss her deeply. We sign certificates verifying the union, there's no time to linger, we have to get back to the training facility. We run as fast as we can down the stairs, to the car where Gale is waiting. Silently he drives us home. I hold my wife's hand and within a few minutes we return to the entrance we departed from. Gale ushers us inside and into the freight elevator. When we enter the room we are met with discontent.
"Where have you been?" Haymitch shouts.
"Getting married." I reply
"What?"
"Getting married. They're not taking our lives from us."
He gives me a slanted look. Go sit, we're having a meeting.
"Helmut was found dead in Seven this morning. He was stripped naked and hung from a tree. Annie's murder followed the same M.O. as what was going to happen to Katniss. The point is not just murder but humiliation."
"Missions in Eleven have been successful weeding out terrorist, however we believe the core is hidden within the vast countryside." Gale informs the group.
"Let us kill them." Enobaria says.
"Yea." Johanna agrees.
"The country needs you alive!" Plutarch hollers.
"We've never hidden. We're they're heros, we can't be afraid. We do it covert, assassinations. You know why we're called Careers?" She says, but doesn't wait for an answer. "In Two your life is devoted to the games when you reach twelve and they send you to the academy. Your mentors become your family. Everyday is learning to hunt and kill. Watching film from past games. If you're selected to volunteer as tribute you either die or come home to be a Victor, a mentor. Those who aren't selected by the time they turn eighteen become instructors or peacekeepers. Our careers are delivering death. Let me do it. I know how to get the job done."
"I agree with her. I didn't volunteer as tribute but we can't hide in fear. The public needs to know we're out there, we have their backs."
"How about this" Gale speaks up "We plant a mole in the organization. Someone from One or Two. We use this mole to gather intelligence as to where leaders of the organization are, then we send in one of you to take him out."
"That's reasonable." Plutarch says.
"I don't want to do it." Katniss speaks out. "I want to be seen, but not as a warrior, I want to visit wounded. See the interrogations. I don't want to kill."
"They'll need you for support Katniss, they'll need a sharp shooter if something goes wrong."
"I'm with Katniss. I don't want to kill either."
"The what do you want?" Plutarch says
"An interview with Caesar."
"In a secured location."
"Beetee, Haymitch?"
"My skills would best be suited for intelligence gathering purposes, unless we plan on taking out a target via bomb or some other technological means." Beetee says. "But my cooperation is full."
"I wouldn't be much good on the ground but mission planning I can do." Haymitch says.
"Enobaria and Johanna will be the designated assassins then. Peeta and Katniss can do PR, Haymitch and Beetee will work with Gale in charge of operations." Plutarch says.
My intentions regarding the interview is to be inflammatory. Lure out the terrorist, make them hungrier for my blood. Draw them out so we can snuff them out. I'm good with my words. The best asset I can provide is my eloquence, and my ability to manipulate the masses.