I told you I would get the chapters out as fast as possible today! Enjoy this last chapter in the story, except Chapter 30 to have a preview of the sequel.
Ollie
I'm floating in darkness; the only sound is a soft hum in my ears. I feel peaceful, more peaceful than I have in weeks. I am surrounded by warmth and I never want to leave. I don't know how I got here or where I came from, but it is wonderful. An image flashes in my head. A young man I somewhat recognize. He has dark hair and dark eyes. Yes, I definitely know him. But from where? I see myself standing next to him, we are holding hands. We obviously care about each other. So I have a life outside of this darkness? Stosh!
I wake up with a start but find that I cannot move. My arms and legs are tied down to a bed. The hum stays in my ears and I realize that I am in a hovercraft. I try turning my head to the side and find that someone in on a bed across from me, strapped down as well. Her eyes are still closed, probably stuck in the darkness I just came from. I take her in. Posy!
I try to yell to her but I can't speak. I open my mouth but no sound comes out. I try harder, try forcing myself to speak. Nothing. I here a cynical laugh from behind me, a laugh I recognize. Garth comes into my view and stands over me, his eyes meeting mine.
"Well, well Miss. Asher. Didn't think we would be meeting so soon did you?" I try to look away from him, try to make sense of his words. I think back to earlier, what was I doing today? How did I get here? I woke up and Stosh was gone so I took a shower. And then… I look back at Garth, who is smirking at me.
"Is it all coming back to you now? Sorry we had to knock you out, but it was easier that way. You may have some short-term memory loss but it will all return to you soon enough. Now, would you like to know how you got here?"
He knows I can't answer but he continues anyway.
"I came up with quite the plan, but you really brought it all together. I have been planning this for months, maybe even years. This moment where I could finally help rid Panem of that stupid poison President Snow placed in the water supplies. My colleagues have been working hard on an antidote, but they needed more subjects. They had all but given up until your boyfriend got himself arrested and taken to the Capitol. One of our spies saw his blood, saw the antidote strain. They messaged me word immediately, told me that he would be arriving at the Breeding Center soon.
I was first placed there to get information on the workings of the Breeding Center and report back. But now I was given a new opportunity, a bigger one to impress my boss. I was given orders to have Stosh impregnate a girl from each District affected by the poison. Really, we just needed his children, but we figured that it might lead anyone suspicious to believe the Capitol was in control. But they were far from it.
President Paylor had me under surveillance, but thought I had no idea. I made sure to play innocent, incriminate myself to Stosh and you so they would think they had me. When I heard that President Paylor was coming into District 14 I knew it was time. I alerted my colleagues that today was the day, and we put our plan in motion. First I need to come see you and convince you that I would send you to District 15. Give you a deadline."
Of course, it had all been a trap.
"I figured you would go right to Peeta and Katniss and tell them that I visited you. I also knew they would want to continue on with their plan to tell President Paylor, and I was relying on your emotions to take over and send you back to your room. You are very predictable Ollie."
I tried to free my hand. I wanted to hit him.
"Don't bother Ollie, you can't break those restraints. The rest would have played out whether you stayed in your room or not. The dizziness, the nausea that was the effect of a drug we put in your lunch. The same drug we put in Posy's soup. And Ari and Lectra's.
Ari and Lectra?
Remember the nice Med Staff that came to your aid? Well, they are all working for me. They met Willow in the hall; I bet she figured it was a coincidence that they were there and ready to help you. The guards and Peacekeepers were so busy with President Paylor's arrival that they didn't even notice us wheeling you down the hall on the stretcher. There were a few causalities in the hangar, but they were necessary."
I wanted to scream at him. Was Stosh safe?
"Of course, it would have all been better if we could have acquired Stosh as well, but that is just a little blip in our plan. I have a feeling we'll still get what we need from him as long as we have you. I anticipated his actions wrong, I was so sure he would have followed you from the Command Center and down to your room."
So Stosh was safe, I couldn't help but feel some relief.
"Now, you are probably wondering where we are going and what we will be doing with you. All in good time Ollie, you'll find out soon enough. For now, enjoy the ride."
He motions for someone to come over. I recognize her as the woman who helped me on the track. She had changed out of her white Med Staff uniform and was wearing an all black jumpsuit. I noticed a gold pin on the right side of her chest, but I couldn't make out the symbol. She held a syringe in her hand. Before I could make one last attempt to scream she stuck it in my arm. And it wasn't long after the cold liquid entered my blood stream that I reentered the darkness.
To be continued….
