Chapter 27

Reunion

Katniss

I finally find Peeta on the bank of the river. Or more accurately, he realizes I'm here and calls for me. I hear his strangled cry of "Katniss!" and rush to his side. I find him in some bushes and mud– he's camouflaged himself so well I didn't see him. I probably wouldn't have even in daylight. I pull him free from the mud he's covered himself in as quickly as I can, my heart pounding. I'm so grateful he's alive. His pants leg is torn all to pieces, but the leg doesn't look bad.

"Haymitch sent me some healing cream after they announced the rules change," he explains, and I hug him tight.

"Thank you Haymitch," I gush and kiss Peeta on the cheek, playing up the star-crossed lovers angle. Even as I do … I think of Clint. I hope they don't show that kiss on the highlights if we win … I don't want to explain to Peeta why it took so long to push him off.

Thinking of winning makes me think of the allies I left behind … and I have to fight back tears. "Wow … you really do get around, don't you?" a voice asks. "I kind of feel insulted you never went for me."

I whirl around to see Anthony Stark. I lift my bow but as soon as I do I feel a horrible sensation pass through my body. It makes every nerve in my body scream and when it's over I go numb all over the place. Peeta screams too – it worked on him since we were touching.

"Please don't make me do that again," Anthony says, but it doesn't sound genine. He grabs my bow and quiver of arrows while I can't move.

"Can you walk?" he asks Peeta coldly, looking at his leg.

"Yes," Peeta answers stiffly.

"Good. Katniss, you're gonna take me to your little friends Rue and Stephen," he says sharply as I start to regain movement. He hauls me and Peeta both to our feet.

"Why don't you just kill us?" I say defiantly.

"I plan to eventually," he says coldly. "But … well, you'll see." He shocks Peeta again just so I get the message, and I start to march.

It's a short two-hour walk back to the campsite where I left Spruce, Rue, and Stephen … I knew he wouldn't leave. Not with Stephen's leg the way it is and Thresh and Shale still out there.

All the way there my heart races – I don't know what Stark's plan is. I don't know if I'm about to get them all killed – but the moment he points that prod at someone else I'm going to take him down.

As though he's read my mind, he dashes that hope. "Do you have any arrows that are just, you know, dull?" he asks.

"No. I can carve down a stick though."
"Can you do it while we walk?"
"Why?" He takes something from his pockets. "You put these on the arrows, and you can shock someone from a distance. I've modified my prod but … I don't think my aim is that good."

"What makes you think I'll …"
"Because I'll have this pointed at Peeta's head, waiting for you to defy me," Tony cuts me off. Peeta looks into my eyes, like he's trying to tell me something. I think he wants me to run – to just let him get killed. But I'm not going to do that.

I find the stick and smooth it until it'll fire from my bow as I walk. I hope Stark will give me the devices now, but he's too smart for that.

When we get close, he positions himself so Peeta's between me and him, and tosses me one. "Just wrap the elastic around the shaft," he says. "The shock will be triggered by velocity. That means speed." He's being an elitist snob too – great. Because I didn't hate him enough as it is. I do as he says, and then I peek through the brush. Spruce is standing guard – Rue and Stephen are fast asleep. They're on the ground – Stephen couldn't climb with his leg.

I consider missing, but I know Stark will know I did it on purpose, and he'll take it out on Peeta.

So I fire and land the dull arrow square in Spruce's chest.

Spruce goes down like I did, screaming in pain, and of course Stephen and Rue are awake immediately. "Well, go get them," Stark yells, and I hate him for making me do this. I chase and Stark follows as closely as he can when he's still controlling Peeta.

I never could have caught Rue if she didn't try to help Stephen. As it is she practically carries him and I'm surprised she manages to get as far as she does before I catch them. "I'm sorry," I say desperately as I catch them. I pick Stephen up off his feet. He struggles but I manage to keep a grip on him. Rue reaches for her slingshot but Peeta grabs her – Stark still has the prod at his back so he has no choice.

"Your bow, please, Katniss," he says. He's still holding onto my arrows so it's useless, but I'm still reluctant to give it back … maybe I'm hoping I can find a sharp stick to fire without him noticing it. "Now," he says, and brings the prod dangerously close to Peeta and Rue. I hand it over then, and Rue turns her anger towards him, managing to kick him in the shins. Stark grunts and steps back, then laughs.

"Nice job, sport," Stark says and tousles Stephen's hair. "Getting a headstart with the ladies, and you picked a feisty one." Stephen spits on him, and gets smacked in the face for it. I turn my head … I can't look at Stark without wanting to do something that's going to get me and Peeta both killed.

Then Stark does something I don't understand.

He hauls Spruce to his feet – still shaky and numb from his experience. I assume he's about to kill him – or make me kill him. But instead he says it's time to go, and we all make our awkward way back the way we came, with Stark dragging Spruce and bringing up the rear. I don't understand why he doesn't kill him – I understand he's gathering us now. But there's no one he can use Spruce against, and he's not terribly useful unless Stark has a wound none of us can see, especially now that Stark has his axe. There's no advantage to keeping him alive. "What are you doing, Anthony?" Rue asks. He grabs her slingshot from her and stuffs it in a pocket.

"You're … You're going to use us to make them all fight and get it over with," Stephen stammers when Stark doesn't answer. He's slurring his words and he's out of it – I assume Spruce found something to give him for the pain finally.

"Very good, sport." Does … does he not realize the girl from 7's dead? Why is he bringing Spruce? If that's his misconception, none of us are eager to correct it.

He's asking for trouble doing it too – the way he's dragging Spruce he could very easily find himself struggling for his weapon, or for Spruce's axe, with a boy whose easily a match for him.

But Spruce doesn't struggle – I keep hoping for it, but it doesn't happen.

We come to a little hill. I see Cato and Clint at the top, with Cato still in very bad shape but better shape than he probably was as Clint holds a bow and arrow on him. "Very nice, Clint – keep everyone else back. You already know what's at stake … but I'd hate for anyone to get emotional and do something they'll regret before I have time to explain it to the others. Don't let any of them get away either – I'll be so annoyed I might do something drastic. Dead's better than gone." He grabs Stephen from my arms and I almost take the opportunity to try to get my weapons back but I notice Clint has an arrow pointed right between Peeta's eyes and I hesitate for just a moment too long, and Stark's beyond my easy reach. If I went for him now he'd have time to use the prod.

"What the hell's going on?" I demand, trying to stop shaking.

"He's got a … you'll see it. But he's got bombs rigged and he's got the trigger – he's already got Brandy and he'll blow her up if I don't do what he says," Clint says, his voice shaking. He's got the ranged weapon and the high ground, he's at an advantage. If we all charge at once a few of us will die but he can't take us all down before one of us gets to him – I wonder how we'd decide to charge all at once. I wonder if it's jealousy or knowing I'm most likely to try it that has him aiming at Peeta's head. I wonder how wise that is when Cato's the closest.

But Cato's apparently still too weak to do anything – the march here probably nearly killed him.

Stark takes Cato next – apparently he can only do whatever he's doing with only one person at the time. Or so I think until he gets Peeta and Rue at once. I take a long, hard look at Clint, and decide to charge. But Spruce puts a hand on my shoulder just as I start to move. "Wait, Katniss, wait … you can still win this," he pleads.

"You can come up now," Stark calls, and we all follow.

The sight at the top of the hill is something from my nightmares. A double fence – around the bombs I guess – and five hostages held inside. Cato's unconscious – Stark must have zapped him.

"In case you're planning to rush the fence – you should know it's electrified at a lethal voltage," Stark says smugly.

"How do you shut it off?" Clint demands immediately. "How do you get past the bombs?"

"I think we should let Drusa and Thresh get here, in the interests of fairness," Stark says. I almost ask about Shale but if he doesn't realize she's alive I don't want to tip him off.

Clint and I rush Stark – he hits Clint with the prod but doesn't have time to get me. I wrestle him to the ground and Spruce helps me hold him down while I get my bow and arrows back, and Spruce wrestles the prod and his axe from his grip. Clint gets slowly to his feet, shaking and stiff from the attack.

"How did you get past the fence to put them in?" Clint asks in a bellow.

"Not saying a word until Drusa, Shale, and Thresh get here," Stark says calmly. "In fact … maybe you should go invite them."

"No! I'm not going to be your puppet anymore!" I shout, and punch him in the face. "Tell me how to get past the fence!" He doesn't relent – he's already been punched in the face several times, judging by the bruising. Probably by Clint.

"If you're gonna torture me … maybe you should wait for someone who knows what they're doing, Stark says smugly.

Almost as soon as he says it, that someone gets there.