Chapter 6: Firebombs
The Games have been going on for a week and a half. There are only three tributes left. One of them is my pregnant wife. Another is her district partner, and my…. quasi-father-in-law, I guess? And the third is the Career who the Victors from District 12 are observing while hidden amidst the tall grasses of this plain once known as the Serengeti.
Augustus Braun of District 1, the Victor of the 67th Hunger Games and known as the Cavalier Career, is the only Career Reaped who won before the 3rd Quarter Quell. At 51 years old, he nearly has a decade on my Katniss, but is still remarkably strong – the breaking of the Career pack the day before yesterday attested to that.
Katniss and Haymitch have made a formidable team, staying one step ahead of mutts, Gamemaker traps and other tributes. The pregnancy and secret marriage story has left my bride with no shortage of sponsors. Every once in a while, Katniss will ghost a hand over her still flat belly, comforting our babies within.
Notching an arrow in her bow, Katniss glances to Haymitch, who nods. The pair silently count down, and then Katniss half-rises out of her crouch and fires.
Augustus is turning, but not quickly enough before the arrow's tip sinks into his calf. Howling, he tries to turn and run, but trips and falls, as Katniss dashes forward while holding another arrow.
The pair from District 12 jump on the last Career, Katniss wrapping her taut bowstring around Augustus's neck and strangling him. Haymitch helps holding him down and starts wildly stabbing with his knife again and again. Augustus struggles mightily, but finally, with a defiant roar, he stills.
BOOM. The cannon fires.
Shakily standing, Katniss and Haymitch look at each other. District 12 in the Top Two for the first time ever. District partners, surrogate father and daughter, battling for the Crown.
Haymitch deliberately drops his knife in the dirt, smile sad. "Go ahead, Sweetheart."
Katniss hesitates, eyes swimming with tears. "I…. I can't…."
"Sure, you can. You have babies need birthing. A husband waiting up for you at home. The Boy needs you, Katniss." He lays a hand on her shoulder. "I've only ever wanted the best for you, girl. And frankly, you could do a lot worse."
"In husband? Yes," Katniss smirks. "In mother-in-law? No, probably not."
Haymitch, along with the entire Square, erupts into laughter. Mom is red-faced, spluttering with fury.
"…. As for district partner…. Well, let's just say I couldn't hope for better…." Tears are slipping down Katniss's cheeks.
"Don't cry, Katty girl. Just do it quick. Like a bandaid. One of us has to die. They have to have their Victor."
Katniss angrily throws down her bow. "No. They don't. Why should they? Who's going to walk me down the aisle when Peeta and I have a renewal wedding? Who's going to read to my kids at night?" Casting her eyes about, Katniss spies something in the tall grasses and reaches down. Cupped in her palm is a cluster of berries, some of which she pours into Haymitch's palm. When he starts to protest, she whispers, "Trust me. Trust me."
"You're sure?" Haymitch stares. "Together?"
"Together," she states sadly. "One…."
"Two…." Haymitch and Katniss lock eyes.
"Three," the drunk breathes.
But before they can eat the poisonous berries, Claudius Templesmith blurts out, "Stop! STOP! Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the winners of the 100th Annual Hunger Games: Katniss Everdeen and Haymitch Abernathy – the Victors of District 12!"
Katniss and Haymitch hug, dropping the berries, and the Square erupts in cheers. Tears of happiness are streaming down my face, and I am pumping my fist. "Yes! YES! YES!"
Then, all at once, the large screens go dark, and the cheers abruptly turn into screams.
An ominous whooshing sound overhead heralds the arrival of hovercraft in mid-air.
"Look out!" someone hollers, and off to the left side of the Square, there is an explosion, bodies flung back like rag dolls.
My face bathed in the orange glow of the flames, I yell out, "Firebombs! RUN!"
Pandemonium breaks out, and I just manage to keep my family together as people try to stampede and fight their way out of the Square.
"Peeta! PEETA!" I hear a woman's voice shriek, and suddenly Prim is there next to me, Rory by her side and lugging their four little ones.
"Everybody, THIS WAY!" I holler as I lead my whole family now to the Mellark Bakery delivery truck. Leven forces it open and we all cram our whole family inside, plus two or three other people until folks are sitting on the floor.
Leven guns the engine and we roar out of the Square, some panicked individuals running to catch up with our escaping truck as squads of Peacekeepers sweep into the Square.
"Where are we going?" Rye hollers from shotgun as we attempt to outdrive the firebombs.
"To the forest!" I yell back, remembering something that my future wife told me years ago. We hit a vicious bump in the road, and there is a scream – Prim's.
"STOP! My baby!"
Chrysanthemum has been jostled from the trunk and is now trying to race after us. "Mama! Mama!"
I don't think. Leaping out the open back of the moving truck, I land in the dusty road, scoop up my…. my niece and sprint after the vehicle. I actually manage to chase it back down on foot and with a flying leap, hands grab me and drag both Chrissy and I back into the car.
"Get in! Get in!" Prim screeches, while Rory yanks the door shut; moments later, the heavy metal is riddled with Peacekeeper bullets.
We dash past Victors' Hill in a squeal of tires, bounce and weave between the shafts of Abernathy Mine and can soon see the meadow beyond.
"Hold on….!" Leven hollers, giving a sharp turn of the truck's wheel. He then proceeds to gatecrash right through the fence, tire tracks mowing through the Meadow and in no time we hit the trees. Through the crushed gap in the fence, I can see people streaming out of the district on foot, trying to escape the wave of firebombs.
With that, we leave District 12 far behind.
Since most of the survivors who fled in our delivery truck are from Town, we don't know how to survive in the woods. Rory Hawthorne, however, does, thanks to lessons imparted on him by his deceased older brother. Fashioning a crude bow, he begins to hunt for us. Other clusters of District 12 survivors soon join us as the hours pass, many from the Seam.
We set up camp next to where the delivery truck finally ran out of gas. I remember Katniss telling me once that her father kept a hunting cabin out here, but I don't know where we are in relation to it, much less how to look for it.
For three days, about 800 survivors from Twelve survive in the woods, Rory (my brother-in-law) serving as our unofficial leader.
When dawn breaks on the fourth day, the hum of hovercrafts appears above the trees, taxing in for a landing. For several minutes, we fear the Capitol has found us and means to kill us all, until Bannock notices that the insignia on the side of the plane is unfamiliar. Whatever it is, it definitely isn't Capitol.
The soldiers who herd us aboard the plane are friendly and provide sustenance. We learn that they are from District 13, which was once thought destroyed at the end of the Dark Days.
Much like the Peacekeepers used to, we are registered by family. When I give our name – Mellark – the soldier on duty asks, "As in, Katniss Everdeen Mellark? Not to worry, sir, your wife is safe with us. She will be most happy to see you."
I end up shaking with excitement for the rest of the trip. When we finally land in the hangar bay underground, I disembark with both sides of my family, scanning the crowd for that one face.
And then, hovering over where a moptop of blonde hair is lying on a stretcher, I see her. Her heart-shaped face and smoky eyes turn and land on me, and I lose my breath, for there is my wife. There is Katniss.
Whimpering, she dashes to me and tackles me to the ground, and then her lips are on mine, peppering me with kisses. We stagger into a shadowed alcove, and picking her up, I spin her around, my wife shrieking with surprise and delight. I can feel my – our – whole family eyeing us, but I don't really care. Smashing my face in her hands, Katniss slams her lips back against mine in a heated kiss, and I can feel the fear and utter relief behind her lips. She must have thought I was dead. As I lift her in my embrace and she folds herself about me, deepening the kiss, I decide that I have time to introduce her to her in-laws later. For now, just being alive, being together again, with our babies in her womb now nestled between us, is enough.