Katniss waited impatiently next to Haymitch, checking back over her shoulder to see if Peeta was joining them yet. He had been with Snow for nearly an hour, and most of the Victors had already left. Haymitch had whispered to Chaff that he would arrange a ride for himself and for Katniss and Peeta, and Chaff urged Johanna to share a car with him.
"Tell me he's alright, Haymitch," she muttered, wrapping her arms around herself. "Tell me nothing bad has happened."
"He's a smart kid, sweetheart," he said softly. "I'm sure he's fine."
"What if he found out? What if they get to him, and-"
"Katniss," Haymitch gripped her arm. "Don't. He's fine." She sighed and nearly cried out with relief when she saw Peeta emerge from the mansion. She stopped herself from rushing toward him but threw her arms around him when he was near enough.
"I'm ok," he mumbled against her hair.
"Come on. Car's ready," Haymitch gestured toward the car. The driver looked very grumpy.
"Actually, Haymitch, I was hoping we could walk. It's such a lovely day out." Haymitch frowned and pulled his coat around himself.
"You want to walk? To the Boutique?"
"Yes." Peeta looked unyielding and Haymitch's eyes narrowed.
"Change of plans, sir. Thanks for your patience. Here." Haymitch tossed the driver a coin and the driver muttered bitterly as he drove off. Peeta held out his arm for Katniss and lead them down the path.
"You'd better have a damn good reason for this," Haymitch said, his teeth chattering.
"The cars are bugged. He's watching all of you, Haymitch."
"He told you that?"
"He told me a lot. Here, let's get around the block and we can hail a cab. I'll tell you everything when we get to the Boutique."
"Does he know where we're going," Katniss asked, pulling her coat up over her face. Peeta draped his arm around her shoulder and did his best to warm her up.
"No. He thinks the Victors are all going home. He's going to send a team of Peacekeepers to escort us to the train station tomorrow morning."
"Joy," Haymitch muttered. "It's cold as a dead man's balls out here, would you kids hurry up!" Katniss snorted at the Victor's words but they sped up to keep up with him, their faces lowered against the cold wind. It was much warmer back in 12, with summer right around the corner. Katniss thought the mountains were beautiful but it was too cold here.
"Why do you think he's moving the Victory Tour up? Isn't it usually around the Harvest Festival?"
"Caspian apparently requested it. He says he has something important in his district around fall, and asked if he could go on his tour during the summer instead. I guess when you're a Victor, they'll make any allowances for you."
"You be careful, kid," Haymitch came to a stop and shook a finger at him. "You need to quit picking fights with Victors and insinuating that you're better than them. You're not making friends that way."
"I'm not afraid of Gloss, if that's what you're referring to."
"Gloss is just one Victor. 1 and 2 have tons of them, Careers who murdered for their place of glory. And they're all friends. You just don't need that kind of animosity between you, alright?" Peeta shrugged and Haymitch huffed impatiently before surging forward. Peeta glanced at his wife and saw her wince against the cold.
"Come here." He opened his coat and pulled her against his chest, pulling the coat closed around them both. She sighed contentedly, lifting her face to nuzzle against his neck.
"Better?"
"How are you so warm," she positively purred. He chuckled and kissed her temple.
"Just born that way. It was awful in the summers when we kept the ovens on. But it's good in the winters. I'm like a human campfire."
"Well that's good for me then," she leaned back against him.
"WILL YOU TWO HURRY UP?"
"Think I should offer to let Haymich in too," he laughed, holding the coat open.
"I don't think there's enough room. And I have special wife privileges."
"Ok," he laughed, sliding his coat off and wrapping it around her shoulders. "Come on, I think Haymitch is about ready to knock me out for making him walk."
They met Haymitch at the corner and they hailed a cab, which thankfully didn't take too long.
"Boutique on 5th," Haymitch grunted, rubbing his hands.
"The Boutique is closed today, sir."
"I know that. Just take us there. Please." The driver shrugged and turned around the corner. Katniss curled up into Peeta's side while Haymitch tried to warm up his hands.
"Why is it so damn cold today?"
"The Capitol has had such nice weather lately," the driver said. "Today is supposed to be the coldest day of the year."
"Lucky us," the Victor grumbled, crossing his arms tightly.
The drive didn't take long and Haymitch handed the driver a few coins, thanking him for sharing the heat. Peeta glanced at the locked doors and raised a brow.
"Is someone expecting us?"
"Around here." Haymitch lead them around the back and looked around. The streets were completely empty. Peeta figured it was too cold for anyone to go outside. Haymitch rapped his knuckles against the door three times and the door pushed open.
"Password," a voice hissed.
"Mockingjay." The door opened wider and they slipped inside. The door closed again and Katniss's eyes widened at the figure who was behind the door. She was tall and slender, with a fur coat that trailed the floor. That wasn't the surprising part though. It was her face that caught Katniss by surprise. She had black and gold stripes tattooed across her face with a snout for a nose. Whiskers emerged from her face, long and pointed. Her tawny eyes were narrowed into slits as she surveyed them.
"Tigris, do you remember me? Haymitch Abernathy from District 12?"
"Haymitch," the woman purred. "She didn't say there would be others with you though."
"I don't think she knew I would be bringing these two along. Is she here already?"
"Yes. They all are."
"Yeah, we had to walk a ways," he threw Peeta an irritated look.
"Or we could have taken a bugged car," Peeta threw back at him. Haymitch shook his head.
"Can you take us to them?" Tigris bowed and lead the way down the hall and through the store.
"Tigris was a stylist in the Games," Haymitch whispered to them. "Until Snow decided she wasn't attractive anymore. They decided she'd gotten too much done and she was sort of exiled here."
"Here? She works at the Boutique?"
"She helps Ellie and her team. Come on." Tigris lead them through several sets of doors, until they came to a large room that was full of people. Katniss's eyes widened in surprise. She'd known some of the Victors were in on the rebellion but she hadn't realized how many. Peeta surveyed the crowd and his eyes widened as a man approached him.
"Welcome to the Resistance, Peeta."
"General Duartyr?"
"Call me, Felix. After all, we're on the same side."
"We… we are? I mean, what do you mean?"
"It's ok, Peeta," his general gave him a kind smile. "Drop the pretense. There are no spies here. I'm here for the same reason you are. To bring the Capitol crashing to its knees." Peeta swallowed, his mind racing.
"How long-?"
"Have I been a spy in the Capitol? Years. Since my sister died in the Hunger Games. She was one of the few who didn't volunteer. Most of us are here because we've lost someone to the Games, or to Snow." Duartyr turned to Katniss and his smile softened. His eyes reflected respect and admiration. He knelt on one knee and took her hand in his.
"I swear to you, Katniss Everdeen Mellark, I will serve and protect you until my dying breath."
"Um, alright...thanks," Katniss jerked her hand back, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"Felix, you're frightening the girl," a deep voice said behind them. Duartyr got to his feet, looking embarrassed.
"My apologies, Madame. I just wanted… well, I just wanted to meet her."
"You've met her," a woman said, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Now I would like to meet her as well."
"Of course. Katniss Mellark, this is Commander Lyme of District 2."
"Lyme," Peeta said, looking dazed. "As in the Victor Lyme?" Katniss remembered seeing the woman at Aurelia's birthday party but she hadn't been present at breakfast this morning.
"The very same, Mr. Mellark. Welcome to our Headquarters." Peeta glanced around and shook his head.
"This is all… so difficult to understand."
"I understand your confusion," Lyme said gently. "Nevertheless, it was time that you know about us. Especially since Haymitch invited you into the Resistance. And you shared what you knew with your wife."
"Which wasn't much," he grumbled in response. "Haymitch has kept a lot from me, it seems."
"That was our orders, I'm afraid. We didn't want to risk all of our hard work and intel falling into the wrong hands. Felix has kept us informed of your… condition over the years, but since this is still so new, we couldn't be sure."
"My condition? You mean my..." he couldn't bring himself to say 'torture'.
"Hijacking, Peeta," Duartyr said delicately. "I told Haymitch what I knew and he passed the information on to Katniss, I believe. So she can understand a little bit better."
"Great. You'll have to explain it to me too since I was out of it when Haymitch decided to talk about me behind my back."
"It isn't like that, my boy," Duartyr gripped Peeta's shoulder. "Haymitch volunteered to accompany you to the Capitol and I told him all I knew about what happened to you. So many parts of it are still a mystery, which is why I told you to keep quiet about it when you last visited the Capitol. What happened if the Capitol found out you are a spy, and captured you? They have ways of making you talk, Peeta. You already know too much. You are the last person I would want in the Resistance. Not because I don't trust you, but because you're in danger every minute."
"If you recall, I'm not new to danger."
"I do recall. And I recall how you acted after I got you out of there. I doubt that you do, though. You didn't know yourself, Peeta. You didn't trust anyone. You were angry and terrifyingly strong. You attacked me. I didn't know if… I sent Madame Lyme a message, saying I wasn't sure if we had lost you or not. It surprised us all when you started to return to your old self. Haemon had been administering the poison for several months before I found out. That's a lot of venom in your bloodstream, Peeta."
"Why did Haemon hate me so much?"
"I can't answer that. I still don't know. I reported him to Minister Antonius and whisked you away from there as fast as I could. I hid you in my own attic until you were well again. I just told the other soldiers and commanders that you had gone to the Capitol to get some medicine for your injuries. Madame Lyme thought it would be a bad idea for many people to know about the hijacking. It could be used against you."
"Which is why we hesitated to tell you anything," Lyme broke in. "Antonius and Haemon know about the hijacking. Snow does too. And anyone else Antonius has told. We have to be careful, because we just aren't sure what could happen if you were hijacked again. Would you remember everything, or would you forget? We can't be sure. The person who knows the most about hijacking doesn't really know either."
"Who knows about it," Peeta forgot to be upset, looking around the room anxiously. An older man approached, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Mellark. I'm Beetee."
"Another Victor," Peeta said softly.
"This room is full of Victors," Duartyr waved his hand. "They're the most angry. Many of them have lost everything." His eyes rested on Johanna for a moment before turning back to Peeta and Katniss.
"Does everyone know? About what happened to me?"
"No. Beetee, Felix, and myself are the only ones. Aside from Haymitch, who we told when we asked him to keep an eye on you."
"Then why do some of the Victors hate me so much? You're a Peacekeeper and you're a part of the Resistance. Why are some angry that I want to help?"
"If you're referring to Johanna, don't take it personally. She doesn't take kindly to any Peacekeepers," Lyme muttered, glancing over at Johanna. "District 7 Soldiers murdered her whole family in front of her when she returned from her Games. Shot them point blank. It's not really her fault."
"That's horrible," Katniss whispered.
"Hey, I hate to break up the party over here," Haymitch stepped in between Lyme and Duartyr. "You want to share your findings with the rest of the room?"
"I was just talking to him about the hijacking, Haymitch," Duartyr said irritably.
"Ok but we have more important things to talk about right now," he said, looking pointedly at Katniss.
"Right." Duartyr took a step back and Peeta and Katniss turned around to face Haymitch. The whole room was staring at them and Katniss fidgeted nervously. Cinna and Chase gave her encouraging smiles from across the room and she fumbled for Peeta's hand.
"Right. Let's get this meeting started, shall we? Everyone, I'd like to formally introduce you to Captain Peeta Mellark and his wife, Katniss Everdeen-Mellark."
"She looks just like him," someone whispered.
"She has his eyes."
"I heard she's just as good with the bow."
"Haymitch," Peeta said through gritted teeth and Haymitch stepped forward, holding up his hands.
"The kids here don't know anything yet. Let's be gentle as we can, ok?"
"We don't have time for gentle," Johanna snapped. "You've already compromised this by inviting way too many Peacekeepers into this."
"Some of us have been a part of the Resistance longer than you've been alive, darling," Duartyr snapped. Johanna glared at him.
"Jo, I'm serious, if you can't get along with the members of the Resistance, you'll be asked to leave," Lyme said sternly. To Katniss's surprise, Johanna fell silent.
"Haymitch, why don't you begin?"
"Jesus," Haymitch said under his breath. "Alright, look Katniss. The Resistance has been around… a long time. And I haven't always been a part of it. Your dad was the one who dragged me to a meeting."
"What?"
"He was the best friend I ever had, sweetheart. We grew up together in the Seam. He came to say goodbye to me right after my Reaping. Asked me to come back home because he… he'd never had a truer friend, he said." Peeta swore Haymitch's voice was breaking.
"Anyway, after I lost my three district partners, I was so furious with the Capitol. I was determined to win. I watched my good friend Maysilee die right in front of me, and she made me swear to win. It came down to me and one other, Sabina Greggories, and I fought like hell to leave that arena. I made the Capitol look stupid and they made me pay for it. Just two weeks after I returned to 12, my mother's house caught fire. My girlfriend just happened to be there too. They killed my mother, my little brother, and my girl for making them look like fools. I had lost everything to that man. But Ash… your dad convinced me to attend a meeting and to hear them out. I yelled at him that he was crazy but he was so crazy passionate for the cause. Even when your mother found out and begged for him to stop, he couldn't. He was in too deep."
"You're lying," Katniss spat. "If my mother wanted him to do something, he would. He loved her."
"And he loved you and little Primrose too," Haymitch said tenderly. "Which is why he wanted to fight for a better world. For his girls." She shook her head and stepped back into Peeta.
"How does everyone outside of 12 know about Katniss," he asked softly. Haymitch looked around and nodded.
"Because Ash Everdeen was the Leader of the Rebellion. He would sing songs about his girls playing in a meadow, without starvation or the Games. He created songs about Snow and the horrors of the Capitol. We would record them and broadcast them to other districts. We nicknamed him the Mockingjay, and he became the symbol of the Rebellion." Peeta glanced sideways at Katniss, his jaw wide open. She was deathly pale and her eyes were narrowed.
"If he was your friend, why didn't you help us? Why did you watch us nearly starve to death?"
"I wanted to sweetheart, but Snow was watching me closely. After they killed him, the Rebellion sort of broke up. Ash was their symbol and we were lost without him. It wasn't until someone else came forward to unify the districts that meetings started again and the Rebellion resurfaced. It was decided that one day, Ash's daughter would be the one to continue his work. The daughter he showed pictures of to gain support. The daughter who has his voice and his talent with the bow." Peeta gulped audibly and Katniss looked baffled.
"Snow had Ash Everdeen killed," Peeta said in a hollow voice. "And now you want her to be your new symbol?"
"My dad died in a mining accident," she said dully, shaking her head. Haymitch hung his head and Peeta's lips thinned. He gave the Victor a look that very clearly said
"tell her now".
"Snow found out about Ash and the rebellion. He figured most of Ash's supporters would be miners. He never knew we were broadcasting to other districts. He assumed he was eliminating the threat altogether as soon as Ash died. He ordered their deaths and then he made sure that Violet would never inherit the Apothecary, thinking that without a way to make a living, all three of you would starve to death. He always underestimated Ash and he definitely underestimated you. I watched while you snuck into the woods to feed your family. You showed the same resilience and strength. I knew when you grew up, you would be just like him. And you are, Katniss. He would be so damn proud of you, you know."
"That's why Snow's making me move out of 12."
"If he thinks she's such a threat, why doesn't he just have her killed," Johanna said loudly. Peeta took a step toward her and Duartyr gripped his arm.
"Because he believes there's a slight chance that she could be a weapon for him," Haymitch spat. "A weapon for the Capitol."
"He's crazy if he thinks I would ever fight for him," she shrieked.
"I haven't figured out if he plans to threaten you with something, or offer you something in return. He genuinely seems to trust Peeta. He called him in for a meeting after breakfast."
"Can you tell us what was said, Peeta," Duartyr asked. Peeta wet his lips and nodded. His mind was racing from everything already and he was feeling lightheaded. He turned to face his wife and took her hands.
"Haymitch is telling the truth, Katniss. I don't think Snow realizes just how important your father was to the rebellion but he knew he was spreading ideas and he had him killed. He ordered for it to look like an accident and he thought that once your father was gone, he wouldn't have to worry about rebellion anymore. But like Haymitch said, you were more resilient than he expected. You grew up and that surprised Snow. He seemed to forget about you for a few years but once word of rebellion started to spread again, he suspected you might be behind it. So he sent Thread to investigate you. He had no idea you were my wife, so when Thread discovered your last name and who you were, he reported to Snow. And Snow ordered us both to come to the Capitol, so he could meet you. You enchanted him, Katniss. He asked me today if our marriage is real and if I trust you. I said wholeheartedly to both, and he said he wanted to get you away from 12 in case your father's supporters tried to recruit you. He said there is a fire in you that intrigues him. He told me as long as we are married, he trusts that there will be no further problems or any talk of rebellion. Whether he's trying to keep you safe or not, I don't know, but he is determined to get you out of 12. He trusts me but… I think he's scared of you."
"Of course he is," Haymitch scoffed. "Why do you think he had Ash killed? He knew Ash could reach people. He knows Ash's daughter can do the same."
"Why do you think I can reach anyone," Katniss snapped out of her daze. "I'm just a poor girl from 12. From the Seam. I could barely keep my family and myself fed and I had to marry a disgusting Peacekeeper to keep my little sister alive!" Peeta swallowed as more than a few eyes went to him.
"Katniss entered a contract with the former Commander of 12, Alistair Cray," Haymitch explained. Duartyr's face darkened.
"Peeta left 2 in a hurry. You're telling me he didn't make it back in time to ask her to marry him?"
"Something happened with the train," Peeta said miserably. "We were held up several days. I was… I was unfortunately a little late with my proposal. When I arrived, she had already entered a contract with Cray. My brother Ryen intervened on my behalf, and transferred the purchase."
"Purchase," someone said near the back. "So you bought her?"
"No," Peeta said angrily, whipping around. "I mean, I had the contract transferred to me but I asked her to marry me and we had a toasting ceremony, which is what we do in 12. We're as married as anyone in the Capitol is!"
"But you're still paying her? I mean, I assume that's the terms of the contract, right?" Peeta's eyes narrowed as he searched for the owner of the voice.
"The Peacekeeper Contract is not important right now," Haymitch said loudly, stepping forward. "What's important is that we figure out our next steps. We know Snow knows who she is. And we know he wants her away from 12. So where do we send her?"
"Not here," Cinna said, crossing his arms. "She'd be in more danger than she would be in 12. Snow's guards would never leave her alone." Katniss shivered at the thought.
"2 might not be a bad idea," Lyme said, considering. "We would be able to protect her and she can be in the know with the rebellion. When we launch an attack, I'm sure she will want to be there."
"Hang on, have we even asked her if she wants to be a part of this," Finnick raised a hand. "I mean, you just tell the girl that her father was a symbol of the revolution and that she's his successor. But you never asked her if she wants that responsibility." Katniss stared at Finnick in shock and there was irritated muttering around the room.
"Quiet," Haymitch snapped. "Finnick, I get what you're saying but this is what she's meant for!"
"Who says," Peeta said, frowning. "I'm not saying she would ever fight for Snow, but what makes you think she wants to fight at all? What if she just wants to take her sister and her mother to another district and live peacefully?"
"Whose side are you on," a Victor snarled.
"I'm a Peacekeeper Captain in President Snow's army and I'm married to my childhood crush from District 12. Who happens to be the daughter of the deceased symbol of the rebellion. That's the epitome of a spy, if I've ever seen one."
"I'm not sure if I really believe you're a spy," the man said, his eyes narrowing as he stepped toward Johanna. "You say that Snow trusts you but why should we trust you?"
"Blight-"
"No Haymitch. I know you're all chummy because you're both from 12, but what proof do we have that this Peacekeeper is really on our side? Just his word? Just the fact that he is married to the daughter of the Mockingjay? I'm sorry but I want more proof than that."
"I can't offer you proof," Peeta shook his head. "But I would give my life to keep Katniss safe. And she knows that."
"He took a beating when we were kids, to feed me," she said softly. Peeta gave her a sad smile but Blight scoffed.
"Big deal. He got a spanking. I'm asking why should we trust him now? Why would he want to go against the people who feed him and employ him?" Someone stepped up onto a crate and yanked his shirt over his head. He turned and the crowd gasped at the criss-crossed scars on his back. Though they had healed with time, his back was covered. Peeta's breath left him completely.
"I'm so sorry, Peeta," the man called, still facing the wall. "But some of these people needed to see this. They need to know what the Capitol did to you." The man turned back around, pulling his shirt back on. Katniss's eyes widened in horror when she realized who it was.
"My name is Ryen Mellark. I'm Peeta's older brother. We were both kidnapped from our home when we were younger, and taken to District 2 to become Peacekeepers for Snow's army. My brother was taken away from me for what I was told, separate training. Our Commander didn't like the fact that we came from 12 and said we needed extra conditioning. He said we needed to forget our past and where we had come from. When I asked them where they were taking my brother, they knocked me out. So I learned not to ask questions. Peeta was missing for months. No one would tell me anything. When he returned to me, he didn't know who I was. He didn't recognize his own flesh and blood." Katniss glanced at Peeta, whose eyes were squeezed shut and his trembling hand covered his face.
"They tortured him and called it training. They brain-washed him and made him believe he was a soldier, a weapon. They made him do awful things and he did them without asking any questions. When I realized what had happened, I came forward. And I was punished for it." He faltered for a moment and Duartyr stepped forward.
"Rye is telling the truth. I was there when they ordered Peeta to beat his own brother. Peeta hesitated for a moment but he didn't know who Rye was. He took the whip and he carried out his orders. That was when I decided I had to get him away from there. I hid Peeta in my attic and reported the commander to the Minister for Defense. This poisoning, also called hijacking, was a brand new experiment and it should never have been used on a peacekeeper. No one had any idea I was housing Peeta, but I saw over time that without the continued use of the poison, he was able to clear his mind. When he came to one day, he didn't remember much. It took him some time for his memory to return and we decided we couldn't tell anyone about it. I gave Ryen some time off to recover and he came to see Peeta regularly, reminding him of who he was. I told Ryen and Peeta to keep the incident a secret, since only a few peacekeepers knew what had happened. When both boys had fully recovered, they returned to training and Peeta became a fine soldier, without the use of force or pain. Both boys made me proud. I had a feeling that both of them would agree to fight for the rebellion, when it came time. I reported back to Madame Lyme that I wasn't sure if Peeta would be permanently affected by the trauma and we would just have to wait and see. When Peeta returned to his home district, I reached out to Haymitch and told him everything I knew. He said he would keep an eye on him and I was pleased to hear that the young woman Peeta was returning to court was none other than Miss Everdeen. So we made the decision to recruit Peeta into the Resistance. Haymitch would approach him about attending a meeting, along with the help of several other Peacekeepers, Purnia Calburn, Ryen Mellark and Darius Murphy. Ryen's father-in-law, Mayor Undersee, also attended the meetings and was ready to respond if he was needed. Ryen's wife Madge was brought into a meeting just a few days ago. Peeta informed his wife of what he knew before they came to the Capitol. Haymitch asked Peeta if he would be comfortable acting as a spy in the Capitol, reporting to Snow and then informing us of what Snow is planning. Peeta and I may be Peacekeepers but we believe in a better Panem and are willing to fight for it. That is why I know he is really on our side." Rye crossed his arms and glared at Blight, whose eyes flicked from him to Duartyr to Peeta. Finally, he nodded and took a step back. Rye cleared his throat and pulled someone toward Katniss and Peeta. Katniss gasped as she realized it was Madge and the women threw their arms around each other.
"When did you get here?"
"Just last night. Daddy held a meeting at his house and said Rye and I needed to come to the Capitol." Rye bit his lip and gripped Peeta's arm.
"Peet. I'm sorry."
"I'm so sorry, Rye," he said in a voice choked with tears. The brothers embraced and there was murmuring around the room.
"So now can we get to more important things," Haymitch glared at Blight. "Like what Snow has planned for Katniss?"
"Well we know for sure that he wants her to move out of 12," Chase said solemnly. "Peeta, did you tell him anything about where you would take her?"
"We didn't decide on anything," Peeta said, clearing his throat. "I told him I would discuss it with her and he gave us a month to get our affairs in order. I figured that gives us enough time to get back to 12, pack our things, get Prim and Violet, and move to wherever it is we are going."
"It's essential we get her family out of there and soon," Duartyr nodded. Katniss frowned.
"Why?"
"So he can't use them against you. Snow can quickly discover that the people who mean the most to you can be used to make you do something. That is how he is. It's what he does."
"He's right," Finnick said, swallowing thickly. "We need to get your family out of there, Katniss."
"I wish we had brought them with us," Rye said worriedly. "I'm sorry Katniss, I didn't even think-"
"It's ok, Rye. Mom probably wouldn't have gone anywhere without an explanation anyway. But we need to move quickly then."
"Madge and I made the decision to move too," Rye said, his fists clenched. When he saw Peeta open his mouth to speak, he cut him off. "I'm sorry Peet. Mom said they were staying put. Even when I said their lives may be in danger. And Bing said April is too far along in her pregnancy to try to move somewhere. They don't realize how serious it is."
"You would think after their sons were kidnapped and turned into Peacekeepers, they would be more cautious," Chaff scoffed.
"Mom is set in her cold-hearted ways," Rye shrugged. "And dad is too much of a coward to stand up to her. He goes along with whatever she says or does. He didn't even step forward when his own son was being abused." Rye fixed his eyes on Peeta and Peeta shifted uncomfortably.
"OK, well, the Mellarks are staying put. They didn't have anything to do with the rebellion, so they're probably safe anyway. Has anyone checked on Purnia?"
"She didn't answer the phone when I called last night," Rye said uneasily. Haymitch winced.
"Someone went after Darius, most likely because he was involved. We need someone trustworthy to check on Purnia."
"Hang on," Peeta quickly turned to Duartyr. "You said this morning that you had news of Darius." The General nodded, looking pained.
"Haymitch alerted me when you all arrived here that Thread was trying to separate you and Katniss. The Victors were supposed to help both of you get to the hotel safely and together. You can imagine my surprise, then, when I met with you at Antonius's mansion. I was trying to do some investigating because I'd overheard the Minister telling some of his guards that a prisoner would be arriving in the Capitol by train. From District 12."
"Wait. What?!"
"I was trying to find out what I could when an attendant told me you had arrived. I panicked and sent Plutarch Heavensbee to distract you and more importantly,
watch over you. But it wasn't you I should have been worried about."
"Darius," Katniss said softly. Duartyr nodded sadly.
"Is he-?"
"Thread brought him to the mansion and ordered tracker-jacker venom to be administered."
"Wait. They wanted to hijack him too?"
"Either make him forget about the rebellion, or use him for their side when it came time to fight. But it didn't work. Darius was… I suppose his heart was too weak to fight the poison. He died this morning. They are keeping his body in the Training Center."
"What about Rosalie? What did they do to her?"
"I don't think Rosalie was even on the train," Duartyr shook his head. "I checked with the conductor and saw a list of passengers. Darius was traveling alone."
"Purnia escorted her there herself! And I spoke to her before we left for the train station. Rosalie refused to leave Darius's side."
"Then either someone did something to her back in 12, before the train even left," Lyme said, frowning. "Or she is somewhere here in the Capitol."
"Madame Lyme, she's pregnant," Peeta said desperately. "We need to find her."
"I'll send some soldiers to look for her, Peeta," Duartyr assured him. "We can't arrouse any suspicion, though. We have to be careful, especially since they took Darius in broad daylight."
"This changes things," Haymitch said sharply, shaking his head. "We need to send Rye and Madge somewhere we know they will be safe." Lyme's eyes flashed.
"How do we know they will be safe there?"
"She promised she would be welcoming."
"It's that woman, isn't it," Katniss said loudly and all eyes returned to her. "The woman I saw on the Undersees' TV? The night of Rye's and Madge's wedding, we saw a woman speaking to a crowd on TV," she glanced at Peeta and gestured desperately. "Tell them."
"Yes Katniss. Her name is Alma Coin and she's the President of District 13." Katniss felt as if she had been knocked backwards.
"13?!" Peeta bit his lip and took her hand.
"I wanted to tell you-"
"But you didn't! You didn't tell me that 13 is still around, still… functional?! What have they been doing all this time? Why did they just leave Panem to fend for themselves?"
"For someone so brainless, she raises a fair point," Johanna said. "Why does this woman think we will all of a sudden follow her orders?"
"We're not following her orders. We're all joining together to stand up to the Capitol."
"Whatever way you spin it, 13 has let us deal with the Hunger Games on our own for 77 years! What makes Coin think we want her help?"
"13 dealt in nuclear weapons, Johanna," Lyme said sternly. "They can help us defeat the Capitol. Something we haven't been able to do on our own."
"So maybe we need to send our Mockingjay there too," Haymitch turned to Katniss and Peeta.
"Hang on," Peeta reared up angrily. "You want her to move to a district that is surviving underground, and be the symbol of a rebellion for a woman she has never had any contact with?"
"Look Peeta, I understand you are protective of the girl. And you'll be going with her, so you can watch over her. Keep her safe. But we need a symbol and Katniss is the only one who can do it."
"Have you even heard me trying to make a speech?" She snorted. "I'm awful in front of crowds. I don't know why you think I can sway the districts!"
"You have a powerful weapon, Katniss," Haymitch said gently. "You just have to learn to use it for the fight."
"What are you talking about?"
"Your voice," he said impatiently. "You inherited that gift from Ash! And now you can do what he did and use your voice to get them on our side. Be our Mockingjay. Sing your song!" Katniss looked like she was about to protest again but Peeta pulled her toward him and withdrew something from his pocket. He held it out and it glinted in his palm. Haymitch drew a breath. Katniss took the gold mockingjay pin and studied it.
"This was on my dress the other night."
"Cinna was bold to put it there," Haymitch threw the stylist a look. "But we wanted you to have something of his."
"This was… this belonged to my dad?"
"He asked me to give it to you. Not to influence you to decide to fight, but to remind you that you are his daughter and he loved you fiercely. Ash called you his little songbird." Katniss turned the pin over in her hand.
"So we take my mother and my sister and go to 13. And you think Snow won't search for us?"
"We could say she wants to go live in District 8," Beetee suggested. "It's not terribly far from 13."
"General," Peeta turned back to Duartyr, his brow furrowed. "Do you think Snow knows that 13 is still around?"
"It's doubtful but I can't be certain. Why do you ask?"
"What if that's why Snow is so determined to get Katniss out of 12? Because 12 is too close to 13?" Duartyr and Lyme exchanged concerned looks. Haymitch's eyes widened and Cinna clucked his tongue.
"It's very possible," Lyme replied.
"And he will be keeping a close eye on you, to make sure you are doing as he says. Which means he will be keeping tabs on the trains and hovercrafts going in and out of 12."
"Well, it's a good thing we know of someone who has hovercrafts he can't keep track of," Finnick said, a smirk crossing his handsome face.
Whew. A LOT of revelations. Had to go back and change a few things before I posted so I'm sorry about the delay! Hope everyone has a great weekend! :)
