Fawkes
I hold the communicuff to my ear, waiting for a response. Nerves and excitement are twining inside me, a mess in my stomach. I still have a good feeling about this.
I'm going to take Coin down. I'm going to do it my way.
Finally, someone picks up.
"Hello. President Coin is very busy. Do you want to leave a message?"
"Okay," I say. "Tell her it's Fawkes Chau. I've found out why she bombed the Capitol and I think we need to talk about it."
The assistant seems stunned. "Okay… I'll put her on the line. Just wait a second."
I catch Manel's eye and give him a thumbs up. He smiles.
Then Coin begins to speak.
"Hello, Soldier Chau," she says. "Do you want to talk in person? My office in District 13 is always open to you."
"That won't be necessary," I say. "I know you want me dead, Alma. You sent Lumas Taffeta to kill me. Then you bombed the Capitol to punish him for sparing my life. He told me everything."
"I see," Coin says, quietly.
"Do you deny it?"
"No. You're a threat to my power. You shouldn't be. You're nothing more than a boy with a pretty face and too many feelings. You don't even have the guts to kill a wounded rabbit. But people inexplicably like you, which makes you very dangerous."
"Well, that was easy," I say, brightly. "Apart from the insults. They stung. I thought you'd argue a little."
"There's no point," Coin says. "I was going to try to convince you to come here and then, when that didn't work, get you to walk to your death anyway by threatening your girlfriend. But why not cut out the middleman?"
"What?" I ask. Fear seizes me. Coin has Binah. I'd been holding onto the foolish hope that Lumas had found a way to revive her, or that Coin had simply left her alone.
"I'm not an idiot, Soldier Chau," Coin says, imperiously. "In fact, you caught me right in the middle of torturing her for your location. She's been giving me the silent treatment for the last hour. Maybe you can get some words out of her."
There's a brief pause. I take a moment to stop myself from crying. My plan could get Binah killed.
But there's no going back. I've started it. Now I need to finish it.
Then her voice plays through the communicuff. "Fawkes… are you okay? Are you safe?"
"Yeah," I say. "I'm fine. What did she do to you?"
"Nothing I can't handle," Binah says, weakly. She sounds like she's in pain. It hurts me to think of what Coin's done to her. "Don't you dare sacrifice yourself for me, Fawkes. Let this be the last thing I do… to keep you safe."
"No!" I cry. "Binah, you've saved me in so many ways. Let me repay you. I'll save you, I promise-"
"Oh, how cute," Coin interrupts. "The little boy wants to play the hero. There's only one way you can save her. Come to District 13. Give yourself up. You have twenty-four hours."
She hangs up.
I smile.
"Did you hear that, Panem?" I ask. "This is your president."
The plan was simple. Call Coin. Make her confess to trying to murder me. Broadcast the entire conversation to Panem live. Sit back and watch her power crumble as the people turned against their corrupt president.
The only thing that makes it complicated is Binah.
"You fought to put her in power. Some of you lost your homes and your loved-ones. Did you all sacrifice so much to allow another tyrant to take over? Did you fight the war for Alma Coin, someone who's willing to resort to torture, kidnapping and bombing an entire city just to eliminate someone she thinks will take power from her? Or did you fight to give everyone left safety and freedom?"
I take a deep breath. I can't carry on with what I was originally going to say. I have to change something.
"I might not be alive for much longer," I say. "Binah is in danger and I have to rescue her or I'll never be able to live with myself. I might not survive. So all I ask of you is this. Hold back for today. Collect your weapons. Gather your army. Pretend you know nothing. If you attack now, Coin will kill Binah and claim another victim. Let me strike first. Then, tomorrow, if I'm dead and Coin crawls out of her bunker, triumphant, don't let her be triumphant for long. Fight her. And find this country a new leader, one who everyone can believe in. I just want Panem to have a bright future," my voice catches. "Even if I'm not in it. It has been an honour talking to you all. I hope I helped you find strength and courage when you needed it. Goodbye."
I make a signal to end the recording. Then I turn to Manel.
"We have to go to District 13!"
Manel sighs. "I suppose I owe you both that. It's my fault you and Binah got separated. Come on. Let's get a hovercraft."
Iris
Lobos didn't notice me sneak out. I know I need to get back before he gets suspicious but I also need to find someone.
I can't just stay in Lobos' mansion like a pet. I have to do something to hurt him. And freeing Ramona Hirose isn't enough. I have to do something bigger.
I scurry through the alleyways, looking for the place I first met Régine. When I'm pretty sure I'm in the right area, I call out.
"Hello! Crazy homeless guy! It's me, Iris! I want to make a deal!"
He sidles out of an alleyway. "Hello, Miss Snow," he says. "Your friend around."
I shake my head. "She's gone."
"That's unlucky for you."
He brandishes his knife.
I try not to tremble with fear. "I know what you want, crazy homeless guy."
"Mercury," he corrects.
"Whatever," I say. "I came here because I know you would never walk away from where the real money is. Kidnap me and Lobos will probably pay a ransom. But only because I represent the establishment he's trying to protect. But President Lobos has a boyfriend, someone you'll probably get a much bigger ransom for. I know where he is."
Mercury grins, wickedly. "Okay. Help me take Lobos' boyfriend hostage. We can discuss payment later."
"I'll do it for free," I say. "I just want revenge against Lobos for what he did to my family."
"That's adorable."
He pats me on the head with a grimy hand. I wrinkle my nose.
"I'm not adorable. I'm a Snow."
"Keep telling yourself that, missy."
I feel angry but not for long.
Soon, I'll prove to the world how adorable I really am. Then they'll know for sure I'm Coriolanus Snow's granddaughter.
Fawkes finally strikes back against Coin! Now the people of Panem are a lot less willing to follow her orders. It's unlikely she'll be able to hurt anyone again… apart from Binah.
Iris has decided to embrace her evil heritage and she's plotting to kidnap Eidolon. It's probably not going to end well.
