Chapter 45:
One Day After The Quell Ended
Fox Durham, 18, District Ten
"We should be doing something."
Anastacia rolls her eyes for the tenth time as Amelia keeps pacing in the cell across from Fox, the career loosely following his former ally's movement. "Yes, because we can do so much from inside these cells."
"But they'll take us out of here eventually and we can do something then!" Amelia turns to face Anastacia, arms crossed as she stares down the career with her shoulders back for a moment, before realizing her display of stubbornness is wasted on the blind career. Instead, she turns to face Fox and Adam across from her. "Don't you agree that we should do something?"
"I…" Fox starts hesitantly before looking over at Adam who is finally getting some rest. His heart breaks every time he looks at him, seeing the fatigue and fear in his eyes, the signs of the rebels doing awful things to him… Fox shakes his head as he turns back to Amelia, terrified of what might happen to them – they heard that ultimatum but will it still stand with their leader dead? "I'm not a fighter… Adam said that the one girl is good and will help us."
"Wow, you're really naïve about people if you honestly believe that," Anastacia tells him, staring to the side of his head instead of at him. Fox has to control the initial response of fear that wants to build in him at the career talking to him, still trying to work through the notion that this person in front of him no longer is his enemy. Their real enemy is a lot more terrifying than the careers ever were in the arena… "The only people we can count on are each other because I know I don't want to die in this cell or at the hands of rebels and I like to think we're all on the same page. But we're not getting far once out of these cells. Not with me being blind, Adam deaf and struggling, and Elias drugged up over there."
At the sound of his name, Elias lets out a noise, making Fox start frowning at what they are doing to him. "What…" Elias starts slowly, pausing to cough before he continues, "What about me?"
"Just go back to sleep," Anastacia calls over to him and Fox shakes his head at her, feeling bad for what they have done to him. At least they are keeping him in the same cell as Fox and Adam, no longer fearful of him lashing out.
Elias sits up at this, frowning as he holds a hand up to his head. "I…" Elias shakes his head and Fox steps over to him, crouching down to look at him at eye level. Fox slowly reaches a hand out to put on Elias' shoulder, not wanting to startle him at all, and Elias meets his gaze with widening fear filled eyes. "Wh-where am I? What is happening to me?"
Fox glances over his shoulder as he hears footsteps approaching them, before quickly turning back to Elias when he lets out a noise of panic. "Shh, it's going to be okay. I got you."
The footsteps slow and Khaya stops between their cells, glancing back and forth between them for a few seconds before fixing her gaze on Fox and Elias. "Good, he's almost back to normal" Khaya tells them as two people join her, looking similar enough that anyone can tell the pair are twins. "It's time to get going."
"Like hell I'm going anywhere with you," Amelia says resolutely, even though Fox can see the fear in her eyes and the trembling in her lip as she stands her ground.
"Yeah," Anastacia agrees, pushing herself up to stand close to Amelia. She fixes Khaya with a glare through the bars, not realizing she's looking above her head.
Khaya glances at the two people next to her and they move to open up the cells, prompting Fox to shake Adam awake and move to stand protectively between his friend and the rebels. "You don't even know where we're going."
"You'll be taking us to the rebels," Fox says slowly as Adam grabs his hand, looking between Fox and Khaya in confusion. "That's what she said yesterday, each day the President didn't answer, one of us will die…"
"I'll ignore the fact that we're also rebels," Khaya answers him calmly. "And that's what Vera said, not me. We're getting you out of here because the last thing we want is more death on our hands. The older gen doesn't care who dies in their path to their goal but us…" Khaya shakes her head as a frown forms, "We've lost enough to not want more death. I think you'll do more to help us alive than dead. So consider this your grand escape plan."
"You say that, yet how are we going to get Elias out of here?" Amelia asks them, pointing over at Elias who stares back with wide eyes of concern. "You've been sedating him ever since you kidnapped him!"
"Not this morning," Khaya answers her before turning to face Elias. "It was a placebo this morning. How are you feeling?"
Elias takes his time answering, even as Khaya glances nervously over her shoulder. "I am feeling confused but…I can think clearly now."
"Great, we need to get going now," Khaya says quickly and motions for the two with her to help them out.
"Woah, woah, woah, I'm not going anywhere with you," Amelia says as she steps back from the boy entering her cell, grabbing Anastacia's arm to pull her away as well. "I don't fucking trust you."
Khaya turns her gaze to Adam, stepping over to him slowly and passing him a small note. "Please," she says softly as he reads it over, even though he can't hear her.
Adam reads over the note quickly, holding it out of view from Fox who studies Adam's face as he reads it, waiting for any sort of indication that Khaya's intentions are untrue. But he soon looks up at Fox and nods his head, even if his eyes are full of fear. "We need to go with her."
"How can you trust any of them?" Amelia asks Adam in disbelief, ignoring Khaya's slight offended look. "They helped kidnap us!"
"Actually that was our parents, not us," Khaya clarifies, but it doesn't seem to do much to persuade Amelia. "Look, I'm giving you a chance to live, a chance that all of you might not have gotten if you stayed in the arena, or stick around to see what Elin does. They…" Khaya just shakes her head, unable to finish her thought about Elin. "We're wasting time here."
"Amelia, you were saying you wanted to do something," Fox says carefully to her in a calm voice, hoping to get his ally on his side. "We need to take this chance. If Adam trusts her…then I trust her. Do you trust me?"
Fox silently pleads with Amelia, watching her struggle to make a decision. Before she can answer him, Anastacia walks over to the bars and fixes Khaya with a glare that makes Fox petrified when it's not even in his direction. "I don't want to die in a jail cell and I'll be clear now, I don't trust you. If you pull any funny business, I will kill you – and you know I am capable of that."
Khaya lets out a short laugh before gesturing to the two with her. "I'm counting on you to be able to do that because I suspect we're not getting out of here without a fight. We'll arm you, but I kindly ask that you don't shoot us. Just shoot anyone that tries to stop us."
Amelia hesitant takes the gun offered to her and Fox quickly shakes his head at the one offered to him, refusing still to take any lives. Instead, he helps Adam get up and holds onto him. "I'll help Adam instead."
"Can I have a knife instead?" Anastacia asks as she points at her eyes. "Don't need to hurt another ally unintentionally because I can't see."
The girl with Khaya reaches down to her boot and pulls out a dagger that she quickly passes to Anastacia, who weighs it in her hand for a moment before nodding her head.
"I am scared of this," Elias says softly, his voice shaking as he presses himself against the wall of the cell. "Do not make me fight."
Fox doesn't know what to possibly say to Elias in the moment to comfort him – he's just as terrified at the thought of fighting – but someone else speaks up first. "Elias, I know you're scared to fight, but this is not just any fight," Anastacia starts, doing her best to step out of her cell and closer to Elias who only looks a little worried about a career approaching him. "This is life or death. Your life or theirs. And if we get out of this alive, I promise you, I will not let all the bastards that have dared hurt you over the years come close to you."
Anastacia stands at the door of their cell and holds out her hand, waiting for Elias to respond. It's slow, but he eventually moves away from the wall and takes her outstretched hand, and both of them grab the other hand tightly, letting their fear show through. "I want to live."
"And we will," Anastacia says resolutely with a nod of her head before turning in Amelia's direction. "Let's get the fuck out of here."
"Josefine, help them and Niek take the rear. Let's go," Khaya tells them and the two with her step forward to help guide them out, the girl grabbing Anastacia by the elbow to lead out, leaving the boy to bring up the rear behind Fox and Adam. Amelia hesitates for a moment before stepping near Khaya, holding the gun awkwardly but she soon puts her shoulders back, looking determined to get them out of them. Khaya leads them down the hallways and up a set of metal stairs, their footsteps sounding way too loud.
Fox doesn't know what to expect when Khaya opens the door at the top of the stairs and leads them out into…a house. Near the door is a girl that looks to be around Khaya's age, slumped against the wall out cold and with a large bump on her head. The boy behind them leans closer to whisper to Fox, noticing him staring, "Rona didn't agree with the plan."
"Quiet, Niek!" Khaya whispers back to them, leading them through the living room and towards the kitchen where a door sits leading into the vast woods of Seven.
But standing in the middle of the room is another person, gun raised at Khaya's chest.
"Larisa, now is not the time to try and be a hero," Khaya says, sounding exasperated at the girl that Fox can only assume is her sister.
"Yeah? Seems like I have to," Larisa nods her head at the group. "What are you three doing?"
"Taking the tributes to the meeting," Khaya says as she slowly adjusts her grip on her gun. "Following Elin's orders."
"Yeah that's bullshit," Larisa answers as she slides back the top of her gun, terrifying Fox with the clicking noise it makes. "If that was true, Rona wouldn't be passed out in the hallway. I can't wait to tell father that his perfect daughter is actually-"
Crack!
"Fuck!" Larisa yells as she falls down to the floor, clutching the bleeding bullet wound on her leg as she glares over at the equally surprised Amelia who pulled the trigger.
"You just shot my sister," Khaya gasps, staring at Larisa on the floor, holding onto her leg and staring back at them as she curses them.
"She was threatening our escape," Amelia tells her quietly, face paling as she looks down at the gun in her hand. She lowers her hand to her side, shaking her head as she looks at Khaya, clearly struggling to process what she did. "You told me to shoot anyone that tried to stop us."
Khaya purses her lips at this for a moment, glancing back over at Larisa groaning in pain, before turning back to Amelia and nodding her head. "I suppose…she's always been a bitch. I think she'll make it though, but we won't if we don't keep moving. Come on!"
Khaya quickly runs forward and kicks Larisa's gun away from her hand before leading the way out into the backyard, past a pool filled with floaties and looking way out of place after the cold cells in the basement, and into the dense forest surrounding the house. Khaya seems to know her way easily through the woods, but Fox is tense at every little sound. The occasional caw of a bird sets Fox even further on edge and glancing up every time he hears it, fearful of that terrifying mutt swooping down once more to attack them… It came in so quickly that he only got a glimpse of it, yet he can swear he's seen it before – but he really doesn't want to see it again to figure out why it seems familiar.
"Where are we going?" Amelia asks Khaya as they jog through the trees, slowed greatly as the foliage thickens and by Anastacia and Adam.
"To a safe place where we can contact the Capitol," Khaya answers, slowly slightly when she hears Elias trip over a root. She helps pull him up, keeping a hand on his arm to help guide him. "We need to get as far away from that house as possible. I'm sure someone already contacted Elin and told them that we weren't showing up for the meeting."
"And what's going to happen to you when the Capitol shows up?" Anastacia asks as their pace slows to a walk, the group simply unable to keep up a faster pace. "I don't think they'll be too happy about rebels."
"I…" Khaya hesitates at this and sighs as she runs a hand through her hair. "That's something we'll deal with when we're in the Capitol. For now, we need to keep mov-"
"You fucking bitch, get back here!" Larisa yells at them and Fox glances over to see Larisa using a tree to keep herself standing, a gun in her other hand that she starts to aim at them.
Adam looks back at the fear in Fox's eyes, and when he sees Larisa standing there, aiming at their group, he shoves Fox to the side and steps in front of the rest of their group.
"Adam, no!" Fox yells at him, trying to grab onto Adam to pull him out of the way, but the crack of the gun sounds and Adam lets out a gasp of pain as he slowly looks down at his stomach, a spot of blood slowly forming around the hole in the fabric.
Adam looks up at Fox, tears forming in his eyes from the pain as Khaya rips her own gun out of her holster and takes a moment to line up the shot at her cackling sister, before hitting her in the arm, forcing her to drop the gun. Fox can feel his own eyes stinging with tears as he catches Adam as he starts to fall to the ground, struggling to scoop him up into his arms. "Hang on, I'm gonna get you out of here," Fox tells him, staring down at his friend's face filled with pain, hoping he'll understand the intent, even if he can't hear Fox. Fox turns to look up at the group around him, desperately pleading with them to help Adam. "We can still save him, please, we can't let him die."
Amelia stares at Adam with horror in her eyes, clutching Anastacia's hand even tighter as Elias stares blankly, seemingly unable to process what is happening in front of him. Khaya is the one to finally move, nodding her head and turning away, not before Fox catches the glossy sheen of her own tears. "Give Adam to Niek, he's stronger than you. We need to get to that safe point."
"I'm not letting go of him, just get us to safety," Fox tells her, even if he can feel his arms straining. But his heart is racing and he'll be damned if he doesn't do his absolute most to keep his friend alive.
"I'll make sure Larisa doesn't follow us," Josefine speaks up, face full of anger towards Khaya's sister as she glares over. "That bitch has fucked things up enough."
"I'm not leaving you behind," Niek stubbornly tells his sister, crossing his arms as he stares her down, just daring her to tell him to leave. When Josefine nods her head, Niek turns to Khaya, "Get them out of here. We'll hold off anyone else and meet up eventually."
Khaya doesn't look sure about this, but a groan of pain from Adam gets her moving again. "Come on," she says with a wave before taking Elias' hand again and starting to jog away from there, sparing a glance back at her friends as they start walking over to Larisa. Amelia lets Fox start running first, keeping her hand on her gun protectively before following after him, pulling Anastacia with her.
Fox does his best to jog after Khaya, cringing as every jostle makes Adam whimper in pain. "Hang in there, buddy," Fox tells him, partially reassuring himself that Adam is going to make it through this. He has to. He needs to get back to his baby and be a father. "Cain needs you so just hold on until we get help."
"It was," Adam stops to cough for a few seconds, making Fox pick up his pace as they dodge the trees, barely having time to think about where Khaya is taking them. "It was worth it to keep you safe. You can protect Cain…"
"Stop talking like that," Fox says through tears, struggling to hold back a sob. "Stop talking like you're not going to make it because you will…" But when Fox glances down at Adam and notices how much blood is on him and his pale complexion, he's not too sure about that. "Khaya, how much further?"
"We're getting close," Khaya calls back to him before suddenly stopping, holding out her arm to stop all of them as a Peacekeeper steps out of the woods, gun trained on her as more step forward to surround them.
Fox stops behind her, protectively pulling Adam closer to his chest as more and more Peacekeepers surround them. "We're safe now," he lets out a sigh of relief.
"Don't be too sure about that…" Khaya whispers as the head guard steps closer.
"Drop your weapons slowly and put your hands up!" The Peacekeeper commands them as Fox gives Khaya a concerned look, not understanding what she means. They're Peacekeepers, they surely are the ones protecting them and they'll get them to the Capitol.
"What side are you on?" Khaya asks them, her raised voice wavering as she keeps a hand on the gun holstered at her hip and gently pushes Elias behind her back to protect him.
"Do we need to fight?" Elias says quietly with a whimper as he turns his head around to look at all the people surrounding them. "I thought the Peacekeepers are protecting us… I do not want to fight them."
"No one is fighting," the Head Peacekeeper tells Elias before using her gun to motion to the ground. "We have you surrounded. Surrender quietly and no one has to get harmed."
Khaya slowly takes her gun out and sets it down, giving Amelia a concerned look to do the same. Amelia hesitates another moment before whispering something to Anastacia, then sets the gun down. Peacekeepers quickly step forward to take the weapons away from them and the Head Peacekeeper puts her gun away and pulls out a radio instead.
"Adam needs help," Fox pleads with them, choosing to have faith in the Peacekeepers being on their side and there to help. He has to have faith in them and stay positive because he doesn't know if he can handle the alternative. "Please, he's dying."
The Head Peacekeeper stares at Adam for a moment before speaking into the radio, "We have them."
Mendalius Xavier, President of Panem
"Remind me one last time of all the precautions we have in place," Mendalius tells Theodosius from where he sits across from the President on the hovercraft. The man hasn't let his glower leave his face since yesterday's broadcast from the rebels, filling Mendalius with just a bit of concern that he will act rashly as well. He does not need rash today, not when meeting with people that are already furious with him for a kill he didn't authorize.
Theodosius glances over at Kostas, before giving a nod and leading the debriefing of the plan the two of them have worked on. "The armor we're all wearing is state of the art, undetectable until something strikes it, so you will be safe. We already have strike teams on the ground, including the tracker mutts to locate the tributes and the rebels. Luckily we still had blood samples from before the Games to use with the mutts so if they try to pull any funny business, we're going to find them. And of course we have the team surrounding the meeting area to secure it, plus record the meeting."
"What are the odds that we're walking into an ambush?" Mendalius asks them, not liking the look Theodosius and Kostas share at all. He lets out a sigh as he puts his head in his hands, "We're not going to attack unless they attack first, and even then it's a last resort. We don't need any more casualties. I don't want any more deaths on our hands and until we have the tributes back, we cannot do anything that might provoke them into harming them."
"I agree with Mendalius," Rosabella speaks up from beside him, taking his hand in an attempt to comfort him. "We're trying to stop a war, not further incite it."
"We're touching down now, sir!"
Mendalius tenses up at the pilot calling back to them, knowing they're only minutes away from a conversation that can change the entire course of Panem's history. He does not want his legacy to be the President that started a third rebellion…but he also must protect his citizens. "We have our plan," he starts, taking the time to stare down Theodosius to ensure he understands. "We will likely have to make some compromises to get the tributes back, but I will not listen to every demand of the rebels."
The hovercraft gently touches down as Theodosius, Rosabella, and Kostas nod their head in agreement, and Mendalius stands up, taking a moment to straighten out his black suit. He takes a deep breath to compose himself as a gust of warm air comes in as the door opens, exposing them to the summer air of Seven. He feels completely unprepared for this…yet he must look the most prepared.
"We have your back, sir," Theodosius tells him, giving him a long look of concern. "And we're going to get them all back."
"Very well," he tells his companions before slowly walking towards the door, letting them fall into line behind him, along with many guards. He holds up his hand to the sun as he steps outside, walking a short distance over to the clearing decided upon to meet.
The rebels are already there waiting, but missing five people, which immediately puts them all on edge. "Where are the tributes?" Mendalius calls out to the group as they approach.
The person in the middle – Vera's child – takes a few steps closer as Mendalius and his group comes to a stop, leaving twenty feet between them and the rebels. "The tributes will be brought out if we are able to come to a compromise," they start, keeping Mendalius on edge as he studies their puffy red eyes with a cold look in them. "But first, allow me to introduce myself. I am Elin Martinez-Snow, the child of the woman you murdered yesterday."
"I am sorry for the loss you have felt," Mendalius says carefully, aware of the brewing rage within them. He carefully looks back at the four rebel leaders standing there, wondering just how much they are letting Elin be in control of this situation. Probably not much, given their fragile state. "No child should have to witness a parent die like that in front of them. But that was not my order. Luciano did that without any direction from me."
"That doesn't bring her back!" Elin shouts at him and Ilarion Christian steps forward, putting a hand on their shoulder. They take a few deep breaths, trying to compose themself as tears begin to form in their eyes. "First you take away my best friend, now my mother. This is why you and the atrocity you stand for must end."
"We are here to have a civil conversation," Mendalius says calmly, years of patience in him stopping him from growing upset at the harsh words from this child. "But first I must know that the tributes are safe."
"Yes, yes," Elin says with a wave of their hand. "They are in a safe house and will be brought here when an agreement is met to end the Hunger Games."
"Very well," Mendalius answers, taking a deep breath as he folds his hands behind his back, doing his best to appear open to them. "Let's begin with me stating that we have a plan in place to end the Games."
"Then do it," Elin commands him, but Mendalius stays silent. "End this awful event that should have ended 75 years ago!"
"It's…not an immediate end to the Games," Mendalius tells them carefully, watching their face as their tilt their head slightly to the side, confused by him. "We have a plan for gradually ending the Games."
"That's not good enough," Elin responds, crossing their arms at him. "They need to end now."
"We have spent years researching the best way to end them and-"
"End them now!" Elin shouts at him, tears pouring down their cheeks in their growing desperation.
Mendalius keeps on talking, instead turning his focus to the older rebel leaders that stand there in a much calmer state as Elin continues shouting at him. "I am aware of just what the Hunger Games are and what they do to families, and I know this is not something that can continue for much longer. We have a series of changes to make to get all of the Districts on the same page. If we were to end the Games immediately, we would have outrage in three Districts and I will not make a change unless all of Panem is in agreement. We can have the Games ended within ten years."
Elin lets out a sharp laugh as they point at him, "You must not want your beloved tributes back then. You agree to end the Hunger Games now or they will die."
Theodosius can no longer stay quiet at this and Rosabella tries to stop him, but there's no holding him back. "We are not going to take demands from a child!"
The clearing falls silent as Elin stares over at Theodosius, their face blank as tears keep falling down their cheeks. Ilarion puts a hand on their shoulder, but they make no reaction to his touch. "A child?" They ask quietly, voice in a monotone. "I guess you don't truly care about your country. Mother was right, you won't be willing to win back the tributes."
"Elin, we have heard your offer, and I have presented a counter offer," Mendalius tries to tell them, knowing this negotiation is quickly derailing. "There is no need for more lives to be lost because of this."
"What about the lives of the tributes that die each year in the Games? They'll continue to die if we follow your plan," Elin shakes their head at him, clearly growing frustrated with each passing second – and so is Mendalius, but he doesn't let this show. Elin opens their mouth to continue, but is stopped by their phone ringing.
One of the rebel leaders rolls their eyes at their phone going off as Elin angrily takes it out, taking a moment to glance at who is calling first. "Rona, what's happening?" Elin asks as they pick up their phone, turning away so Mendalius can't quite see what they are doing. "What?!" Elin yells suddenly, making Kostas take a step closer to Mendalius to protect him. Elin takes a deep breath before hanging up the phone and when they turn back to him, Mendalius does not like the carefully composed mask they have in place.
"Thank you, President Xavier, for meeting with us today, but I'm afraid this meeting is done," Elin tells them, starting to take steps back from the group as the others near them give them concerned looks. They flick their wrist at something and Mendalius feels a small pinch on his ankle. When he glances down, he finds Kostas driving a knife into a snake mutt, right near the two small bleeding puncture marks on his ankle. "Now we're even. Did you really think I would let you go without paying for the death of my mother?! You're not the only one with mutts trained to kill. Enjoy the remainder of your life, President Xavier. It won't be very long."
"What did you do?!" Theodosius yells at Elin, sounding muffled as the world around Mendalius begins to spin. He tries to reach out to stop the council member as the ground comes up to meet him before everything goes black.
Welcome back to the subplot! And of course we needed to have not just one, but two cliffhangers! Will the tributes be found by rebel or Capitol Peacekeepers? Will the President live this attack? Find out next week for the thrilling conclusion to the subplot!
Okay you know me, gotta be dramatic af with my A/Ns lol. So yeah, the pieces are in motion, both sides have taken action and the fate of the tributes is truly up in the air right now. Unfortunately you have to wait a bit to get the answer to these cliffhangers, April 17th to be exact. Gotta get through the last two intros for Legacy before then! But in good news, I have most of the remaining chapters for this story done! At the time of posting this, I just have to finish up the last two epilogues which is crazy to think about. And soon we will be able to open up subs for the sequel to this!
Stay safe everyone and keep supporting everyone. If you need anything during this time, my inbox is always open so feel free to reach out if you need anything. Also, at this time I want to invite you to check out the SYOT Alliance Forum if you haven't already - we will be hosting Aprilooza again where every day during the month of April, we will have a fun daily thing! The link to the forum is on my profile and there's more detail on the forum about it!
See you all soon!