Lovers in a Dangerous Time
by FanficAllergy & RoseFyre

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Chapter Five: Smooth Criminal

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Last Time in Lovers in a Dangerous Time:

I don't get my answer because behind me, the door opens once again. Unlike the three of us, the newcomer, Finnick Odair, recognizes immediately what happened. He lets out a loud wail.

"Annie!"

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The first thought in my head is 'Who the fuck is Annie?'

The second thought, inanely, is 'Even with his face blotched and tears running down his cheeks, Finnick Odair is still obscenely good-looking. How can someone look good while falling to pieces? It doesn't make any sense!'

Much to my annoyance, Peet's the first one to Odair's side. I can't hear what my husband's saying, but I can guess. Encouraging words: I'm sure Annie's okay, she made it through, people were leaving before the bombing, we'll find her. Little platitudes. Meaningless in this uncertain time. Peeta would never try this tactic with me.

But with the pretty boy, it seems to work. The effect of Peeta's words isn't immediate, but slowly, gradually, Odair finally calms down enough to start asking the questions he should've earlier.

He scrubs one hand across his eyes and straightens. "When did this happen?"

Heavensbee glances at one of the screens. "It appears we first received word of the incident an hour ago."

"And why am I just hearing about this now?" Odair's voice is deadly.

"That was my decision," Coin steps in. "We needed to confirm that this was an actual attack and not some kind of distraction."

The full weight of Odair's displeasure shifts from Heavensbee to Coin. "Distraction from what?" Unspoken is that distraction or not, Odair should have been notified.

"The Capitol launching a counterattack on our base in Six."

It wasn't, was it? I glance at Heavensbee, who shakes his head. Good. That's something. I understand where the overly attractive asshole is coming from; I'd want to know the instant something happened to my District. Come to think of it, Coin's already pulled this trick on us. Something to think about.

"But we could've stopped this, done something!"

"You are greatly overestimating our reach, Minister Odair."

Pretty boy's a minister? Of what? Hair care products? Preening? Acting in barely tolerable movies while shirtless? I open my mouth to say something, but Peeta shakes his head, telling me with his eyes this isn't the time. He's probably right.

Heavensbee takes up the thread. "By the time we reached the outskirts of Four, there would still be nothing we could do, even if we'd left the instant we received word. It's better to play it safe than stick our neck out and have it be cut off."

"So you're sacrificing Four." The words are flat. Toneless.

"On the contrary," Coin says with a shake of her head, "that's why we called you here. Once Victor Abernathy arrives, we'll brainstorm what steps to take next."

Odair glares at Coin. "Then by all means, get the damned drunkard here."

I bet that's the first time anyone's ever said that.

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Unlike previous council meetings, the air in the conference room is somber. Coin's aide, Topsy James, moves around the table, setting out folders, while another aide, who doesn't even look old enough to shave regularly, follows him, placing glasses of water by each seat.

This isn't a good sign. It means they expect this meeting to take a long time. Several hours at the minimum.

I frown. I was hoping to spend time with my family today. After all, it's not every day you come home from the front, have sex with your husband for the first time, and your brother gets married. Any one of these would be enough for a full day for a normal person. But my life has never been what you'd call normal. The last time I tasted normal, I was five. Then my sister Daisy died and normal went out the window. Three-year-olds dying should never be normal. Ever.

I glance at the map of the districts projected on the wall and my resolve strengthens. A whole lot of kids just died. This is why we're fighting. It's worth putting life on hold for.

Looks like Prim and Rory will have to have their party without us.

Katniss waddles up to Odair. "Minister?" she asks, poking him on the arm. "Just what are you a minister of?"

"Capitol Intelligence and Procurement."

"Huh?"

He shrugs, unbending a little from the tight coil he's wound into. "It's just a fancy way of saying I'm in charge of organizing and recruiting the spies we have placed in the Capitol, as well as training whatever infiltrators we send in so that they'll blend with the populace. And then verifying the information we receive."

"So you're a spy." There's a hint of curiosity in my wife's tone.

"Spymaster, more like." A wry smile plays across his lips. "According to Thirteen, I've put in my time out in the field, and now my cover's been burned."

"Okay…" Katniss shakes her head. "I don't think I'm ever going to understand Thirteen. Why can't they just call a thing what it is?"

Odair shrugs. "You've got me."

"So who's Annie?" Peeta asks. "Is she your wife? Sister?"

"Neither." A cloud settles over his handsome features. "She's just someone very special to me."

It's clear he doesn't want to talk about her here, so Peeta doesn't press. He turns the conversation back to Odair's position here in Thirteen. Apparently they didn't create the position specifically for him. The woman they had running it stepped down when Odair arrived. The information and knowledge he had of the Capitol far outstripped hers. At least, that's what they told him.

I'm a bit skeptical.

Haymitch finally shows up, looking substantially worse for wear.

"What kept you, old man?" Odair snaps.

"Calm your tits, boy," Haymitch drawls. "I'm here now, ain't I? 'Sides, it was Reflection time for me. And I was reflecting on the little jewel between my wife's legs. Bit hard to hear much over the sound of Effie screamin'."

I stifle a shudder. The last thing I want to think about is Haymitch Abernathy and Effie Trinket fucking. It's almost as bad as thinking about my little brother having sex.

Oh hell. They might already be. I never gave Rory 'The Talk.' There never seemed to be a good time. I need to find my brother. Teach him where and how to use his dick the right way before he turns my new sister-in-law off of sex for life. Hurry up! This day needs to fucking end!

"Can we get this meeting moving now?" I say, anxious for anything to distract me from the thought of Rory and Prim doing the deed.

Coin nods sharply. "Soldier Hawthorne is correct. We have much to discuss, so let's get to it. Plutarch, if you could bring us up to speed."

Boggs steps forward and motions to the map. "At approximately fifteen hundred, our technicians picked up signals from the Capitol which, when deciphered, indicated an imminent attack on the districts. At fifteen thirteen, the Capitol unleashed the first bombs on Districts Four and Twelve. It was a two-pronged attack," he indicates two specific sections of the projection, "with the airstrikes on Twelve concentrated on the center of town, while those perpetrated against District Four were more thorough, targeting the remaining docks, as well as the five main population centers." The projection changes to aerial views of a smoldering town. Boggs points to a few retangular blobs. "It appears as if they left the farms and the main production buildings intact, we assume for possible repopulation at a later date." The man takes a step back and slips into parade rest, his hands clasped behind his back, his legs slightly apart. "However, the residential areas, including the Victors' Village, have been annihilated."

Odair leaps to his feet. "You were supposed to keep them safe! Annie! My family! Mags!" With each name, he pounds the table in front of him. "You were supposed to keep all of them safe! In exchange for me being your spy, you promised to protect them!"

"Sit down, Minister Odair, and allow the meeting to continue."

Odair ignores her, instead turning to Boggs. "You said they didn't bomb the whole district. What about survivors?"

"We don't have those numbers yet," Heavensbee answers, shuffling the datapads in front of him. "Our data's skewed by the possibility that as many as five thousand people defected in Four's fishing fleets. There are rumors, unsubstantiated unfortunately, that fishermen were packing their holds with people rather than cargo." It's a carrot. A hope. Something to keep Odair from falling apart.

And unsurprisingly, it seems to work. "So what are you doing to find them?" He sinks back into his seat, his eyes focussed.

"Nothing."

Until Coin says that. Now Odair's livid once again. "Nothing? What do you mean, nothing?" Odair leaps to his feet. He gestures at the projection. "There's five thousand people out here who need your help! Five thousand allies!" I bet he feels the same way we did when we found out about defectors during the Quell. I still don't like the guy, but I get it.

"We do not have the resources, nor the manpower, to spend time combing the oceans for survivors. If and when these boats put to shore someplace viable, then we will rescue them. But until then, they're on their own."

Odair slumps back into his chair. "What about those still in Four?"

Coin turns her head to Boggs, who answers. "Approximately a quarter of our hovercrafts are refueling and resupplying for a search and rescue mission. At the moment, we are accepting volunteers to assist in this endeavor. However, due to our commitment to holding District Six, we are unable to spare any additional resources at this time."

"You need a volunteer? I'll volunteer," Odair says quickly. "I've got experience with volunteering."

"Unfortunately, you have other duties. You, Minister Odair, need to ascertain what, if any, additional attacks Snow has planned, as well as why we did not receive any hint of this act of terror sooner."

Coin's words pierce him like a knife, and if anything, Odair deflates even more.

A hint of pity slinks through me. The guy's just lost everything he holds dear, and Coin's blaming him. That's a real dick move, even for her.

Peet seems to think the same thing, because he says, "You can't blame Finnick for this. He's not the one who dropped those bombs. Snow did." Peeta turns back to the group. "The real question is, what do we do now? You know the Capitol is going to blame us for these attacks. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't use hovercraft with Thirteen's insignia stenciled on them."

Boggs grunts. "I wouldn't put it past them."

"I wouldn't either," I mutter.

Peeta shoots me a quick smile before returning the subject on hand. "We need to get ahead of this."

"What do you propose, Mr. Mellark?" Heavensbee asks, leaning forward, his chin resting on his hands.

"If we can break into the Capitol feeds and send out a propo, that'd be ideal." He pauses for a moment as if letting the possibilities coalesce. All eyes are on him. I know my husband well enough to know he thrives in this kind of situation. Finally he says, "The best thing would be something about 'knowing who the real enemy is' and how we're not it." He regards Heavensbee. "You didn't by any chance film the rescue of Twelve, did you?"

"Of course we did!" He sounds appalled at the mere suggestion that they might not have. "Your wife was very persuasive. A true inspiration. A Mockingjay!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Katniss grimace, but she doesn't protest.

"Then that's the place to start. If we can catch the Capitol in one lie, people will wonder what other lies the Capitol is feeding them. Or at least that's the hope. Once we've got that out, we can brainstorm what to do next." He rises to his feet, placing his palms flat on the table. "We need to beat Snow to the punch and the clock is ticking."

As the rest of the assembled group stands, I can't help but smirk at Peeta's head for strategy. I hate to think what this war would be like without him. It'd be a clusterfuck, that's for sure. I'm glad he's on our side.

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The three of us are arranged artistically in front of a large group of Twelve transplants: Rooba; Haymitch; the Cartwrights; the old mine foreman, Mr. McCoy; a couple of the friendlier Peacekeepers, their white uniforms still stained gray with coal dust. Merchant. Seam. As many people as we can cram into the shot. It's claustrophobic and I wish it weren't snowing, otherwise I'd suggest we do this outdoors.

Behind the cameras, there's a large screen, showing what will be sent out to the districts. I've got deja vu. This feels like the aborted attempts to break into the Capitol feed during the Quarter Quell all over again. We damn well better be successful this time.

Beetee Latier gives a signal, letting us know we're set to break in.

This is Peet's show. Katniss and I are only here for continuity. Some music that I guess might be Thirteen's anthem starts playing in the background, letting us know the broadcast's begun. At Cressida's cue, Peeta steps forward and opens his mouth to speak. Then he stops, his eyes glued to the screen in front of him.

Instead of a mirror image of our group, President Snow's face fills the screen.

"I've been waiting for your call, Mr. Mellark." He glances at something offscreen. "I'm surprised it wasn't sooner."

Peeta doesn't say anything. He must remember our earlier encounter with Snow and the fallout from it.

"Ah. Does the cat have your tongue? Pity. I did so enjoy our conversations." He studies us. "What ever possessed you to cut off that beautiful hair of yours?"

Peeta again says nothing. No need to reveal how close he came to death. Especially not to Snow, the person who likely planned the bomb that killed General Glenn and injured my husband. I can't wait until we can give Snow a taste of his own medicine, but until then I need to make sure I don't give him any ammunition to use against us.

Next to Peeta, Katniss fidgets, trying to control her temper. I know how she feels. I want to reach through the screen and wipe the smile from his unnaturally red lips. If he keeps this up, I'm not sure how much longer Katniss and I will be able to stay quiet.

Snow's eyes survey the group. "My dear Miss Everdeen, I see congratulations are once again in order. Alma must be over the moon at your fecundity. I do hope that Mr. Hawthorne here is the father. It wouldn't do to have the stain of sterility marring the most handsome of Mockingjays."

"What do you want, Snow?" Katniss has had enough.

"Ah. She speaks. And such a lovely voice it is. I heard about your eloquence in District Twelve. You really should be quite proud of yourself."

"I am. We stole an entire district out from under your nose."

"Kidnapped, more likely. I'm certain not everyone is pleased with their new… accommodations." His eyes flick back to Peeta. "Are they, Mr. Mellark? Tell me, was reuniting with your mother as joyful as you'd hoped? What a lovely woman, your mother. I've heard all about her. Too bad I wasn't able to avail her of my hospitality."

"Are you done?" Katniss snaps.

Snow's yellow, almost reptilian, eyes narrow slightly. "Why no, I'm just getting started. You see, my dears, you need to learn a lesson. And the lesson is: actions have consequences. You lie, lure, kidnap, and imprison my citizens," the screen flashes to show scenes of the destruction in District Four, "I, in turn, punish those sympathetic to your cause. An eye for an eye, so to speak. Say six eyes of yours for every one of mine."

"You're insane!" I can't keep the words from slipping past my lips.

"Well then I'm in good company, Mr. Hawthorne. Is our dear Mr. Odair listening in? I have a message for him."

My lip curls. "Fuck off."

"My my, your manners certainly leave much to be desired. I'm certain darling Epiphany is having a field day with you. Oh, but no matter. When you see Mr. Odair next, please tell him that it's such a shame what happened with young Miss Cresta. It really could have been avoided, had he just followed the rules." Snow pauses, his smile, if anything, growing wider. "And Beetee, I've found your little worm. It seems like this little rebellion of yours has hit quite the snag, hasn't it? Well, I should be going. I have a country to run and a populace's fears to soothe." He wriggles his fingers at us. "Ta ta."

And the screen goes blank.

"Well, shit!" Haymitch swears from the back.

I couldn't have put it better myself.

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AN:
Written: 1/19/17
Revised: 1/20/18

The title of this chapter comes from the Michael Jackson song. Specifically due to the chorus, though the lyrics aren't bad either.

The day that never ends continues...and it's not over yet. Oops?

Special thanks to Lilac Whyne on AO3 for reading through and commenting and inspiring us to work more on this. :)

So we're sorry this chapter took so long. We've been focused on original writing, but we're not giving this up. But we've put out a couple of books and some stories over the last year, so if you like our writing, check those out!

You can get more information about our original works by googling RoseLark Publishing or Christina Rose Andrews

Until next time! Thanks for reading! Let us know what you think!