The screens crackle in front of us, and we wait impatiently with bated breath. Even though the live footage of the arena had cut, none of us dared turn of the feed. Beetee's plan was meant to work, so that when the lightning struck at midnight it would create a flow between the wire and the tree and destroy the arena that way. But it didn't play out like that. Instead the remaining careers got involved, destroying the coil and seperating the group. When Finnick and Peeta heard a cannon boom they split up in search of Katniss and Johanna, leaving Beetee on his own to come up with a new plan.
It was insane. Peeta ended up in a fight with Brutus and somehow managed to kill the big man, knocking himself out in the process. Johanna was running from Enobaria, trying to lose the sharp toothed savage amongst the tree's and circle back around for Katniss - they were fighting when the cameras disconnected. Katniss had found her way back to an unconscious Beetee, who in the midst of desperation had tried to destroy the force field surrounding the arena by running at it with a makeshift spear wrapped in the coil. His plan no doubt being to lodge the spear in the force field so that when the lightning struck it destroyed it. That's where Katniss got her idea from, and before Finnick could stop her she had fired the arrow upwards to the sky and was sent flying back when the tree exploded and the arena broke down around them.
Since then there's been nothing. Not even some Capitol broadcast to try and twist the truth. It meant two things. One, the act had taken Snow by storm. Two, he was already sending his beloved peacekeeper army to retrieve whoever they could from the arena. Which left us hoping Plutarch had the head start on them. Though now it's been almost an hour and we've heard nothing from him. President Coin was tapping her fingers on the desk, trying over and over again to reach Plutarch in any way she could to no avail.
I think I speak for each and every person in the room when I say, I hope to God he has extracted them all and the only reason he can't contact us is because the Capitol might track him. As unlikely as that is, it's the best I can come up with right now.
Boggs shifts around in his chair, switching his gaze between the screen and Coin. "Madame President, I can arrange a squad and have them on the way to the arena inside the hour."
"No." Coin holds up her hand and sighs. "No, they'll never get there in time. We have to put all of our faith in Heavensbee."
Let's be honest, there really is no other choice. If Plutarch hasn't managed to extract Katniss then, well, what can we do?
It seems that way for three long, tedious hours, whilst the crackling of the screens continue in the background to remind us all of how much was riding on a single call. When it eventually came through, the tension in the room didn't lift, if anything it grew, knowing the future rests on the first words from Plutarch's mouth.
The blonde haired man appears on the screens, and for once he's not smiling. I take it as a bad sign.
"Plutarch." Coin is out of her seat, her hands resting on the desk as she says. "What's the situation?"
"Madame President..." He lingers. Purposely or no, it agitated Coin. "I can happily say we managed to extract Katniss Everdeen safely."
The belated sigh the President releases is one of satisfaction and relief. A thin smile even makes it onto her lips, but it's soon outlived.
"And the boy?" She asks, sitting herself down again.
This was the part I was dreading, because even before Plutarch said it, I knew.
"We failed to recover Peeta Mellark and Johanna Mason." Plutarch dips his head, and I can't help but to hate him. "The Capitol crafts were incoming, and had we lingered, we never would have escaped in time."
So he left them! Left them to be captured by Snow, tortured and beaten by him! Left them at his mercy which will please him endlessly!
"You left them?" I let it slip out of me with a growl.
"I had no other choice..."
"You left them?!" I spit it out again before I can hold my tongue. "He'll kill them!."
"I'm sorry, Ethan." Plutarch bows his head again. "I know you were close with..."
"And you left her!"
"If I could have..." He gets cut off.
"Plutarch, there is no need to explain. We understand." Coin interjects and glares at me.
"Of course." Plutarch bows his head. "We did however recover Beetee Latier and Finnick Odair. We are en-route to thirteen as I speak."
"That's excellent news, Plutarch." Coin smiles. "If there are any updates..."
"I'll inform you immediately."
The President thanks him and disconnects, then turns around to face me.
"Ethan..."
"We can send a team to the Capitol. Get them back." I spurt out my thoughts so fast I almost trip on my words.
"That's not possible." Of course Coin shoots it down.
It's not impossible. It's dangerous sure, but not impossible.
"We can't risk all of this for two people."
"Two people! Two people who made all of this possible!" I shout and stand up, imposing over Coin.
Boggs is up and in front of me in no time, his hands on my shoulders as he says. "The President is right Ethan. We can't help them right now."
"Johanna knew the risks when she agreed to be a part of this." Coin stands up and pushes Boggs gently, making him step aside. "Yes we wouldn't have a rebellion if not for her or Peeta, but I think what they'd want more than anything is to know their sacrifice was what brought Snow to justice."
Sacrifice? So she won't help them at all? Not even after the Mockingjay is safe?
"You're just going to leave them?"
"I can't risk losing the freedom of millions to save two. And you know i'm right."
I do, but it still wouldn't stop me from doing everything I could to save them from what Snow will have in mind. I can't help but feel like I can do something, if only Coin will let me.
"You're dismissed for today Ethan." Coin says sternly. "You may take the time to regather your thoughts in your personal quarters."
More like i'm being confined there, but I don't argue with her. I won't waste my breath trying to convince a heart that had already decided. So I allow Boggs to escort me to my quarters, and before he leaves me he explains how sorry he is. Not like he understands how it feels. To have somebody you care about held captive by the person who took everything she loved away from her.
Knowing what lies in store for Johanna just makes it worse. What they did to me in that place will be considered light compared to what they'll do to her. I wish I didn't know that. That entire night I can't sleep for the thoughts racing endlessly through my head. With every blink I could see cell walls, white as snow yet dark as the nights sky. Every breath I took was short, shaky, and the fear set in that each would be my last. It was as if I was there again, in the Capitol, knowing that each day will bring untold pain. Only I was seeing the familiar hell through someone else's eyes. Hearing someone else's cries, and shallow breaths. I had to hit myself on the head to make it go away.
When morning came I felt like death, but I was more than the glad to be up and moving.
I get my schedule tattooed onto my arm, and skip breakfast all together. My appetite is the last thing on my mind, so I just head straight for the armoury for half hour and fill in on whatever extra work needed doing there. Usually they'd turn anyone else away unless it was part of their day, but with things going well as of late, extra work was needed anyway. I pass way more time there than I was supposed too, effectively missing my 10am nuclear history period and 11am cleaning duties. I'm bound to get an earful for that, more than so after yesterday. Boggs is likely looking for me already, no doubt carrying Coin's message on how if it happens again there'll be consequences. I clear out of the armoury around 12 for that reason, Boggs will know this is where i'm spending my time, so he's easily avoided.
Or so I thought. I get to the main chamber before I hear him running up behind me, though when he starts walking at my side he doesn't mention missing schedule, or anything about the armoury. His first words are. "Come with me."
In his voice I hear the concern, so I follow him to the hangar. It's apparent when we're there why there's mass hysteria, and it's not coming from 13's residents. Over a hundred people stand by the hangar doors, covered in black soot, crying and panicking, searching for family amongst the others. I see a woman get on her knee's and scream about how she lost her baby, and I know - or can guess - who these people are. When I see a man of nineteen at the back of the crowd, stood beside a group who looked like him - and Katniss Everdeen's family - I know for certain.
"Boggs. It's Hawthorne." I point him out to Boggs, who takes off instantly. I follow.
"Gale Hawthorne?" Boggs pushes through the crowd and we stop in front of the tall man with brown hair and blue eyes. "Katniss' cousin, correct?"
"According to the Capitol." Gale mumbles and looks down at his hands.
Stepping forward from behind Boggs I ask. "What the hell happened?"
It was Katniss' mother that stepped forward, holding the hand of Primrose, Katniss' sister. "The Capitol ... Twelve they..."
Gale sighed, and as he spoke you could sense the venom in his tone and the fire burning in his heart. "They dropped fire bombs on Twelve. We're all that's left."
Boggs - his brows furrowed - looks to me, as if he found it hard to believe that the Capitol would go that far against a District who weren't rebelling. Of course they would, Twelve has probably been a target since the last victory tour, if not since Katniss whipped out those berries in the 74th games. I'm surprised he waited this long to wipe it off the map.
"Katniss is she..." Primrose steps forward. "Is she here?"
"No." Boggs shakes his head.
All in perfect sync; Gale, Prim and Mrs Everdeen drop their heads to the floor, the thought that Katniss was dead creeping into their minds. I can't say it was unexpected, with the way Boggs handled the question.
Again speaking up I say. "Katniss is alive."
"How do you know that?" Gale asks enthusiastically. Obviously he cares a great deal for Katniss, somewhat more than the Capitol made up.
"President Coin will explain." Boggs jumps in to answer before I can. "She'll want to speak with you."
"There was a plan wasn't there?" Gale's jaw locks, his teeth grind against one another. "A rebellion?"
I look at Boggs before nodding. "There is a rebellion in motion, it started when Katniss won the Games, and it's going to end with Snow's death."
Hawthorne likes that, you can see the flames fanning out in his eyes as he smiles. He wants to fight. Coin is going to love him.
"It's about time." He says.
"If you'll please follow us." Boggs motions with his hand.
As I follow Boggs silently, with Gale at my side telling us all about the attacks on twelve, I realise exactly what is about to come. War. Full scale war with the Capitol, with Snow, a chance to end the injustice that the games had caused us for seventy five years. I'll be honest, I thought the prospect of war would terrify me, but I'm actually excited, knowing it's just hours away from truly beginning.
Perhaps I've gone crazy, or maybe I'm just sick of taking the shit Snow throws at us and pretending it hasn't happened. Either way, I'm ready and I'm willing to die if it helps the cause. So long as I see that Johanna is safe from the Capitol before hand, I can die a satisfied man.