Chapter XI
"They still ain't talkin' to each other huh?" Finnick asks quietly as Johanna leaves the room, Gale is sittin' at the other end of the table with everything but smoke blowin' out his ears.
"Nope. Been a week, don't look to be endin' anytime soon though." I retort.
"Shame." He mutters.
Gale gets up and slams his dishes in the sink shortly after and leaves the room. They've had a few arguments in the last week. All of which involve him tryin' to talk her out of whatever crazy state he claims she' stuck in. In which she always replies that he ain't a real man if he won't take responsibility or nothin' and that she won't hear him till he grows a pair. He is less than thrilled bout that.
"Good morning." The doctor mumbles awkwardly as Gale pushes past him goin' god knows where.
"Morning!" Rue's bubbly voice calls from where she is lying sprawled out on the floor with one of the doctor's medical books. She's been comin' out of her frightened little shell a lot in the past few days. Thresh is still quiet as ever but Rue seems to have finally found her voice. I think she's finally accepted she's safe now. Ain't no one in the verse will find her out here. Not that anyone seems to be lookin' to hard.
No waves have been comin' in about them being wanted fugitives for a while. I think they're startin' to give up. Wouldn't surprise me if a claim sayin' they was dead showed up soon.
Thresh still stalks around, giving nothin' but one word answers and carefully watchin' his little sister. He's friendly enough but I can tell he prefers to quietly blend in. It's funny actually, Rue is so bubbly and kind even after the horrors she's been through, and Thresh is quiet and kinda sullen. Just like me and Prim. Rue reminds me of her so much. I miss my little duck.
The doctor has been treatin' her in the off time when he ain't patchin' anyone up. Says he can't really find anything wrong with her. She has horrible nightmares sometimes, and sometimes she zones off a bit but she seems fine enough.
Annie saunters into the dining hall. "Cap'n there a call comin' in for ya." She prances over and kisses Finnick on the cheek.
"I'll take it on the bridge." I toss my plate in the sink and tromp onto the bridge.
I sit down in the pilot's seat and bring up the call.
"Sweetheart. Good to see yer bright shining face." A slightly drunken slur sounds from the speakers.
"Haymitch." I roll my eyes and scowl.
"Yupp…there she is." He chuckles.
"What do ya want Haymitch? Cause I know this ain't just a pleasure call."
"I got a job for ya. Cinna and Portia need some fabrics picked up from Siede in District 8."
"Then why are they askin' folks like us? Can't they get 'em in a more legal way?"
"That's the thing sweetheart. They can but they won't. Cinna insisted he wanted you to do it. He says he trusts you and only you to deliver his goods safely."
A small smile creeps onto my face. Cinna's a good man, a loyal customer and an even better friend. He would go to illegal means in order to help his friends.
"Well then I suppose I'll run it by the crew and get back to ya."
I sign off and wander back to the dining hall. Johanna and Gale are still missin' but Clove has joined us.
"Listen up. Cinna's got a job for us. A simple pick up on Siede."
Everyone nods.
"Sounds like a good plan to me Captain. It's the first legitimate job you've had in months." Clove's smoky voice carries across the table. "I also wouldn't mind a few days in District One, if you wouldn't mind Captain."
"Yes it is. So it sounds good to ya?"
"What about Cato. Isn't he in District One?" The doctor pipes up.
"Yea but we can steer right clear of that particular area. Cinna and Portia are on the other side of the District. We shouldn't run into any trouble." I explain.
"No objections. Alright. Prepare the ship. Annie, set us on course for Siede."
...:::...
We land on Siede a few days later. Johanna does a few minor repairs and buys us enough fuel cells to get us to Silbergeld, to Cinna and Portia.
Gale stomped off in a huff after Johanna ignored him. Finnick and I followed him to pick up the crates of fabric.
Apparently this fabric is fire proof or something like that. Can only be bought on the black market and is extremely expensive.
We load all the crates onto the ship and Annie flies us out of the world. She sets us on autopilot and we all gather in the dining room for a good dinner. Hopefully Johanna and Gale can shut their traps long enough to eat.
Gale sulks at the table and Johanna won't even look at 'im. The rest of us make good conversation. Even Thresh offers a few sentences.
An alarm beeps through the ship. "Proximity alert." I explain to those who are confused. "We must be coming up on something."
Annie puts on her most dramatic voice, "Oh what can it be? We're all doomed! Who's flyin' this thing?" We all stare at her and she chuckles, "Oh right, that'd be me."
She gets up and skips to the bridge. Everyone else returns to their meals. Not minutes later Annie's voice comes over the intercom.
"Cap'n!" She sounds panicked. "It's Mutts."
Everyone goes dead silent.
"Mutts…" Thresh's deep voice booms with anxiety.
I stand up and run to the bridge. Everyone follows behind me.
I look down at the console and cure enough. They're comin' up on our rear. Locked onto us. They're hungry.
"Annie. What are the chances we can out run 'em?"
"Not good Cap'n. We could try. But they'd have to chase us, it's their way. And from the looks of it they've got themselves some fancy jets burnin'. We wouldn't stand a chance." Her voice is choked and thick.
"Annie. You're the best damn pilot in the verse. There's gotta be some crazy ass idea in that head of yers. Now I need you to dig deep and find it." I say, turning to her and staring her dead in the eye. "If you don't then we are worse than dead."
Annie gulps loudly. "I think I know somethin'. It's crazy but it's our only hope."
"Do it." I command.
Annie nods. "Johanna I'm gonna need you in the engine room."
Johanna's boots tromp loudly down the hall. "Doc, you go help Johanna." I calmly and sternly demand. He moves quickly out of the room.
"Everybody hold on to somethin'." Annie says as calmly as she can.
Rue and Thresh rush back to the dining hall. Gale, Finnick and I grab onto different places of the bridge.
"Alright Annie. Whatcha want me to do?" Johanna's gruff voice comes over the intercom.
"I need you to cut the all hydraulics to the left port jet."
Johanna is quiet for a tense moment. "Okay."
"Okay. Here goes nothin'." Annie exhales shakily.
She pulls one lever, flips a few switches, and slams her hand on an unlabelled button. "Hold on." She says through gritted teeth.
The ship jerks as the left port jet flips in a one-eighty degree spin and the entire ship turns on a dime. Everyone on board is thrown and if you ain't holdin' onto something you're more than likely a little injured.
The ship turns face to face with the bloodied and battered ship. Dread and fear is churning in everyone's guts as we stare dead into the face of certain death. Barely a moment has passed…
Annie reverses the lever and switches and pushes another button. The port jet reverses, Annie slams her fist onto the hyperdrive and the ship lurches forward—missing the Mutt ship by mere inches.
Everyone's jaws are locked, breath held, and completely still.
After about half an hour of silence, except the whir of the engine, Annie lets out a long sigh of relief. "Looks like we're in the clear Cap'n."
Cheers ring out through the ship. Finnick picks Annie up from 'er seat and spins her around, kissing her deeply. Rue, Thresh, Johanna and the doctor arrive on the bridge.
…:::…
The Captain dismisses us to the engine room. The air is thick with tension and panic. It's rather hard to breathe.
Johanna rushes before me, we enter the engine room and Johanna grabs the intercom.
"Alright Annie. Whatcha want me to do?" Johanna's gruff voice fills the engine room.
"I need you to cut the all hydraulics to the left port jet." Annie's shaky voice returns over the intercom.
Johanna is quiet for a tense moment. "Okay."
"Okay. Here goes nothin'." Annie exhales a shaky breath that can barely be heard over the speaker.
I can hear her flipping switches before she tensely says. "Hold on."
I can hear the change in the engine and the ship jolts suddenly. Johanna manages to grab hold of something but I find myself thrown into the wall. Blackness surrounds me.
"Are you alright there pretty boy?" Johanna's voice is deep and far away. The haziness clears from my vision as I slowly come to. Johanna is hovering over me with a concerned expression.
"Yeah I'm alright. What happened?" I ask weakly, my voice still unsure.
"I think we got away. Barely. Annie's one hell of a pilot. But when she pulled her crazy ass maneuver you fell and hit your head. Yer bleedin' a bit there." She points to my eyebrow.
I wipe with my sleeve, a small stain of blood appears when I pull it away.
"Come on." She stands up and leaves the engine room.
I get to my feet, my head is a little dizzy but I push it back. I follow Johanna to the engine room. Cheers sound all around me. When we enter the bridge I see Finnick picking Annie up and kissing her fiercely and passionately. Jealousy tugs at my heart. Katniss stands with a relieved smile on her face, she gives Gale and affectionate punch to the arm, he grimaces. Rue hugs Thresh tightly and he smiles. Rue goes to hug Gale; he's surprised to say the least. Finnick and Annie still hold each other close. Katniss stands next to me and as Gale startles from Rue's hug he bumps into her. She falls into me and I catch her by the waist. Her hands splayed tentatively over my chest. My heart races and a blush lights up her cheeks. She clears her throat and moves away.
Johanna sidles up beside me and sighs. Wistfully she says, "Everybody's got somebody." She looks to Finnick and Annie who are so clearly in love. To Rue and Thresh, a brother and sister who would do anything for each other. She completely ignores Gale's presence in the room.
"I don't…the Captain don't." I reply.
"You and the Cap'n have each other… you just don't know it yet." She replies smartly and I blush at her meaning. She knows of my feelings, could she be implying something?
Sadness creeps into her voice, "Peeta…tell me I'm pretty…"
"Johanna…were I available, I would take you in a manly fashion." I grin.
"Cause I'm pretty?"
"Cause you're pretty."
She snorts. "Thank you. That was very uplifting." She says sarcastically, recovering from her momentary vulnerability and reverting to the snarky Johanna I have come to love.
Author's Note: Hey all. Thanks for reading. Sorry for the delay. Please review!