26: Thoughts

Seneca POV

I rush back to my house quickly to get some money and my phone and to tidy myself up a bit. Snow is the only one who knows that I am supposed to be dead, so if others see me walking in the streets it's nothing to worry about. I sigh in frustration. Where did it all go so wrong? I guess it was when I started playing around with new rules, but after seeing Gale and Katniss, they would have probably managed to win together anyway.

Once I'm satisfied that I look presentable and have something to eat, I write a note to my family quickly.

Dear Family,

After the Hunger Games went wrong, I was supposed to be executed. However I am still alive, Katniss and Gale saved me. I am starting a new life now. I doubt you will be able to come with me without giving anything away, but if you wish to visit my new address will be: Fleet House, West Street, on the North Side.

I'm going to miss you a lot. Maria, my beautiful wife, I love you. Take good care of Lucy and Jasper for me. Lucy, daughter, I love you too. I want you to do well in life, so concentrate on your schoolwork and make some good friends. Jasper, my son, stay strong and of course, I love you too.

-Seneca

PS: Get rid of/hide this properly after you read it.

PPS: If you come to visit me, don't be surprised if I have a new face.

I fold the letter up and put it on my wife's pillow. I look around at the house in regret. My whole life is crumbling around me, and the only other alternative is death. I hear a low chuckle coming from behind me and I spin around to the source. Oh crap, I think. Sitting in a chair behind me is President Snow.

"How touching," he says sarcastically. My hand twitches as I suppress the urge to draw my handgun and kill him. He seems to notice. "I wouldn't if I were you," he advises. "I have guards you know- right outside this room. Killing me would get you nowhere. Now hand over the gun- I have a proposition which may allow you to live."

My interest is piqued by this. I expected him to kill me. I slowly draw my handgun and pass it to him. "What is your proposition?" I ask suspiciously.

"Very good," he praises me, like a dog. I've always resented the way that he talks down to people. "And my proposition is your only chance to live." He pauses. "What do you know about District 13?"

"District 13 produced graphite. They were destroyed after the Dark Days to scare the other Districts into submission," I say. There isn't much to know- everyone knows that much.

"Wrong," he says. Wrong? What does he mean, this is what everyone knows. "District 13 produced a small amount of graphite, but it was mainly nuclear power and weapons that they had. We knew that if it came to nuclear war the whole of Panem would be destroyed. So an agreement was made. We pretended to bomb them and they went underground, allowed to rule themselves."

"OK.. What does this have to do with me?" I ask curiously. That isn't what I expected, but I guess it makes sense. And why would President Snow tell me lies about this?

"Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne have produced a spark of rebellion. If a boy and girl from District 12 of all places can defy the Capitol and live, others will try. I can't kill them because then they would become martyrs and people would rebel more. District 13 would be the base of a rebellion. I want you to be my spy there."

"How do you know they would accept me?" I ask. "They seem pretty secretive."

"You have a motive for revenge and they would want people who hate me. You could say you knew about them from a friend- you have enough contacts for it to be believable."

"OK- I'll do this," I say. It's my only chance to survive, he's right. I don't have much of a choice.

"Get ready. Your helicopter leaves in half and hour." He gives my gun and a phone to me. "Keep in touch on this phone- it's untraceable." I open my mouth to reply, but Snow cuts me off. "And remember, Seneca- if I find out you have turned traitor I will kill your children. Jasper and Lucy, wasn't it?"

That manipulative bastard. Now I have absolutely no choice in this. I can't die, I can't actually join the rebels. I will be forced to spy on District 13 and maybe on Katniss and Gale, the two tributes who saved my life. Even though I know that it's wrong, I can't refuse his offer. Jasper and Lucy will always come before Katniss and Gale, even though they saved my life.

"Yes," I mutter through gritted teeth. "I won't betray you."

"Very good," he responds and leaves the room, calling his guards to him.

Snow POV

I allow myself to smile after leaving Seneca's house. Everything is falling into place. I now have a spy in District 13, one who is very believable. I've tried to get spies in before, various peacekeepers, but they have records on them all. None of them had a reason to betray me or a way of finding out about the rebellion, so they were caught. I'm sure Seneca won't be caught though. He is an excellent actor, smart too.

The only bad decision he made was to let Katniss and Gale live. Then again, that decision saved his life. I would have had him killed anyway, as two teens from District 12 going against my wishes is rebellion anyway. The point is that Seneca knows how to please an audience, whether an audience of District 13 soldiers or of Hunger Games fans.

Perhaps a talk is in order with Katniss and Gale, to let them know what is at stake here. It is essential that the Districts and Capitol believe that what they did was an expression of love, not of rebellion. Otherwise they will start to rebel, someone will eventually find out about 13 and the Capitol will be ridiculously outnumbered.

At the moment, the only things keeping us on top of the Districts are technology and training and money. But District 13 can offer them all of those things, so it is essential that the Districts can't find out about 13. This Seneca thing came just in time really, as spy can be placed in the Capitol's time of need.

If the talk with Katniss and Gale does not work or they turn out bad at convincing the people, I will need a way to eliminate them. Without making them martyrs of course. What would be a way of making them die without me being implicated. Random shooting in Twelve? No, people would suspect. Threats to her family to control her? Possible, but if she joins the rebels then her family will be protected.

Then my mind hits a great idea. The Quarter Quell is next year. And a Victors only Quarter Quell was somewhere on the list. Not for next year, but nobody really has to know that. I can switch the twist from the a boy being reaped and his mother being his partner to a victors only twist.

Katniss being the only female District 12 tribute, she will definitely be reaped. Then it's either Gale or Haymitch. I don't think that I should bias it, because if anybody finds out then people will join the rebels faster than tributes die in the bloodbath. Gale, being reckless like he is will probably volunteer anyway. In fact, it's probably better if Haymitch is picked because then I can't be blamed for killing Gale.

I need to find a new head game maker, one who I can trust to make these Games dramatic and interesting and fatal for most. Now I regret not paying much attention to the game makers apart from Seneca. I try to remember whether he ever mentioned that anyone was good to me and my mind comes up with a name.

Plutarch Heavensbee, game maker in charge of mutts. I've seen his work over the past few years, and I admit that it is pretty good. The fox mutts, Seneca told me, were completely his idea. If he is head game maker, probably a lot of the games will involve mutts, and the people love that.

Yes, I need to pay a visit to Plutarch Heavensbee and inform him of his new position.

Haymitch POV

I reach for some of the white liquor ordered from the Hob in 12 to calm my nerves. It works well. Katniss and Gale didn't mess up the interviews- luckily for the rebellion and for them as well. Everything turned out in probably the best way possible. They've provided the spark of rebellion. The spark that the Districts need to rise up.

It's a pity that we can't arrange any protection for them, not without people knowing about rebellion anyway. Now everything is down to Snow. But whatever happens, the rebellion will have something. Unless Katniss and Gale play his games, whatever they may be. But I can't see that happening in the near future.

If they are killed then she'll be a martyr for a cause. Immortalised, like an idea. People will sign up for the rebellion just to avenge her. Her or Gale and no other tribute though, I think bitterly. Nobody from my games ever sparked such an interest. That's all it is to them really- she was so interesting to them that they began to see her as human.

But the better alternative is for District 13 to kidnap her, take her to their underground headquarters. Train her a bit, then use her. Film videos of her and release them to Panem. Have her sabotage Capitol business. Little things that will stir up rebellion in the general populace.

When representatives from 13 pulled me aside a few months after becoming Victor, they were considering me for her role. A symbol of the rebellion, after my own small rebellion in the Hunger Games. They were impatient- I wasn't their perfect choice. What I did was too small. But how long could they wait?

That was when I was introduced to the rebellion. And I feel sorry for Katniss if it's going to happen to her. It puts her directly in the Capitol line of fire, yet at the same time keeps her safe. I gulp a bit more liquor, relishing the familiar tastes of District 12. Perhaps I'm trying to suppress the memories.

I'm going to make sure that they're more cautious with this symbol though. The mockingjay, they call her. Operation Mockingjay, after her pin I suppose. When I was their symbol they were too reckless. They released a video and a week later, my mother was killed. Nobody really suspected that it was because of them though, even I can't prove it.

She ate a bad piece of turkey- so people were told. But after I found that signature white rose in my house, I knew differently. I stopped being the symbol then. I couldn't risk the life of my sister. District 13 weren't desperate for me either. They persuaded me to be their spy in Capitol and the Districts though, and I accepted.

I couldn't let Snow get away with what he had done to me. And neither will Katniss Everdeen or Gale Hawthorne, that I know.

Author's Note

Finished. I've completed my first fanfiction. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and followed and favourited this story, and if you have any feedback on the whole thing, feel free to leave another review. You guys are great. The sequel is up now, it is called Kindling the Spark. I hope you liked the story, and once again, thanks to everyone who read this far. See you in the sequel..

-MoonOfPluto