Disclaimer: The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, two of the best books I've ever read, are owned by Suzanne Collins and I don't have any rights to them except the right to read them and love them. Here's my attempt of trying to continue the story. I'm sure it will pale in comparison to Suzanne's wonderful work, but here goes chapter six.
Chapter Six
I dimly come aware of someone sitting next to me with their arm around me. I look up and see Madge. She has been silent through this whole ordeal and I realize that although she has no experience with anything out side of our District, this girl is strong in a way I would never thought she could be. I think back to the days back in the District and how she was quiet, never really one to socialize, like me. I think of that lonely house with a mother that was always in bed and father always looking to business. Then I remember the day she had come to visit before my first Games. How intense her eyes had been as she insisted I take her pin. This girl, who in District 12 terms has been so privileged, ran through a blizzard to deliver morphling for Gale after he was whipped.
Here she is, armed to the teeth in a way I bet she has never imagined, stoic in the face of all these injured people, and comforting me. A new admiration for her runs through me. She's tough. She notices my stare and squeezes my shoulder. I see her blue eyes are troubled so I ask her what's wrong.
Madge looks across the room as the healers are furiously working on someone that I don't recognize. "It was too easy," she says softly.
I'm confused at first, because I don't get what she is saying. But then I see Commander Vanzant on her other side and I see her nod. "We didn't encounter any resistance, really. There weren't enough guards."
A chill runs through me and I rub my arms. As my hand brushes my left forearm I freeze. "Commander, does he still have his tracker in his left arm? Do any of them still have trackers?"
Her blue eyes widen in alarm and she barks out orders to the Healers. She grabs Madge and me and moves us out of the way. We watch as they dig out trackers from Peeta and the other captives. "How long have we been traveling?" I ask.
"About an hour and a half," Madge answers. So the Capitol, if they have been tracking us which I'm sure they have been, has known our location for an hour and a half and they haven't done anything yet? Something doesn't add up for me. I look over at Commander Vanzant and I can see her working through the same process. Something doesn't feel right.
"Stay here," she orders us and walks out the door.
Finnick comes over to us as we stand watching the Healers destroy the trackers. "What's going on?" I tell him everything I know so far. His green eyes go grim as he looks around the room. "The only thing I can imagine," he says softly so that only Madge and I can hear him, "is that someone on this hovercraft is spying for the Capitol."
Well, of course someone is, I think. The odds are never in our favor. Gale comes in the room and looks over at us. His eyes are just as grim as Finnick's. He walks over to us and says under his breath, "Get your weapons ready."
I don't even think to ask why. I pull an arrow out of my quiver and guard Peeta's chamber now that they have dug out his tracker. I look in the tiny window over where his face should be and I see his eyelids fluttering. I wonder what dreams are haunting him. "How much longer for the healing process?" I ask his healer.
"About another fifteen minutes," she tells me. "When it's finished, we'll fit him with a new leg." I nod. Madge is on the other side of the chamber and the healer doesn't say anything about our stance. I'm guessing she knows what is going on. "I'm worried about the others," the healer tells us.
"Which others?" I ask. She points across from us. I didn't recognize the two bloody masses that were brought in and stuffed into chambers. "Who are they?"
The healer sighs. "It's Cinna and Portia. They need at least two more hours." My stomach clutches. Cinna… The last time I saw him, I was trapped in a glass tube while two Peacekeepers beat him with spike covered gloves and dragged him away in the Launching Room from the arena. They beat him because he had defied President Snow who had ordered me to where my wedding dress for my last interview. When I had raised my arms above my head, the wedding dress had burned leaving behind a black dress in feathers with white wings that looked like a mockingjay. Dear, sweet, wonderful Cinna.
I catch the edge of Peeta's chamber for balance as the hovercraft dips and weaves. "What's going on?" I ask. Nobody answers but I already know. The Capitol is after us. I'm not sure how long we sway back and forth, but the healers step forward and get Peeta out of the chamber. They sedate him and then lead him to a table as they put on his prosthetic leg. I watch the process as I sway back and forth with the craft wondering how they can do this in these conditions.
Other Healers run to Cinna's and Portia's chambers and look at digital machines. They punch buttons on the key pads and read more displays. I want to tell them to hurry. Now that I have my friend back, I don't want to let him go. I look around the room and I see Annie is awake, dressed, and huddled next to Finnick. His family is huddled around them and hugging. Each of them has a bandage around their left forearm from the trackers.
I turn back to Peeta and I see them reviving him. I'm drawn towards him so that when his eyes blink open, I'm standing in his line of vision. "Katniss?" he asks. His eyes search mine and I feel his hand reach for my face. "You're real? Or are we dead?"
You would think that I wouldn't have any more tears in me, and yet the fall down my cheek and onto his hand. "We're alive," I answer.
He moves faster than I would think possible after his ordeal. He sits up, swings around and wraps both of his arms around me. It's a little awkward because I still have the bow and arrow in one hand, as well as the quiver of arrows on my back. But I hug him tightly with my other arm and just let myself feel. His hair is soft on my face, his breath hot on my neck, his heart loud and strong against my chest. I hear him murmuring just my name over and over again.
He pulls back and his fingers lightly run over my face. "I thought you were dead," he whispers.
I try for a smile. "It would take a lot more than a lightning bolt to do that."
His smile returns and he looks around the room. The craft weaves again, and though my legs were braced for balance, Peeta was not. I sway with him and have to grab the table he is on in order to stay upright. "Where are we?"
"On a hovercraft owned by District 13. We rescued you from the Capitol, but they were tracking us. Now they are after us." I see him tense up and I know he realizes what I'm saying. The nightmare isn't over yet. A healer comes up with some clothes and he quickly gets dressed. Madge comes over with one of her guns and a holster and hands it to Peeta. He looks grateful as he straps it on. I hand him a thigh sheath and a knife. I also give him a bow with some arrows.
I look up and see Gale's eyes burning into us. But something is different about his gaze. It's like he's working something out. He's not angry, or at least he doesn't look it. A moment later, we hear a commotion outside of the door and Vanzant returns with a woman with her arms cuffed behind her. She has brown hair and green eyes. Vanzant throws her onto the floor. "Lock her in a chamber," Vanzant orders. Her eyes are cold and distant as the other woman is lifted and put in a chamber.
We hear her scream out until the door is shut. After that, we don't hear anything at all. "If we get back to base, she'll have a trial for treason. If we don't, she can stay there." Vanzant's eyes sweep around the room and see that everyone is out of the chambers except for Cinna and Portia. "How much longer?" she asks.
"About ten minutes, sir," a healer replies. I realize the "Sir" is a sign of respect even to a female officer.
"Let's hope we have that long," she tells them. Then she sweeps her gaze across us again. "We may go down. If we do, you need to be able to run and fight. They've shot down three of our hovercraft. We're out of the Capitol area but they have followed us. If we go down, be ready." I nod even though I know she doesn't expect us to reply. She walks out and I feel Peeta's had in mine. It's strong though I can tell he's lost a lot of weight even in the few days we haven't seen each other.
"Katniss," I hear him whisper and I turn to look at him. "I love you," he tells me.
Something explodes inside me and it takes me a minute before I realize it is joy. Even though the world is screwed up and we might die, again, his simple declaration of something he's said a thousand times still manages to give me joy. Maybe it is because this time, I can say it back. "I love you, too."
His eyes widen and he lowers his head to softly kiss my lips. This is different than most kisses we've shared. A warm feeling spreads through me, but it's not the one of longing I've felt before. It's gentle and reaching and makes me glow on the inside. My body feels weightless and the only feeling I get from it is his lips softly on mine. When he's finished I feel as if my head is revolving somewhere above the rest of my body. His arm goes around my shoulders and tugs me to his side and he lays his head on top of mine.
The Healers pull Cinna and Portia out of the chambers and dress them. Cinna sees me and comes over to hug me. "I'm sorry," I tell him and he shakes his head. We briefly tell both he and Portia about the situation. Someone arms them and I feel slightly hysterical at the thought of Cinna with a gun. His fingers are used to fabrics, not weapons, but I also know there is a lot about Cinna that I don't know.
Not that we have time to go into it now. An alarm sounds through the hovercraft and Vanzant comes into the room. "We're about five miles west from Freeland. We're going down. Get ready to fight." Her words are short and simple and feel me with dread. I square my shoulders and brace for impact. It seems as if I'm always getting ready to fight.
