Sir,
Due to the high number of recent break-ins, and the rising criminal element in our fair Capitol, I'd like to propose a new system of securing the city. Please allow me to meet with you whenever it is convenient, so that we can end this new threat together.
- Aloysius Starkweather, Head of Peacekeepers, Capitol Division
Looks like it's going to be a long night. The trade Raven arranged for Finnick Odair's trident got interrupted by a couple Peacekeepers, and she's been taken uptown to the Peacekeeper headquarters. They won't kill her, not a Hunger Games victor, but they might rough her up pretty badly during the interrogations. And of course, if she's interrogated, she might drop my name and the fact I'm still alive.
That's pretty high on my list of things I don't want to happen. It's right above having someone shove a note under our door telling me Raven's been picked up by Capitol thugs, but that's already happened tonight. Bad enough someone else already knows I'm living here in the Capitol, but at least they seem to be on my side. Still, after I figure out how to get Raven out, finding out the name of our helpful friend is something I'm going to have to do, whether he or she likes it or not.
I know they go through some routine questioning at the headquarters, but Raven told me a while back that for the unofficial interrogations, which sometimes involve lots of pain, they'll take prisoners to the prison way on the other side of town. They don't want the good citizens of the Capitol to hear the screams. Still, at least they get to live. Part of the privilege of living here, is that there actually is a prison. In District 5, if you get caught, you get a swift execution and your body is taken to the nearest power plant to provide electricity for the Capitol. Waste not, want not, they say.
So, I've been waiting on the roof of Peacekeeper Central, and it's cold out. A hovercraft landed in front of the building earlier, and there's always a bit of wind when one of those is around. After what feels like an hour of watching, I see them drag out Raven.
She's got a Peacekeeper on both sides of her supporting her, and she's limp. No marks on her that I can see, but they might've drugged her. Wouldn't be surprised. Seems like a lot of these Victors are pretty good fighters. It occurs to me that when I was visiting the museum recently that I didn't have time to see Raven's statue. If I survive tonight, I'll have to go look at it. I'm curious to how she won.
She's inside the hovercraft now, and I know what my plan is. Sort of. It's reckless, and dangerous. Of course, that's exactly why I'm doing it.
It's rising slowly, and I know I have to time this just right or else I'm not gonna make this jump. When it's halfway up the building, I go back to get a running start and dive. I land on top of the craft and scrabble for handholds. Once I find a bar on top of it, I'm hanging on as hard as I can. Once we're above the highest rooftop, there's a jolt as it accelerates, and I know my arms are gonna hurt in the morning.
It's probably a really great view of the Capitol from here, but it's dark right now. For the best, I suppose. Don't need to have reports coming from all around about the lunatic redhead taking a ride on the hovercraft roof.
Finally, we slow down and start our descent. Once we're on the ground, everyone gets out except the pilot, and I smile as a plan starts to come to mind. It's a plan that I have Raven to thank for, oddly enough. One of the first bits of advice she gave me after picking me up from the Games comes to mind.
"So, Raven, how did you manage to arrange a hovercraft escape in the middle of the Games? How did no one suspect?" She smiled at me and continued her bandaging of the arm she'd just cut the tracker out of, and remains quiet for a minute, thinking.
"Marissa. Do you know the difference between a good diversion and a great diversion?" I shake my head. No, I don't. But I want to know.
"A good diversion is one that will distract who you're trying to distract. A great diversion will distract everyone around you, and make them all completely forget you were even there for a while afterwards." She glanced at me, then continued on with her explanation. "I find that large explosions tend to fall under the category of 'great diversions'. The larger, the better." She laughed a little bit, and I grinned. "Of course, I'm a little biased." At that moment, I decided staying around Raven wouldn't be a bad plan.
After the last passenger lets the prison door close behind him, I swing down from the roof through the hovercraft doors. The pilot hears me and starts to swing around, but it's too late. I've already drawn my knife and put it to his throat.
"You want to live? Answer my questions. Does this thing have autopilot?"
"Y-yes, it's right over here, on this-" A quick motion and he's gurgling the rest of his sentence. "Thank you." I quickly set it to fly where I want it to go, and jump out of there before it's risen too high.
I've found a pretty decent hiding space to watch what happens next. The craft has risen about half as high as it did on the way here, when the acceleration kicks in. Just like I planned, it slams into a nearby building as fast as it can.
There's a loud explosion. Hopefully Raven can hear it. If she can't, well, maybe she heard the dozens of alarms going off seconds afterwards. Peacekeepers are running out the door, and they all look panicked. Maybe they think there's another rebellion out here.
When no one's run outside for two minutes straight, I figure everyone who can be out here is already out. No sense waiting any longer. The front door is open, and I decide to just walk in. The place is practically abandoned, which is good. There is a Peacekeeper sitting at the front desk, but after I've taken care of that little problem, it looks like I might be the only one in the building that's not in a cramped cell.
There's a map on the front desk, and I have to slide the corpse off of the edge of it to read it properly. Looks like there's four cell blocks. Cell Block A holds standard criminals. The ones that might be released someday. B holds suspected rebels. From what I can gather, D is completely empty. That's probably where they do the interrogations. C is lifers. There's a few key rings behind the desk, and I figure I might be able to use it. I have to pass through B to go to D anyway, so as I go through, I hand the keys through the bars and tell the prisoners there will never be a better time for a jailbreak. Half of them are outside in seconds, while the other half attempt to open every cell door in the building.
I find Raven slouched over a desk with handcuffs on her wrists. She's still passed out. Must've been a pretty strong dose to keep her down. I know my way around locks, and three minutes later, I'm dragging her out the door while the handcuffs are lying on the floor.
I'm about halfway through Block B and wishing Raven had taken my advice to go on a diet a little more seriously, when the prisoner I gave the first set of keys comes over and tosses her over his shoulder. We both run as fast as we can outside.
It's complete chaos. Peacekeepers are being attacked, buildings are on fire, and Raven was right. Absolutely no one is looking at me right now. I nod at him and he hands her back to me, and we go in opposite directions. She starts stirring at the first block away from the prison, and is walking with help by the fourth block. We stop in an alley to catch our breath, and she's looking at me with something like awe.
"I gotta tell you, Foxface-" she starts.
"Marissa, please." I interrupt. "I just saved your life, Raven. Probably several times! Can't you refrain from calling me that ridiculous name for just one night?"
"No. But, that was quite impressive." She smiles and stretches, and we start the long walk home. Then she says something that makes it all worth it.
"I'm going to get you a cake tomorrow." Raven knows how much I love the Capitol's cake, and I can't wait till the morning now.