We trekked through the jungle with little conversation. We paused when the anthem began to play and looked up to the sky. The last picture was of Chaff which meant there was only seven of us left in the arena. We got back to walking when the music stopped playing. When we finally reach the tree, Beetee stared at it for a bit.
"Minimal charring." He said. "It's an impressive conductor. Let's get started." We moved to the tree. "Typically a lightning strike contains five billion joules of energy." We begin to wrap the tree with the wire. "We don't want to be anywhere in the vicinity when this hits." Beetee holds the rest of the wire out to me. "You two girls, go together now." I take it. "Take this. Unspool it carefully. Make sure the entire coil is in the water. You understand?" I turn to look at Mason as Beetee was staring at her. "Then head to the tree at the 2:00 sector. We'll meet you there." He looked back to me.
"I'm gonna go with them as a guard." Peeta spoke up.
"No, no, no. You're staying here to protect me." Beetee told him. "And the tree."
"No, I need to go with her." He argued.
"There are two Careers out there. I need two guards." I look to Mason then back to the others.
"Finnick can protect you just fine on his own." Peeta stated.
"Why can't Fin and Mason stay with you and Peeta and I'll take the coil?" I asked Beetee. He walked over to me.
"You all agreed to keep me alive till midnight, correct?" He asked me. I didn't reply to him.
"It's his plan. We all agreed to it." I glanced to Mason.
"Is there a problem here?" Fin asked, I turned to him but still don't say anything.
"Excellent question." Beetee stated.
"No. There's no problem." I lied to them all. I went over to Peeta and gave him a kiss. "I'll see you at midnight." I said, not realizing that would be our last kiss.
"All right, let's go!" Mason called. I followed after her, glancing behind me to look back at Peeta. We watched each other for a moment before I had to turn around to keep up with Mason. She helped me done the rocks by taking my bow so I'd have a hand free. "Come on. I want to put as much distance between me and this beach as possible. Frying is not how I want to go." My arm holding the wire tugs backwards causing me to pause and look back. I pull on it but the wire doesn't move.
"Something . . ." I trailed off in a whisper. The wire snaps, sending me backwards to the ground. I get up quickly to load an arrow when I'm hit in the back of the head. I let out a loud grunt as I fell back to the ground. I feel someone take my arm and slice it open, making me scream in pain.
"Shhhh." I heard Mason. She places her hands on my neck, spreading my blood over it. "Stay down." She whispered to me. People ran passed me after her, I slowly sit up. My head feeling heavy and light at the same time.
"Johanna, where are you?" I heard Fin yell. I scooted back and hid underneath the little edge of dirt. I heard him stop close by. "Johanna?" He whispered out then moved on. I look back to the tree.
"Peeta." I said softly and made my way back to the lightning tree. On my way back, I picked up the wire where it was cut and brought it with me. "Peeta." No one was there, I saw someone fly away from the force field and ran to them. Beetee was on the ground with a spear wrapped in the wire next to him. A cannon fires off. "Peeta!" I screamed in fear. "Peeta!" I turned to my left as something moved to me. I hid in the leaves with a arrow at ready.
"Lils, where are you?" Fin yelled as he stopped at the edge of the trees. I aim my arrow at him, breathing heavily. Fin turned his head and then stared right at me. He raised his hands in surrender. "Lils." His voice broke. "Remember who the real enemy is." I slowly lower my bow. 'Snow.' I turned to the tree when the machine began to power up. I pick up the loose wire and begin to wrap it around my arrow. "Lils, get a away from that tree!" I heard him yell but I ignored him. "Lils, get away from that tree!" I aimed my bow and arrow up at the sky and waited for the first strike of lightning. I let out a scream as I released my arrow. I'm flung back by the explosion, grunting as I hit the ground with a loud thump. Slowly blinking my eyes open, I'm greeted with sunlight as the arena begins to fall apart around me. A aircraft starts to descend from above me, the claw drops and scoops me up. My eye lids begin to droop, I let out one last sigh. My head drops backwards and my eyes close, my world going dark. I let out a gasp when I jolt awake. I look around then take off the breathing mask and IV stuck in my arm. I look over to my right and see Beetee, still unconscious. I stand up and walk to the cockpit but grabbing a syringe on my way, hiding it behind my back. I moved to the door and listen for a moment.
"She's gonna lost it, when she finds out about the boy." I frown and stare at the door, 'Haymitch?'.
"She'll still cooperate, though?" That was Plutarch.
"Without Peeta? There's no guarantee." My eyes widen and I moved closer to the door. The door slides open to reveal Haymitch, Fin, and Plutarch.
"Just tell her when . . ." Fin trailed off when they all turned to me. I stare at them all, confused and scared.
"Morning, sweetheart." Haymitch moved to me, I narrow my eyes at him. I charged him and try to stab him with the syringe. He caught my arm and pushed me back against the wall.
"What are you doing with them?" I asked, breathing heavily. "Where's Peeta?"
"You and a syringe against the Capitol. See, this is why no one lets you make the plans." I stare at Fin, trying to understand what was going on here.
"Peeta? Where's Peeta?" I asked again, no one answered me. "What the hell are you doing in here?" I asked Fin, getting upset that no one would tell me where Peeta is.
"Stop. Stop. Just listen." He told me.
"We couldn't tell you with Snow watching. It was too risky." I turned to look at Haymitch. "Better for you to know nothing." He lets go of me and I push him away.
"Where's Peeta?" I repeated once again.
"Now, Calla Lily." I look over to Plutarch. "You have been our mission from the beginning. The plan was always to get you out. Half the Tributes were in on it. This is the revolution. And you are the Mockingjay. And we're on our way to District Thirteen right now."
"Thirteen?" I questioned.
"Thirteen. Yes." Plutarch nodded.
"Where's Peeta?" I asked him. He let out a sigh and looked away, walking over to a different part of the room. Fin turned his back towards me.
"He still has his tracker in his arm. Johanna cut yours out." Haymitch explained.
"Where is he?" I asked, confused.
"In the Capitol." My mouth dropped open slightly. "They got him and Johanna." I shook my head.
"No!" I screamed out, tears begin to run down my cheeks. "No, no, no. Peeta." I sobbed out, almost sounding like I've gone insane. I kept sobbing as I look around the room trying to find him, to make this nightmare end but I don't find him and the nightmare doesn't end, it will never end. I turn my head back to Haymitch with a venomous glare. "You son of a bitch!" I screamed at him and slapped him in the face with full force. I went to hit him again. "You son of a . . ." He captures my wrists with his hands to keep me from hitting him again. "You promised me that you would save him! You promised!" I sobbed out loudly like a scream. I felt something poke me in the back, I fell to the ground when my legs went numb. "You're a liar." I cried as he gently laid me down on the ground. "I hate you, I hate you." I sobbed before the darkness washed over me again. I woke up again in another place that I've never seen be for. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked over. Kat was sitting on the edge of the bed I was laying on.
"Hey, Cal." She said softly with a small smile. "You're okay. You've just been asleep for a few days."
"Are we home?" I asked her. Her smile drops and she looks away. "Kat? Where's Prim and mom?"
"They're alive. So is Mr. Mellark. Gale got us out in time." I furrow my brow in confusion.
"Got you out in time?" I questioned.
"After the Games, they sent in hovercrafts. And they starred dropping firebombs." I stared at her was my eyes begin to water.
"We're not in Twelve?" She looked back at me with a blank face.
"There is no District Twelve. It's all gone." I shook my head and stared up at the ceiling shaking in sorrow. They took everything thing from me. My home. My Baker Boy. I begin to glare up at the ceiling. No more, Snow will fall and I will be the one to do it.
It's time to spread my wings, it's time I became the Mockingjay.