Author's Note: A little warning, I go a little dark here...so does our girl by the way. Also anyone can be tough given the right circumstances.
Thanks to RR for the review.
Chapter 89
The Two Faces of the Devil
When I get back downstairs I see Paylor has taken to this as quickly as she did to command. Though she is a bit awkward especially towards crying children she does find a way to get past it. When she sees me though I can tell she's relieved to know we should be heading out.
She hands over the guy she's been bandaging to an orderly and comes over. "what did you find out?"
"That we have to get to the game center" I say, "communication was cut off"
We find a car, they were using anything and everything to get injured to the hospital. Vivian drives as I explain what I have figured out.
For one thing I don't think Ziggy is guilty, she wouldn't betray me, so her saying it was safe was under duress.
Beetee using Ziggy's line to me means something happened to her and his short reply means something bad, but she's not at the hospital so she must be at an aid station. I don't add that she could be dead, because if she were or on the verge, Beetee who is a victor would know she can't be saved. He wouldn't have barked at me, at least I hope that's the reason.
When we get to the game center it's Coin's soldiers at the entrance. Vivian is visibly stressed, like she wants to yell at them. The two sides of a coin, Alma who is authoritative and hangs behind her army, and Vivian who gets in there and gets things done alongside her men, if I had the choice I'd be with Vivian any day of the week.
I walk up to one of the guards. We exchange glances, and as loyal as he is the look I am giving means 'either let us pass or I will pin you, disarm you and have your weapon'. He steps aside.
It feels like we're back in district Thirteen.
The hallways are lined with soldiers. I get nervous and start running.
When we finally get to the control center three things hit me.
Ziggy isn't here.
Beetee is still at a console. His men are running around with papers and blueprints and there are a few looking over a map using a red marker to note dead PODs.
And there is a trident on the floor.
Trident?
"Trident?" Vivian says
"Yes thank Finnick for coming when he did, although he's incarcerated right now" Beetee is saying as he stares at a screen.
"Where is Ziggy Beetee?" I ask
He stops and looks at me pointedly, "Malcom ordered us to reactivate the traps around the mansion when he saw where you all were. When we refused he took out his gun told us to do it or else"
"Is she alive Beetee?" I interrupt him
"She had the same injury you had, she was rushed to an aid station, Makenzie worked on her that's all I know, she took the shot for me. Told me to get you all out" he looks back at the screen, "Malcom wanted to take me out next that's when Finnick with his crew came in, took Malcom out and when he was still conscious and trying to attack.." here he chuckles, "Annie, sweet Annie knocked him out"
Annie was in a team?! This is one strange day…
"How did Annie get put in a crew?" I ask
"They thought hearing Finnick cry in pain would scare her, if anything it made her so focused to get to him she obeyed orders just to make sure he was okay, and her biggest fear and fault is not understanding and executing commands under stress, she proved everyone and herself wrong, she won't shoot a gun, she can't fight unarmed but she is a smart girl y'know" he pauses, "how are they?"
"Katniss and Peeta are in the burn unit, Ken and Gale in the ICU, so not good" I reply
"So this Malcom is behind this? Why?" Vivian asks, "I mean what could he gain?"
I shrug, "I don't know, Malcom resented me but that doesn't make sense, Ken was his friend"
"We have to get it from the source" she nods to herself, "Beetee where is Malcom now?"
"Aid station number three" he says, "same as Ziggy, Finnick is in a safe house under heavy guard, along with Annie" he tosses a walkie talkie, "I'll guide you, you going on foot?"
"Nah we commandeered a car" Paylor smirks, Beetee smirks back.
"Right well I can guide you better" he nods, "safe travels."
Vivian drives with a lead foot. As we dig deeper into what her and I call 'the mansion incident' it is looking murkier and murkier.
"Malcom was a soldier thru and thru" I explain, "he followed orders and all, but Boggs was our main CO, and I really don't see Boggs giving the order to kill our own men"
She takes a tight corner and I have to hold on to the seat or be flung out.
"Thing with soldiers is they follow a chain of command when one link is taken out they look to the next one up" she says as we race down a cleaned street.
"You think Coin gave him the order?" I say and she turns another sharp corner and gives me a 'shut up' look, it means she doesn't trust the names being used, "why?"
"What would someone vying for power get out of killing the mokingjay, her lover and two men a very influential young woman cares for?" she stops in front of the aid station, "people in power are insecure, or rather those who keep power with fear are insecure" she adds, "and any threat is dealt with little to no knowledge of the consequences."
"Consequences?" I ask.
"You're still alive" she points out.
I go into the aid station, it was a department store but they have cleared the floor of clothing and there are partitions that have been put up to denote surgery areas and recovery areas. Makenzie sees us and comes over.
"She's not well, touch and go, we're gonna find a donor try bring up her blood pressure, but" she's talking about Ziggy, I can feel the world tilt, another friend on the razor's edge. "Ariana" Makenzie is looking at me, I know what she means, I have to say goodbye because she might not last the night, Beetee was no doctor, the wound might have been worse, "she was shot by a much closer firearm, the damage is extensive" her voice seems far off as I make my way to a draped off area where people are being much quieter.
I pull back the curtain to my buggy eyed friend, unconscious, intubated, and pale as a sheet. A massive bandage covers half her chest the edge just visible from the gown she has on.
Oh Zigg I think as I manage to land in a chair, why didn't you warn me? Why did you have to be brave?
I hear someone come in.
"We can't stay" Vivian says, "Ariana"
I nod, I get up and kiss Ziggy on the forehead, "I'm sorry Ziggy" I turn and walk away, fists clentched. "I want to see Malcom" I manage to growl even with tears starting to prick my eyes.
Vivian takes me by the arm and leads me out of the aid station. I'm pulling away from her but we head outside and she holds me to a wall.
"Listen kid" she starts, "I know you're upset, anyone would be, but getting angry and taking it out on anyone is not gonna help" she looks at me solidly, "be smart, I know you have brains rattling around in that skull of yours, and right now you have to use that and not a fist, so, I will talk to Malcom if you can't rein in that fury that's burning in you"
I shove her arm away, "you will talk to a guy who shot her, and almost killed Katniss, Peeta, Gale and Ken?!" I glare at her, "Vivian, he's a monster!"
"He was following orders" she emphasizes, "sure blame him, condemn him like they did war criminals in the old days, but remember he was a soldier following orders from a higher power, if you want to talk to him fine but we have villains on both side and the only way out of this is to tread lightly."
She keeps me outside until I calm down, I can't walk past where Ziggy is so we take a longer detour to where the less serious cases are being kept.
Malcom is kept unshackled, unsupervised with a bandage around his head and a morphline drip. His shoulder is bandaged probably from a trident puncture; I guess he was harpooned but not deep enough to kill him. Not like Ziggy who is fighting for her life, not like Primrose Everdeen never to breathe again, or Peeta who is still burning.
"Malcom" I say from the doorway, he is groggy. He looks over then turns back to staring at the ceiling.
"How are you feeling?" Vivian says, he doesn't respond only groans as he pushes a button to give him a shot of painkillers. He's being treated like royalty, he shot Ziggy and he gets the best treatment!
Ziggy could die and he isn't allowed to suffer!
"Oh he isn't feeling anything" I say darkly, "not like Ziggy though, he can choose to feel pain, she is unconscious, not like Peeta who has to have a central line to give him painkillers and antibiotics or Gale who had internal injuries"
Malcom scoffs, I get to his bedside and entwine the morphline drip in my fingers. "funny how drugs work you know, some have to be given constantly" I check his ample reserve, "that's why patients get a button to self dose, but the slightest kink" I bend the line to close it off, "nothing comes thru" I put my other hand on his shoulder and start to press.
"Ari!" Vivian hisses, "not here!"
"Coin ordered you? Wouldn't be Boggs, he wouldn't risk Katniss, so all you have to do Malcom, is nod, a simple gesture" I say calmly but press harder, he groans, "just…nod and" I wave the kinked tubing in front of him, "all the discomfort you are in will just vanish. You probably gave Prim authorization or was that Coin too?"
Doesn't take much more to persuade him, all he does is give a curt nod and then mutters, "monster."
"Look in the mirror, you killed a fourteen year old girl today" I snap back.
When we get outside again Vivian is staring at me. "he would have lied thru his teeth. A dictator once said 'Live with a man 40 years. Share his house, his meals. Speak on every subject. Then tie him up, and hold him over the volcano's edge. And on that day, you will finally meet the man'" I tell her as explanation.
"Poetic but he is gonna cry to Coin" Vivian says, "you are stuck between two evils kid, you have a death wish? I know you mean well and you are dead honest with me Ari but this is reckless"
"What I have is a strong need to see justice done but it won't happen" I say closing my eyes and letting my head rest against the brick wall.
"And why is that?" Vivian says, "what justice?"
"For us to really have peace both Coin and Snow have to die" I don't open my eyes
Vivian sighs, I feel her move away and then she's leaning against the wall with me, "yeah I know, pity we can't have Katniss kill Coin"
"She probably thinks Snow controlled the fire and rifles from inside, which is impossible, there are no controls in the mansion" I reply
"And they are in no condition to check that out anyway" Vivian says, "look for right now we can't do much else, unless you want to spring O'dair and his girl"
"They won't give them over to me" I snort.
"Okay then find something to busy yourself" she gets up, "we can't do much right now, and there is a lot to sort out, everyone is a refugee now, so I will talk to Castiel, I don't think anyone will argue him getting Finn and Ann out and back to Four, or at least away from prison, you…find something. Keep busy."