Chapter 27: Interrogation
Gale has made contact with some of his Peacekeeping friends in the Capitol. There is an camaraderie between them that only brothers in arms can understand. He senses dissatisfaction among some in relation to how the Capitol is handling things at the moment. They can't quite put their finger on it, but the other Peacekeepers feel there is something they are not being told by the Leadership which has led to a lack of serious questioning of the Capitol rebels. Gale knows this is important information and wonders what the reasoning behind it could be. He asks one of his friends if he can facilitate a secret interrogation with one of the prisoners. It will be important Paylor doesn't become aware of what he is doing for now. It doesn't pay to get caught acting against the Government. His friend agrees and makes arrangements for Gale to come to the prison late at night when activity there is at a minimum. Gale knows things couldn't get any worse for Katniss so, if there are going to be consequences, he will be the one to pay the price.
Entering the prison in the early hours of the morning, Gale is led to a small room which has a table at its centre, a chair on one side facing a two-way mirror, and a chair on the other side for the interrogator. There is a man sitting in the chair facing the two way mirror. He is probably in 40's, not large, and with a smooth complexion. His hair is greying at the sides and he looks well groomed. His appearance has all the hallmarks of a pampered Capitol existence and bears no resemblance to Gale's idea of a hardened Capitol rebel. This is not what Gale had expected. The man has an official air about him and has been selected for interrogation according to his status among the prisoners. His hands are shackled and so are his feet. He is wearing a plain blue shirt and loose trousers in the same colour which is the regulation prison attire. He calmly waits for the interrogation to begin.
Gale wants him to talk so, when he enters the room, he treats the prisoner with respect. It is the respect of someone who knows exactly what it is like to take up a position of resistance to the enemy.
"My name is Gale Hawthorne and I am a friend of Katniss Everdeen. I have come to talk to you about what is happening to her at the moment".
The man is immediately disarmed. The interrogator is straight to the point, the prisoner thinks, and doesn't hide the fact he is friends with the traitor, Everdeen. Curious now, he waits for Gale to continue.
"There has been an incident which we have interpreted as a threat against Ms Everdeen. A white rose bush was discovered recently on top of her sister's grave. I would like to know your thoughts on this threat against her".
Gale knows people always want to tell their side of the story. He is giving the prisoner an opportunity to open up about the way the Rebels feel about Katniss and the level of threat involved.
"I don't know anything about the threat against Katniss Everdeen. I do know some of your Peacekeeper friends tried to have her killed though" he says.
Gale realizes that the prisoner is also skilled in the art of interrogation and he can't allow him to turn this around and make it about anything else except this latest incident. Gale needs to be on his guard against showing any reaction. Disarming again, he continues.
"That's true" Gale replies. "And they failed". Letting him know that it will not be so easy to bring down the Mockingjay.
"A cat only has nine lives, Mr Hawthorne, and Miss Everdeen must have run out of several by now" says the prisoner. "What with the Games, the Rebellion, her hijacked fiancé…"
"Perhaps" says Gale. "Although, so far she has survived and I'm sure she will again. You don't know her like I do".
The prisoner is curious. What is there to know about this girl that he doesn't already know? She is treacherous, sly, scheming and, above all, began a revolution which became the ruination of his future. He was going places in the Capitol until she came along. Katniss Everdeen's insolence and arrogance could not be overlooked, would not be overlooked. They should have killed her. They will kill her.
"You didn't know her well enough to know she was in love with somebody else" says the prisoner.
Gale is taken aback, but does not react. Who is this man?
"When you care about someone you want what is best for them. I can live with it" says Gale.
Hawthorne is not hiding anything, thinks the prisoner. He begins to feel some respect for Gale knowing he was a rebel once, too.
"Good for you. Well you won't have to live with it long, once we get our hands on your Mockingjay" he says. Gale has his first indication that the threat is real, but he needs more.
"What difference will it make if you kill her now?" says Gale. "The Revolution is over. There is no bringing Snow back or what you once had. He's dead and so is your Resistance".
Gale notices the prisoner looking away from him deceptively. He finds this odd. Something he just said has triggered a reaction in this man that he wasn't expecting. What was it?
"If we get our way there will be a return to the life we once had and the peace we enjoyed" says the prisoner.
"A peace you enjoyed at other people's expense!" says Gale. "The Capitol rode high on other people's misery and we are not going to let that happen again. People need their freedom, not just to survive, but to thrive. Sadly, freedom is something you will never experience again" Gale finishes.
The man knows, unless the Rebels win, he will not escape this place. But Paylor is making them comfortable and he knows why. There is something the government of the New Panem has not told the people. Something they refuse to admit even to themselves. If word ever got out there would be another revolution. "Oh, what a tangled web we weave…" thinks the prisoner.
Gale leaves the prison in the sure knowledge that there is something going on which the new government of Panem is deliberately hiding. Watching the prisoner's reaction to his questioning, the lack of any real effort on the part of Paylor's government to seriously interrogate these prisoners and the unease of other members of the Peacekeeping force means Gale smells a rat. It's a giant rat and he is going to smoke it out of its hole once and for all. Not just for Katniss' sake, but everyone's sake. It's time to set a trap.