Chapter 34: Confrontation
Katniss feels sick. The evil in the room is palpable as Snow wheels himself in the rest of the way.
"Miss Everdeen" he states. "What a pleasure to see you". He coughs into a handkerchief stained with blood.
Katniss is frozen. Is she seeing a ghost? Was there somthing in the tea causing her to hallucinate? Was she delirious?
"I can see you weren't expecting to see me, Miss Everdeen" he says.
Katniss hesitantly responds. "No. No, I wasn't. I thought you were dead, like that other dictator, Alma Coin. The one who killed my sister".
"You should have fired your arrow at me first, Miss Everdeen. You had the chance and it would have been so easy".
"You were dead anyway, or you will be soon. I see you are still choking on your own blood" says Katniss.
"Be that as it may, I am here and so are you. Both of us survivors, Miss Everdeen".
"Why did you bring me here?" Katniss asks.
"I intend to do what I should have done, what the Gamemakers should have done, a long time ago. I am going to destroy you Miss Everdeen. Make no mistake, it will happen this time. No one knows where you are, although I'm sure a few people care. Your fiancé, perhaps? What about your baby daughter. So sweet that you named her after your sister. So very sentimental" Snow says.
Katniss roars. "You son of a bitch!". She wants to jump across the table and kill him with her bare hands. He has caused them so much pain and he has no intention of stopping. As Katniss leaps out of her chair, she suddenly feels faint. The pain from her arm is wracking her whole body. Katniss cries out and collapses on the floor in front of him.
"Taker her away" says Snow. "There'll be plenty of time to deal with her tomorrow".
Katniss knows he is like a cat playing with a mouse. Right now, he has all the power and has stunned her out of resistance. The guard takes her back to her cell, half walking and half dragging her as she struggles to maintain consciousness. He throws her back on the bed, allowing her injured shoulder to hit the bed first. Katniss cries out in pain again and tears fill her eyes. How is she going to escape?
Gale has organized a number of Peacekeepers to travel with him to the site of Snow's bunker. They are going under cover of nightfall and he arranges for the prisoner to be brought to the take off site. This man might have insight into the layout and Snow's reactionary force when they get there. Before they leave, Gale decides to contact Peeta and Katniss to tell them about Snow and his hideout. They need to know it is being dealt with once and for all.
Peeta answers the phone and hears Gale's voice.
"Peeta".
In a rush of words, Peeta tells him.
"Gale, we have been trying to get in touch with you. Katniss has been taken and we think it might be Capitol rebels who are behind it".
"What are you talking about, Peeta?!" says Gale.
"She went into the woods by Prim's grave the other day to hunt when I was at the bakery. Annie was with her, but stayed by the grave to mind Prim. Annie said she heard Katniss shout "Run!" and so she ran straight to Haymitch's house with Prim. Haymitch notified the Peacekeepers and they came and told me. Katniss is hurt Gale. We don't know what happened, just that they carried her out of there and we don't know where they have taken her".
Gale could hear the fear in Peeta's voice. He understood.
"Peeta, we have got new information, information you will not believe, but you have to trust me. I think I know where Katniss is. We are going there now. I am going to bring her back for you, I promise".
The relief Peeta felt was immense. If Gale had information that could lead to Katniss, there was a good chance she would be safe. That was all he wanted for now, to know that she was safe.
"Gale, I wish there was something I could do…"
Gale cuts him off.
"Peeta, if there was something you could do, I know you would have done it already. This is something I have to do not just for Katniss, but for all the citizens of Panem. You will understand when I explain it to you after we rescue her".
Peeta knew Gale had to go. They both loved Katniss and both of them had been involved in helping her to survive. He was grateful that somebody else loved her enough to want to try and bring her home.
The phone cuts out and Peeta knows Gale is on his way to find Katniss. He takes baby Prim in his arms and holds her close. She is so much like her mother. Peeta decides he needs to stay by the phone in case Gale tries to call back. It is going to be a long night, and he is wishing his strength on both of them, in the hope they will return home safely tomorrow.