Chapter 85: Pressure
Gale has entered the prison in order to carry out further interrogations. Paylor has decided that he is the best man for the job after his success in garnering information from a prisoner the last time. Gale asks for the prisoner who had revealed the threat to the Mockingjay to be brought to him. He wonders how Lorcan's father could be so hardened when his son was obviously such a gentle and caring boy.
The set up for interrogation is the same. A small room with a table in the centre, one chair for the prisoner and one for Gale. Gale watches through the one way mirror as the prisoner is led in from the other side. The man looks older, paler and is not clean shaven like he was the last time. This could be to do with the prison's regime or it could be that he is actually being affected by watching the Games and seeing what Lorcan is going through. Gale will soon find out, and he enters the room with a sense of purpose.
"Well, here we are again" says Gale sounding bored and non-chalant, like the whole thing is becoming tedious. It is the opposite to the way the prisoner must be feeling, so this is Gale's way of beginning the psychological warfare of interrogation.
The prisoner just looks at Gale accusingly, but doesn't say anything.
"Your son is proving to be quite a hit with the people in the Districts" Gale tells him.
The prisoner pushes back his chair in a swift movement and stands up with his hands clenched into fists in his cuffs.
"Sit down, sit down" Gale says waiting for the prisoner to comply. "We're actually quite impressed with him and I'm sure you are, too. Lorcan's very adept at survival, isn't he?"
Still the man remains silent. There is pain in his eyes, but he still refuses to speak.
"We were a little concerned at his reaction to the Gamemaker's ploy with the insects. He hasn't regained consciousness yet, but is resting comfortably for now. He also has an ally who seems to be taking good care of him, but we know that won't last for long…"
"You people are no more than hypocrites!" the prisoner growls. "You cry about the Games and then you re-institute them so that more children die. You already killed Capitol children unnecessarily at the end of the Rebellion…I believe you had a hand in that".
Gale is taken aback at the reference to his "hummingbird" trap. It is one of his most painful memories and the prisoner notes his reaction.
"You were a fool to think the war would end there" the prisoner says. "We were never going to go away, even if Snow had died. Clever of your Mockingjay to work out who the real enemy was though…"
"Coin and Snow were as bad as each other. The Mockingjay recognized that, and she took the necessary action. Little did she know Snow would get away, but we are going to find him soon" Gale says.
"Not on my watch. You've made my son a piece in your Games and all that has done is harden my resolve. Lorcan is resilient and there's a good chance he can win" says the prisoner.
"Are you sure you want to take that chance?" asks Gale. "Your only son, who is prepared to give up his life for others. He actually reminds me a lot of Katniss Everdeen in the Arena. What do you think?" questions Gale.
This is too much for the prisoner who reaches for Gale, but is held back by his restraints.
"My son is nothing like the traitor, Everdeen. He is doing what you have forced him to do, fight for his life" says the prisoner.
"Oh, but he is doing so much more" says Gale. "He is showing the same courage and fortitude as Katniss showed. He is leading people to understand that everything about the Capitol isn't bad, that there is goodness in Capitol people, despite Snow's efforts to convince us otherwise. Lorcan is defying the Capitol's standards of ruthlessness more effectively than Katniss Everdeen ever did. Because he is one of your own, a Capitol child. The son of a ruthless resistance fighter who admires the Victors of the 74th Hunger Games and who knows they admire him, too".
The prisoner calls the Guard.
"Get me out of here!" he demands.
Gale has one more thing to say.
"You can let him die a hero, a hero that stands against everything you and Snow stand for…or you can give us the information we need to save him and put an end to the Games".
"If what you say is true, my son is a traitor and no better than you and your Mockingjay. Let him save himself!" the prisoner finishes.
The man is as heartless towards his own son as he is to Katniss and the original plight of the people in the Districts. Gale knows he will get nowhere with him and ends the interrogation. But, there are more prisoners to interview and Gale is going to work through them all – those who still have surviving children in the Games are his best hope for now. Where there is life, there is hope.
Ottilia wakes as the sun begins to shed its burning rays on them again. She has slept on and off, checking Lorcan's breathing intermittently and waiting for him to wake up. He seems peaceful now, so Ottilia decides to let him rest while she looks for some more berries to gather, in case they are needed again. She would love to go and wash down by the stream, but the walk is too far from here and she doesn't want to leave Lorcan on his own too long. She hums to herself as she wanders through the trees, admiring the beauty of the forest. There are no insects to bother her today and the smell of the woods is refreshing, invigorating even. When she finally gets back to their campsite, she sees Lorcan trying to sit up. He is finally awake and Ottilia rushes over to help him.
"Oh, Lorcan! You're awake!" she says with more than a little excitement in her voice.
"What happened?" he asks Ottilia groggily.
"The insect bites. You had a reaction to them. We both did, but yours was much more severe. You've been unconscious since yesterday, but luckily there were berries to treat the reaction".
Lorcan begins to remember the bites, the itching, swelling and pain. The inability to catch his breath. He looks down at his chest and the marks are still there, but they are not as swollen or angry looking. He looks like he is covered in blood, but that is just the berry juice. Ottilia must have covered him in it and he knows she saved him, just like he had saved her.
"Ottilia, thank you" he says as he takes her hand and gives it a squeeze.
"You saved me first" she tells him, not wanting to focus too much on her heroic efforts. They were as much for her sake as they were for his.
"No, really. I had no idea I was allergic" says Lorcan.
"I think it had more to do with the Gamemakers and their evil inventions" she tells him.
Of course. Lorcan should have known. What he knows now is that they have to keep moving and find that tree, the one with the blossoms. First he and Ottilia need to eat and drink, then they can keep heading in the direction of the exit.
Ebony wakes to find her light source has retreated and taken the heat with it. She quickly shakes it again hoping that there is still some energy left in it which she can use until she exits the tunnel. Thankfully, it burns as brightly as it did last night and she hastily prepares herself another meal which she will need to keep up her energy levels…they are so low after the days she had spent without anything to eat.
With a solid meal in her belly, Ebony packs her bag and lifts the light source to help her negotiate her way through the darkened tunnel. It is cramped and made up of steps which she assumes are leading her back down the mountain. She doesn't know how far she will have to travel, as there are a number of outlying arenas which will have tunnels just like this and they will all lead the survivors to the same place…the second arena and what may be certain death.