CHAPTER 6 : HER DESTINY

While the entire class was taking exams, Coriolanus observed his classmates in deep concentration. The blond had already finished, which attracted a few prying eyes. He turned over his paper then grabbed a pencil. On the back, he began to draw the Hob : the entrance via the stairs, the platform which served as a performance stage, the tables. He did not forget the counter, the reserve and the entrance which led to the storeroom. He knew this because he had already watched Erin come out with food and drinks. Coriolanus placed his fingers against his forehead, perplexed. Drawing a square near the storeroom, he drew a door with a question mark. At the moment he had no idea what was hidden behind it.

An alarm suddenly signaled that the exams were over. Coriolanus waited for the other soldiers to leave before getting up towards the commander's desk. He gave him his exam then turned it over to show him the drawing he had made. Commander Hoff looked at the paper, clearly surprised.

"Did you just do this ?"

"It's a place I'm studying at the moment," explained the blond, ignoring his question. "It's possible that rebels are regrouping there."

Coriolanus knew that at any time he could ask Commander Hoff to patrol the Hob. It was easy to use the excuse of the numerous contrabands the blond had witnessed to convince him. However, the black market was not enough for Coriolanus. He wanted to achieve a greater goal. Observing the man in front of him, he patiently waited for a response from him.

"I want you to come with me this afternoon," the commander told him, quickly putting the paper in his pocket.

"This afternoon ?" Coriolanus repeated in confusion. "I have to participate in a training."

"I will talk to the instructor. We are going to raid a farm that we have suspected for a while. We believe it contains ammunition used by the rebels."

Determined, Coriolanus nodded quickly. He liked the special treatment the commander gave him. He loved that feeling of knowing everything, of being in control.

Later, as expected, the blond did not follow the other boys. He placed his helmet on his head while looking at the soldiers sitting next to him in the truck. They were all older, more experienced. Coriolanus finally felt in the right place.

When they entered the farm perimeter, the soldiers got out of the truck. Immediately they dispersed and left Coriolanus alone. Another vehicle quickly arrived with the commander. Gun in hand and head held high, the blond did not move. But, he frowned slightly when his superior told him that he was not participating. The purpose was to observe how experienced soldiers operated to successfully complete a mission.

Now close to the target, Coriolanus and the commander watched the scene hidden in the mountains. The farm in poor condition was on a slope, in a hollow area. There were no other buildings around, it was completely far from civilization. The few trees helped the soldiers surround the farm. Step by step, they moved in silence. They positioned themselves in front of each entrance and each window. Commander Hoff grabbed his walkie-talkie, ordering all the soldiers to enter simultaneously. Then, the first shots started. On his guard, the blond grabbed his gun. The commander raised his hand, telling him to calm down and just wait. With binoculars, they saw the first soldier being evacuated. A rebel tried to escape through the roof but someone immediately shot him. A few minutes later, the place was completely under the control of the peacekeepers.

"Coryo ?" his friend called him several times. "Are you still daydreaming ?"

Blinking rapidly, the blond shook his head. He could not stop thinking about today's mission. Coriolanus leaned against the wall behind him, sitting at the same table in the Hob. He watched the Covey performance with an impassive face. For a moment he imagined Lucy Gray singing. Her voice, her clothes, her hair : he remembered it as if he had seen her yesterday. However, he could not be sure if he missed her or if he was simply disappointed that he had cheated for nothing.

"You look depressed."

The peacekeeper looked down, meeting Erin's brown irises.

"I'm fine," he said in a monotone voice. "I'm just nostalgic."

"Oh," replied simply the young woman, turning to the Covey, "that's understandable. Is there anything I can do for you ?"

Raising her eyebrows, she sighed at his silence. She placed her tray on the table then sat on the chair in front of him. Caught off guard, Coriolanus crossed his arms. He did not particularly like the way she imposed herself.

"You don't need to be so defensive," Erin smiled while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Shouldn't I ?" he answered back, staring at her. "District twelve hates peacekeepers."

"I don't think that's true. Aren't they on your team ?"

Erin pointed at the counter. Coriolanus, surprised, observed other peacekeepers laughing with Hob regulars. He wondered if this scenario was real or if the commander had simply let other soldiers know about the infiltration mission. Focusing back on Erin, he studied her face for a moment. She was calm, friendly and naive. However, he still wondered about this last aspect. Maybe she was smart enough to make him believe it ?

"How did you learn to fight ?" he asked her, genuinely interested. "I have never seen such precision, even among the peacekeepers."

"Well you don't really fight with knives," explained the young woman with a frown. "But to answer your question, I learned it from someone I used to really love."

"Are you talking about the one who challenged me the other night ?"

"Ew," Erin snickered. "No, he's not even worth mentioning."

Coriolanus smiled slightly. Uncrossing his arms, he placed his hands on his knees. He looked around, trying to remember who he had seen Erin with the most. There were her two friends behind the counter but she still seemed on good terms with them. He slid his gaze to the usual door. He absolutely wanted to know where it led, he had become obsessed with it. He could tell that Erin was interested in him so why not just ask her ?

"Sometimes I see men use this door," he explained, pointing at it. "What's behind it ?"

"I think you're too young to know that," Erin replied amusedly. "How old are you ?"

"Eighteen. You ?"

"A few more years."

Erin put her forearms on the table before resting her chin on her crossed hands. She tilted her head to the side, suddenly looking thoughtful. Then she stared at Coriolanus. It was impossible for him to guess what she was thinking. He, on the other hand, could not help but make one remark : when the Hob will be on fire, Erin's innocent face will be one of those that will burn.