Everyone stood guard around the semi open area as Beetee got to work wrapping the coil around the large tree. Most of it wrapped around the trunk while he finished by wrapping the coil around some of the lower hanging branches.
"We don't want to be anywhere near the vicinity when the lightning hits." He warned them all as he stepped back, admiring his work. Taking what remained of the coil he handed it to Katniss and Johanna. "You two girls go together now. Take this, unspool it carefully. Make sure the entire coil is in the water, you understand?"
Luce could see the confused look on Katniss' face giving her an uneasy feel about it all. Surely Katniss expected to participate and help out right? Or was there a different reason?
Beetee had just finished explaining to them, adding that they needed to meet the rest of them at the section which represented 2 o'clock.
Peeta then took a step forward, "I'm gonna go with them as a guard."
"No no no, your staying here, to protect me. And the tree." Beetee interjected but Peeta fought back.
"No I need to go with her." He said holding no room for argument. Luce could feel the confrontation forming, and knew that it would not end well.
"There are two Careers out there I need guards." Beetee argued back.
"Finnick and Luce can protect you just fine on their own." Peeta offered refusing to back down.
Katniss then spoke up adding her own input, "Yea why can't Luce, Finnick and Johanna stay with you and Peeta and I will take the coil?"
"You all agreed to keep me alive until midnight correct?" Beetee asked looking at them all. Johanna had heard enough as she finally spoke her mind, her tone implying that she was annoyed with the whole situation, "Look it's his plan, we all agreed to it."
Finnick finally asked if there was a problem with the plan they needed to discuss.
"No, there's no problem.." Katniss said accepting defeat, but it was easy to hear that she didn't mean it. She shared a look with Peeta before standing in front of him and giving an unusually long kiss. She reassured him that she'd see him at midnight before taking the coil with Johanna and heading toward the beach.
Luce offered to help Beetee look over his work and check for anything that needed to be tweaked or fixed, while Finnick kept a watchful eye out for any signs of the two Careers that were sure to be nearby. Peeta watched Katniss disappear into the night before joining Finnick in keeping watch, occasionally looking back to where Katniss had been.
The night grew darker, the silence not helping Luce in feeling any better about this being entirely successful. She began to pace on the opposite side of the tree as she watched the area.
It wasn't long before they heard a scream in the distance, one that belonged to Katniss. Peeta gave a look before taking off into the jungle to look for her.
"Peeta!" Finnick shouted going after him, Luce right behind him.
"No Luce! Stay here with Beetee!" Finnick shouted back at her and gave a hard stare to show his seriousness. He then took off going after Peeta as well as to search for Johanna.
Luce bit her lip nervously as she looked around, her daggers gripped tightly in her hands. Glancing to Beetee she could see he was just as nervous as she was, but his main concern still laid with the tree. As she looked closer to him she noticed that he was wrapping a piece of the coil around a stick. But before she could question him they heard the sound of shuffling feet in the distance. Her head whipped around to scan the area and see which direction it was coming from. Hearing it again she took off hoping it was just Finnick.
"Finnick?" She called out cautiously, her voice still a bit rough sounding. "Finnick?!"
She was going to call his name a third time when she came across Peeta fighting with Brutus. Aiming one of her daggers, she made sure it was pointed solely at her desired target before pulling back and throwing it. Brutus looked down at his arm to see the dagger sticking out of it, giving Peeta enough time to stab him and kill him.
"Luce get back to the tree!" Peeta shouted before running off to continue finding Katniss.
Luce wasn't sure what to do anymore. She wanted to find Finnick, but knew that she had to stay with Beetee to protect him. Shouting in frustration she marched forward to collect her dagger then continued on into the jungle, deciding on looking for Finnick.
As she moved she could feel herself getting turned around and lost. Surrounded by nothing but the dark of night. The moons illumination barely able to penetrate the thick foliage of trees. She worried if she would stumble upon the monkeys again and get herself torn apart.
Then she heard it, the faint sound of someone yelling. She closed her eyes to focus the best she could and when it sounded again she knew it, it was Finnick. Luce didn't think twice before taking off toward it. Hoping that he was back at the tree and there would still be time. She pushed her feet as fast as she could. The crackling sound in the air brought her to a sudden halt and looked up to see the lighting strike down ahead of her. As the lightning lit up the area with light she noticed something flying into the sky. One of Katniss' arrows. She watched as it continued all the way up, striking the top of the arena.
The charge from the lightning followed the coil that was attached to her arrow and electrified the barrier. The arena crackled, sparks flying from the impact.
Then everything went dark.