Lanai Hollister, 22

Head Gamemaker of Panem

The bottom has dropped out of the world and Lanai is going to be sick. She wants nothing more than to march in Snow's office and strike him dead where he sits. A few years ago, she probably would have. But things are different now, and Lanai cannot go on making reckless decisions.

Reckless decisions like rescuing tributes from the arena. It was the right thing to do, wasn't it? Save a few more kids, send them somewhere safe, let them live out of the rest of their days. It sounded so nice, so idyllic, that Lanai couldn't see past the rainbow in front of the dangers.

Really, she just never thought they'd get caught. And even if they did, they could send the kids away to somewhere safe where they'd never be found. That fell through when Thirteen refused to help. Lanai had said as much to the kids before she shipped them off to District Ten. That if Thirteen would take its head out of its ass and help them, then the three of them would be guaranteed to be safe. But Lanai can no longer make that guarantee.

However, it did lead her to another idea. She had to pull some strings, but she managed to convince Brady Beltrami he should step up and mentor for District Eleven this year. After all, with Brice Kylar's tragic, sudden passing, it would be so nice of Brady to take the load off of the grieving Meadow Quince's shoulders.

It wasn't like Meadow was complaining about getting a year off. And Ashe Illyrian didn't get a say in the matter.

The screen on Lanai's desk is still frozen on a still of the District Ten Reaping. A pair of fifteen-year-olds are shaking hands on the stage, looking stricken. Really, their reactions aren't strange for kids their age being Reaped. Both of them are pale and holding back tears. It's not weird, because they're just kids.

But Lanai knows exactly what is going through their heads, and she's going to be sick. She promised those kids she would do everything in her power to keep them safe. She had dismissed every one of their concerns and shipped them off to District Ten, and look where that got them.

Lanai does not like breaking promises. And she made an incredibly important promise to those kids, and she broke it.

Lanai stares at the pair for another few minutes, stomach rolling. They were supposed to be free of this. They were supposed to be safe in District Ten, where they could live out the rest of their lives in peace. Maybe she shouldn't have caved to them. Maybe she really should have split them up.

"Excuse me, Miss Hollister," her secretary's voice says from the intercom on her desk. "Soprano Cleff is here to see you."

"Send her in," Lanai responds, shutting off the screen. She can't the image of those two kids shaking hands out of her head. When she thinks about it too hard, she sees them on different stages a year ago, shaking hands with dead people.

Soprano pushes open the door without announcing her presence, shocking Lanai out of her spiral.

"Hello, Soprano. Close the door."

Soprano obliges and sits in one of the armchairs in Lanai's office. "So, I would guess you saw…"

"District Ten? Yes."

"You're absolutely certain this room isn't bugged?" Soprano says, looking around nervously.

"I check for bugs every morning. We're fine," Lanai says. "Purdue had all of the surveillance tech removed when she came into office, and I've made sure that Snow hasn't replaced any of it."

A little bit of the tension leaves Soprano's shoulders. "What are we going to do?"

"I suppose we could transplant Troy to another District—"

"Not about that!" Soprano exclaims. "If they've found those kids, that means they know all about what we did. That means we don't be able to do it again."

"You're still the head of the hovercraft squad," Lanai says. "That hasn't changed. We can operate as normal."

"Can we?" Soprano says. "Where can we possibly send any kids we rescue where they will be safe?"

Lanai types something into her computer. "Are you familiar with the name Brady Beltrami?"

"Of course. He has the most kills of any District Eleven Victor," Soprano says. "What does he have to do with this?"

Lanai pulls up a shot of today's Reaping in District Eleven. Brady Beltrami stands out sitting with his fellow Victors, with skin so pale it's nearly translucent and bright blond hair.

"He'll be mentoring along with Ashe Illyrian this year," Lanai says. "When he gets here this afternoon, he's supposed to come meet with me. Why don't you tag along? It makes more sense coming straight from him."

"Alright," Soprano says. "Why can't you just tell me?"

"In all honesty, I don't have the full story," Lanai says. "The Capitol's files on this particular secret are sorely lacking."

Soprano still looks suspicious and tense. "We still need to be prepared for the worst, Lanai. As in, Renius has us killed. He has to know we're all involved now."

"His name is Snow, Soprano. Use it," Lanai says. "Besides, Snow knows what I'm doing. I know that he knows what he's doing. We can't stay like this forever."

Soprano purses her lips. "I don't know what to tell you, Lanai. This is your movement, and if you don't want to waste what you have, you need to figure out how to stop Snow."

"I'll figure it out," Lanai says, even if she sometimes finds herself doubting it.

"Lanai," Soprano says. "We need to be treading very carefully from here on out. You understand that, right?"

Lanai nods tiredly. "Of course I understand the need for cautiousness, Soprano. I'm not stupid."

There's a few moments of silence. Lanai swivels her chair so she's no longer facing Soprano.

"Maybe we shouldn't rescue anyone this year," Soprano says in a soft voice. "Maybe it will be safer that way."

"There's nothing safe about rebellion," Lanai says. "If we want to get anywhere, we have to take risks."

"But are these risks worth it?"

"They're kids, Soprano," Lanai says. "Of course it's worth it to save as many as we can."

"Not if they're going to get tossed back into the arena at the earliest opportunity," Soprano says. "We can't keep taking ridiculous risks if they aren't going to further our goals."

"I already told you," Lanai says. "I have a plan."

Soprano gets to her feet, but Lanai doesn't turn back to face her. "Just…think about it. We have a week before the Games begin. There's still time to…you know, call it off."

Lanai only shrugs in response, even though she knows Soprano can't see it. The door opens and closes, and Lanai slumps in her chair.

Sometimes, when Lanai feels particularly disheartened, she is forced to sit back and remember how many people have lost their lives for this. Silas. Nayra. Ashe Illyrian's family. And now the same pair of kids that Lanai promised to protect. That is how Lanai knows she cannot back down. Too many people have given their lives to her cause for her to give up on it now. Even when that might sound better. Panem has survived the Hunger Games for a hundred and fifty years. It has become so ingrained in the systems and the culture that Lanai isn't sure she can rip it out.

But the people want it. Panem threw its support behind Ashe Illyrian and what they perceived to be an act of rebellion. Lanai has Victors from every District signed on to help her. Now all she has to do is figure out how to get there.

Quietly rescuing tributes from the arena last year wasn't explosive enough. Even Ashe Illyrian's attempt to leave the Games without a Victor wasn't enough. Lanai needs something bigger. She needs something that will force the Capitol to fight back.

And she is sure she doesn't have very much time to do it. It's only a matter of time before Ezra figures out how to destroy her. Which means she has to act fast, before Ezra has every one of her supporters killed.

The clock is ticking in many respects. The Districts won't remain incensed forever. Lanai can't remain in her position of power forever.

She wishes Silas was still here. He would know what to do. He would have all of this figured out. He wouldn't have let this happen. If Silas was still here, all of the kids they rescued from the arena would be safe and sound, somewhere far from the Capitol's reach.

Lanai sighs heavily. It's been a long, hard year. She wishes she could go back to the time when Graciela Purdue was still alive, and she truly believed she wouldn't need her violent rebellion at all. Purdue had once shown Lanai her plan to slowly end the Hunger Games over the next forty years. It wasn't as fast as Lanai would have liked it, but she understood the need to slowly phase it out rather than abolishing it entirely.

There has to be something more she can be doing. There has to be something she can do to the force a confrontation with the Capitol.

Lanai bolts upright. It's obvious. It's so obvious she doesn't know why she didn't think of it before. A smile spreads across her face, and turns back around to begin making new plans.


A/N: Quick update this time, as it's just a short little chapter.

Here's some questions: what the fuck is going on with Brady Beltrami? What was Lanai's idea? Tell me all of your guesses.

I'll see you again with Eike, Kyrum, Katarina, and Elsie.

-Amanda