A Million Pieces - Hunger Games (Catching Fire & Mockingjay)

Chapter 44

It's cold outside in a way that it never is in District 4. I move closer to Caspian and we blend into the crowd. I want to focus on the plan, but I'm caught by surprise by the heavy atmosphere that weighs down on all of us, set to the sound of crying, hard breathing and the occasional gunfire. There's a girl - no more than fourteen - sitting alone in the middle of the street, crying into her hands. I'm thrown back suddenly to when I was that girl, crumpled on the reaping beach in District 4, feeling so completely alone after Talise's death. Caspian's muscles tense, drawing me closer. I risk taking my hand off my gun to place it on his arm. Peacekeepers are interspersed in the crowd, and I do my best to check their faces for familiarity without lingering too long. As expected, none of them are Barrere. He'll be closer to the mansion. We advance at a steady pace, my heart beating much faster than my feet move. We keep our heads down, but I can't help the way the desperation around me sinks through my skin and into my bones.

Caspian nudges me and I look up. About twenty yards ahead, Cressida and Pollux have slipped back into sight. They don't look back at us, but Pollux raises his arm just slightly, motioning up ahead to the right. It takes another minute for the bodies to part enough for us to finally see him. His helmet is off. His cold grey eyes survey the refugees. Quickly, I reach for a memory. I stand chest deep in water, Malila on my shoulders battling with Annie, who is sitting on Finnick's. To my surprise, there is no flashback. I remember, of course, the cell, the torturing room, the way he grabbed me, the needle in my neck. But all I feel is a cold finger run down my spine. For some reason, I can't look at Caspian, although I feel his eyes on me. I move towards Barrere.

We're less than ten yards away when the bullets start raining down on the crowd of refugees. Instinctively, Caspian and I throw ourselves to the ground. He tries to muffle a grunt of pain, but he can't hide the way his hand reaches for his injured leg. I look up and see that Barrere is waving his gun wildly in the air, focused on finding the shooters. I can hear the gunfire and I see people collapsing, but I know this is the perfect moment, the perfect distraction. I get to my feet and stay low, creeping towards Barrere. His back is turned to me when my knife descends. It finds his shooting arm, but it's not enough to stop him from whirling around. I duck as he lets loose a stream of bullets and I dig my knife into his thigh, creating a deep gash, the kind that spurts blood and requires immediate attention. I look up and he looks down, our eyes meeting. He recognises me the same second that Caspian strikes his face. I spring out of the way, but Caspian miscalculated his blow, and Barrere has now turned on him. Trained as a soldier, he instantly notices the way Caspian holds his weight to one side. Caspian manages to hit the gun out of his hands, but Barrere kicks his hard on his injured leg, making him to shout and crumples to the ground.

Instantly, I leap back into the fight. My knife digs deeper into the shoulder wound I'd just made, and before Barrere can catch his breath, I slam the rear of my knife into his temple. His knees give out, and although he grunts and moans, he can't do much else. I look to Caspian, who miraculously, has managed to stumble to his feet once more. I take a second to exhale - for a moment I thought... Barrere groans and I turn my attention back to him. Caspian and I each take an arm and drag him down one of the smaller streets. I look over my shoulder to make sure we're not being followed, but Peacekeepers, citizens and rebels alike are preoccupied with the pods triggering and the gunfire continuing. I shoot down the street and no pods explode, so we throw Barrere to the ground. Caspian checks him for other weapons, then stands by my side, gun in his hands. We wait patiently while Barrere struggles to his knees in front of us. For a second, I relish this change in positions. I stand over him, weapons in hand, like he did so many times. And then he speaks.

"Vengeance?" he says in his malicious voice, although now it's gruff with pain and effort. I take my eyes off his face for a second. Blood is pooling out of both his arm and leg. "I guess you managed to surprise me, Ayers, despite how well I know you."