An Extra Tribute

-getting him back-

When I report back to the hangar with Boggs, Katniss is in some sort of induced coma in the hospital. Apparently, she was going mad. So, they sedated her and stuck her back in with Finnick, who's also sedated. He lost it after they put Katniss under and so they were quick to insert the needle into him too. They said that they aren't worried about me, I guess. Everyone cries sometimes and at this point, it's been expected that I break. I also didn't go crazy like Katniss and Fin did. However, they're more susceptible to episodes like that than I am. Anyways, Coin insisted that they needed me around and that I better prove them right or else I'll be right where they are. So, I put on my stone-faced mask and went back into soldier-mode. That's what I need right now, not sobs. It's what'll help Peeta most. And, it's better that Katniss is asleep for this part. If not, she'd want to go with us and I don't know if she could handle that.

"Ready for leave in two minutes," Boggs instructs. I strap into my seat next to Gale and wait silently. My helmet has a camera on the face shield that shows Command what I see and also me. I'm still in my Ghost costume as Cinna's design was combat-oriented and protects me well, but I've got goggles that attach to my helmet that allow me to see in the dark. Night vision. I've still got my knives, swords, and gas mask, but I've also got an assault rifle strapped over my shoulder. It's my favorite so far other than my mini automatic.

We're going to the Capitol to save Peeta and the others. Boggs is leading. It was a strictly volunteer only operation and Gale and I were the first to sign up. Dad tried, but Boggs ignored him. He only allowed me to go after a special order from Coin to allow me access to the mission. Everyone seems a bit weary about me, yet Coin seems to have total faith in my abilities. That, or she's expecting me to die on the mission and wants to speed the process up, which doesn't match with her Mother Hen attitude towards me. So, I assume that she just trusts me. Which is nice... I guess.

The only reason we can do this is because the power is still out in the perimeter of the Capitol, effectively disabling their defenses. Also, rebels inside are bombing a government building when we get about five minutes away, so it will hopefully catch Snow's attention for a short while. We have intel that they're being kept in the Tribute Center and so that's where we're headed. Our plan is to gas the areas we enter, quietly knocking out any guards before going through and grabbing them. It's a simple plan, really, but still extremely risky. It's why we haven't gone in sooner. That and people will die trying to set off the bomb and keep things under wraps. But, it's worth it now, I guess. They can't lose their Mockingjay.

The hovercraft takes off, but I barely take notice, I'm too caught up in my own world, thinking about what will happen when we get Peeta out. And we will. Get Peeta out, I mean. I'm not leaving until we do. I also think about how Katniss and Finnick will react when they learn about our mission. Thrilled, of course, but also terrified. Finnick will most definitely be worried about me and Parker making it out alive, no matter how much he trusts me. And Katniss will certainly be in a frenzy knowing that Gale, Peeta, and I could all die. All of us. I feel a bit bad for her, but start paying attention when Boggs starts giving us instructions.

"Bryant, you stay by my side. Athens, Screets, you'll watch our backs. Hawthorne, you'll watch our sides," he says.

"Sir, yes, sir!" I chant back at him. He nods in approval.

"We'll be there in T-Minus twenty minutes."

Twenty minutes later, the hovercraft's switched into night view and we're shooting gas bombs into the glass roof of the Tribute Center, reporting to Command as we do so.

"Get ready to drop," Boggs says as the silent timer on his wrist cuff hits zero. The gas bombs have detonated. We lower ourselves down into the building on ropes, sliding down carefully. We look around the empty ceiling space as we keep going down, allowing our small headlamps to give us some light. Once we hit the bottom, we're pointing our guns around, using the flashlight on those to see that the guards are unconscious. The bombs worked. Not that I doubted them, but things always seem to go wrong when I'm around.