The Name of the Game I Finnick Odair

The 76th Hunger Games

The group crunched through the streets of broken glass until they reached their target, the block they were to take. It was a real, if small, goal to accomplish. They gathered around Boggs to examine the Holo projection of the street. The gunfire pod was positioned about a third of the way down, just above an apartment awning. They should've been able to trigger it with bullets. The next pod was at the far end, almost the next corner. This would require someone to set off the body sensor mechanism. Everyone volunteered except Peeta, who didn't quite seem to know what was going on. Kenzie didn't get picked, so she simply stayed close to Finnick, giving his hand a short squeeze.

The squad positioned itself under Boggs' direction, and then they had to wait for Cressida to get the cameramen in place as well. They were both to the group's left, with Castor towards the front and Pollux bringing up the rear so they would be sure not to record each other. Messalla set off a couple of smoke charges for atmosphere. Since this was both a mission and a shoot, Kenzie briefly wondered who was in charge — her commander or her director, when Cressida called, "Action!"

They slowly proceeded down the hazy street, just like one of their exercises in the Block. Everyone had at least one section of windows to blow out, but Gale was assigned the real target. When he hit the pod, the group took cover — ducking into doorways or flattening on to the pretty, light orange and pink paving stones — as a hail of bullets swept back and forth over their heads. After a while, Boggs ordered them forward.

Cressida stopped them before they could rise, since she needed some close-up shots. They took turns re-enacting their responses. Falling to the ground, grimacing, diving into alcoves. They knew it was supposed to be serious business, but the whole thing felt a little ridiculous. Especially when it turned out that Katniss wasn't the worst actor in the squad. Not by a long shot. They were all laughing so hard at Mitchell's attempt to project his idea of desperation, which involved teeth grinding and nostrils flaring, that Boggs had to reprimand them.

"Pull it together, Four-Five-One." he said firmly.

But Kenzie could see him suppressing a smile as he double-checked the next pod. Positioning the Holo to find the best light in the smoky air. Still facing the group as his left foot stepped back on to the orange paving stone. Triggering the bomb that blew off his legs.

It was as if in an instant, a painted window shattered, revealing the ugly world behind it. Laughter changed to screams, blood stained pastel stones, real smoke darkened the special effect stuff made for television.

A second explosion seemed to split the air and left Kenzie's ears ringing. But she couldn't make out where it had come from. After ensuring that no other explosion would go off, Kenzie had run towards Messalla, who had been thrown into a wall by the explosion. She was currently trying to revive him, while Jackson was barking orders into a field communicator, trying unsuccessfully to alert the camp to send medics for Boggs, but Kenzie had learned in the lifeguard lessons that once a pool of blood had reached a certain seize, there was no going back.

After Kenzie had successfully revived Messalla, Jackson hollered, "Prepare to retreat!"

Finnick was yelling something back, gesturing to the end of the block where they had entered. Black, oily matter spouted like a geyser from the street, billowing between the buildings, creating an impenetrable wall of darkness. It seemed to be neither liquid nor gas, mechanical nor natural. But Kenzie was sure it was lethal. There was no heading back the way they had come.

Deafening gunfire as Gale and Leeg 1 began to blast a path across the stones towards the far end of the block. Another bomb, ten metres away, detonated, opening a hole in the street.

Kenzie and Finnick positioned Messalla so that Finnick could carry him, while Kenzie made sure that they would come through. She could only watch in despair as Peeta tried to kill Katniss, feeling slight relief when Mitchell tackled Peeta. That was until Peeta got his feet under Mitchell's belly and launched him further down the block.