Lethal Lovers - Cato Hadley

chapter twelve

We walk towards the cornucopia and settle down there. Peeta then draws a map of the arena to the ground with a sword. We are discussing, when we suddenly hear a grunt to our side. I see another tribute stabbing Wiress with a kife as the canon sounds again. Katniss immediately shoots him and he falls back into the water. Another one comes at us but Johanna shoves me and Katniss out of the way and shoots the person with an axe. That's when Cashmere and Gloss come on the other side. Finnick tries to fight them back until they run back. Katniss starts running after them and I run after her.
"Katniss" I shout over and over again but she doesn't stop. She keeps running and running until the cornucopia starts spinning. We both fall to the ground trying to grab one of the stones. I try to pull me up but the force is just too strong. I see Katniss falling down and grab her wrist with my hand. My arm is hurting like hell, holding Katniss like that. I grunt trying to pull her back up but she lets go off my hand. I watch her body fall into the waves and forget to hold myself as I suddenly fall inside too. I feel my body getting spun around numerous times before everything suddenly stops. I swim up to the surface, caughing the water out. I notice Katniss right next to me, caughing as hard as I am.
"They're here" Johanna shouts, and everyone comes running over. Cato first closely followed by Peeta. I feel a hand on my back as I finally start to feel better. 
"It's okay" Cato says over and over again. I turn onto my back and lay down for a few minutes. Cato goes to take a look at my arm but I snatch it away. It's hurting like hell right now. 
"Please let me look at it" he says but I refuse. I can't take the pain right now. I feel like the water is burning through my skin. I curl my body together and hold my arm with my other hand. 
"Come on. We have to get off that island" Finnick says, helping Cato to get me off. 

The make me put an arm around each of them before they help me walk. They set me down at the beach again. I'm still grunting from the pain.
"Let me look at it Athena" Cato says and looks at me seriously. I glare at him before I slowly stretch my arm out for Cato. I clench my jaw in a weak attempt to not scream again. A few screams manage to escape my mouth as they take it off.
"Shit" Cato says. 
"What?" I ask. I can't look at it or I'm going to vomit.
"Nothing. It looks great" Finnick says.
"You're bad liars, you know?" I say annoyed.
"Okay, it's a little red but nothing we can't fix" he then says.
"Great" I say sarcastically.
"Katniss!" Cato shouts, and she immediately starts running over.
"We need the cream and fresh bandages" Finnick says. She hands him the cream and runns of again. I suppose to the cornucopia to get the bandages.
Cato slowly starts applying the cream making me grunt even more.
"I'm surprised you're still conciouss" Finnick says.
"Just because you can't take it doesn't mean I can't" I say angrily, making Cato chuckle.
"What are you laughing at?" Finnick asks Cato offended.
"Nothing" Cato says, trying to contain his laughter.
Katniss soon arrives with the bandages and Cato wraps them around my arm again.
"Can you get up?" Cato asks me, helping me sit up.
"It isn't hurting as much anymore" I say.

"Are you okay?" Katniss asks me.
"I'm fine" I say, and nod.
"Good, then what's the plan now?" Johanna asks.
"We can stay here at the beach for now. Cashmere and Gloss won't come back they're outnumbered. They know that. We're safe here" Finnick says.
"So, what do we do? Hunt them down?" Johanna asks.

Loud screams are heard behind us in the woods. It sounds like a little girl is screaming.
"Katniss help me!" the voice shouts over and over again.
"Prim!" Katniss shouts and runs inside the forest. We start running after her and I see her stop suddenly.
Me and Finnick are close behind Katniss.
That's when I hear another familiar voice.
"Altan!" I start screaming. I start running followed by Katniss, and Finnick. Finnick is screaming Annie's name.  Katniss then stands infront of us and starts talking something about a jabberjay.
"How do you think they got that sound? Jabberjays copy" Finnick says. 
I hear another one shouting Katniss' name. 
"Gale" she says and we look around. All of a sudden numerous of these birds appear, screaming our names. We start running back to where we came from, trying to dodge all the branches flying into our faces. Tears start froming in my eyes as I recognize one the voices who call my name. Altan, my dad, Dolion, they're all screaming for me to help them. 
Finally I see Cato standing there with Peeta, Johanna and Beete. They look worried and I start wondering why he's not coming towards me. I see him banging against some barrier between us. I run against it, taking in the bitter reality. We're trapped here for god knows how long. I can't take that. 
"No, no!" Katniss and I scream over and over again. Tears start froming in my eyes and I slide down the wall. I notice Cato sliding down with me and his mouth is moving. I can't hear him though. 
"Athena!" I hear my brother scream over and over again. I hold my hands over my ears trying to dim the voices but they only seem to get louder. I curl down into a ball, trying to avoid the birds flying at me. 

I only realize that the voices have stopped when I feel Cato's hands on my skin. He pulls me close and hugs me tight.
"It's okay" he says over and over, trying to calm me down. I'm not even crying anymore, just shaking. 
"Take deep breaths" he says and makes me breathe with him. It takes a few tries but I actually manage to slow down my breathing and calm down. I look over at Finnick and Katniss. Katniss looks frightened and scared, whilst Finnick has this sad and broken expression on his face. I slowly get up and walk over to him.
"Are you okay?" I ask him.
"Sure" he says not even looking at me. 

"Your fiancés right. The whole country loves your sister. If they tortured her or did anything to her, forget the districts, there would be riots in the damn Capitol. There would be riots in the damn Capitol" Johanna says smirking at Katniss, who's still in shock.
"Hey, how does that sound, Snow? What if we... what if we set your backyard on fire?" she shouts loudly. "You know, you can't put everybody in here"
We all look at her surprised.
"What? They can't hurt me? There's no one left that I love" she says calmly. She then just walks off to get some water. Cato goes to look at Finnick now too. He doesn't look very good. We get him up and walk down to the beach, where he immediately sits into the water. I look at Cato worried.
"Give him the time he needs" he says and pulls me closer again. He kisses my forehead gently before we sit down too.
"I hope the baby is okay" he says, and places a hand on my belly.
"Me too" I say sadly. By everything that has happend in here, the chances that the baby is okay are slim. 

"Come here" Johanna then shouts and we get up and walk to the group again.
"Where do the Careers feel the safest? The jungle?" Betee asks.
"The jungles a nightmare" says Johanna.
"Porbably here on the beach" Peeta says.
"Then why are they not here?" Betee asks.
"Because we are here. We claimed it" Johanna says with her attitude again. That girls temper really is short. 
"And if we left they would come?" Betee asks.
"Or stay hidden in the tree line" Finnick says.
Which in just over four hours will be soaked from the 10:00 wave. And what happens at midnight?" he asks again.
"Lightning stirkes that tree" Katniss says.
"Here's what I propose," Betee finally starts. "We leave the beach at dust. We head to the lightning tree. That should draw them back to the beach. Prior to midnight we then run this wire from the tree to the water. Anyone in the water or on the damp sand will be electrocuted"
"How do we know the wire is not gonna burn up?" Cato asks. 
"Because I invented it," Betee says proudly. "I assure you, it won't burn up"
We all exchange a few looks.
"Well, it's better than hunting them down" I say.
"Yeah, why not? If it fails, no harm done anyway, right?" Katniss says.
"All right, I say we try it" Peeta says.
"What can we do to help?" Cato asks.
"Keep me alive for the next six hours. That would be extremely helpful" Betee then says coldly. It makes me chuckle a little. We decide to go at dark, so no one can see us. 

We then all seperate a little trying to clear our heads.
"Can you do it?" Cato asks me. We're sitting close to the water now.
"Why not?" I ask.
"I don't know. Cashmere and Blossom are for sure going to be after us Athena. I don't want you to get hurt" he says, taking my hand.
"I know but we don't have any other choice. It's our only chance" I say. I turn to look at him, only to find him already looking at me. His icey blue eyes looking directly into my soul. We both lean forward and kiss softly. He puts his other hand to one of my cheecks and kisses me again but more mindfuller. We let go of eachother breathing heavily.
"I love you Athena. Never forget that" he says.
"I love you too" I say with a smile.