BOMBSHELL - Finnick Odair

27

Ember

The three of us head down the slope silently. Taking turns uncoiling it and guarding in the front and back.

At about halfway down, a clicking sound comes from the sector next to us. Indicating it's eleven o'clock.

"Better hurry," Johanna says. "I want to put a lot of distance between me and that water before the lightning hits. Just in case Volts miscalculated something."

I roll my eyes. "He knows what he's doing, Jo," I argue.

"I'll take the coil for awhile," Katniss interrupts us, halting our bickering before it can start up again.

Johanna, eagerly passing her the coil, says, "Here."

Both of their hands are still on it when it starts shaking, a vibration running through it. The thin, golden wire suddenly springs down at us, bunching up in tangled loops.

I don't hesitate, knowing someone had cut it.

Guess we'll just have to skip a few steps ahead.

I shove Katniss into Johanna who swings the metal cylinder, it smacking against the side of her head. I sit on the girl's chest, digging my knife deeply into her arm until I can locate the tracker.

"Ahhh," Katniss groans out.

I find it, rip it out, and throw it as far as I can into the jungle.

With the blood that's coating my hands, I smear it across her neck so that Brutus and Enobaria will believe we beat them to the punch.

"Stay down!" I hiss in her ear.

The District Two pair appear over the top of a boulder and Johanna launches one of her axes at them.

"Run them towards the live sector!" I whisper-yell.

We quickly take off in that direction and I can hear their pounding footsteps trailing behind us. My legs are tired from the hours of hiking, but the adrenaline pumping through my veins keeps them accelerating at top speed.

The clicking is getting louder and I know we have to be close.

"Ember! Katniss!"

Before I can call out in response to Finnick, I'm smacking into a hard chest.

It's Peeta.

His arms grip my forearms tightly as he yells out, "Where is she!"

I struggle against him as I say, "Peeta, you have to trust me!"

The boys face is hard. And I think for the first time, I'm actually scared of him. My hands are waving around as he shakes my body, them still coated with her blood, and he notices this.

"Who's blood is that?" He says in a panic. "Ember!"

I open my mouth to respond, but his eyes catch sight of something over my shoulder. When he angrily tosses me to the side, I know they had caught up to us.

I stumble, but regain my balance quickly.

My hands are slick, making it difficult to grip the handles.

"Fuck it," I whisper, charging at Enobaria.

She throws a knife and I duck, dodging it. Once I reach her, my arms wrap around her waist and I knock the both of us onto the jungle floor. We roll around for a moment until I land on top. But I forgot about the razors lining her mouth.

She bites the arm of the hand wrapped around her throat and I cry out in pain, giving her the chance to overpower me.

Enobaria flips us and digs her knife into my shoulder.

I can feel the blood gush out of the wound as she rips the knife out, throwing her arm back to gain the momentum to stab again.

Johanna interferes, ripping her off of me. The older woman tumbles, rolling a few feet down the hillside.

Jo helps me to my feet and I instinctively grab at my wound, whimpering at the sickly feeling it sends to my gut.

BOOM!

A canon sounds.

"Ember! Johanna!" I can hear Finnick yell in the distance.

Peeta, in a fit of rage, gains control over Brutus. He fatally slashes his machete and I can feel the warm sensation splatter across the side of my face.

Enobaria scrambles to her feet, her face showing the remorse she feels for her district partner.

But she knows she's out numbered. With no other choice except to run, she darts in the direction of Finnick's voice.

BOOM!

Another canon.

Peeta is covered in Brutus' blood. He raises his machete, aiming it at Johanna and I. It's clear he doesn't trust us.

How are we supposed to get his tracker out?

"Peeta..." I say calmly.

"No, where is she?!" He yells, waving his machete around. "Katniss!"

"Peeta!" She screams. "Peeta! I'm here! Peeta!"

Even I can hear the desperation in her voice.

He moves to follow the sound of her, but Johanna and I are quick to jump in the way and block his advances.

"You'll never make it in time," Johanna says. "Not with that leg."

The clicking starts to die down, and I know our time is limited. I sneakily pull a knife out, being careful to not let him see.

"Peeta," I start. "Do you remember the night that we danced together?"

His face twists up in confusion. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Look!" Johanna snaps, growing impatient. "We don't have much time!"

I take the opportunity to lunge at the boy, in an attempt of cutting his tracker out, but he's ready for it. He knocks me backwards and into Johanna, sending us straight to the ground.

"Katniss!" He howls out, beginning his trek up the hill.

The storm's brewing just up above us and I know that our time has run out.

My wound starts to ache, any amount of adrenaline wearing off. But I can't give up just yet.

For Wes.

In a last ditch effort, Johanna and I chase after Peeta.

I'm just about to reach him, arm extended, when a sensation, so powerful, sends the three of us soaring through the air.