Breathe in, Breathe out • F Odair² •

XXII

"I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough."

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*Finnick POV*

Beetee had a few other tasks that required their assistance. They all worked in silence for a while. Every now and then, Beetee would continue to shoot Finnick and Athena furtive looks, then look skyward, brandishing his wire a little more than altogether necessary. Finnick didn't understand. Beetee was clearly trying to tell them something, and it was likely something related to the mission, but what?

Finnick glanced up at the sky again, and then he saw it. He wasn't quite like Athena or Katniss or Beetee, he wasn't as good at spotting it, and it was dark out, but the bright moonlight illuminated the sky just enough, and though the ripple was quick, it was too big to miss. A weakness in the force field. Finnick lowered his eyes back to Beetee, who was gazing carefully at Finnick and Athena. He was clutching his wire tightly in his hand. Finnick's eyes flickered from the wire to the sky where he knew the force field was, and finally, finally understood. Johanna and Blight had been tasked with the responsibility of protecting Beetee and Wiress, not just to appease Katniss, but so Beetee could blow a hole in the force field. It made sense, of course. They would have a much easier job retrieving them if there wasn't a force field in the way. Finnick looked over at Athena, who seemed to have put this together as well.

No sooner had he come to this conclusion that something odd happened. The coil, which before had been taut, suddenly went slack and even seemed to spring back towards them. They all paused for a moment, confused and put off by the sudden change.

"Are they coming back up?" Peeta said, frowning. "That doesn't make any sense."

"No," Beetee said slowly, his brow furrowed, "it doesn't."

Athena bent down, brought a hand to the wire, and began moving it around. Her expression was grim. She stood back up, moved away from the wire, and said, "It's pretty far down, about halfway to the beach at least, but I felt a loose end. Someone cut it."

They were all quiet. They both knew Johanna or Katniss wouldn't do such a thing. Chaff might, if he didn't know what was going on. But they all knew the most likely culprits of this particular crime were Brutus and Enobaria.

"Well, then," said Beetee. He didn't seem overly concerned about his electrocution plan being effectively ruined. His eyes flickered down to the length of wire he had Athena set aside for him, and Finnick understood that it was because his true plan was still a go. "I'd like a weapon, then." Athena, Finnick, and Peeta all stared at him. "If the wire has been cut, it's only a matter of time before the Careers come for us. I know you three to be excellent fighters, but I'd prefer to not be completely defenceless. A knife should do."

"What about the wire?" asked Peeta.

"There's no time anymore, Peeta," Beetee replied. "We would have to rewrap the tree all over again and send Katniss and Johanna on their way a second time, and we're already nearing eleven o'clock. Right now, the priority is to stay alive."

Athena removed one of the longer knives from her belt and handed it to him. Beetee took it carefully, running his fingers carefully along the blade, one of his fingers wrapping around the hilt.

"Yes, this should do," he murmured, more to himself than anything, though Finnick was wondering exactly how much experience Beetee had with combat for it to make much of a difference in what kind of weapon was handed to him. He took some of the wire and wrapped it around the knife, and Finnick understood what he wanted the weapon for; to drive it into the force field once lightning struck and destroy it.