Dead in the Water | An Odesta Fanfic

Chapter Thirty-Nine

For once, it wasn't the nightmares and lurking shadows keeping Annie awake – it was the thought of what they were doing to Finnick in the Capitol.

Since he'd left on the early train that morning, she had spent the whole day the same way: sitting listlessly in her room, watching the hours tick by, regretting everything she had ever thought about him. Annie couldn't shake the memory of the pain in his voice and the terror in his eyes as he finally told her the truth. She couldn't forget his slow steps and resigned silence as they walked back to the house together, or the way he tugged his sleeves over the scars on his arm, just like she did. All of the broken pieces of Finnick Odair that had never fit together were finally falling into place, and Annie hated how much sense it all made. Why hadn't she realized it before? Why did no one else know the truth? Why was no one else trying to save him?

Annie lay in bed until the clock passed midnight and went on spinning. She stayed there until she wasn't sulking with regret anymore – she was making a plan. All of her confusion and disbelief and stumbling words had washed away, and underneath there was nothing but anger.

It wasn't hard to get out of the house. She had expected it to be more difficult, but Mags trusted her more than Annie realized. Not even the knives in the kitchen were locked away, and Annie took one along as she stopped to fill her bag with food from the cupboard. There was always extra food at Mags' house, ready for anyone who needed it – and tonight, that was Annie. With her bag full, her mother's old photographs in her pocket, and her necklaces tucked away under her sweater, Annie slipped out the back door, careful not to make any noise as she left.

Now she just needed backup.

Annie had never been to Bay's house, but Finnick had pointed it out to her once as they walked home from the docks – just down the street from Mags, painted green, with a front porch full of fishing supplies. That night, the rest of Victor's Village was empty and dark, but there was already a light on in Bay's window. She could even see him inside, standing in the doorway of his kitchen with a mug in his hands.

Annie didn't stop to knock. But Bay didn't look nearly as surprised as he should have, watching Annie march through his front door with a packed bag and murder in her eyes.

"Hot chocolate?" he offered.

Annie had heard so many stories from Finnick about Bay's hot chocolate that she might have been tempted, under different circumstances. But now was not the time.

"We need to go get Finnick." she said.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you know the train schedule? We've got to go to the Capitol."

"Slow down, Cresta." Bay said, watching her pace back and forth in front of him. "What's going on?"

"It's Finnick – he's in the Capitol."

"I know that."

"No you don't – we've got to go, Bay, we've got to bring him back. Do you know what they're doing to him there?"

Bay's eyes widened. "You know?"

"Do you know?"

"Of course I know." said Bay. "I've always known."

"And you just let it happen? You just let it –" Annie was shaking. "How could you know and not do anything? How are you just stay here and sleep through the night when they're –"

"Does it look like I'm sleeping?" There was a harshness in Bay's voice that she hadn't heard before. "Take a seat, Cresta. We need to talk."

Annie wanted to shout at him, she wanted to knock the mug right out of Bay's hand and storm out of the house. But more than anything else, she wanted answers, so she took a deep breath and lowered herself down onto the couch. She watched Bay carefully as he sat down in a chair across from her.