Mockingjay: The New Story

Chapter Eighteen

Katniss's POV

"Why did you promise her that?" Coin yells.

Gale slams his hands down on the table, making me jump. "How the hell else was I suppose to get her here at one in the morning! Were you going to personally go get her? I know she would have slammed the door right in your face if you didn't lie to her!"

"Gale, please calm down," Madge begged. Her hand was carefully on his arm. He looked at her softly and sat down.

"All I'm saying is that if you want to drop the bomb on her, then you should've done it later when she wouldn't be so pissed."

"Gale, stand down," Haymitch says.

Coin sighed. "Soldier Hawthorne, thank you for retrieving Soldier Everdeen, but now is not the time to discuss with such anger. We have a bigger problem on our hands. The time it will take to rescue the last victors from the Capitol has been extended-"

"Wait, does this mean you're not rescuing them? You're not ready?" I ask. I can't believe Gale lied to me, and Coin didn't put him up to it.

Coin sighs again. "Yes, we are not ready for such a journey. We will need a big announcement of sorts to distract the Capitol. Even so, with their heads turned the other way, the danger we would be putting our soldiers would be off the charts."

"What about-" Haymitch starts. It seems he was also unaware of this information.

"The chances of getting even half of our soldiers back alive, let alone the prisoners, is more likely by a third of the chance." By now, Coin is screaming to be heard over the commotion. Everyone is suggesting something new, some things that sound like they could possibly work. She isn't buying it.

The chaos hasn't stopped. But I still stand to leave.

Once I reach the door, everything has stopped. Coin calls me, but I walk further from the meeting.

It is Haymitch who gets me to want to turn around.

"Sweetheart, where are you going?"

I don't turn around, I stand facing the open door to the hallway. To my right is the elevator, to my left is more hallways that expand for a possible a mile. I don't realize tears are falling down my face until I go to touch my eyes that are burning.

I feel a hand touch my shoulder, my first instinct is to grab the wrist and twist, but Haymitch is quicker than me, and not pregnant. So, he has my wrists first.

"Sit, please."

I walk over to a seat far from the others, standing behind it.

"Soldier Everdeen-"

"It's Katniss. I have a name. I am no soldier."

Coin sighs, almost groans. "Alright, Katniss, I'm sorry to inform you that-"

"That you lied to me to get me to take on the position of the Mockingjay when I was five months pregnant. We made a deal Coin. The victors immunity for the position of the Mockingjay."

"Yes, we know this-"

"Apparently, you don't. I have lead up with my side of the agreement. Why haven't you?"

"Like I was saying, we have problems-"

"Fuck the problems! You agreed to rescue the victors, as I've heard, you are potentially ready! What in hell's name are you waiting for then?"

Others, members of the board and the smart doctors who work with Beetee, begin to speak to each other. My out-lash has surprised them. No one would ever speak to the president like that, well no one but me.