Crossing Paths

Chapter 23

Katniss

“You’re sure you’re okay?” I ask Peeta for the billionth time.

“Sh!” Shawn snaps at me. I roll my eyes and bit my tongue so I can’t talk back to him. We’re alone in an alleyway. I mean seriously who’s going to hear us? Peeta smiles and shrugs so I can tell he feels okay. He took us to the place where he last saw Johanna and we’ve worked from there. But nearly five hours have passed and we still haven’t found her.

Shawn stops suddenly and I run into him which causes me to fall to the ground. “Thanks for the warning,” I say as Gale turns around to find me on the ground. He helps me up and once I’m on my feet I see that I landed on a piece of paper. I bend down and pick it up. It’s wet from rain and blood but I unfold it anyways. “Arrow Street……” I whisper. Gale takes the paper from me.

“Do you know what JM stands for?” he asks. I take the paper back and look at it. Sure enough the letters J M are scribbled at the bottom of the page. How she knew where they were taking her and how she managed to write the two words so quickly and unnoticed I don’t know but Johanna’s at Arrow Street and I know exactly where that is.

“Follow me,” I say as I go to the head of the group and lead us to the end of the alleyway. I turn the corner and let my feet carry me faster and faster until I’m sprinting. And then we’re there, Arrow Street. Now it’s just a matter of going for the right building. I look around at my options. From what I can see there’s the bank, the post office, the bakery, the Capital Library, and the Justice Building. Our best bet is probably either the bank or the Justice Building. I turn around to let them know the plan and find Peeta, Gale, and Shawn panting and about to collapse on the hard asphalt.

“Don’t worry about us…just…god Katniss how can you still run like that?” Gale says as he gasps for air. Was I really running that fast?

“Um… practice?” I reply uncertain. Shawn shakes his head and tells me:

“Well you better have a good reason for making us run a marathon. Whattcha got?”

“I think Johanna might be in one of those buildings.” I point to the bank and then to the Crown Court House. “I think we should split up into groups of two. If someone finds her then that group will radio back to the others and we’ll all meet up back here.” Shawn nods in agreement.

“I sure hope your right. Hawthorne, you and Everdeen go search the bank. Mellark and I’ll take the Justice Building. Let us know if you find anything.” Shawn says it’s more efficient for me to go by my maiden name during the rescue but I still can’t seem to get used to the fact of being called Everdeen again.

“Come on Catnip,” Gale says as he lightly tugs on my arm.

“Stay safe,” I order Peeta before following Gale over and into the bank. I take a moment to make sure my gun’s fully loaded before going any further in the building.

“You go left I’ll go right,” Gale whispers. It doesn’t take me long to figure out that right is where the vaults are and most likely the guards and Johanna if they’re in here. He can tell that I know this so he slips into the shadows before I can protest. I check my radio to make sure it’s working and then creep down the hallway. I stop in my tracks when I hear voices. I frantically look around me but I’m alone in the now deadly silent hallway.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” I jump but then feel extremely stupid as I realize that the voices were coming from my radio.

“Gale?” I speak into it.

“Oh so you’ve got her with you.” The voice definitely does not belong to Gale.

“Leave Katniss,” Gale tells me firmly.