Defenders: The Fighters of 13. Pt 1

Chapter 2

Finn's POV

I stand in front of the camera's smiling, in Command, and listening to Meg addressing Panem. It's just me, her, Collin, and Katniss in this propo. But it's almost completely a lie.

"Under the force of the Capitol, my friend and ally, Jem Clematis, was interviewed and told you all lies about District 13, lies crafted and forced from her lips by President Stone. But this past week, we have successfully rescued her and Jace Laroy from the Capitol's clutches. They are here with me, and others, alive and well in District 13. Though Jem has asked not to be broadcasted tonight, their experience in the capitol has been very taxing on the both of them."

We don't even know how Jem is. They won't tell us because they want to make sure she's completely alright from whatever happened to her last night. I tried to follow Mrs. Everdeen and the other doctors but Meg, Collin, and I were stopped at the door to the OB/GYN ward. Meg refuses to tell me what she thinks it is. I have a feeling she knows but doesn't want to tell me. It's bad enough the council keeping secrets from me, but now Meg? This is getting very irritating; I need a snack, a sandwich sounds great right now. Everyone says I need to stop stress eating and training, but what else can I do. Katniss is talking now, about how the districts need to come together and fight as one, bla bla bla. Boring repetitive stuff.

Suddenly one of the monitors begins to beep. Cyria goes over and checks it "Capitol drones coming in from the East. We have ten minutes till they enter our airspace."

Katniss bolts up "Turn the cameras off and get the alarms on. We have eight minutes to get everyone in the shelters." The red alarms begin to sound and Katniss turns to us. "Meg, get Willow, Rye, and Gale's boys, make sure Madge gets to safety; Collin and Finn help her and get people to the shelters."

We take our orders and run out of command, down the hall and towards the Mellark's compartment. But at the intersection between the hallway for the private wing and the hospital wing, I stop. Collin halts when he notices I'm no longer with them.

"Finn come on! We have to get the kids!" Collin shouts to me, the alarms blaring and people running around us to get to the shelters, makes it hard to hear him.

"You and Meg go! I have to get to Jem!" I turn and bolt in the opposite direction down the hall to the hospital. She's alone in some room somewhere, probably strapped to a bed. And with all the patients she could be easily overlooked and forgotten. I pass by doctors, nurses, patients and others fleeing to the shelters, but I don't see Jem amongst them. Vinnie, Meg's friend, tries to stop me, but I push past her and continue. I know Jem's in room 7, in the private wing. I'm the only one left in the hallway and I didn't see her pass me. The automated voice says we have five minutes to get to the shelter. Wait, shit, I passed her room. I run back to number 7, and press my Identification to the sensor and the door opens.

"Jem!" I run in and the bed is empty, the sheets messy. The red lights begin to flash signaling that we have only four minutes left to get to the shelters. I run to the other side of the bed and there she is huddled nearly under the bed, shaking and scared; her hands over her ears, trying to black out the sirens. "Jem come on! We have to go!"

"No!" She shouts, the fear growing in her eyes. How can I get her to come with me!?

"Karter is attacking 13! He's trying to kill you!" Jem looks up at me, quickly thinking over her options. But she quickly realizes we don't have time for that when the room shakes and dust rains from the ceiling as a bomb hits; their calculations were off. I get her up and guide her quickly towards the door. She only resists for a moment before her conditioning from drills and training kick in. I grab her hand and run, pulling her along with me, if we run at the pace she wants we won't make it. We run down hallways, around corners and curves, until finally we reach the stairs, no one left on them, the automated voice says one minute, shit. We have to sprint and there's no way Jem can, she's shaking and weak already.