The Little Mockingjay

Operating: Gale's POV

Song: Operating by Hunter Hunted

The scent of pine and smoke tickles my nose as I march through the streets of District 7, Nadia Mellark in my arms. She looks so much like her mother, it's actually frightening. Her eyes have been closed by the tranquilizer, but I know when she opens them, I won't be seeing Katniss anymore. I'll be seeing Peeta. The pain is dull. It's old, faded, like a scar. It's not supposed to hurt, but sometimes it still lingers. This time, I'm not saving Nadia for her mother. We have orders. Protect the kids. They're nothing special, really, except for the fact that their parents are icons. I'm not very high up on the ladder here, I'm lucky they didn't kill me or kick me out, but I've heard that they wanted to use the kids for propaganda videos again. Katniss and Peeta, naturally, won't let it happen. And their opinions hold a lot of weight. That's probably another reason why the kids were rescued. I feel bad for them. They're being used. Everyone looks at them like pawns. This war is a game. Moves and counter moves. It's all very political. It's about who can get the most districts on their side. That's how this war will be won. Using Nadia, Flint, and Finnick is the easy way out. It seems like cheating. People are drawn to them. But, for now, they're out of the picture. And that leaves the alternative way of winning. I've been around this type of thing for half my life. It's my expertise. I know what's happening before being told. Before anyone else. Fear. Those bombs didn't only hit the Capitol. They hit all the districts who weren't on The Captain's side. They'll have no choice but to join or die. Twenty minutes later, with Nadia taken off my hands, I'm proven right. I sit in the back of a room in the Town Hall of District 7. We're assembling teams to fly out and gather up the survivors from the districts that are still on our side. The plan is to bring them here, assuming everyone will fit. I'm glad I'm finally on the side where the people are the priority; not power. I'm not even surprised when I see the numbers projected on the flickering screen on the wall. Approximately half of the population has been wiped out in the past hour. Districts are rapidly making the switch to The Captain's side. They have no other options. Prior to the bombing, the districts we're about split in half. Now, 12,11, and 7 are the only ones who haven't surrendered. And they're practically in ashes, again. Thankfully, most of the bombs were relatively weak and off target. But still, the destruction is monumental, and the bombs were game changing. My prediction? After everyone is safe here in 7, we'll have no choice but to surrender. We're about to lose this war. I have no idea what I can do, what we can do. Only that if, no, when we lose, I will be captured and killed. Along with Katniss, Peeta, and their kids. It's only a matter of time for us all.