The Second Annual Hunger Games (Book 2)

Seventeen

My eyes are unflinching on the screen. Sybille and Fergus are in trouble; they're being attacked and there's nothing I can do about it.

Fergus trips on something in the water and I unconsciously grab Talon's hand, probably cutting off his circulation. Fergus gets back up with a cut on his cheek and continues through the swamp after Sybille. He glances behind him at the pursuing Yohan and Orchid. They move through the water with efficiency, catching up quickly.

"Fergus!" Sybille yells as she slows slightly. "We need a plan."

"My plan is to keep running!" he says, by her side now.

"I don't think that's going to work. These guys have a lot more stamina than us."

"Right." Fergus looks behind them again just in time. "Knife!" he yells tackling Sybille. They plunge into the water and the weapon goes soaring over their heads. Sybille is back up first, pulling Fergus in a new direction.

"Wait," he says. "This is where the crocodile lives."

She continues pulling him. "I know that."

"Then why are we going there?"

"I think it might be our only chance!"

"Our chance to die!"

"No that's what's chasing us!" They continue with no further discussion. Soon the swamp water gets deeper and the trees grow thicker. "Once we lure it out we must get high into a tree, okay?"

Sybille glances at Fergus. He raises his eyebrows but nods. "I don't know how much longer I can run."

Yohan and Orchid have fallen slightly behind. The camera cuts to their conversation. "You know what this part of the arena is, right?" Orchid is saying.

"I know. We don't have a choice. If we get both tributes we're two steps closer to victory."

"Your victory or mine?" Orchid's pace doesn't waiver.

"You're bringing that up now?" Yohan pulls another knife out of his belt. "Let's just finish them, okay?"

Orchid looks at the knife, swallows, and nods, clutching her spear with white knuckles. They look back up and stop. "Where'd they go?"

Yohan studies the area. He slowly wanders forward. "They can't have just disappeared."

The camera moves to a shot of Fergus and Sybille holding onto a tree a few feet off the ground. Sybille climbs up further, peeking to the side and watching Yohan and Orchid. They're only a few feet away. Yohan keeps moving closer almost to the point where he could see them.

Sybille looks down and ushers Fergus to keep climbing. He looks down for a moment and then looks back up at her. He moves up another foot, but loses his footing. He drops into the water, landing on his back, and making a large splash.

"Hah!" Yohan quickly moves to where Fergus lies in pain. He readies his knife.

"No!" Sybille leaps from the tree landing in a crouch between Fergus and Yohan.

"Wow," Yohan says sarcastically. "Risking your life for another tribute. I would say that's brave, but it's mainly just stupid."

Sybille whips out her own knife and faces Yohan, who's at least a foot taller than her. Fergus sits up sluggishly behind her. "Fergus run," Sybille keeps her eyes on Yohan.

He steps forward and Sybille launches at him, managing to knock his weapon out of his hand and into the water. Yohan hesitates as Sybille lowers her knife at him. My body clenches together, every muscle bracing itself.