Thirteen
I walk to Danielle's quarters, to tell her the news. How my plan worked and how Cato has now come back to me. I am so happy right now. Everything is simply perfect. The door is cracked open so I open it wider calling out, "Danielle?" No answer. I had phoned her earlier to tell her I wanted to speak to her in person. She told me to come over that afternoon, around one. It was 11:45. I couldn't wait anymore so I came early.
As I make my way into her small dining area, I see a note on the small yellow table and I read it.
"Clove, I'm out on an errand. If you get here before I'm back, make yourself at home."
I look around her small quarters. Over to my right, I see a small dark blue sheet hanging. I can't see what is on the other side, the sheet is too dark for that. Curiosity overcomes me. I make my way over to it and look behind the hanging
fabric. Danielle has set up a small mid-wife area. In case I want to do check ups I guess. I grin. It's just like Danielle to be sweet and set up something like this, There are medical tables and instruments and the like. I sit myself down in a white chair and wait for Danielle to come back. Its peaceful here, pure silence.
Before five minutes pass, I hear a door open and close. I'm about to call out when I hear Danielle say, "Good, she's not here yet. Come on in." Instead of calling out and ruining what ever scene is about to happen, I sit, carefully staying absolutely still so that she will continue to believe I'm not here.
A stange sounding voice speaks. Its a deep voice, sounding both male and female at the same time. Its as if whoever is using it is speaking through a transceiver which is purposely garbling to voices, mixing them together so as to conceal a true identity. "Here."
Danielle sighs," Why do you insist on speaking that way?"
"So I have full assurance no unwanted people discover my identity. For safety reasons."
She talks in a low, stressed voice. "There's no one here besides us." From here tone, the two of them have had this talk several times. The voice speaks again, "Even so. Take this."
Danielle sighs again as she asks, "What is it?"
"Your next assignment."
I hear a rustling the lets me know its a sheet of paper as it passes from one hand to another.
She grabs it, and I assume, reads it because she says in a shocked voice, "What? I can't do this! I'm no murderer." My eyes grow wide. What? The deep voice rumbles out again. It chuckles as it speaks in a hypnotic tone, "Of course you can. Unless your feelings for him mean nothing. In which case I can find somebody else to have your prize."
I hear Danielle yell out, "You can't do that! I love him! I have since high school, I always have and always will." I grow cold as she continues in a softer tone. "You have no idea what I went through five years ago. When I saw him go into the Games, I was scared to death he would meet the same fate as his brothers did. I was relieved at his victory, though that was short lived when he proposed to her." Danielle's voice spits out the word 'her' with complete loathing and contempt. "Do you have any idea how much it hurt when he married Clove? Any idea at all?"
The voice interupts in a silky smooth tone. "I know. You've told me many times. It must have destroyed you."
There's a pause. Doesn't she see how manipulative the figure is? Shocked thoughts race through my brain as she continues. "I thought my world was over. But you've given me a chance to have him, and that's not something I'm just going to throw away." Her voice drops to a whisper. "I swear.. I'll do what ever it takes. Even if its this." She shakes the paper in her hand, clearly agreeing to do whatever the paper says. My hand covers my mouth. What?? How could she believe a single word she or it is saying? I have a terrible feeling that I know what that paper, and the voice, wants. And if my suspicions are true, Danielle Mason is going to kill me.
