The Hunger Games: Death of the Mockingjay

Chapter 12

A single tear tracks down my cheek at the thought that Peeta might of been onboard the hovercraft when it was destroyed. Even Gale looks on in shock as the possibility hits him. The guard back at our quarters had said that the Hanger had been attacked but I never thought it would of been the President's transport, it was supposed to be too well guarded.
I suddenly feel someone grab my arm and pull me toward the main tunnel where the hovercraft are stored. I turn and see Alek practically dragging me.

"Alek.....what......Peeta..." I stammer out.

"Quickly Katniss, we've gotta get outer here in case we're attacked again"

My grip tightens on Kyler's little hand while I glance round at Rue who's still being led along by Gale, her eyes wide at the sight of the destruction around us. It's not just the President's hovercraft that's been destroyed, all the hovercraft and bombers in the main hanger are in flames. Small explosions and fires rage in the far corner where the bombs and munitions were stored. It seems to be only a short time before the whole hanger goes up what with all the explosives stored in here.
We finally make it to the tunnel and Alek continues to lead us down the long cavernous tunnel past the dozens of adjoining hangers which lead off the tunnel, all have with their huge doors pulled closed except for the last one. When I look inside I see my old Mockingjay dropship sat ready and prepped for take off. This was part of my plan to have it ready to leave in a hurry. Alek said that it had sat in a closed off part of the base since the war and when I put my plan in place I asked Alek to make it ready to go if needed.
Alek rushes up the ramp to get to the flightdeck and start the engines. To my relief virtually everyone is here. It appears that they'd all made their way to the hanger for the evacuation and when they'd seen what had happened to the fleet they made there way here. Haymitch, my mother, Annie, Jamie and Steph sit among the the others who somehow managed to make it out alive.
And then I see him. The leader of the country crouched in front of my mother talking while he holds her hand. I can see that they've both been crying, what for I'm not entirely sure. Rue spots her father and runs up the ramp to see him.

"Daddy!" She screams at the top of her voice. Peeta head whips round and I see his face literally lite up at the sight of us being alive. He must of heard that our apartment had been targeted and didn't know we'd survived! He rushes over and throws his arms around me while the kids wrap their arms around us, I hear him sigh in relief.

"You're alive, I can't believe it. We honestly thought we'd lost you all" he says quickly, the excitement of the reunion overcoming him.

I finally find my tongue "when I saw your hovercraft.....I .....thought" I struggle to say between gasps of relief.

I feel his embrace righted further

"I thought you were in the hovercraft, I thought you'd been killed in the explosion" I continue

"No, I was delayed on my way to the hanger. When I stepped out from the elevator the hovercraft was already on fire"

The engines on the dropship start to wind up as the drop ramp starts to close. We leave the kids with my mother while Peeta and I head up to the flight deck to see Alek and Gale. Plutarch is already here sat in the seat behind Alek while Gale has already taken his seat in the copilot seat. Peeta sits in the remaining free seat behind Gale while I sit on his lap, his strong arms wrapped around me.

Alek lifts off. This wasn't actually part of my plan. I'd always planned to have my dropship up on the launch pad on the surface but the Brotherhood's surprise attack has made our escape much harder. Somehow Alek's going to have fly the dropship out when it'd normally be manoeuvred to the main hanger by an aircraft tug.

"What now Alek, how are we gonna get out?" I ask

"I won't lie Katniss, it's gonna be tough. Somehow I'm gonna have to try and fly us back down the tunnel to the main hanger and somehow blast our way out"