The Hunger Games: Death of the Mockingjay

Chapter 16

For the rest of the flight we both sit in silence. To begin with I was angry and wanted nothing more than to rush up to the flight deck and have it out with Plutarch. What Cato said made perfect sense, to lead the Brotherhood into the arena where we'd be tasked with wiping them out as part of a final Hunger Games.
To be honest it seems slightly unbelievable that Plutarch could dream up such a risky plan, what would happen if we lost and the Brotherhood won, then what? The country would end up being run by a terrorist faction with no rule or order. And what about the weapons that we'd use in the arena, okay so we've got simple bows and arrows, probably knives and swords but Plutarch has limited control of the Brotherhood's tributes, what if they show up with guns and rifles, it'd be a slaughter!

It's dark when we make our next stop. The dropship touches down outside the mansion in the Capitol, why we've come here we don't know but when the ramp lowers the remaining refugees from District 13 gather their things and leave, all of them. Plutarch's fear that one of them could be a Watchmen have turned out to be false. The only one who stays on board is his spy who I first saw back in the forest in District 7. I slowly walk to the bottom of the ramp and look out across the square to the mansion. I've no real idea as to what time it is but it must be late, the whole area is deserted and it's a miserable night with a dank drizzle wetting the streets of the Capitol.
Suddenly three hooded figures rush across the cobbles toward us, for a moment I think about raising the alarm that these people are more Watchmen about to attack us but Gale and two of his team rush past me and escort them on board. The ramp raises up and Alek lifts off now setting course to our next rendezvous, wherever that is. Our new passengers look around at us before the first pulls back their hood uncovering a main of blond hair. Effie Trinket smiles before she practically runs forward to embrace me.

"Katniss it's good to see you're okay, when I heard about 13 I was worried"

"It's been too long Effie, Plutarch said you were in hiding?

"We were, right up until he called me asking us to wait at the city circle"

"Who's we?" asks Peeta as he embraces Effie

"Some old friends" she says as we look to see Flavius and Octavia removing their rain coats. They both step over and embrace Peeta and me, its literally been years since I last saw these two, my prep team from my first games and the quarter quell, to be honest I thought they were dead. For the next hour we talk about what they've been up to, about how Flavius opened a new beauty therapy business in the Capitol and how Octavia works for him as a stylist. This all ended about a week ago though when the Brotherhood openly attacked the shop killing a number of customers and workers. Luckily for Flavius and Octavia they were both out at the time but they felt that this was deliberate ploy by the Brotherhood to make them suffer. To show that all their hard work was for nothing and that they could of killed both of them if the Brotherhood wanted.
The mood slowly quietens on the dropship as everyone starts to fall asleep. It's been an incredibly long day and it's still not over for both Gale and Alek who have shared the flying between them. In the moments before I dropped off to sleep I heard a discussion between Alek and Steph about fuel. It's no surprise that the dropship is running low, we left 13 fully fuelled but since then we've flown all over Panem and Plutarch might have to find somewhere safe where we can get fuel to continue his plan.

*

I don't know how long it's been but I'm suddenly woken by a sharp turn made by the dropship. Most of the others are still sleeping. My mother with her head resting on Haymitch's shoulder, Kyler asleep in Peeta's arms while Effie and my prep team all
seem to doze in and out of a slumber. Obviously they're not used to sleeping like this. I feel the dropship ship suddenly decelerate as if we're landing and I sit up in my seat as Gale's squad ready themselves.