Broken Apart

Chapter 7

           

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" I spat at him. He was taken aback slightly but nodded, biting his lip.

"Where was he last?" Myra pushed to my side. I looked at her, taking in who she was. Her chocolate skin was clear; the ash and cinders couldn't be seen. She had dark brown hair, a few shades darker then her skin. Is was in two messy braids down her shoulders and she wore a tattered red beanie on her head.

"I saw him when we woke up." Corinna made her way into the small circle. I began to tremble again. I couldn't lose anymore family. I'd already lost Lilly and my parents. I needed James and Finnick. "He said he was looking for something and just took off before I could protest."

"Which was did he go?" my voice shook.

Corinna's face was grim. "Toward your house."

"That idiot!" I yelled, throwing my head into my hands.

"He's not an idiot." Finnick soothed, "He just doesn't have much... Logic."

I gripped the pipe harder in my palm, grinding the end into the concrete of the ground. I bit my lip and looked to the tattoo on my arm. Across the blue snake, was a large scratch. It reached from my shoulder down to my elbow, dripping blood onto my pants.

I scrunched up my nose and looked back up. Corinna and Astrid had disappeared one way; Finnick and Myra were talking quietly a few feet away; and Ash was at my side, rubbing my unwounded arm softly. I met Ash's sad yet sincere gaze.

His eyes shone with empathy, for me and the others. I rose an eyebrow in a silent question. He nodded in response. Ash gripped my forearm softly, guiding me toward the direction of our house. I tensed up as we traveled farther and farther away from where we woke. The damage got worse. We were on the outskirts of the explosion, but our house was in the center.

What was Finnick not telling me?

"Our houses were centered aro—"

Before I could finish, a buzzing sound split through the air. Ash let go of my arm and fell onto his side. I let out a wail that couldn't be heard and fell to my knees, my breath rasping. Air rushed around us. My hands were numb at my side; I couldn't lift them to cover my ears. A shadow began to grow around us, a descending hovercraft.

"Run!" I screamed at Ash. It was a useless attempt, nothing could be heard around the buzzing.

I pushed myself off on my bad ankle, which was a very bad idea. I sent myself at Ash, dragging him out of the shadow of the hovercraft and under a piece of overhanging debris. I felt Ash moan under my grip. I let my self hover over his crimpled form, protecting his body. I squinted my eyes as the craft came into view. I blinked, and it had landed on its rough wheels.

A door swung open. Someone stepped out. Her ginger hair and hate filled brown gaze. I grit my teeth and pulled myself out from the cover of the debris. I stood, my shoulders hunched at my face grim, staring at Adira. She was dressed perfectly, unharmed from the bomb.

"A survivor?" Adira raised an eyebrow. Two Lineman stepped protectively to her sides.

"If I was dead, would I be here?" I retorted, straightening my posture.

"Why, of course you wouldn't." she chuckled.

"You find innocent peoples deaths amusing?" I took a step forward. The Lineman pressed closer to Adira.

"I have something you want, Robin LaRue." She stated matter-of-factly.

"All I want is to get out of here." I clenched my fists at my side.

"Oh, what I have you want, my dear." She smirked, wiggling a finger at the Lineman to retrieve whatever she had on the hovercraft.

"You're not just going to give it to me, are you?" I crossed my arms across my chest.

"Dear, I will negotiate if you want him back."

"Him?" I said dumbly.

My heart stopped when the Lineman reappeared. Suspended between their arms, was a weak form. His hands and ankles were tied to each other. James's brown hair hung in front of his broken glasses, his gray sweater and collar were tattered; his shoes were no longer of his feet. His cut and bleeding feet.

"James!" I cried. My hollow gaze met Adira. She was smirking, her hands folded in front of her.

"How could you do this?" I sputtered, biting my lip to try to hold back tears. If I was going to get James back, I had to look intimidating to Adira.

"Robin, I am determined to tear apart your family. After what they did to The Colonies."

"They did nothing!" I took a step forward, raising my fists. A Lineman reached for his gun.

"They knew about this bombing. They wanted to save all these 'innocent' lives."

"It was a good reason! You're insane!" I smiled like an insane person myself.

"Do you want him back?" Adira asked, taking a step closer to me. Suddenly, I felt small.

I gave a small nod.

"You can't" she flashed her teeth at me.

"You will—" I took one last step till I was in her face. A gun shot fired and I felt my ankle burn. M feet got cut out from beneath me and I crumpled to the ground, my ankle bleeding.