The Hunger Games: Death of the Mockingjay

Chapter 28

I know that the wolf pack will be slowly closing in on us. I can just imagine them circling while others pace back and forth sizing use up before they strike.

"I'm scared" says Critter quietly.

"Me too" I reply as I hand him his gun. "I think you're gonna need this"

I keep looking left and right trying to anticipate from what direction the attack will come from. If there were more of us then we'd of had a fighting chance to cover all our flanks but by the sounds of the growls around us we're completely outnumbered by the pack.
The attack finally comes from directly in front of us and for a moment I'm frozen by terror at the size of the wolf as it emerges from the fog, I'm transfixed by it, it's jaws open wide with its red eyes glaring at me as it pounces at us. Critter crashes into me knocking us both over into our sides just as the wolf flies past it's jaws snapping at the now fresh air from where we just were.
The fall into the damp ground brings me back to my senses and I pull an arrow and string it as I get to my feet but it appears that the attacking wolf has already retreated back into the mist. Critter stays crouched watching my rear with his gun for any attack from behind. I take a tentative step forward, to where I'm not sure but if we stay still the wolves will eventually close in and attack as a pack, if we move that might confuse them somehow. I keep swinging my aim right and left to try and cover the area,  I pick up a shadow in the fog, it's a wolf but it's just pacing back and forth waiting for it's chance to attack. I take the opportunity and release my arrow, a loud pained howl comes back as the wolf trots off wounded into the grey fog, a feeling of dread taking hold on me.
The wolves are huge, much bigger than anything I've seen before and my arrows are just wounding them, I'd need a very lucky shot to bring one down and there's so many, I can't see any way we can possibly survive this.

"There's so many of them" says Critter

"I know, just stay focused. We can't allow any of them to get close"

"What if they all attack at the same time? He says shakily.

I don't answer because I know if they do that then we'll have no chance, we'll be completely overrun.

I jump at the sound of Critter's gun firing into the mist followed by an angry growl from directly behind us.

"I just shot one, but it didn't seem injured" Critter whimpers.

"I know but...."

A huge dark shadow emerges from the fog to my left,  I only catch it in the corner of my eye and I try to readjust my aim but I'm too slow and the huge animal is moving too fast. It pounces and crashes into me knocking me flat on my back. The wolf rolls off to the side but before I can sit up it's on me, a heavy paw lands on my shoulder as it straddles me, pinning me back to the ground as I feel its hot breath on my face. I try to use my bow as a barrier, using all the strength to push the Wolf off me but it's weight bares down and a feeling of panic and defeat starts to flow through me as it's jaws open wide ready to take its first bite at my exposed face. I close my eyes in terror, not wishing to see the moment when it's teeth bite home but at the last moment I feel it's body go limp and it's full weight crushes down. The breath is forced from my lungs by its body but I'm more confused than anything, what's happened, why has it stopped its attack and where is the rest of the pack?
I rest my head back onto the damp grass as I start to become light headed from lack of oxygen, I can hear gunshots and explosions, lots of yelling before silence finally closes in. My sight starts to fail, it feels as if I'm looking down a darkening tunnel while the walls slowly close in on me. But then, just when I think that all hope is lost I see the one thing that always gives me hope no matter how serious things could ever be. The boy with the blond hair and piercing blue eyes looks down at me, he's yelling but I can't hear him, it's as if the whole world is ringing in my ears but the only thing I can focus on right now is Peeta, looking down at me with concern in those loving eyes.
Someone else comes to his side, who it is don't know but together they manage to roll the dead wolf off my body. The relief is immediate and I take my first gasp of breath before Peeta rushes forward, helps me to a sitting position then throws his arms around me.

"It's okay you're safe" he whispers in my ear.

"I was beginning to think I wouldn't see you again" I say shakily.

"Me too, but we're back together now"

"We need to get out of here, the wolves could return in greater numbers" says Steph looking around us at the grey mist.
I look at her and how she's reverted back to her tribute training. Her clothes are covered in loose foliage from the dunes in an attempt at camouflage while her face is covered in dry dirt. Her metal bow that she must of got from the ship has a grassy covering over it which must of been constructed from the long grass of the dunes. She looks like a soldier.

"We can't go back there" I say as Peeta releases me.

"What do you mean?" says Viper as he walks out from the fog.

"I made it to their camp and heard their leader talking, they're gonna attack the bunker at first light"

"But how, it's almost impregnable" says Steph.

"They'll attack from the beach and from the dunes, we'll be overrun" I say

"Then we'd better get back quick, Haymitch, Alek and the others are still there" says Steph as she turns and starts running away.

"Hey wait, where's Critter?" I say looking around me.

"Who?" asks Peeta

"He's just a kid, a sparrow from the Brotherhood. He was helping me"

Peeta doesn't ask for any details and directs Steph and Viper to start searching. We set out in a narrow search line so we can keep each other in sight. Viper puts his hand up to stop us, he's found a trail of blood in the grass. We join him with our weapons drawn and ready. I'm not sure if this is from the Wolf I wounded but as we follow on the trail becomes larger right until we come across a blood soaked backpack and a pile of what can only be described as human organs which appear to of been ripped from its victim. It looks like the wolves must of killed Critter and started eating his body,we must of scared them off.
Steph ignores the grizzly sight, kneels down and goes through the backpack. There's a few rations inside but other than that there's nothing of any use. "There's no ammunition that we can use, he must of ran out" she says disappointingly.

"That's just it, when I heard them talking at their camp, they said that they'd used a lot of ammunition back at the ship when they tried to kill me. They're running low"

"Then we've got a chance to win and get out of here, we need to talk to the others and make a decision, if we can't stay in the bunker then we'd better find ourselves another camp but I've got an idea, I just need to run it by Alek first" says Steph smiling.

We make good time walking hurriedly back to the bunker, the first rays of light start to illuminate the arena as we make it back, we've only minutes before the Brotherhood's assault on the bunker begins.

Steph, Alek and the Rapiers all gather together and start making plans for our escape. I can see now that Alek has taken command of our pack and he makes the decision. Steph, Conrad and Annie head off down the tunnel toward the beach while the rest of us gather our things together. Viper takes out some of the mines that were dug up from the beach and starts setting up some traps around the murder hole where the Brotherhood will most likely launch their main assault.
"What are the others doing down at the beach?" I ask Alek.

"Well, if we've gotta leave then we'll take the opportunity and try and take some of them out with some traps. Viper's rigging the main bunker now while Conrad and and Steph will re-lay the mines at the tunnel entrance. Hopefully it'll keep em' busy while we make our escape"

"Out there in the dunes, I can see movement" says Haymitch pointing out through the murder hole. Alek takes a quick peek outside, nods then turns to me.
"Katniss, run down the tunnel and tell the others we've ran out of time, we need to leave now"

I nod and take off down the tunnel running as fast as my legs will carry me but as I close on the tunnel entrance I see three figures running toward me. Steph grabs my arm on the way past "Run Katniss, they're here!" she yells as I steal a glance at the tunnel entrance to see about six Brotherhood tributes running up the tunnel. Alek was right, we are out of time.