The family ties of Lily Juniper Abernathy (book 3)

Chapter 26

Finn

That girl knew me from when we were kids. Or at least that's what she said. She told me her name was Cass- she wouldn't give us her proper name in case we told the police. She said if we told the police then the little boy would die.

Lily

This was worse than I thought. I should've reported Marcel years ago. She said she would phone Annie's house in an hour- that was 5 minutes away. If anyone else answered Cass would say it was about us being re-housed, she'd ask to speak to Finn. Annie wasn't back from the beach with Charlie but we knew they'd be back soon to get ready for the party.

"This is all my fault."

Finn turned to me "You've done the right thing."

"Yeah, and now-" I exploded with rage "AND NOW CHARLIE HAS A DEATH THREAT HANGING OVER HIM!"

I didn't cry. I didn't want to. I needed to save my tears for the worst.

"Lily," he whispered pulling me into him. He said nothing he just held me there. Until the phone rang.

Finn

I got up, took a breath, and answered "Hello?"

"Cass." She said to me

"Yeah, I know it's you, you're five minutes early?"

"Just listen to me Finnick, even if Lily says no, here's what I want you to do."

I hung up "Marcel left the group last year when they were setting the bombing plans up?"

"And, what about her?"

"She's called off the threats about Charlie."

I saw her finally take a breath- the first in the last hour "Good."

She started crying. I didn't know whether it was fear or relief.

I cuddled her as tightly as I could as I continued "She's working under Paylor."

"PAYLOR HAS DONE THIS?"

"No, Cass works for her- Cass is the only girl in their student body at the moment...and she's been arena-trained at the Jay."

Lily

The Jay was an elite hunger games academy on an island off 4's coast. They had arena simulators there. They very rarely took girls. She'd have been trained to assassinate people. It was compulsory because most went to train for the army or the secret service. I shuddered. No wonder she could threaten to kill a child so smoothly- and call it off within an hour.

"That's not all..."

"What?"

"She wants us to help."

"By doing what?"

"Never speaking of what happened again, and, we have to do as Paylor demands no matter what she asks?"

Finn

I watched her put her arms tightly around her stomach as she hissed

"I'm doing nothing for Paylor."

I sighed "Ok, but I am."

she sighed too "Then I will, they'll want us both to cooperate won't they?"

I nodded "I wish she would've told me what Paylor wants with us?"

"Well, she can't do much with me like this anyway?"

I paused for a moment- taking that in. She said that at the reaping: that Katniss didn't have much to work with. But she still got reaped anyway.

Lily