Chained Hearts

Chapter Ten

Clove pressed her back up against the wall, Luger clenched into her white knuckled hand as she peered over the edge of the red brick to examine the situation. It was raining in District 2, fat drops splashing against her skin and soaking her clothes. The fabric clung to her body like a second skin and she tried not to shiver against the cold.

Behind the wall, there were two law abiders standing guard. They had their backs to her so she could easily send a bullet through their backs if she got at close enough range.

She turned and squinted into the darkness. "Cato?" she whispered. "Two abiders, I think we can take 'em."

Cato slid up the wall to stand beside her, moving around her to peer behind the wall at the two women too. "Oh yeah," he whispered. "We can take them."

Clove nodded. She prepped the Luger and handed it to her ex-slave. She referred using her knives over guns. Ever since she was a child she had never been able to perfect using a gun, be it a Luger or an M16. Her nose always took the brunt of her fist from the throw backs. And now that she was in a life or death situation, she knew the risk wasn't worth taking.

Cato glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "You okay?"

Clove nodded again. "Fine," she said. "I just can't believe this is happening."

Her slave smiled. "I know," he replied. "Neither can I."

"I go to sleep every night thanking Katniss Everdeen for giving us this opportunity," Clove said quietly. It was true. If it hadn't of been for the District 12 girl's admission on live television, neither of them would have had the courage to sneak out of her mother's house late last week and make their way to the District's byline fence. They wanted to join the rebellion. Which meant they had to find Katniss and the rest of her party. Which also could very much be what kills them.

But it was worth the risk.

"Whatever happens," Cato said, not looking at her but at the two law abiders instead. "I'll always love you."

"Ditto," Clove whispered.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

They moved away from the wall and took their shots.

~xXx~

Glimmer stood at the giant window on the 10th floor of her building. The District looked so calm. Out of all twelve, District 1 was the most serene, not having many women willing to up-rise. She sometimes wondered if she was the only one. The only person in her entire home District who had trusted her soul to another. To someone she had been raised to believe was bad.

But he wasn't bad. That was the point.

He had been a fifth birthday present. Her mother had thought it fitting to give her a slave at an early age so that she would learn how to treat males at an early age.

"What's your name?" Toddler Glimmer twisted her plait around her hand and bit her finger nails. Her mommy had told her she was too old to be sucking her thumb anymore. She was a big girl now.

The kid was funny looking. Their hair wasn't long and their body wasn't petite like all the other girls she'd seen looked like. "I don't know," he answered. Their voice was deep and slightly rough. Strange. They looked up at her with wide brown eyes. Glimmer liked brown eyes. Ruby in her class had brown eyes. Brown eyes were very pretty.

"You're a weird looking girl," she had said.

They tilted their head at her. "I'm not a girl," they'd said.