Stay with me? [Finnick Odair]

101

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Chapter one hundred and one
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The Holo is released into the sewer below and Finnick pulls me against the wall, protecting me from the shower of mutt and human flesh that comes shooting out of the pipe. Pollux slams a cover over the pipe and locks it in place. We all clamber to our feet and I look around at who's left. Pollux, Gale, Cressida, Peeta, Katniss, Finnick and me. We're it. We're all that's left out of the entire squad. Boggs is dead. Jackson is dead. Mitchell is dead. Leeg 1 and 2 are both dead. Messalla is dead. Castor is dead...

Parker is dead.

That's eight dead. The rest of us are badly wounded. This whole plan has gone to shit, but we have to keep moving. There's no point in stopping now.

"We can't stop here," Katniss announces and a bandage is placed around Gale's neck — which has a large gash ripped from it. Finnick wraps some of the bandage around my waist to stop the claw marks from bleeding everywhere and I patch up his wounds, being careful not to hurt him any more than he already is.

I feel this sort of numbness swallowing me whole as I wrap the bandage around Finnick's bleeding arm. I just stare off into space, looping the bandage around his arm until the wound is barely visible. And yet it still manages to bleed through the white cotton of the bandage.

His hand slides on top of mine just as I finish patching him up. I freeze at his touch, but eventually zip my fingers into his. "Are you okay? I know you and Parker were close —"

"Stop," I whisper, cutting him off, I shake my head while trying to force back the tears. "I can't think about him now. It'll only make me a burden on the group." It's true. I know that if I think about Parker now, I'll only disappear to that dark place in my mind where I'll most likely never escape from again. I don't want to think about him. He became one of my closest friends so quickly and, just as quickly, he was gone. If I just push back the sadness, ignore the horrific images flashing in my head of him fighting against the mutts, and try to forget his screams that still echo in my mind, then all I can focus on is the mission. The mission is what's important right now.

I can mourn Parker later. Right now, I have to stay strong. For everyone.

Finnick nods, his face showing nothing but understanding. He doesn't say anything else. He just wraps an arm around me and hugs me close to his chest as we turn to face Katniss. She's on the ground in front of Peeta, trying to get him to come with us. He's breaking. He's terrified of turning into one of those mutts. Those crazed mutts, wanting nothing but to tear me and Katniss apart. But Katniss is trying to calm him down and convince him to come with us. She leans down and presses her lips against his, pulling away after a few seconds and quietly begging him to come with her.

Eventually, he stands up. He seems calmer than before. We all silently move up the ladder which leads to the apartment above us. Katniss is quick to take out the woman who finds us coming through her utility room, leaving her no time to beg or plead for mercy, and we search her apartment. She lives alone, so we don't have to worry about anyone else finding us.

"How long do you think we have before they figure out some of us could've survived?" Katniss asks as we all group in the living room.

"I think they could be here anytime," Gale replies. "They knew we were heading for the streets. Probably the explosion will throw them for a few minutes, then they'll start looking for our exit point."

Katniss moves over to the window that is looking out at the street, peeking through the blinds, and Cressida joins her. I stand by Finnick, cuddled into his side and keeping my eyes on the floor as Katniss tries to think of a plan to get out of here. She turns to us and her eyes sweep across our faces in one swift motion, inspecting everyone's state of mind before coming up with a way to escape before they find us here.

"Let's check her closets."

We find plenty of clothes in her closet and an equal amount of men's clothes in the closet in the room across the hall. We manage to hide our uniforms and weapons under flowing coats and cloaks, tying our boots around our necks by their laces and hiding them, we also replace them with silly shoes in order to blend in. But we're not done yet. Katniss, Peeta, Finnick and I can all be recognised from any citizen in Panem — thanks to the games. Cressida and Pollux run the risk of being recognised from acquaintances. And Gale could possibly be recognised from the propos and news. So, we try our best to apply thick layers of makeup to our faces, topping them off with scarves, wigs and sunglasses in order to be sure that we won't be recognised.

We look absolutely ridiculous, but it's necessary if we want any chance of getting out alive.

Once we're ready, we all gather by the front door. "Stay together," Katniss orders and we step out onto the street. Snow is beginning to fall around us, covering the street in a thin layer of white. We're immediately pushed and shoved by angry Capitol citizens, muttering about rebels, hunger and me and Katniss as they slip past us; too wrapped up in their bickering to realise that the people they're talking about are standing right there. I guess that's lucky for us.

We cross the street, pass a few more apartments, and manage to hop out of the way of the oncoming peacekeepers just as the real citizens do and we cover another block. Sirens begin to blare. Through the window of an apartment, I see an emergency report and pictures of our faces flashing. It's clear they haven't found out who has died yet because I'm soon met with Parker's face staring back at me. My stomach flips and I'm quick to look away, almost stumbling over my own feet, but Finnick is quick to grab my wrist to stop me from going down. I whisper a quick thanks to him and that's when Katniss tells us to follow Cressida.

We follow her for a few more blocks before we turn through a gate which looks to lead to a private property, but we soon come out of another gate after trekking through the beautifully arranged garden. We come out onto a small back street which connects two main avenues, there are only a few people dotted about but they pay no attention to us. Cressida begins to babble in a high-pitched accent, most likely not to draw attention to us, and we eventually stop before a grimy storefront. It looks like it hasn't been open in years, but Cressida pushes through the front door and we all follow after her into the dim, narrow shop lined with racks of merchandise.