Make Them Burn

Rescue

CHAPTER 12: RESCUE

In the middle of the afternoon, Haymitch pulls the curtain in my room back with a job for me, Finnick, and Everdeen. He wants us to go with Cressida's crew and lead them through District 13. Apparently if we get enough footage of 13 after the bombing, Beetee can distract the Capitol from the rescue.

"What we really need is something so riveting that even President Snow won't be able to tear himself away. Got anything like that?" asks Haymitch.

I begin to think about that as I eat breakfast in the hospital. I'm not brilliant or witty. How could I possibly hold Snow's attention? Due my resolution last night to help in every way I can, I vow to try.

Haymitch comes and retrieves me when I'm ready, and we go aboveground.

The sight of sunlight nearly blinds me, and I look at my extremely pale arms. I've missed sunlight, and with a pang in my chest I think of Lilyanna, my light in the darkness, my only sunshine. Haymitch ushers me along, and we hear Cressida ask Everdeen how she met Peeta.

"When I met Peeta, I was eleven years old, and I was almost dead. I was trying to sell an old set of Prim's baby clothes because we were so hungry, and I knocked on the bakery door. The baker's wife chased me from the door, and as I laid outside the bakery, I thought it was the end. Then Peeta came out with some half-burnt bread. And he threw two loaves at me, and went in. We had never even spoken. The first time I ever talked to Peeta was on the train to the Games."

Cressida isn't the kind of person to let emotion guard her work, but even she is greatly moved. She truly believes Everdeen loves Peeta. And I do too. "But he was already in love with you," Cressida says.

"I guess so." Everdeen says, smiling slightly.

Cressida gives her a semi-sympathetic look. "How are you doing with the separation?" She asks.

Everdeen sighs. She hates to be emotional, except with Peeta. Now she has to do just that without him, to save him. "Not well. I know at any moment Snow could kill him. Especially since he warned Thirteen about the bombing. It's a terrible thing to live with. But because of what they're putting him through, I don't have any reservations anymore. About doing whatever it takes to destroy the Capitol. I'm finally free. President Snow once admitted to me that the Capitol was fragile. At the time, I didn't know what he meant. It was hard to see clearly because I was so afraid. Now I'm not. The Capitol's fragile because it depends on the districts for everything. Food, energy, even the Peacekeepers that police us. If we declare our freedom, the Capitol collapses. President Snow, thanks to you, I'm officially declaring mine today."

Everyone applauds her. Messalla pulls Cressida in for a hushed conversation. They call Plutarch over, and he puts in his opinion.

Plutarch hastily calls Finnick and Haymitch over, and after a seemingly heated conversation Finnick sits on the stool. He begins the terrible truth about his prostitution, and dives into secrets about Snow, and the Capitol itself. I've never noticed exactly how great Finnick is at manipulating words.

When he's finished, the camera crew hurries off to edit the footage.

I step toward Fulvia hesitantly once it's clear they are both done. "Do you think I can do that last 'We Remember' propo?"

Fulvia nods, smiles, and tells Cressida what is going to happen.

I shakily position myself on the stool. I take a deep breath. I can do this.

"To some of you, Cashmere and Gloss Appleberry are just victors. Special victors, yes, but victors all the same. To others, they are people who brought your district pride, or role models. But to me, Cashmere and Gloss are two people who have changed me and my life. It was the Games after mine when I met them. My tribute, a girl, had decided to ally herself with the tribute boy from 1. Gloss and I had to make arrangements to keep them alive. Sadly my girl tribute ran into a flock of deadly birds and died, and Gloss's guy was killed by the winner in the final battle." I take a deep breath. "Gloss and I became friends, and he introduced me to his sister, Cashmere. Her and Gloss were prostituted just like Finnick. They were great people, just trying to stay alive. Surely all of you saw Cashmere throw a knife past me to catch my attention in the Quarter Quell. She risked her life to warn me. And the Capitol shouldn't have made these two wonderful people go to the Games, or sell their bodies for entertainment. It's wrong, barbaric, horrible, despicable-" one look from Cressida tells me I'm getting off the point. "They deserved better. We all do."

***

Now there's nothing left for us to do but wait. Haymitch and I sit in the new version of Command (Special Defense), rolling yarn and squeezing rice balls. When Beetee manages to throw in some footage, we only half pay attention. Most of Everdeen's interview doesn't make the cut, and mine only makes some of it. It is Finnick's account of the Capitol is there most. The Capitol tries to fight off the attack, but can't always manage, so they try to cut the feed, but Beetee turns it right back on.

Someone brings me a pillow and blanket, and in Special Defense, I curl up in a ball and rock back and forth.

***

Haymitch nudges me awake, and I mentally kick myself for dozing off. "They're back. We're wanted in the hospital." He's on edge with eagerness and uneasiness. We're both thinking the same thing: how are our friends?

We're sideswiped by a gurney bearing an unconscious, young woman with a shaved head. Her flesh shows bruises and I can hardly recognize Johanna Mason.

"Oh, Jo." I say, reaching out for her bruised hand. But the gurney sweeps her away and into a hospital room.

"Finnick!" A beautiful woman with sea green eyes rushes to Finnick with only a sheet around her. Her hair is dark, and has many knots in it. "Finnick!" She cries. The two run towards each other, crash together, and slam into a wall. Neither seems to care about anything else around them.

A pang of jealousy hits me. Finnick and Annie have one another to hold and comfort.

After talking to Everdeen, Boggs approaches me. "We have something you need to see."

I raise my eyebrows. What could I possibly need to see? Is it Lilyanna?

Boggs leads me to a room where a young woman is clutching onto a beaten and bruised man. The man has dark hair and thick eyebrows. His expression is hard. When he sees me, his face brightens and he sits up.

The young woman, however, has strawberry blonde hair and light freckles.

"Alex?" Chase asks softly.

He helps Lilyanna up. She limps toward me, and is really crying. I'm not sure if she's crying in pain or in happiness. Maybe both.

"Lilyanna!" I cry.

She reaches for me through her mop of tangled hair. "Mom!" She cries through her tears.

I'm crying. She's crying. "Are you okay?" I ask, squeezing her tightly.

"Chase-Chase helped me."

To that I don't reply. I'm not sure how I feel about Chase at the moment.

I pat her head. "I love you, Yana."

My daughter doesn't seem to be listening. "Love you too, Mom." She mutters, as if something else is on her mind. "They-they told us that they said Chase was missing, so you would hate him. And he took my-my punishments. When they'd tr-try to hurt me, Chase would try to take the punishment for me."

It worked.

"And then when we defended you, the guy told us they were gonna bomb 13. And then we told Peeta. And he said it-on-on TV. Then.... we all got...."

I hush her and turn to Chase stiffly.

"Is that true?" I ask. There's a fair amount of edge in my voice, but also hope. I want Lilyanna to be telling the truth.

Chase's eyes melt. "Alex-"

"Is it true, Chase? You saved her, and took her beatings?" I'm not loosening my grip on his eyes.

Chase's face is desperate. His eyes are like puppy dog eyes, and he's not even trying. "Yes." He uses Lilyanna for support as he sinks to his knees. "Alex, I'd never leave Lilyanna. She's my daughter too. I promise."

I kneel down at his level and lean in. I grab his torn and ripped up shirt and pull him in for a kiss. Or two.