Return of the Mockingjay

Chapter 12

"Steph, work your way down the tree line toward the mutts, stay in cover though. I want to surprise them"

"Copy that" she replies.

"I'll cross over to the other side of the tracks and make my way down toward them. On my signal I want you to shoot the first Mutt with a Jammer, hopefully the charge should jump to the second Mutt and kill it as well"

"Okay" says Steph.

I duck under the tracks and make my way down the opposite tree line using the fading light to keep myself concealed. As I creep down I eventually see the mutts walking along the side of the tracks, heads constantly scanning left and right looking for any movement and one of them has that silver over the shoulder sash with the gun that I last saw back in District 3. I take a moment to look around in the gloom for any other mutts but it's clear we're alone. I glance across to the opposite treeline to see Steph crouched down by a tree, bow in hand with an arrow strung ready to shoot. When the mutts are about 50 yards from Steph I order her to fire. She raises her bow, takes a second to take aim, then releases her arrow hitting the lead mutt in the chest. It staggers back in surprise from the impact but then the jammer activates and the mutt starts shaking and convulsing as the charge releases through its body. It falls to the ground dead but before that happens the other mutt turns and flees into the woods before the charge has a chance to jump across from it's comrade. It disappears into the forest and I burst from the trees, vault over the train tracks and chase after Steph who is already in pursuit. Unfortunately the tight confines of the pine tree's cause us problems as neither of us can shoot the mutt because we can't get a clear shot. The only advantage we have is that the much larger mutt can't run at speed for the same reason. I order Johanna and Blaine to give chase but deep down I know they're already too far behind to catch up. As we run through the forest I see glimpes of the mutt between the tree's and branches but I notice Steph starting to run at an angle to the mutt. She's not following, just keeping pace and watching the mutt to her right as she dodges around tree's and branches now drawing level with her prey. Just when I think she's going to give up she leaps up onto a fallen log jumps through the air coiling her legs up as she flies through the air. Then in an instant she's uses the next tree as a springboard, launching herself at the mutt like an uncoiled spring, her legs fully extended in a full on dive at her target. As she crashes into the Mutt I see a brief flash of a blade in her hand as the mutt throws it's arm around knocking Steph away, flinging her to the ground. She tumbles on through the tree's before crashing into a fallen branch. But without a moments hesitation she's up, poised on her haunches ready to fight on. But she needn't of worried, The Mutt staggers forward toward her, no doubt already looking to attack when it falls to it's knee's, then flat on its face, dead.

To say I'm impressed is an understatement.

"Great job Steph" I say as I reach the dead Mutt.

"Thank you" she replies modestly while wiping the mutt blood off her knife with some moss pulled from a tree trunk.

As I examine the body I see now that Steph had stabbed the mutt in the side of the neck, no doubt cutting arteries and nerves in the process. The entire attack was planned and executed with speed and efficiency in mind and once again I've witnessed what the Hunger Games academy can give people. What started as complete shock at watching Cato kill so easily in the arena all those years ago has come full circle at my shock and admiration at just what Steph is capable of.

"Where did you get this girl from?" I hear Johanna say breathlessly from behind me.

*

As night falls we make camp about 200 yards into the forest. I'm hoping that if there are any more patrols they'll stay in the vacinity of the train tracks and not bother us. I'll still post a guard to keep watch though, just in case. Joel and Gale returned from setting the explosives just as darkness fell. After Joel finished setting the last charge they both scouted down the tracks a few hundred yards to set up a listening device. This can hear the train approaching minutes before it arrives and will give Joel a chance to trigger the explosives. I take first watch while the others sleep in their lined sleeping bags. Each sleeping bag has it's own battery powered heating system that keeps the occupant warm in the freezing conditions. We came equiped with tents but after the encounter with the mutts I decided it'd be safer for us to sleep out in the open just in case another patrol stumbled onto us. I sit leaning with my back against a tree listening to a slight breeze blowing through the bushes. Apart from that it's completely silent.