Return of the Mockingjay

Chapter 18

I make a decision to try to flank Thread and get ahead of him somehow, I know in the bottom of my game bag is some twine I can use to set some snares. If I can trap him somehow it might make it easier for me to kill him or even better, capture and interrogate him. I'm sure he must know an awful lot about Wolfe and his plans. I make my way to the east, headed on a different course to where Thread was going and once out of earshot I increase my pace and jog on through the undergrowth trying to get a lead on my attacker. But it's not long before I realise that I'm never gonna get far enough ahead before I reach the town, and it's now obvious that's where he's headed. No doubt to try to kill Peeta, maybe he just bumped into me in the woods and tried to take me out. He must think that I've raced on back to the town trying to alert the others, well, he's wrong.

I stop within a group of bushes crouch down and think for a second, how can I stop Thread from reaching the town and attacking my family? What I need is bait, something to lure him away into the forest and away from Peeta. I stand up and check my bow, knowing what I've got to do. I check the string for damage and can find only a small amount of rot where the string meets the bow itself. Surprising when you consider that it's been hidden in a damp hollow log for the last 3 years! I start to walk in a direct path to intersect with Thread, I'll get his attention and lead him back toward the centre of the forest. Yes, I'm a little scared but I comfort myself knowing that I'll be leading him into an area of the forest that I know well. After about 10 minutes I start to pick up the faint smell of burning coal on the wind and I know I'm drawing closer to the town, and then I see him. He's so well hidden I nearly ran right up to him,  his hot breath once again giving away his position in the cold winter morning. The sun is right up above the horizon now and I can see his features much more clearly. From what I can see he's still got the close cropped grey hair along with the permanent bitter grimace spread across his face. He wears a green military uniform together with the webbing which clings to his body, arms, head and shoulders. He sits crouched against a holly covered tree trunk looking through a pair of binoculars at the town but he's too far away for me to get a clear shot off, and in any case, there's too many trees in the way. I silently pull an arrow from my sheath, string it and take aim at the tree directly in front of him. I aim high, allowing for the arrow to drop as this old bow is nowhere near as powerful as my modern Mockingjay one. I release the string and watch in satisfaction as the arrow head buries itself into an old rotten tree directly in front of him. Thread jumps back startled, but then in one fluid motion pulls out his pistol swings around to face me and lets off two rounds in my direction, the loud retort of the gun echo's of the surrounding woodland. But he's guessing, he has no idea as to where I am and the bullets whistle by, a few metres to my left. With the first part of my plan complete I turn and make a break for the deep forest. Thread shoots again, this time much more accurately as he now knows where I am. A bullet rips into a tree to the side of me and bark and wooden splinters explode into my face momentarily blinding me in one eye. I run on with my eye closed trying to get clear, now realising that my gamble with Thread may not actually pay off. I try to wipe the splinters from my eye with the back of my hand as I run, hoping that my better fitness over my much older attacker will bear through in the pursuit. I take a quick glance over my shoulder to see Thread getting to his feet and starting after me and my heart sinks as I see him sliding another clip into his pistol as he runs. I need to slow him down somehow!

I pull an arrow from my sheath, string it, turn, and shoot without aiming. This time I forget to allow for the weaker bow and the arrow starts to drop as it approaches its target. Thread looks up just in time to see the arrow coming toward him and he tries to dive off to one side to avoid the shot but he's too slow. The arrow buries itself into his left calf muscle and he cry's out in pain.

And then there's silence although my ears are still ringing from all the shooting. Thread has fallen to the side hidden in some bushes. I lower my bow, hoping that I've wounded my hunter and turned the tables on him, but as I reload Thread's pistol starts shooting again. I twist away from the onslaught but feel a hot aching pain in my right arm, I'm hit!