The Life of A Victor || Finnick Odair

CHAPTER 62

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Everyone sat around in a circle formation, giving options and ideas to carry out the assassination plan. Tigris's shop was merely five blocks away from the City Circle and Snow's mansion. An area that, due to residents' safety, had most, or all pods deactivated. Their current disguises would probably need upgrading, but, since they were surrounded by different materials and clothes, that didn't seem a problem.

"What we need is to get him out in the open," Gale told Katniss while discussing how they could get inside the mansion. "Then one of us could pick him off."

"Does he ever appear in public any more?" asked Peeta.

"I don't think so," Cressida answered. "At least in all the recent speeches I've seen, he's been in the mansion. Even before the rebels got here. I imagine he became more vigilant after Finnick aired his crimes."

"Now lots of people here hate him, too. He's not dumb. He wouldn't show himself for a trivial matter. We need to think of something to lure him out," Melo said, watching closely as Katniss seemed to have come up with an idea.

"I bet he'd come out for me," she announced. "If I were captured. He'd want that as public as possible. He'd want my execution on his front steps." She paused for a second to let the suggestion sink in before adding. "Then one of you could shoot him from the audience."

"No." Peeta denied, shaking his head dismissively. "There are too many alternative endings to that plan. Snow might decide to keep you and torture information out of you. Or have you executed publicly without being present. Or kill you inside the mansion and display your body out front."

"Peeta's right. And we can't have the Mockingjay dying so soon, can we?" Dove muttered, involuntarily chuckling as she thought of Katniss's words. "Next time you think of a plan this crazy, think of what Prim's reaction would be before speaking. If you wouldn't say it in front of her, don't say it at all. There's no need to have two suicidal girls in this squad."

"Anyway, it seems like an extreme solution to jump to immediately," Gale intervened. "Maybe if all else fails. Let's keep thinking."

Between the silence that followed his statement, everyone could hear clearly as what seemed to be closing time arrived. Minutes after, the panel at the top of the stairs slid open, allowing them to hear Tigris's clear voice. "Come up. I have some food for you."

They crawled their way up the stairs and regrouped upstairs, where Cressida asked, "Did you contact Plutarch, Tigris?"

"No way to," the woman replied, shrugging before adding. "He'll figure out you're in a safe house. Don't worry."

"Worry?" Johanna whispered mockingly while raising her eyebrows towards Dove, who smiled slightly. "I think we're quite relieved."

"Just quite? I would rather not see that pair ever again. The farther away from them, the better," Dove whispered back, although with a more serious tone than Johanna's.

Tigris guided them to the counter, which held some hunks of bread, a wedge of mouldy cheese, and half a bottle of mustard. Of course, they were in the Capitol, but that didn't mean everyone had enough money to eat grandiose meals. Katniss told Tigris about their food supplies, but she waved the objections quickly.

"I eat next to nothing," she said. "And then, only raw meat."

While they ate, they watched the Capitol news report. The government had narrowed it down to ten of them. Dove Ogilvy and Melo Ogilvy were being accounted as dead, which then led to an announcement of huge bounties to those who had any information that could lead to the survivors' capture.