Love at Sea (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 18

No faces in the sky tonight.

The anthem echoed across the arena, and for the first day in these Games, there were no faces of dead tributes in the sky.

"I think it's nine o'clock," Finnick declared, nervously swallowing before he did.

"Show time," Taiya breathed, sparing a quick glance at Johanna, who was also trying to hide her nerves. "Let's go Beetroot," Taiya stepped forward and held Beetee's hand, helping him off the ground.

The hike up was quiet, the moon was the only thing lighting their path. The oysters they'd all indulged in earlier sat nervously in their stomachs. Restless amongst the butterflies that grew with each step they took towards the lightning tree.

And when they got to the tree all they could do was stare at it for two minutes. This tree would either lead the way to their safety or destroy it.

"Could you help me Finnick?" Beetee asked, interrupting the silence.

"Sure," Finnick agreed quietly, stepping away from Taiya and towards Beetee.

While Beetee and Finnick wrapped the tree in wire, Taiya looked out at the trees. Somewhere out there was the remainder of the Career pack.

It was hard for Taiya to be resentful and dislike the Careers as people from the outer districts did. Technically District 4 was a Career district. It was hard for her to forget that these people started as children, who grew up being brainwashed about the power and glory the Games would bring its victor.

It was never until it was too late did they realise the truth. Districts 1, 2 and 4 were just as much victims of the Capitol as the outer Districts were. Sure, they weren't deprived of food in the same way, but their childhoods were taken away. Stripped from them as they were turned into brainwashed soldiers, Capitol puppets.

Enobaria and Brutus weren't the enemies here.

Taiya's eyes then darted over to the small sliver of beach she could see. The wave had just started.

2 more hours.

"We need to go over the rest of the plan," Beetee ushered them all to stand around him. This was going to be the difficult part. Splitting Katniss and Peeta up. "Typically, a lightning strike contains five billion joules of energy. We don't want to be anywhere in the vicinity when this hits. You three girls go together now. Take this," he handed Katniss the wire. "Unspool it carefully. Make sure the entire coil is in the water. Do you understand? Then head to the tree at the two o'clock sector. We'll meet you there," Beetee said before he started walking away.

Taiya exchanged a quick look with Johanna. Beetee was crazy if he thought that'd work, that there would be no protest from either Katniss or Peeta. Beetee never did have a lot of social tact.

"I'm going to go with them as a guard," Peeta immediately spoke up.

"No, no, no, no," Beetee shook his head. "You're too slow. The girls are small, they'll be able to slip through the trees easier and make less noise. Besides, I'll need you on this end, you're staying here to protect me. And the tree."

"No, I need to go with her," Peeta enforced.

"There are two Career's out there. I need two guards."

"Finnick can protect you just fine on his own," Peeta pointed out.

"Yeah. Why can't Finnick, Taiya and Johanna stay with you and Peeta and I will take the coil?" Katniss asked Beetee. "I'm sure they'd rather stick together."

"You all agreed to keep me alive till midnight, correct?" Beetee looked at the group. He was stuck, he didn't know what else to say. So Taiya stepped in.