Lethal Charm - THG [1]

32

When Knox had gotten to the jet that would fly her out to district eight where Gale, Boggs and the others had already been shipped off to, she was surprisingly joined by Finnick, geared up with the same black armoured clothing as she and his trident in hand.

"Finnick?" She questioned in surprise as she stood up and hugged him, "You're coming with me?"

"Of course I am," he gave her a charming smile as they parted, the same smile he'd always give her, "you really think I'd let you go without me?"

Knox chuckled, "I'd have thought Annie wouldn't let you go,"

"I'll make it up to her when we get back."

⚔️

Upon arriving at District 8 they were directed towards the unit they'd be working with.

As they approached the group who were all facing away, Katniss's eyes widened in surprise, "Knox? Finnick?" She questioned as she stepped away from the group and walked towards them, "are you with us?" She asked with a smile on her face.

"Looks like it,"

"That was a short honeymoon," Katniss commented as she hugged Finnick, "yeah, well, I guess we're gonna have to have one in the Capitol." He told her, "After we take it."

Katniss gave him a smile before turning to Knox and pulling her into a hug as well, catching her off guard as she hadn't expected such a warm reaction. She hadn't realised they were that close, "I'm glad you're here," the girl mumbled.

"Of course I am," Knox mumbled before clapping her on the back and stepping away, "enough of this, we're not dead yet."

Katniss let out a small snicker that Knox hadn't expected from her. Evidently, each time Knox had put her ass in the line to protect or save Katniss had paid off and the girl had grown to like her.

"Does Johanna know you're here?" She asked.

Knox nodded and clicked her tongue, "I have a lot of making up to do when I get back."

"Gather round," Boggs called out, pulling everyone's attention towards him, "Squad 451, you're my unit." He began, and gestured to the woman beside him, "Lieutenant Jackson is my second-in-command. Each one of you is elite in some form of combat. But we are a non-combat unit. So we'll be following days being the front line troops."

"You're to be the on-screen faces of the invasion." Said Cressida, "The star squad. It's decided that you're most effective when seen by the masses."

"So we're not going to fight?" Gale questioned.

"You'll do whatever you're ordered to do, soldier," said Boggs, "it's not your job to ask questions."

"Yes sir."

"Our instructions are to shoot propaganda footage on the battle-scarred streets of the Capitol. You were hand-picked to intimidate their forces."

"And inspire surrenders," Cressida cut in.

"Even though we will be working on abandoned streets miles behind the front lines I guarantee you wherever they put us, it will not be safe. This is a war zone. It is likely that we will encounter both active pods and peacekeepers." Boggs spoke seriously, "You're considered high-value targets to the Capitol. In the event of capture you'll be given a night lock pill." He held up a small black case, "a poison that acts immediately. Lieutenant Jackson do the honours,"

Boggs handed the case to Jackson and she began to hand a pill to each person in the unit. Knox tucked the pill she was handed into a small pocket on her sleeve without so much as looking at it.

"I've already briefed you on the pods. I remind you they are on every block. Our unit has been given a holo." Boggs placed a small electronic device on a box that was in the centre of the group, "a database that contains a detailed map of the Capitol and a list of every known pod. These pods can trigger anything from bombs to traps to mutts." He paused and glanced at everyone, "we cannot move without this device, there's no guarantee that our database is complete. There could be new pods that we're not aware of. Because we don't want the game makers to know we have this intel it has a self-destruct on it."

He pointed to a switch on the side, "You flip this switch and say 'night lock' three times, and it blows itself and anything within a 10-foot radius." He explained, "Stay within our unit. Even with the holo, it is likely that new pods have been set. Whatever they contain they are meant to kill you."

Finnick sidled up between Knox and Katniss, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 76th Hunger Games."