REVENANT | Coriolanus Snow

Chapter 12

Coriolanus turned his back to the cage, leaning on the table with his hands, waiting.

"It's like this," said Sejanus, his voice rising with emotion. "Some of the rebels are leaving District Twelve for good. Heading north to start a life away from Panem. They said if I help them with Lil, I can go, too."

As if questioning the claim, Coriolanus raised his eyebrows.

Sejanus's words tumbled out. "I know, I know, but they need me. The thing is, they're determined to free Lil and take her with them. If they don't, the Capitol will hang her with the next lot of rebels they bring in. The plan is simple, really. The prison guards work in four-hour shifts. I'm going to drug a couple of my ma's treats and give them to the outside guards. This medicine they gave me in the Capitol, it knocks you out like that —" Sejanus snapped his fingers. "I'll take one of their guns. The inside guards are unarmed, so I can force them into the interrogation room at gunpoint. It's soundproof, so no one can hear them yell. Then I'll get Lil. Her brother can get us through the fence. We'll head north immediately. We should have hours before they discover the guards. Since we're not going through the gate, they'll assume we're hiding on base, so they'll lock it down and search here first. By the time they figure it out, we'll be long gone. No one hurt. And no one the wiser."

Coriolanus dropped his head and rubbed his brow with his fingertips, as if trying to collect his thoughts, unsure how long he could refrain from talking without seeming suspicious.

But Sejanus hurried on. "I couldn't go without telling you. You're as good to me as any brother could be. I'll never forget what you did for me in the arena. I'll try to figure out some way to let Ma know what happened to me. And my father, I suppose. Let him know the Plinth name lives on, if only in obscurity."

There it was. The Plinth name. It was enough. His left hand found the remote and he pressed the NEUTRAL button with his thumb. The jabberjay resumed the song it had been singing earlier.

Something caught Coriolanus's eye. "Someone's coming."

"Someone's coming," the bird repeated in his voice.

"Hush, you silly thing," he told the bird, inwardly pleased it had resumed its normal, neutral pattern.

"We need another water bottle. One broke," said the peacekeeper as he entered the hangar.

"One broke," said the bird in the man's voice, and then it began to imitate a passing crow.

"I'll find one." Coriolanus handed him the cage. As the peacekeeper left, Coriolanus crossed over to a bin where they kept supplies and began to dig around. Better to stay away from the other jabberjays while the conversation continued. If they started mimicking too much, Sejanus might wonder why the first bird had been so silent. Not that he really knew how the birds worked.

"It sounds crazy, Sejanus. So many things could go wrong." Coriolanus rattled off a list. "What if the guards don't want your ma's treats? Or one does, and collapses with the other watching? What if the inside guards call for help before you get them in the room? What if you can't find the key to Lil's cell? And what do you mean, her brother will get you through the fence? No one's going to notice him, what, cutting through it?"

"No, there's a weak spot in the fence behind the generator. It's already loose or something. Look, I know a lot of things have to go right, but I think they will." Sejanus sounded as if he was trying to convince himself. "They have to. And if they don't, then they'll arrest me now instead of later, right? When I'm wrapped up in something worse?"

Coriolanus shook his head unhappily. "I can't change your mind?"

Sejanus was adamant. "No, I've decided. I can't stay here. We both know it. Sooner or later I'll snap. I can't do the Peacekeeping work in good conscience, and I can't keep endangering you with my crazy plans."