Return of the Mockingjay

Chapter 23

I unclip my safety belt and get up from my seat ready for landing on the District 7 border. It took 2 long hours before the hovercraft were able to get out of the hanger, 2 hours lost while Wolfe captured more innocent people. When I got to the hanger earlier the squad was all ready and waiting to fly out. Each of us picked a hovercraft except Steph of course who immediately made a bee line for Alek's drop ship.
My flight is going to the front line of the invasion, the most desperate and panicked people will be here, the ones that are already running from the mutt army. I reach up and grab a grappling hook on the ceiling to steady myself as the hovercraft makes a tight turn before touching down, my load master who's name is Jarrod, nods at me to get ready as he starts to drop the loading ramp just as we touch down. The pilot keeps the engines running and I can hear him talking to the load master over my crew headset as I run down the ramp, shielding my eyes with my hand from the dust swirling around from the hovercraft's engines. Ahead of me are hundreds of refugees waiting patiently in organised lines ready to be picked up, some stand open mouthed at my appearance in district 7 and seem unable to move. There's so many people, how can we possibly rescue everyone!

"Hurry, get on board" I yell at the first row of people. A few try to hurry forward from the other lines, jumping the queue obviously desperate to get away from the rapidly advancing army.

"Hey, be patient!" I yell at them holding up my hand. "more hovercraft are coming"

Just as I say that two more arrive and set down either side of my hovercraft. The ramps lower and Gale and Johanna both run out into the swirling clouds of dust. Straight away they start helping people onboard and I take the arm of an injured women who has a baby in her arms. I take her child and help her as she struggles up the ramp to her seat.

"There you go" I say smiling at her as I hand her baby back to her after she sat down.
"Bless you Katniss, you truly are an angel"
I kiss her baby on the forehead and smile at her before I take off to help the others. Seeing her baby makes me think of Rue, I'm happy and content knowing that she's safe with Megan back in our apartment in 13, safe from Wolfe and his Mutt army. I stand at the bottom of the ramp as they all board and it's not long before the hovercraft is full. All the seats are taken and there's at least another dozen people sitting and lying on the floor. I nod at the load master to close the ramp and he signals the pilot to lift off. I step between the arms and legs of the refugees sprawled out on the floor and take a seat on the steps to the flight deck. On the flight back to 13 a number of people make the effort to talk to me. Some are interested in the squad, others ask about Peeta and Rue. Some just sit there staring, a little star struck I guess.

We touch down and I run down the ramp to hurry everybody off, some give me a hug or just say thank you as they pass. Before I leave and run up the loading ramp for our next trip I look out across the landing area. The whole area is covered with people, some carrying children, others clinging onto bags which carry their valuables. A steady stream of hovercraft come and go dropping off refugees from some of the other districts. I take my seat and it only seems to take just a few minutes for us to reach district 7 for our next trip. As I rush out I can see only a few stragglers left but we won't get them all on this trip, and we won't need both Gale and Johanna to return here. I contact the pilot to redirect one of them to district 8, hoping to avoid a wasted flight. In only a few minutes were loaded full of people and as I give the order to close the ramp we see Gale and his hovercraft landing alongside us ready to pick up the final few. I give him a casual wave as the ramp closes and he smiles and nods in my direction. We take off and head back toward 13 and the pilot informs me that we'll have to refuel before we head out from 13 again, it'll take 30 minutes. I lean back and rest as a small child comes over and sits on the step next to me.

"You okay?" I say as I put my arm around the small boy

He doesn't say anything as tears well up in his eyes.

"Where's your Mom and Dad?"

He shakes his head " I don't know, I lost them" he says slowly.

"Well don't worry we'll find them" I say giving him a comforting squeeze.
"What's your name?"

"Peeta, my name's Peeta"

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When we landed back at 13 I found little Peeta's family, somehow he'd got separated from his parents in the struggle to get on board Johanna's drop ship. His family can't believe it when they see him and both his parents and sisters embrace me.

"Thank you so much Katniss" his father says with tears in his eyes. I'm slightly embarrassed at the attention and dismiss the praise and gratitude.
"It's no problem, anyone would of done it" I say dismissively

I head back to command to see Peeta while my hovercraft is refuelled. But when I walk in the whole room is in utter chaos. Peeta is yelling at Atticus and Remus while Plutarch is in deep conversation with Ellie and Lyndon.

"What's Happened" I ask no one in particular. Peeta hears my voice moves away from the two generals and stands in front of me. He rests both his hands on my shoulders and looks me straight in the eye.

"It's Gale Kat, he's missing"

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I explain to them about when I last saw him, by the district 7 boundary with 8. No one really knows for sure but Plutarch thinks Gale and his crew may of been caught by Wolfe's army. I sit on a chair in the corner waiting for news, still covered in soot and grime from the attack on the training ground earlier. So much has happened today but to lose Gale is terrible, almost as bad as losing Peeta and Rue. Losing so many people on the training ground is terrible and I really feel for them and they're families. But Gale is family to me, he's my best friend and I can't bare to lose him. I feel a knot build in my stomach, a feeling of worry that threatens to build up inside of me and make me throw up. Peeta can see the worry on my face and comes over.

He kneels down in front of me and takes my hand.

"Hey, I know your worried but we're doing everything to try and find him and the hovercraft, I know you're worried Kat, I'm worried too"

I try to smile but I can't, I can't imagine life without Gale. He's always been there for me, even when I blamed him for Prim's death he was still there. And now he's got Megan, how the hell am I gonna tell her the news, that her boyfriend is missing, possibly captured by Wolfe. He knows exactly who Gale is, he's famous because of the squad and to capture a member of my team, who's also a close friend is a great boost for Wolfe.

Peeta, gives me a gentle kiss on my cheek and I smile at him, Plutarch comes over.

"Katniss, your hovercraft is refuelled and ready to head out again"

Peeta stands up, "No Plutarch. She's been through enough today after what happened on the training ground and now to lose Gale...."

I stand up and head to the door. I'll be better if I keep busy and focus on other things.

"It's okay Peeta, I'll go. Let me know if there's any news" I say as I push out the door before Peeta gets a chance to argue.

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We fly back and forth from the districts until late into the night. It's been a massive undertaking but we've managed to move thousands of people out of harms way. Now the other problems begin, where do we house them and feed them. 13 was never designed or intended to be a home for so many people, I'll leave that problem to Peeta and his advisors I think to myself. I get to my feet and amble down the loading ramp for the last time. The last few passengers thank me as they wander off to join the crowds and I walk to the elevator and see Ellie waiting for me with her arms folded. Seeing her waiting makes me think there might be some news about Gale, I rush over, hoping its good, but as I reach her with a pleading look in my eyes, she says nothing and shakes her head in return.
She takes my hand and leads me back to command, I'm both mentally and physically exhausted by the events of today, but when we walk into command everyone is transfixed on the TV at the end of the room. As I rush forward I see something that tears my heart open. On the screen is Wolfe, sat behind the desk in the mansion back in the Capitol. Behind him flanking him on each side are two guards, both with guns pointed at Haymitch and.....Gale.