Soldier

Part 6

It was the fastest Hunger Games in history- and there was no victor.  I'm still trying to process everything.

We sit in our family's quarters, none of us wanting to sleep. Ruby wears her trusty headset. Through it, she can hear all the latest developments on the rebellion, before most of District 13 does. She has to receive news the instant it comes. 

"No way!" Ruby suddenly exclaims. "Fantastic news! Oh, thank you. Come see us when you get here. I live in room six-two-six."

Aqua jumps to her side. "What's going on, Aunt Ruby?"

"Who are you talking to?" Jewel interjects. "Is it about the Quarter Quell?"

Lacey puts a hand up. "Let her breath for a second, you two. Please."

"I'm fine," Ruby assures us. "Everyone... you'll never guess what I just heard. The mockingjay lives."

The mockingjay lives. Mockingjays are special birds. Renegades. But in this case, I know 'mockingjay' refers to a person; a girl who volunteered for her sister, who broke the rules.

"You don't mean to say that Katniss Everdeen is...alive?  Ruby, the whole jungle exploded-"

"I know, I know. But it's true. Katniss survived the Quarter Quell explosion! Well, she was pulled out by a crane, is more like it. The same way bodies are retrieved from the arena. That's not even the best part. Beetee and Finnick were rescued, too. They're being transported to the hospital wing right now."

Beetee's alive!  The moment feels bittersweet, with his wife dead. There's no way I'll ever be able to forget watching as her throat was slit by Gloss. I don't know Finnick Odair personally, but he's my age.

"You're serious?" Uncle Smoky asks. "How?"

"Because of the one person that nobody ever suspected to be a rebel: Plutarch Heavensbee. He's the one I've been talking to."

"That's why he took the Head Gamemaker job," I conclude.

"Exactly. Should be here soon, actually. I asked him to come."

I've met Plutarch several times. My respect for him just kicked up a million notches.

"What about the other three?" I ask.

"The Capitol has them," Ruby says darkly. "Maybe not Enobaria, since District Two's their greatest friend."

District 1 used to be like District 2, until the reaping.

When Plutarch strolls into the room, he confirms this. "Enobaria actually just contacted me," he says. "She wants to be with the rebellion, but they're under so much surveillance... The Peacekeepers won't leave her alone."

Standing with him is another infamous person from District 12: Haymitch Abernathy, victor of the Second Quarter Quell.

"Is she back home?" Ruby asks. 

"Unfortunately," Haymitch replies. He's obviously upset. For too many reasons. Though I hate what The Hunger Games does to people, I'm feeling a bit star-struck at the sight of him.

"Hello, Mr. Abernathy-"

He waves dismissively. "Please, call me Haymitch."

"Okay, Haymitch. Nice to meet you. I'm Cressida Dormer. Ruby Lightwood's daughter."

"Is that so? I remember when she turned up at a victor's party with her stomach bulging. Said she and Jasper were considering adoption. That's what I would've done... But hey, now, you're together again, and I actually get to meet you." Haymitch shakes my hand vigorously. "Glad you could join the cause!"

"Glad to help in whatever way I can," I say.

Plutarch nods. "We've got loads of work ahead of us before we'll be springing out the other victors from the Capitol.  Our first priority is keeping Beetee alive. Until further notice, he's going to need twenty-four-hour care. Finnick Odair looks all right. He should be out of the hospital in a few days."

"And Katniss Everdeen?"

"She's not as good, but she'll get there. Once she has recovered, my plan is to shoot a few videos of her, showing her allegiance to the rebellion. And that's where your skills come in, Cressida. I want you to direct the Mockingjay's film crew, if you're willing."

"Absolutely," I say. I'll do whatever my heart tells me to do, if it means ending this violent cycle.

"Katniss won't like it," Haymitch insists. "Trust me. You can't keep that girl on a leash. And with Peeta gone..."

"I'll be patient," I assure him.
*******************************
We leave for District 8 within the next month. Three young men await me inside the hovercar, carrying loads of filming gear. I recognize one of them.

"Messalla?"

"How's it going, Cressida?"

He's a guy most people would shy away from, with his numerous piercings. I say he rocks the warrior look. We had classes together in Capitol film school, and we quickly became friends. He and I throw our arms around each other briefly.   

"What are you doing here?" I ask, smiling.

"Same thing you are." He points at the other two men. "These are my friends, Castor and his brother Pollux."

"Hey," Castor says with a grin.

"Hey," I reply.

Pollux shakes my hand, but he's noticeably silent. Then he opens his mouth. To my horror, there's no tongue.

"Oh." An Avox. "Can I ask how long...?"

"A few years," Castor tells me.

I know better than to ask further questions about it. Pollux must still have nightmares from that awful day, just like I have nightmares of watching Raphael being gunned down.

"While you serve as our leader," Messalla says, "Just call me your humble assistant. Pollux and Castor will do the filming."

The hovercar garage doors open... and there she is.

Katniss Everdeen. Our mockingjay. She holds it together much better than I assumed she would, after what she's gone through. Plutarch stands with her.

Waving from her to me, he says, "This is Cressida; in my opinion, the best up-and-coming director in the Capitol."

"Until I up and left," I add. I know we've only got so much time above ground, so I make the introductions: "This is my assistant, Messalla, and my cameramen, Castor and Pollux."

Katniss nods to them, and Pollux salutes her. I can tell she's waiting for him to speak. So I explain: "Don't expect much talk from him. He's an Avox. The Capitol cut out his tongue years ago."

"You're all from the Capitol?" she asks.

We nod. Technically, I am, since I was raised there. I'm not sure what she'd think of me if I confessed about Ruby. She's probably never met her. 

"And, no," I quickly say, "it wasn't some kind of rescue mission, if that's what you're thinking. We all fled on our own, for this. For you."