Return of the Mockingjay

Chapter 60

It's kind of difficult to explain but inside the sphere it's completely quiet. Any sound you make is amplified, I can hear our breathing and heartbeat's with our footsteps echoing back through our bodies. We stop and look back out of the sphere at where we just came. We can see Beetee watching on from the console but the image is kind of blurry, as if I'm looking at him from under water. As I turn my head to look straight ahead the image of Beetee and the machine blurs into what must be our destination. A corridor of some sort, pipes line the ceiling and stretch off into the distance but I don't recognise this place, it's not like anything I've ever seen in District 13. Maybe Site 2 isn't as similar as we thought but it's too late to turn back now. I take Steph's hand and lead her forward as I step out from the sphere and into a corridor somewhere in Site 2. The second we emerge from the sphere it starts to reduce in size until it's only a tiny pinprick of light and then in an instant it's gone leaving Steph and I alone in the corridor. I take off the dark glasses and slide them into my belt. We both make a quick check of our equipment but it seems as if the transport machine hasn't changed or damaged anything. I still haven't got a gun so Steph makes her way along the corridor whilst I follow on close behind with an arrow strung ready. We keep walking along the dimly lit passageway but it seems as if there's no doors which lead off of it and I don't recognise anything from District 13.

"How much further Katniss, we're running out of time"

"I know, nothing seems familiar though. I don't know where we're going"

"I wish we had a Holo"

"Yeah that'd be pretty useful" I reply as I absentmindedly look up at the ceiling.

"Hey wait up" I say as I read a stencilled sign on the ceiling. Steph stops and comes over.

"Sub level 16, nitrogen coolant system" she reads out loud. Just next to the sign is an arrow pointed in the direction we're headed.

"I guess if we keep going we'll eventually find this cooling system" says Steph.

"Yeah I guess, we need to get moving though" I say as we both take off at a steady jog.
Sure enough after just a few minutes more we reach a cavernous room with a high ceiling brightly lit by strip lights. At its centre is a large machine with pipes which lead off into the surrounding walls and back along the corridor from where we just came. We search the room looking for an exit but find nothing. Only a metal ladder leads straight up to an opening in the ceiling. We've no other option so Steph starts climbing and I follow her a few feet behind. We climb up through the ceiling and on into a narrow passage which continues straight up. My arms and legs start to burn with the exertion of the long climb but we eventually emerge into brightly lit tunnel which I do vaguely remember. But it's not something I've seen in District 13, this looks like a transfer tunnel I'd seen under the Capitol.

"D'you recognise it Katniss?" asks Steph hopefully.

"Yeah I know it, but this place is from the Capitol and not from District 13"

"You don't think Beetee sent us to the wrong place do you? This could all go wrong if we're nowhere near Site 2, and what of Alek and the squad, they'll be cut off outside with no way in to get Wolfe?"

"I know. But we can't do anything about that now, all we can do is keep searching and hope that we're where we need to be and that this place is just some sort of coincidence"

"Yeah let's hope, which way should we go?"

"I dunno, let's head that way I guess" I say pointing up the tunnel.

Once again we start off at a steady run. By now Alek would be circling above waiting for our signal and Peeta would be worried about me. The brightly lit tunnel seems to stretch on forever with no bends or curves anywhere, the thing that strikes me most is that the whole place seems to be deserted, so far we haven't seen anyone. It's only when the tunnel
suddenly doubles in size and we find some huge sliding doors on the tunnel walls that our spirits lift, this area we both recognise.