Dangerous Allies // Cato Hadley

Part 10: Let the Games Begin

Her eyes were fixed on the tree line while her arms pumped at her sides. Adrenaline was a powerful drug and she used it well to pull herself into a large tree.

When she looked out into the clearing her stomach turned.

It was a blood bath indeed. The grass was stained with crimson and limp bodies.

She spotted the careers quickly. They all seemed to have found their weapons of choice as they struck down the remaining tributes.

Eve itched for the spear Marvel held in his blood stained hands.

Clove had knives lining her belt and fingers, expertly throwing them at her targets.

Glimmer had a bow held relaxed in her hands and Cato was twirling a shining sword in his.

It was strange watching Cato kill. Eve knew he could and she knew he could easily. But there was something she couldn't have prepared herself for when she watched his face.

Eve's hands clung tighter to the branches around her as she watched the concentration molded into his features. His wide eyes seemed to gleam as he took life after life.

She couldn't understand how he could do it. She tried to remind herself that he had been manipulated since birth. That he was made into the killing machine she saw now.

But when she watched him strike down a girl with her shaking hands raised over her face, she knew it didn't matter. He was a monster.

The group of four talked loudly amongst one another as they secured the cornucopia.

Goosebumps covered her arms as she heard her name fall from their lips. Their voices were muffled and she wanted desperately to get closer, but fear kept her hidden among the branches.

They were in no hurry to track her down as they picked through the supplies and bodies of those who had fallen.

Eve looked for red hair among them, but found none. She sighed. Both Ethan and Finch must have made it out.

There was plenty of brown hair in the mix, but she couldn't identify any of them as Katniss. She hoped one of them was.

With the career's thirst for blood returning, they all soon ventured into the forest.

Eve waited in the tree for as long as she felt she could for fear of their hasty return. The last thing she wanted was to be caught out in the open field.

Confident the coast was clear, she lowered herself to the ground and with quiet feet she passed through the brush into the clearing.

Her heart was racing as she ran past body after body to the cornucopia. She didn't look at them for fear of having to go the rest of her day on an empty stomach.

She needed to look strong. She got a 12 and if she wanted sponsors she needed to look like she earned it.

In the cover of the small building she felt safe and her hands finally stopped shaking.

She looked past the blood on the walls to the wide array of weapons. The Gamemakers didn't skimp on giving their players options to choose from.

On the floor shining like a silver beacon was a beautiful metal spear. With a smile she picked up the lightweight weapon and thanked her maker.

Feeling light as a feather she turned on her heals, ready to scavenge for more supplies.

She froze.

Any joy she had ever felt in her life faded when she was met with a pair of glazed over green eyes and messy red hair.