PLATINUM • THE HUNGER GAMES ²

| 24. THE BLACK BOX AND THE BLACK HEART

BOOK TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

( THE BLACK BOX AND THE BLACK HEART )

     "TYPICALLY, A LIGHTNING STRIKE contains five billion joules of energy. We don't want to be anywhere in the vicinity when this hits." Beetee travelled around the infamous lightning tree onto of the hill in the eleven o'clock sector in the Arena with an ecstatic excitement illuminated on his face. He unravelled the coil of wire in his palms slowly, watching as the metal caught the glint of the artificial stars shone. Turning towards Johanna and Katniss, he continued, "You two girls, go together now. Take this. Unspool it carefully. Make sure the entire coil is in the water. You understand? Then head to the tree at the two o'clock sector. We'll meet you there."

     "I'm gonna go with them as a guard," Peeta announced abruptly. He stepped forward in front of his star-crossed lover in protection. He definitely wasn't going to let Katniss leave his sight with only Johanna at her side.

     "No, no, no," Beetee refused. "You're staying here to protect me. And the tree."

     Peeta demanded hastily, "No, I need to go with her."

Beetee chuckled, surprised at Peeta's reluctance to follow his plan, "There are two Careers and Chaff out there. I need three guards."

"Finnick and Silver can protect you just fine on their own," Peeta retaliated.

"We're outnumbered without you, Peeta," I sighed, rolling my eyes at the reluctance from both of the star crossed lovers to separate from each other's company. "If the Careers and Chaff have made an alliance, then all of us will be dead."

     Before long, Katniss had butted her way into the conversation, "Why can't Finnick, Johanna and Silver stay with you and Peeta and I'll take the coil?"

     "You all agreed to keep me alive till midnight, correct?" Beetee asked

     "It's his plan. We all agreed to it."

     Finnick's head snapped forward. "Is there a problem here?"

     "Excellent question," Beetee sneered. He stepped forward towards the star-crossed lovers, warning them by pushing his glasses firmly up the bride of his nose and sending a glare their way.

     After sharing a quick, unsure glance with Peeta, Katniss replied. "No. There's no problem." Reaching for each other in a desperate attempt to stay together, Peeta and Katniss shared a short, but lingering kiss. They pulled away after a while, aware that the rest of us had our sights set of the weaknesses of them both. And before long the awkward silence had ended with Johanna's voice announcing her departure in the best fashion.