The Hunger Games: Uprising!

Chapter 43

I just stare into space at what Elise has just said. What is she doing here? Can I risk telling her the truth, my heart says yes but what if this is all part of Wolfe's plan to capture us. His soldiers have obviously captured the dropship and it's crew. I need to make a decision fast.

"Katniss?" she asks.

"Sorry Elise, I'm still here, what are you doing in District 2 anyway?"

"I'm here to capture you. Odin flew me here a few days ago as he suspected you'd show up at some point. Seems he was right"

I close my eyes and rub my temple in thought. What am I going to say to her, she's got us completely cornered. I decide to take a chance and tell her the truth.
"We're here filming a propaganda film, and you've obviously found our dropship, what have you done with the crew?"

"They're fine Katniss, some of my guards have been interrogating them in the forest"

"So, what are your plans Elise, don't forget I'm here with a full special forces team and we'll take back our drop ship by force if we have to"

There's silence on the other end of the phone, she's obviously weighing up her options. I decide to press the issue.

"Elise, why don't you escape with us and fight by my side against Odin and his uprising?"

I hear her gasp on the other end, then silence. Lyndon and Peeta stare at me listening in to my end of the conversation.

"What about my family Katniss, I'm prepared to help you but I'm worried about my parents"

This could be a problem I think to myself, I look toward the drop ship and see Elise walking around the clearing, her phone held to her left ear

"Hang on Elise, let me talk to Peeta"

I cover the phone with my hand and tell Lyndon and Peeta what's happened so far. Peeta talks first.

"What we need to do is make it look as if she was killed in a fire fight. That way Wolfe will think she's dead, and hopefully leave her family alone.

"But what about a body Peeta, they'll be looking for some sort of evidence that she was killed. We can't just leave behind a squad of dead enemy soldiers Wolfe will know we have her" says Lyndon.
I look back toward the clearing to see Elise walking back and forth with the phone to her ear waiting for our decision. Peeta's idea is a good one, it just needs something else that will get Elise off the hook. I look again at the dropship, it's huge machine guns and missiles hanging off its wings. Suddenly it dawns on me, a plan. We'll have to kill all of Elise's guards but it could work. I explain my idea to the rest of the squad and everyone seems up for it. Then I contact Elise.

"Elise we need you to walk away from the clearing so you're away from your guards"

"Okay, but if I do that some of them will follow me"

I turn to Lyndon explaining the situation and he immediately comes up with solution. Once again me, Peeta, and Gale will have to fight.
We need to move fast, the mutts are still tracking us and Lyndon wastes no time in giving the Rapiers their orders. I look at the others, Pollux takes Megan from Gale and cradles her in his arms, I notice she looks paler in the dim light. Cressida and Paylor look apprehensive but it's Haymitch who looks genuinely concerned. I smile at him weakly but he just stares back at me with a look of worry on his face
Gale, Peeta and I head out through the woods circling the dropship to the right whilst the Rapiers skirt round the other side. We all take our positions with me in the middle and Gale and Peeta off to my left and right. I contact Elise asking her to make her way into the forest, heading straight for us. Straight away I can see four guards spread out around her, I'll have to take the two guards out that are closest to her. I signal to Gale and Peeta to take out the other two.
We wait for Lyndon to give us the go signal over our earpieces, by then the Rapiers will be in position. Peeta has control of the plan now, on the sound of his arrow screaming to its target we all open fire.
"All in position?" asks Lyndon
One by one the squad call back that their ready.