Constellations | Cato Hadley

Chapter Twenty-Two

Wren, Clove, and Finch sprinted back to the large tree. Dark clouds spread above the top letting them know that lightning was going to strike soon. 

Finch snatched the knife from Wren before they took off and cut out her tracker and Clove's. The redhead figured out the plan from the beginning. District Thirteen was going to save them if they cut out their trackers. She had only hoped the others cut them out as well.

When they arrived back at the tree Beetee was on the ground unconscious and Peeta Mellark was missing. 

Wren cupped her hands around her mouth, "Cato!" she shouted.

"What?" the blond boy asked as he appeared from behind the tree trunk. Marvel and Glimmer were at his side. The brunette sprinted to him and hugged him tightly. When she pulled away from the hug she pulled him down for a kiss. 

A cough caused the two to separate. 

Katniss Everdeen stood with her bow loaded. 

"Where is Peeta?" she asked darkly. 

The clouds grew darker above them all. 

Each formerly dead tribute held up their hands. Clove stood next to Finch as close as she could. Cato inched himself in front of Wren and Glimmer tried to cover Marvel.

"Katniss," Finnick said as he stepped out from a few bushes. "Remember who the real enemy is."

"It's them!" she snapped. "Don't you see it Finnick? It's always been them! Snow brought them back to kill me."

Wren stepped forward with her hands still up. Her eyes glanced at the clouds.

"I will admit that Snow wanted me to assassinate you in here," she said. "But I didn't because I am not on his side. I'm on your side Katniss. Trust Finnick if you don't trust me. Remember who the real enemy is here."

Katniss narrowed her eyes at the and kept her aim steady. 

"So where the hell is Peeta?" she hissed.

"We don't know," Marvel said.

Finnick looked up at the clouds. Thunder rumbled above the group.

"You were going to kill me," she spat at Wren.

"But I didn't," she said. Katniss rolled her eyes. Wren sighed. "Of course I've thought about killing you, Katniss. Can you blame me?"

Katniss stayed quiet.

Finnick's eyes darted back and forth from the clouds to the wire.

"Katniss," he said, "if you want the plan to continue you have to trust us."

Glimmer looked at the girl from Twelve. "We are a team here. Now follow through with the plan."

Katniss hesitated briefly before sprinting past the group as they dispersed. Her hands were quick to wrap the golden string around the only arrow she had left. Her grey eyes glanced at the arms of each tribute. All of their arms were bloody. They had cut out their trackers, but why? What was the bigger part of the plan they knew about that she didn't?

The Girl on Fire took a deep breath as she aimed her arrow up towards the top of the arena. The clouds above the tree glew white as they released a lightning bolt. Katniss let the arrow fly and watched as the arrow struck the peak of the arena.

An explosion caused the building to cave in on itself and each tribute was flung away from the blast site. Katniss Everdeen passed out from the blast and from exhaustion.

Glimmer and Marvel laid together and watched as the hovercraft arrived to pick them up. Cato watched Wren's head fall to the side as she laid unconscious due to exhaustion like Katniss. He himself decided to close his eyes as he watched the claws pick him up.