Fighting (Sequel to Fate)

Chapter 25

I take a deep breath before I take off running towards the building. I hear the gunfire, but it's Peeta's voice behind me that scares me.

"Run, Katniss! Don't look back! Keep going! Keep going!"

When I finally reach the buildng and I think that I am safe, I turn to see Peeta firing as fast as he can as he makes his way towards the building. I can see that they're closing in on him, and my heart drops.

White uniforms. Peacekeepers.

Before my mind has time to process much, I'm thrown back and pinned up against the wall with a knife pressed to my throat. I gasp and fear shoots through every single inch of me.

There must have been a Peacekeeper hiding in the building and waiting for an opportunity to strike. I look down at his white uniform and close my eyes.

"Go ahead and kill me," I say weakly. I don't really mean it because I know that if I die, so does the baby. "Then Snow wins."

"Snow doesn't want you dead," a deep voice replies. He takes me and spins me around before pressing me back up against the wall. He presses the top of the knife into my stomach and I let out a whimper.

"Please. No. Don't hurt her."

I know if he pressed that knife any further, he'd surely cut me.

"I'd better get full cooperation from you or there will be consequences. Is that understood?"

I nod my head, and the knife disappears to be quickly replaced by a gun to my head.

"Move."

I take a deep breath before I begin to start walking, but I don't get very far before a gun goes off nearby.

I flinch, but the pressure of the gun pressed to my head quickly goes away. I relax and immediately feel strong arms wrap around my waist and hold me close so I feel safe.

Peeta's here.

He's okay.

I immediately burst into tears, and Peeta turns me around so he can look me in the eyes.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No," I say as I shake my head and try to regain control of my breathing.

"I was trying to hurry and get to you but I apparently wasn't fast enough."

"It's okay," I say sincerely. Peeta takes my face in his hands and kisses my forehead. He pulls me close to him so I can heavily hear his heart pounding in his chest.

"We've got to go," he tells me suddenly. "We have to find the others before they get to us again." I nod my head, and Peeta and I take off walking as fast as we can.
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I take a deep breath as Peeta tries to keep me calm. It didn't take us long to catch up with the other soldiers, and I somehow got talked into doing some filming for Coin even though that's the last thing I want to do right now.

"You good?" Peeta asks me.

"No," I say as I shake my head at him and take another deep breath. "I'm feeling uneasy about this." I don't know why, but I feel like something is definitely not right.

"You'll do fine," Peeta says. "You just have to talk into the camera. I won't leave your side if you want me to stay here by you."

"No," I say again. "I'm fine." Peeta kisses my forehead before going over to stand off to the side of me. I sigh and look straight ahead into the camera.

I'm given instructions on what to say before the cameras are turned on. I go over the words in my head and open my mouth to speak and…

"Get on your knees!"

I hear a few surprised gasps and look around to see that the Peacekeepers have finally caught up to us. One stands a few yards away from us on a balcony about ten feet up in the air.

He has his gun pointed at us, or- more specifically- at me.

What is it with being held at gunpoint today?

"Get on your knees!" he yells at us again. He walks down the steps on the side of the balcony and starts towards us. I watch out of the corner of my eye as a few of the soldiers draw their guns and get ready to shoot. I drop to my knees out of fear.

"Drop 'em!" The Peacekeepr yells. "Drop 'em now!"

It all happens so fast, yet it seems like it all lasts for minutes.

I hear the pop of the gun and I know I'm already dead. But as soon as the gun goes off, something else happens.

I hear Peeta yell my name right before he runs out in front of me.