We're Still On Fire (Katniss and Peeta)

Chapter 27

Johanna's POV

I walk over to the fire exit beside the whiteboard, picking up my jacket, putting it on and zipping it up. I open the fire exit while Paul switches on the TV. Jake is left pondering his thoughts, Paul, Ethan, Chris and Matt squeeze onto the couch, watching Criminal Catch-Up which basically just told you what crimes were going on at the moment, of course it mainly features us.

"New poll just in. The red serpents have now been voted the most terrifying gang in the country."

Big cheer from the whole room.

"We're terrifying" Jack jokes, standing beside the fire exit in his simple black hoodie and jeans.

I laugh, "yeah, bloodthirsty and dangerous" I gaze out the open fire escape door. The door leads to about 200 black spiral stairs, before the backs of some warehouses, alleys, more alleys, backstreets, even more alleys, and then it takes you into town. It's a good place for a gang house. No one will find it. I can just about see the district fence.

The TV flashes briefly. "District 2 officials ally with police set to raid the red serpents' gang house. The gang was located to district 7"

Oh shit. We're getting raided. If I get caught I'm fucked.

"Fuck! Hide the weed" someone yells.

The entire gang goes into a frenzy. I pick up one of the whiteboard markers.

'Sorry. Don't give us up and we'll break you out' I stuff the marker in my pocket.

No one notices, they're still in a frenzy, frantically hiding the weed, the booze and the weapons.

I grab Jack's sleeve.

"We need to go" I tell him. I grab a gun, handing him one, taking the other myself and hiding the axe inside my jacket.

We pull our hoods up and head out the fire escape.

We've just got out when the door gets pulled open.

"It's the police! Everyone freeze and stick your hands in the air! Who's the leader?"

"The leaders not here!" Someone screams. "That bitch ditched us."

"There's a message on a whiteboard" one of the officials say.

"They're escaping!" Another screams. "One of them is the leader"

We're only half way down the stairs.

I grab the edge of the hood, keeping it over my face, three officials chase after us.

"Freeze or we'll shoot!" One of them scream.

Before they get the chance I fire a warning bullet at them.

And that's when the bullets rains down on us.

We hit the dirt path already running, ducking and dodging bullets.

Jack pushes me into an alley. "This one" he says as we weave through it. I know the rough area of district 7 well, so we're able to ditch through alleys. The officials are still behind us when another set of officials run towards us from the front.

"I know you" one of them say.

But by the time he's said it, he's got a bullet in the chest and is lying on the ground. Dead. They all are.

I can't get caught now. If I do I'm fucked. They're gaining on us.

"Stop now and we'll let you live" a sickeningly familiar voice says.

Gale Hawthorne.

Fuck.

Katniss told me he got a government job, but I thought he quit it when he made killing me a priority years ago.