The Rebel Victor | I [THG]

Chapter Twenty-Five | Executions in District Four

The peacekeepers in District Four all gathered the citizens of the District into the square. There were to hear a speech from their mayor and watch a special address from President Snow, as well as watch some of the games together. It wasn't uncommon for the citizens of the Districts to be gathered together to watch the games instead of watching them in the comfort of their own homes.

But today, there was a special reason. A reason that none of them would learn of until that evening. The reason was simple, President Snow ordered the execution of all orphan children who were ten years old or older. The younger ones would be taken to the trainstation and taken to District Two. This had only happened once before in District Four. President Snow didn't order anything like it unless it was positively needed.

A group of peacekeepers gathered the younger orphans, giving them each some bread as the went along towards the trainstation and followed orders. The older orphans were each being kept in the old warehouse that they had lived in for years. They were told that they all simply had to wait for the younger orphans to be gone before they were given the remaining food.

Commander Theo, the new commanding peacekeeper gave a curt nod to an older boy. The one that had convinced them that he and his sister new the female tribute. That boy had been fairly useful. They had just had to offer him and his sister some food or something for him to convince the other older children to listen to the peacekeepers. It was a shame. If anyone were to be let go, he would have assumed it would have been that boy and his sister.

As soon as he stepped out of the old warehouse, he looked at one of the other peacekeepers with a nod. He nodded in return and went around to the otherside to give the other peacekeepers in the same command.

"Shut the doors," Commander Theo ordered, and the large doors slid shut, and a moment later the sound of the other doors shutting too followed. "Gas them first." he ordered simply, holding his helmet under his arm as he watched the peacekeepers he was in charge of begin to gather the gas granades. They were tossed up into the windows that had long since been broken, they each popped as they hit something and white smoke began to seep out from under the doors or through the cracks in the building. The sound of yelling and screaming came from the warehouse as they began to bang on the door, trying to open it.

He'd be lying if he didn't feel even a bit bad about what was happening inside that warehouse. But Snow wouldn't have ordered it if it wasn't necessary. If one orphan could cause such a big problem in the other Districts, what would stop her friends from joining her? Then what would stop the other orphens in the other eleven Districts? Then what about the other citizens? Each problem had to be taken care of before it got out of had.

After a minute or two, the fighting inside the warehouse began to stop as they all began to fall asleep from being gased. Commander Theo then turned and looked at the other peacekeepers.

"Don't waste any amunition," he stated loudly, "And don't let any of them go. Other wise you'll pay the same price." her ordered, "Open the doors!" he shouted so the peacekeepers around the warehouse could hear his command as well.

With that, the doors were unlocked and slid open. Inside, the older children who had done most of the banging and pulling at the door-- the ones who had been breathing in the gas more because of their shouting were on the ground. Then there were a few of the orphans who tried to speak, who tried to get up. But the peacekeepers quickly began executing each of them. Silencing each one that tried to say or do something. They were just children. Commander Theo knew that. But he couldn't risk having more riots like the ones in District Seven.

"Prepare the torches," he said looking towards the peacekeepers that were still waiting for some sort of command. "Nobody leaves that warehouse alive unless they're a peacekeeper."  he added as the echos of gunshots continued to slice through the air in District Four along with the quiet cries that didn't last long. "Don't leave this warehouse until it's just ashes on the ground, I want it to look like District Thirteen after the firebombs. I want it all gone."