And that we do. The weaponry is filled with people, people preparing for war. And there is Gale, sitting on the rails at the side overseeing the situation. Boggs by his side with a grumpy looking Katniss.
"Look who is climbing ranks fast", I whisper and Finnick nods, his hand gripping mine tightly at the sound of gunfire. I look at him, cupping his cheek lightly, eyebrows raised in question.
"It will be fine. I just need to get used to the sound still."
"One word and we leave, okay?"
He smiles. "Same goes for you."
Beetee made weapons for us, blades and bows and tridents. I used a gun before, but decide to start with it, just to get the feeling back. And I am good. Very good. So I switch to bow and arrow. And with that, I am also perfect. The throwing knives, the spears, everything hits where it should. I am panting and sit down. I turned into a killing machine. I could handle every weapon that someone hands me and could kill with it.
"Are you okay?", Boggs asks from beside me.
"Dandy."
"Talisa, I know what you have been through...", he starts, I stop him.
"No, no you don't. Do not patronise me, or I just might lose the respect I have for you at the moment."
Boggs nods slowly.
"I have heard that you'll be joining us in Two?"
I nod. "Yes, apparently, the Phoenix is a hit."
"I will see you there."
-------*-------*--------*
District Two is a big District, but under the control of the rebels for the most part, except for the so-called Nut, which houses military technology and weapons. The two attempts to take it had turned out fatally for the rebel side with many dead or wounded.
Katniss is shooting propos and visiting the wounded, spending a lot of time with Gale.
I try my best to help, discuss options in the meetings between the rebel leaders. But not one has presented itself on how to gain control over the Nut. Katniss comes alive here, without the tight schedule, with more freedom, without having Peeta in her face. I suppose that is why she left, but Gale seems to be doing his very best to help her in forgetting that part of her life. There is something about him that I dislike, that constant anger and hatred burning in his eyes. Two weeks and nothing had happened except that I was missing Finnick more each day. His calming, soothing presence in the midst of the chaos that currently is our life. Peeta had been her anchor in this and now she was just searching for the easiest person that gave her some hold.
Right now we stood gathered around the table, after hours of debating a deadly quiet settling over the room as people take in Gale's ridiculous, psychotic, and deadly idea. I look around the room, at the set up screen from which Coin is overlooking the meeting.
"I hope you are joking. Gale? Because that is not an option", I grit out.
"It is the only one we have", he says.
"These are innocent people! You can't make them pay for the Capitol's actions!"
Gale turns to me, something like pity in his eyes.
"I know that being in the Games has....", he starts but I interrupt him and thrust my finger against his chest.
"You know nothing about the Games or what it means to be a part of them or about what they do to you", I hiss.
Boggs is putting a supposedly calming hand on my shoulder. I shrug it off, waiting for our oh-so-peace-loving female president to make clear that it was not an option, that we are better than the Capitol. But she only proposes to leave the railway tunnel open.
I scoff.
"Do you have something to add, Miss Moreno?", she questions.
"Yes. Are you out of your minds? This would make us just as bad as the Capitol, just as bad as Snow! These people didn't choose their jobs. They do what they have to do", I say loudly, turning to Gale, "like your father worked in the mines of District 12, mining the coal for the Capitol to get food on your table. Like my grandparents worked in the factories producing bread and wheat, for the Capitol to get food on our table! These people just had the bad luck of being born here and having to produce weapons in order to get food onto their families' table! But sure, bury them alive. Leave one tunnel for thousands of people, because you know, that will show them that we are the good guys."
I turn to Coin again. "May the odds be ever in their favour", I finish, before storming out of the room, to get some air.
I feel someone following me and decide it is a fifty-fifty chance between Boggs or Gale.
It is the first.
"Talisa. I know it seems harsh, but, this is war", he tries to explain.
"No, this is murder. And you know it. Please leave me alone, I can't look at anyone right now."
He nods and leaves me. I settle on the stairs.
I am not alone for a long time, Soldier Buchanan seems to have been designated to look after me or keep me in check. But he arrives with a hot drink and a blanket so I don't dismiss him. I fight the urge to flinch when the explosions go off, gripping the aluminum mug tighter.