Screams echoed throughout the labs as Valeria did her best to tune them out, which had become horrifyingly easier as the day went on. She scrolled through the tablet in her hands, data notes followed by the picture of the man being tortured in the room next door filling the screen.
She scrolled through, frowning in discomfort at the information on the screen. Everything from his date of birth to where he frequently visited was listed, as well as any information gained from torturing him. It made Valeria sick to her stomach as the screams continued again. Still, she knew it would go on for hours longer if he continued to be stubborn.
The only person who could end his suffering sooner would be her. Peacekeepers would drag it on for as long as they could, not having as much care for the rebels as Valeria did.
She set the tablet down at the table before she turned and walked towards the large window that overlooked the torture room. She grimaced at the bloodied sight of the man in the chair, watching as a peacekeeper landed another hard blow to the stomach.
At the rate the peacekeepers were going, it would take hours if not days to get the information needed. Unnecessary torture for the fun of it, and Valeria didn't want to make the man go through that much. Better to shorten the amount of suffering he'd have to go through.
Valeria didn't waste another second as she opened the door to her left, stepping into the brightly lit room with a confidence her mind didn't quite share. The peacekeepers paused when they saw her, stepping back from the bloodied man as she walked over to the wall of torture devices on the wall. She settled with an electric baton.
The peacekeepers backed away as she approached the man, ignoring the voice in the back screaming at her that what she was about to do was wrong on so many levels, but she ignored it like she always did. As she caught sight of the man, her mind flashed back to only a few weeks ago. She remembered meeting him ago, along with a few other rebellion members, but it came as no surprise that as he looked up at her that he didn't recognize her.
This situation was the very reason she wore a mask whenever she met with other rebellion members. If someone was caught, it would only be a matter of time before they spilled everything no matter how strong their will was. That was something torture did to a person.
"Hello, there," Valeria greeted mockingly as she stood in front of the man, watching as he took in her pale hair and bright blue eyes. The hatred was immediate, as was the reaction he gave as he spit at her feet in disrespect.
"Good, you know who I am," Valeria stated as she ignored the blood spit splattered across her shoes. "That makes this easier. Who gave you the information to get past security?"
"Rot in hell," the man spat, although his delivery was weaker than she was sure he intended it to be, a full day of torture leaving him weakened.
"Suit yourself," Valeria shrugged as she shoved the electric tip of the baton into his side, ignoring the yells the man released as she held it there for several seconds before pulling back.
She pushed away a strand of hair in her face as she stared down at the man whose breaths had turned heavy at the torture. Valeria had learned over the years that some of the most effective and quickest ways of torture was electrocution. She wished she didn't need to know that information, but there was nothing she could do but use it to her advantage.
When he remained silent, she repeated the process a few more times as each time she dragged on how long she electrocuted him. Minutes turned to hours as he refused to answer her questions, and she was beginning to doubt he would ever break. It wasn't until after the water-boarding that he broke, sobs streaming down his face as his body could no longer handle the torture.
"It was the Jabberjay," the man choked out before he could be suffocated with more water. "He told me how to get in."
Valeria nodded her head at the peacekeeper to back off, who obeyed as she stepped up to the man before snatching the wet towel from his face.
"Yes, I assumed as much," Valeria had heard her alias' name muttered in the torture room an infinite amount of times before, each rebel holding out torture to protect the identity of a person they didn't even know. "I want to know who the Jabberjay is."
"I don't know," the man shook his head with a sob. "Please. He never reveals his identity."
"I want to know whatever you know," Valeria pushed as she walked up to the man, crouching to reach his level as she stared deep into his pained eyes. "Any detail you know, any small thing that could give us a lead."
"No, no, no," the man shook his head as he seemed to realize what he was doing, and Valeria stepped back and held her hand out to the peacekeeper. He handed her back the electric baton that she wrapped her fingers around hesitantly before striking it into his side. With his body covered in water from the water-boarding, the effect was even more damaging than before as he shook in the chair.
She pulled away, waiting for him to return to some consciousness before she made a move to repeat the process.
"I don't know anything," the man begged as Valeria paused her movements. "Only that he has high access to places and information. Please, I beg you."
Valeria watched the sobbing wreck of a man before her, knowing that he truly didn't have any information about the Jabberjay. A relief for her, but it formed a pit of guilt in her stomach as she realized the man would have been tortured for nothing.
"He doesn't know anything else," Valeria tossed the baton to the side, wiping the sweat on her forehead away as she turned towards the peacekeepers. "I'll give my grandfather the report tomorrow. Get rid of him."
Valeria didn't take another glance back at the man as she exited the room, grabbing her coat of the back of the chair before hurrying out the back door as she wanted to put as much distance between her and the place before he was executed.
The cool air hit her like a wave as she stepped outside, throwing her jacket on as she began walking down the sidewalk. Valeria only made it a few steps before she stopped at a bush, hurling her guts out as his screams echoed in her ears. Even when she had finished, she stayed bent over for several minutes as she tried not to pass out. It had been a while since torturing had been so gruesome for her. Most of the time the peacekeepers could deal with them, but that particular rebel had been much harder to break.
She inhaled a deep breath as she stood up, tightening her jacket as she began walking back to her apartment. Although it was dark out, Valeria knew the parties were just getting started. The games began tomorrow and people were out placing last minute bets and debating who would win while sipping on a cocktail or two.
Valeria had been asked to attend several of the parties, declining each of them as she wasn't in the mood for any party. Not only was tomorrow the fist day of the games, it was also her parents' death anniversary.
By the time Valeria had made it back to her apartment, her body sagged with exhaustion as she slammed the door behind her without caring if she woke up her neighbors. She entered the main living space, annoyed but unsurprised to find a figure waiting for her in her apartment.
"I really need to change the locks," Valeria sighed as she stepped into the dining room where her unexpected guest sat at the table.
"Long night?" Heavensbee asked as he took in her exhausted face as she walked over to the cabinet and swung open the doors to reveal a shelf of liquor.
"You know how it was," Valeria retorted as she grabbed the strongest liquor she could find as she turned to face him, watching the unsurprised look on his face. He had no doubt heard of the rebel being caught by the Capitol, and he knew what Valeria had to do to play her part.
"Yes, a shame to lose such a strong soldier," Heavensbee sighed as Valeria poured her glass to the highest point, ignoring the concerned look he sent her. "He was one of our best."
"He held out for a long time," Valeria took a swing of the glass, her throat burning as she drank the whole thing in one swing. She grabbed the bottle again and filled it to the brim. "Could have held out longer, but I wanted to end his suffering as soon as possible."
"Thank you," Heavensbee's words caught her off guard as she glanced up to look at him, the look of pity on his face clear as day. The genuine emphasize behind them made Valeria sick. She didn't deserve them.
She didn't respond, instead setting down her drink as she walked over to grab the tablet at the end of the table. Heavensbee watched her unlock it, scrolling through until she found what she was looking for. Valeria walked over to his side, handing him the tablet with a list of names filling the screen.
"This is all I could get," Valeria told him as he scrolled through the list, dozens of names passing his eyes. Some were rebels that he recognized and had worked with while others were rebel sympathizers. "Security is getting tighter since they've realized there's a traitor in their midst."
"The Jabberjay," Heavensbee nodded as he glanced up at the tortured girl. "They still have no idea it's you?"
"Not that I know of," Valeria shook her head as she picked her glass back up, taking a small sip before nodding at the tablet. "I listed it by priority of who's most likely to be targeted next, other ones should be safe for a while at least. You can pick five to save."
"Five?" Heavensbee didn't hide his disbelief at her words. "Valeria, there are dozens of names on this list. Families, children even."
"You can pick five," Valeria's voice was firm as she reiterated her point. "Any more than that and I expose myself."
Heavensbee glanced back down at the list, suddenly not feeling quite as hopeful about saving them when he could only pick five.
"You pick five or next time I won't give you a full list," Valeria's voice cracked at the end as she swung back her drink.
"I understand," Heavensbee nodded as he turned stood up from the table, ready to leave when he turned back to face Valeria as she poured another drink. "Are you going to be alright?"
The words were heavy in the dark lit room as Valeria glanced up at the man with teary eyes. She blinked them away as soon as they formed, but Heavensbee had seen them. He knew what tomorrow was for Valeria, and he was the only one who seemed to care about it.
"You don't have to worry about me, Plutarch," Valeria was surprised by the steadiness of her voice as she spoke. "I always make it through."
Heavensbee seemed unconvinced by her choice of words, but didn't say anything besides a slight nod. It was impossible to get anything out of Valeria Snow when she didn't want them to know anything. Better to let her come to them when she was ready.
"You let me know if you need anything," Heavensbee reached out one last time before he left. "Anything at all."
Valeria simply nodded, lifting her drink in his direction as he grabbed his stuff and made a quick exit before anyone realized he had been there. It would certainly draw suspicion to what the two were really doing behind closed doors, as there was no reason for the two to know each other quick so well.
The apartment grew silent as Valeria was left alone to drink in her sorrows. She finished another glass before releasing a scream as she threw the glass against the wall, shattering the glass across the floor. Valeria grabbed her head in her hands as she sunk to the floor, sobs choking her as her body shook.
She stayed there for hours, racked with guilt and nightmares that followed her wherever she went, and there was no one there to save the girl out from the darkest corners of her mind.
No one at all.