My eyes scanned the graphs and charts and holographs and I bit my lip. Most of it made my head spin, but the list of tributes and the data facts next to them were clear enough.
Guys, I said as my fingers flew against the dashboard I was supposed to be observing. You need to find Katniss.
Why? Annabeth asked.
Turns out you can hear this in your sleep, Percy grumbled quietly. And it wakes you up.
We all ignored Percy.
She's dehydrated like crazy, Frank added, and without looking at him next to me, I knew he was looking at Katniss's data chart too. Dehydrated and dehydrating.
We looked around where the map said she was, Annabeth explained. We couldn't find her. Any help from the cameras?
I glanced around, searching for the one that was fixed on Katniss. She's not trying to hide, I said, puzzled. I can see her pretty plainly...
Frank snapped his fingers suddenly, and a few heads turned our way. She's in a tree, a big oak. She's sleeping-- tied herself in with her belt. She's got a sleeping bag.
Lucky her, Percy grumbled. I'm sleeping in the lake.
You're surrounded by rocks so you're hidden, and you're waterproof, Annabeth reminded him. You're fine.
How long does Katniss have? Percy asked, changing the topic back.
I glanced over again and quickly did some math in my head. 93.67% dehydrated plus 7 more hours of darkness equals certain death within the next day.
You need to move. Now. Hazel, I sent my thoughts directly to the daughter of Pluto. You and Leo keep the careers away from Percy and Annabeth.
No problem, Hazel said. We're trekking around the forest a little, looking around. If we get near, it should be easy to divert them.
Good. I'll be keeping a constant look on the map so you can keep your eyes up. I shifted in my seat, praying I was acting normal and not drawing attention. I really hoped no one noticed the knocked out game makers in the bathroom closet that we were taking the place of, or things would get interesting.
.oOo. Annabeth .oOo.
Seaweed Brain, let's move, I hissed.
Coming. I dropped down from my tree, wincing as I landed on a stick that let out a sharp crack under me. Tentatively, I pried my foot up and took a step towards the lake as Percy emerged, hair dripping wet. He grimaced.
Okay. Which way is Katniss?
I glanced down at the map in my palm, hiding it from the cameras. We're here... she's there... this way.
Keep us on track, Piper, I whispered.
Keep them on track, Frank, I heard Piper say. I'm in the bathroom.
I squinted in the darkness while we walked as my eyes adjusted to the shade of the trees. Yes, I was that high up that I got a clear, full bath of moonlight. Or what appeared to be moonlight to us. For all I knew, it was just a projection on a screen.
In a tree... A tree... A big oak... We walked on.
Keep going, Frank said for the hundredth time.
Moonlight broke through the leaves as it rose overhead, getting a more direct path to light our way. How was the night half over already?
Slow down, Frank warned. Go to your right... No, other right. My right.
We can't see you!
Oh yeah. No turn around... yeah. See that oak tree over there?
I glanced over, but there were no oak trees.
Oh I see. Percy gripped my shoulders and turned me 180 degrees. I was suddenly aware of a large oak tree directly in front of us.
That one. She's in there, Frank confirmed. Suddenly, Piper gasped.
Hazel, lead them away. Now. Guys, you need to hide!
Without looking, I ducked behind a tree into a bush and crouched down, recoiling on instinct at the branches that scratched my arms.
Dang it, Wise Girl, Percy grumbled next to me. Why'd you pick a bush?
I shot him a look in the darkness. Would you prefer we climb the tall tree above us? The one Katniss is in?
Percy looked like he was about to reply, when he froze, his head tilted to the side. Hear them?
Hazel! The other way! Frank yelled.
What? Hazel sounded frantic. "Oh hey, um, guys, I think I saw a fire over this way."
"Where?" The harsh voice of Cato sounded.
"Over here." I could hear the crunching of leaves as several pairs of feet drew closer.
Go left a little more, Piper tried to help.
No, other left! Frank groaned.
Told you it was hard, Percy grumbled.
Not helping, Piper scolded. Don't make a sound.
You don't say?
"No, I mean this way."
"Which way is it?" Asked the other boy, Marvel, impatiently.
"Here."
"We just came from there!" I heard Percy's district partner say suspiciously.
"Hey, give her a break," a new voice said. "It's almost morning. We're all tired. If we keep going now, it'll take another day to get back to camp."
There was a crunch of leaves, as if someone took one step back. Or closer.
"You don't tell us what to do, Lover Boy," Cato said. "You said we were close to her."
"We are," Peeta said. "We found her snare back there. She's a hunter. If she set a snare, she's coming back for it."
"We'll just wait there then," Clove reasoned.
Hazel laughed. "And let her see us before she gets close? Not likely."
"You have a better plan then?"
"Keep looking for other tributes too. We'll waste valuable time on an assumption that Katniss set the snare, and that she'll come back for it. In the meantime, Leo could be sleeping away and letting other tributes snag our stuff."
Now it was Cato's turn to laugh. "They won't be snagging stuff anytime soon, if it works."
"It will."
"Then why are you so uptight about it?" There was a sound of someone turning. "Come on. Let's keep going."
I tried to crouch lower in the bush as the footsteps drew nearer, knowing that Cato was the leader and that Cato was about to walk right by us. The sky was lightening too, meaning that it was easier to see me and Percy hiding like rabbits in a bush. I could see Hazel running ahead to catch up with Cato, looking around sharply.
In a bush under the oak, Percy said. Hazel's gaze snapped to us quickly.
"What're you looking at?" Clove asked. I could see the glint of a knife, and my fist curled on empty air. Our useless spear dug into my side.
"Nothing," Hazel said quickly, but Clove was walking closer to us. I could feel Percy's hand moving to Riptide.
I held my breath as Clove stopped six feet away from us, her gaze casting right over us. Finally she shrugged.
"Must've been like a bird or something," Hazel said her eyes narrowed in concentration.
Clove shrugged. "Must've been." she turned back around and I let my breath go.
That was close, Percy breathed. How did she not see us?
The Mist, I guessed. Hazel winked at me for confirmation before jogging to catch up with the careers. We waited until the sound of their footsteps disappeared before standing up.
"Thank the gods for Hazel," Percy said, and I was surprised at the rasp in his voice. I realized that neither of us had spoken since we got into the arena, and I opened my own mouth and cleared my throat.
"Yeah." I removed the spear and rubbed the spot where the handle had dug in uncomfortably, then replaced it. "Let's rest here. We've been walking all night."
"All night?" Percy asked.
"Well, except for that half hour break we took," I said, warning in my voice. Go with it, Seaweed Brain. Trust me.
Percy nodded. "Right. Let's rest here." He slumped under the tree and fidgeted for a comfortable spot on the forest floor. I stretched, reaching my arms up to the sky and lifting my head just enough to peer through the branches. Just enough to see Katniss untie herself from her sleeping bag and pull a long, serrated knife from her backpack.