49 | WAR TACTICS
SONG SUGGESTION: All the Stars by Kendrick Lamar and SZA
"What are you thinking about?" Greyson found herself asking to the girl who fiddled with the silver tassels on her boots, an empty can of food by her feet. Everyone was asleep besides the two of them and Cressida, who went to go upstairs and see what time it was.
Katniss looked over at Greyson. She was sitting up against the concrete wall with Finnick's arm securely wrapped around her upper thighs. There was secretly some human part of Katniss left that wished she had what they had, but between Gale and Peeta, the odds didn't seem in her favor. "Nine people, dead in the span of 24 hours," she briefly glanced over at a sleeping Peeta, "all because of me."
Greyson furrowed her brow. "You think this was all your doing?" She asked lowly, drawing Katniss' sharp gaze over to her. "I'm part of this rebellion too, we all are. We knew what we were signing up to do – especially me. Do you know how long I've waited for this to happen? Sitting in my house like a prisoner for years, imagining all the ways I could kill Snow . . ." She felt Finnick's hand reach out to search for her in his sleep; she found his hand immediately.
Katniss sighed, "I don't know what that's like, I don't know the pain you've suffered. But people expect things of us, we're the Mockingjay, and I don't know how I can go on knowing people are sacrificing themselves for something that might not end the way we think it will."
For once, Greyson understood Katniss in a way nobody else could. She knew what she was feeling, she had felt it the same way when in District Thirteen and in Eight. Both of them had experienced similar Games, both tried protecting the person they loved – only Katniss got away with keeping Peeta alive. There was no doubt in her mind that they were both Mockingjays, their paths very similar, but Katniss was the Girl on Fire, and Greyson was just a lost Victor still trying to survive after all these years. That's all they were doing, surviving.
"We are the Mockingjay," Greyson agreed, "and people are dying and looking to us to lead them, but we're not leaders, Katniss. We're just as ordinary as everyone else. There are no divine beings at the end of the day, there's just which side you decide to be on. And yeah, we've been through it all, much more than some, and yet we all have that same flicker of hope inside of us that has us where we are right now. We may not win today, or tomorrow, but if people still hold onto that hope; the hope that things will get better, than why give up when it seems as though it's just you and the other person left standing?"
Katniss stayed silent, letting Greyson's words sink in. It reminded her of Peeta and how good he used to be in persuading people. Her throat became thick with emotion, "what if no one's left standing?"
Greyson opened her mouth to respond, but a groan from Gale drew their attention to him. When he sat up, Greyson eyed his neck. "How's your wound?" She asked.
He subconsciously raised a hand over the bandages. "Hurts, but I'll be fine," he answered. Greyson nodded, there wasn't much she could do without the proper medical equipment, and even then she wasn't a qualified doctor. They all needed medical help, their wounds would eventually get infected when they ran out of disinfectant.
Cressida then came down, informing them all that it was mid-afternoon. Everyone looked to Katniss, including Peeta and Finnick too, now that they were wide awake. She looked at them all, her gaze lingering on Greyson for a few seconds before coming clean about the fake mission Coin had put her and Greyson on. After she had finished, there was a long pause before Gale spoke.
"Katniss, we all knew you were lying about Coin sending you and Greyson to assassinate Snow," he said obviously.
"You knew, maybe. The soldiers from Thirteen didn't," Katniss replied.
"Do you really think Jackson believed you two had orders from Coin?" Cressida asked. "Of course she didn't. But she trusted Boggs, and he clearly wanted you both to go on."
"I never even told Boggs or Greyson what I planned to do," Katniss confessed.
"We told everyone in Command," Greyson laughed for the first time since awhile, finding the whole 'fake mission' ordeal amusing. "It was one of our conditions for being the Mockingjays. 'I kill Snow.'"
"But not like this," Katniss shook her head, "it's been a complete disaster."
"I think it would be considered a highly successful mission," Gale claimed. "We've infiltrated the enemy camp, showing that the Capitol's defenses can be breached. We've managed to get footage of ourselves all over the Capitol's news. We've thrown the whole city into chaos trying to find us."
"Trust me, Plutarch's thrilled," Cressida added with a slight smirk.
"That's because Plutarch doesn't care who dies," Katniss concluded. "Not as long as his Games are a success."
Katniss' stubbornness proves difficult as the others tried to convince her otherwise, but Greyson knew better, she stayed silent along with Finnick, who was now sitting up and eating a can of cold beef stew. Her hand lazily intertwined with his, a feeling of warmth spreading through her chest as he rubbed his thumb over her cut up knuckles.
"What do you think, Peeta?" Katniss finally asked Peeta, who had been the quietest one out of all of them.
"I think . . . you still have no idea. The effect you can have." He slid his cuffs up the support and pushed himself to a sitting position. "None of the people we lost were idiots. They knew what they were doing. They followed you because they believed you really could kill Snow."
Greyson smiled as he voiced almost the same exact words she had said earlier to the girl. Between Greyson and Peeta's convincing words, it seemed to have struck a chord in Katniss, because she pulled out her paper map, the Holo now with Johanna and the mutts. She spread out the map, looking to Cressida, "Where are we, Cressida?"
"Five blocks from the City Circle and Snow's mansion," Cressida answered.
Greyson thought deeply as she tried to formulate a plan inside her head. If only she had Beetee's intelligence.
"What we need is to get him out in the open," Finnick muttered through a mouthful of food. "Then one of us could pick him off."
"Does he ever appear in public anymore?" Peeta asked.
"I don't think so," Cressida said. "At least in all the recent speeches I've seen, he's been in the mansion. Even before the rebels got here. I imagine he became more vigilant after Finnick aired his crimes." Everyone glanced at Finnick for a brief moment, knowing the weight of what he had to go through to survive.
Greyson held his hand a little tighter.
"I bet he'd come out for me," Katniss suggested. "If I were captured. He'd want that as public as possible. He'd want my execution on his front steps." They all let her words sink in. "Then Gale could shoot him from the audience."
"No." Peeta shook his head. "There are too many alternative endings to that plan. Snow might decide to keep you and torture information out of you. Or have you executed publicly without being present. Or kill you inside the mansion and display your body out front."
"Gale? Greyson?" Katniss looked for their opinions.
Greyson raised a brow at her, "you think he'll want just you? Sure there will be one less Mockingjay in his way, but then he'll have me to deal with, and if he kills you he'll be getting more than just an arrow in his heart."
Katniss smiled at her.
"It seems like an extreme solution to jump to immediately," Gale said. "Maybe if all else fails. Let's keep thinking."
A silence followed, leaving them to their thoughts just as they were interrupted by Tigris' light footfalls. She must be closing up her shop. The metal panel then slid open and a murmur of her voice echoed from the top of the stairs, "Come up," Greyson noticed how gravelly her voice was, as if it was trying to resemble a purr. "I have some food for you."
They all began climbing the stairs, halfway up, Cressida asked, "Did you contact Plutarch, Tigris?"
"No way to." Tigris shrugged her bony shoulders. "He'll figure out you're in a safe house. Don't worry."
They all stood around the store counter where a few chunks of old bread, a slice of fuzzy green cheese, and an almost empty bottle of mustard sat. Katniss mentioned their scarce food supply.
"I eat next to nothing," Tigris waved her off. "And then, only raw meat."
From the corner of her eye, Greyson saw Finnick grimace, causing her to roll her eyes at him, her elbow softly nudging his hip to show that she had heard him. He smirked. Katniss started distributing the cheese, but Finnick denied his and said that he ate already, giving his to Greyson.
She stared at the small cut of cheese that she put on top of the rock-hard bread. She had eaten worse, she had survived worse. With that in her mind, she took her first bite of the cheese and forced herself to swallow it, reminding herself that there may not be another chance for her to eat again. And she couldn't take down a crumbling empire on an empty stomach.
As they ate, the Capitol provided them the latest news. The government was sure that it was only them left of the rebel survivors. Huge bounties were offered for any information on them. They explained how dangerous they are, showing clips of them shooting down the peacekeepers and then cutting away before mutts had started ripping their heads off. They had a small tribute to the woman Katniss shot with her arrow, making sure to show the thing still lodged in her heart.
"Have the rebels made a statement today?" Greyson asked in curiosity, noticing that they hadn't once interrupted the program. Tigris shook her head. "I doubt Coin knows what to do with us now that we're still alive," meaning her and Katniss.
Tigris gave them a hearty chuckle. "No one knows what to do with you girlies." Tigris then handed them both a pair of fur leggings as a gift. Greyson accepted them, thinking about how she could use them as a blanket for her and Finnick; it was cold down there.
After eating, they all go back down to the cellar and try brainstorming plans. But they all agreed that they could no longer go out as a group and should try to infiltrate the mansion before Katniss sacrificed herself.
Greyson checked Gale and Finnick's bandages, before checking the nasty cut she had on her arm. She let Katniss fix her up, finally cleaning the wound as best as they could in their situation and letting the girl stitch her up before putting on new bandages.
They handcuffed Peeta back to his pipe and all laid down to sleep. Greyson's head rested on Finnick's chest, the up and down of his chest causing her to fall asleep immediately. Eventually, she woke up, but kept her eyes closed as she listened to the people who were talking.
"Thanks for the water," Peeta said.
"No problem," Gale replied. "I wake up ten times a night anyway."
"To make sure Katniss is still here?" Peeta asked quietly.
"Something like that," Gale admitted.
There was a long pause before Peeta spoke again. "That was funny, what Tigris said. About no one knowing what to do with her."
"Well, we never have," Gale joked.
They both laughed, both their chuckles unfamiliar to her ears. She cracked an eye open to just barely make out Katniss who slept beside her. Feeling eyes on her, Katniss opened up one eye, staring at Greyson before shutting her eye again as Peeta spoke.
"She loves you, you know," Peeta disclosed. "She as good as told me after they whipped you."
"Don't believe it," Gale answered. "The way she kissed you in the Quarter Quell . . . well, she never kissed me
like that."
"It was just part of the show," Peeta told him, though Greyson hinted an edge of doubt in his voice.
"No, you won her over. Gave up everything for her. Maybe that's the only way to convince her you love her." There was a pause and Greyson closed her one open eye. "I should have volunteered to take your place in the first Games. Protected her then."
"You couldn't," Peeta retorted. "She'd never have forgiven you. You had to take care of her family. They matter more to her than her life."
"Well, it won't be an issue much longer. I think it's unlikely all three of us will be alive at the end of the war. And if we are, I guess it's Katniss' problem. Who to choose." Gale yawned. "We should get some sleep."
"Yeah." Greyson heard Peeta's handcuffs slide down the support as he settled in. "I wonder how she'll make up her mind."
"Oh, that I do know." Gale continued. "Katniss will pick whoever she thinks she can't survive without."
Greyson thought about his words, finding an odd truth in them as she took in the scent of her husband. She supposed that was one of the many reasons she loved Finnick. He was one of the reasons she was still alive. She thought back to that damned sewer and the lost soul of her best friend that now resided there. If Finnick had died down there . . . . She wouldn't be able to live if he had died, there would be no one else in the world that she loved.
As if he felt her distress, Finnick ran a hand over the top of her head and knotted his fingers in her hair. She smiled as sleep welcomed her, thinking about what tomorrow had in store for them.
A/N: AHHHH 200K WTFFFDDF YOURE ALL ANGELS AND ILY. to those of you who have stuck with me since the beginning, thank you, and to those of you who have just randomly found this, thank you.
so i thought this chapter would be the one where they stormed the mansion but i guessed fucking wrong. i hope you enjoyed this even though our two lovebirds haven't really showed a lot of affection besides cuddles and hand holding (which i mean isn't that bad). i'm pretty sure the next chapter will be where they storm the mansion but it will be slightly different since this book is about grey and not katniss. i have realized i'm straying from grey's character so i'll try to put her more into her story lmao i'm such a nut.
ALSO: i've got other books, ik you're tired of hearing (reading) me say this, but i want to stay with you guys after this book is finished!! you're all so lovely and i love reading your comments most of them are hilarious. i've got a shit ton of stories and ideas, so head over to my profile if you'd like to take a look.
i thought i'd ask some questions since i haven't heard your guys' thoughts in awhile and i take your opinions very siriusly (see what i did there heheheheh)
#1: do you want grey or katniss to be the one to kill snow (even tho we all (most of us) know what happens anyways)?
#2: how would you feel if i added some exclusive bonus chapters to the end of this book? perhaps an alternate universe where finnick or grey or both of them die?
#3: adding to the second question, would you like a chapter from grey's first games where we would meet her first love, everest?
thank you all so much for reading this story. xx