Sunshine | Finnick Odair

| part 8 |

"I killed them" I hear Katniss say. "If it wasn't for my plan to kill Snow they would all be alive right now"

"Katniss, we all knew you were lying about Coin sending you to assassinate Snow." I tell her.

"You knew, maybe. The soldiers from Thirteen didn't," she replies.

"Do you really think, Jackson believed you had orders from Coin?" Cressida asks. "Of course she didn't. But she trusted Boggs, and he'd clearly wanted you to go on."

"I never even told Boggs what I planned to do" she informs us.

"You told everyone in Command!" Gale says. "It was one of your conditions for being the Mockingjay. 'I kill Snow' "

"But not like this," she says sadly. "It's been a complete disaster."

"I think it would be considered a highly successful mission," says Gale. "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 adds.

"That's because Plutarch doesn't care who. Not as long as his Games are a success." She says.

"What do you think, Peeta?" She finally asks him.

"I think...you still have no idea, the effect you can have." He slides his cuffs up the support and pushes 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."

"Finnick died so his kids could grow up not knowing what the games were. So families could be safe. We all knew what we were signing up to. We all want the same thing, Snow dead and a free Panem" I tell her.

If me and Peeta haven't convinced her then there's no hope. She pulls out a paper map from a pocket in her uniform and spread it out on the floor. "Where are we, Cressida?"

We're in easy walking distance through a zone in which the pods are deactivated for the residents' safety. We have disguises that, perhaps with some embellishments from Tigris's furry stock, could get us safely there.

"What we need is to get him out in the open," Gale says to Katniss. "Then one of us could pick him off."

"Does he ever appear in public anymore?" asks Peeta.

"I don't think so," says Cressida. "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." I admit, tears brimming in my eyes as I mention his name.

"I bet he'd come out for me," Katniss says. "If I were captured. He'd want that as public as possible. He'd want my execution on his front steps. Then Gale could shoot him from the audience."

"No." I say shaking my 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" Peeta says.

"Gale?" Katniss asks.

"It seems like an extreme solution to jump to immediately," he says. "Maybe if all else fails. Let's keep thinking."

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I listened to Peeta and Gale
laughing as everyone else sleep. It's so strange to hear them talking like this.