FIFTY THREE

A SECRET

By the time Talia's squadron arrived in the Capitol, Katniss's group had already left. Talia was disappointed, she's wanted to see the Mockingjay once more before Talia's team went to war.

Talia's rebel group were to be joined by Hanson, a tall, olive skinned man who was a sniper, Carmen, an ex-Peacekeeper from District 2 and also their new command leader, Rover. Rover was going over maps of the Capitol with Carmen and Hanson- all three of them were familiar with combat scenarios and had been specially selected by Boggs to join Talia's team before he left with the Star Squad.

Jim, nursing a flask of whiskey, was lying on his bed, he'd removed his eyepatch, as he always did when he was trying to sleep. He'd told Talia that the material was itchy and painfully obvious when all he wanted was sleep. Jamie was talking quietly to Jada and Henry, the twins laughed every now and then. Bobby was tapping away at one of the computers. Talia had insisted that Bobby remain in 13, helping Beetee, but Jim had argued in Bobby's defence and Talia did not wish to fight a drunken man.

"You okay?" The words are soft and warm. Alana sits down on the camping cot beside Talia.

"I guess so," Talia shrugs, "Its all quite real now,"

"War isn't for the fainthearted," Alana replies, "I know you're strong Talia, but this is a little more complicated,"

"I can handle it," She replies, looking at Alana, at the scar that ran down her face. Her story was still in the back of Talia's mind. "Your story was what convinced me to go to District 4, which led us to 2. We're here now,"

"Indeed...Do you think we're ready?" Alana asks, gesturing to the team.

"Jim is a mess, but the others? They're ready," Talia says, "In fact, I'm going to go give Jim a wake up call,"

"Good luck with that," Alana chuckles.

Talia stands up, bids Alana farewell and stalks over towards Jim's cot. The socket were his eye once was was scarred and sealed shut by those very scars, even if his eye had survived, he would have definitely not been able to use it. She pulls the flask from his hands and tucks it out of site behind some crates. Then she takes a bottle of water and sprays it over Jim's face. He jumps up, seething as his eye whirls to look at Talia.

"What the hell?!" He yells. The rest of the team turn to look at the source of the shouting.

"Get up, you and I need to have a talk," She says. He stumbles to a stand and follows Talia away from the others. She finds a secluded spot and pulls up a fold out chair. He slumps down it it before she can.

"Such a gentleman," She remarks, now having to lean against a pillar.

"I was having a nice sleep for once," He says, shaking his head.

"I've disposed of your alcohol," Talia speaks, crossing her arms, "Time to sober up and stop acting like a slob, we're in a war now, you have to start acting like a soldier,"

Jim rolls his eyes, frowning, "Yes, ma'am,"

"I'm not the commander, thats Rover's job," She scoffs, standing up properly, "You're not getting a gun, but Henry has agreed to guard you at all times,"

"Fair enough," Jim shrugs.

Before Talia can speak again, Jamie rounds the corner. He glances between the two of them before speaking, "Commander Paylor has requested you,"

Talia stands side by side with Commander Paylor, the once mayor of District 8 turned rebel leader. They were standing in a building that was half destroyed, but overlooked the rebel camp that sat on the outskirts of the Capitol. They could see soldiers training in the courtyard, could see other soldiers being bandaged up from war wounds, could see medics zipping up body bags, ready for their final trip back to the District they'd come from. The ruins of war.

"Why did you send for me?" Talia finally asks. They'd made small talk on the walk here, but they'd been silent since arriving at the building and climbing the half destroyed stairs to this room.

"I received a hologram before you arrived from Plutarch Heavensbee, he instructed I show it you and only you," She says, she offers over a small disk of metal, "I'll leave you alone,"

"Thank you," Talia says. She waits until Paylor passes by on the ground below, just to be sure, before she presses the centre of the disk.

A blue hologram of Plutarch hovers above the disk, projected from the metal. She lifts it up, closer to her face.

"Talia Odair, this is a message for you, and only you," He says, his voice was sharp and sensible as always, "I am sure you of all those who have met our President know what they are really like. Cunning, poisonous, deadly. I am sending you this as a warning that the team you have been assigned cannot be trusted. One of them will betray you, Mrs Odair, and when that time comes, you must be ready to end it. Keep your wits about you, Talia, and you will succeed in your mission. Keep yourselves safe and remember who the real enemy is,"

Three questions formed in Talia's mind, which president did Plutarch mean, Snow or Coin? Why had Plutarch said "yourselves", did he know about her pregnancy or did he just mean her and Finnick? And who was the person in her team that might turn on her? She had no choice but to act as though everything was normal, as though she suspected no one of anything. Then something else wormed its way into her mind, should she tell Finnick?

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Hello double update gang!!!

These two chapters were super short so i thought i'd post them both today

Hope you guys have enjoyed! Any comments are welcome!

~cupidlies
❤️