The agenda for District 12 includes a dinner at Mayor Undersee's house tonight and a victory rally in the square during the Harvest Festival tomorrow.
They always celebrate the Harvest Festival on the last day of the Victory Tour, but it usually means a meal at home or with a few friends if you can afford it. This year it will be a public event, and since the Capitol is organizing it, everyone in the district will have a full belly.
Most of their preparation takes place at the mayor's house, as they will be covered in furs again for the outdoor appearances. They are only briefly at the train station, to smile and wave as they get into the car. They don't even have time to see family or acquaintances until tonight's dinner.
They were relieved that it would be at the mayor's house instead of the Justice Building, where Katniss' father's memorial took place, where they took her after the reaping for those heartbreaking goodbyes to her family.
The Justice Building is too filled with sadness. But Jacob learned that Katniss likes Mayor Undersee's house, especially now that his daughter Madge and she are friends. They always were, in a way. It became official when she came to say goodbye.
...
"Have you contacted the rebels in District 8?"
"[Master, they have received the orders, but some of those who received them didn't accept to wait and aggressively attacked the Capitol agents!]"
Watching the television, Jacob saw a presenter warning that conditions are worsening and a Level 2 alert has been activated. Additional forces are being sent to District 8, and textile production is about to cease.
"Instruct them to stop, it's not the right time yet, and everything has a certain plan of movement!" Jacob said with a furious expression.
"[Understood, master!]"
While everything was going perfectly with minor inconveniences along the way, what Jacob now needed was a slight commotion in the square and for Gale to be involved in it, just as it happened in the original story, so that Katniss gets involved and with the help of the new head Gamemaker, the victors' games of the previous editions are created.
Jacob knew that to distract the Capitol from the districts and buy time for the rebellion, he needed a bold strategy. He had devised a plan in which Katniss, as one of the victors of the previous games, would play a crucial role.
First, he thought of convincing Katniss to participate in a rebellious act before the reaping for the upcoming Hunger Games. With this, President Snow considers killing her, but the new chief gamemaker, Plutarch, will be in charge of changing the rules of the Hunger Games.
In this way, during the next Hunger Games, the victors from previous editions will participate, generating a commotion that captures the Capitol's attention and diverts its resources and energy to that event. Thus, Jacob would ensure that the games are dominated by the victors, creating an opportunity for the districts to prepare, strengthen their alliances, and devise strategies for the true fight for freedom. It was a calculated risk, but Jacob trusted that Katniss would be willing to sacrifice her safety for the sake of all the districts.
"It's already starting as you ordered, the elders are the ones causing the commotion, and Gale is involved as well," says an assistant by Jacob's side.
"That's perfect. We'll need that time, and when the Capitol makes its move, we'll be prepared for war," Jacob said as he saw a crowd forming in the square and Katniss approaching to see what was happening.
"I'm sorry, Katniss, we have to do this..."
...
The tension in the air was palpable as Jacob followed Katniss' movements. The unsettling sound coming from the square triggered a sense of alertness and caution in him, fearing what might happen. Without fully understanding the situation, he could sense the gravity of what was unfolding. Following Katniss, he hurried toward the square, but the dense crowd hindered his view.
"Katniss, where are you going?" Jacob asked, surprised.
"I have to check something."
With determination on her face, Katniss climbed onto a crate near the sweet shop and extended a hand to help Jacob up. However, her attitude suddenly changed, blocking Katniss' path and urging her to come down. The urgency in Jacob's voice made it clear that something terrible was happening.
Confused and anxious to uncover the truth, Katniss let go of Jacob's hand and fought her way through the crowd. As people recognized her, their reactions turned to fear and desperation. Shoves and whispers mixed around her, warning her to stay away, that she would only make things worse.
The words echoed around her: "Leave, girl. You'll only make it worse."
"What do you want to do? Get him killed?"
Fear gripped her heart as Katniss tried to comprehend the magnitude of the danger they faced. She knew she had to make a quick and prudent decision, but the path ahead was unclear.
Though her instinct told her to stay and confront the situation, the people's warning resonated in her mind. Meanwhile, Jacob, in the distance, looked at the people around him and nodded as a sign for everyone to gradually move away.
No one should get involved in this situation, either as a result of their actions or because President Snow facilitated Jacob's plans.
On her way, Katniss only knew that whatever awaited her in the middle of the plaza was expressly for her.
When she finally reached the empty space, she saw that she was right. And Jacob was right. And those voices were right.
Gale's wrists were tied to a wooden post. The wild turkey he had shot earlier hung above him, the hook driven through its neck. His jacket was thrown aside on the ground, his shirt torn. He collapsed unconscious on his knees, held only by the ropes around his wrists. What used to be his back was now a bloody piece of flesh.
Standing behind him was a man she had never seen before, but she recognized his uniform. It was the one designated for the head Peacekeeper. Although this wasn't the old Cray. This was a tall, muscular man with sharp creases in his pants.
The pieces of the image didn't quite fit together until she saw this man raise the whip.
"No!" Katniss let out a scream and lunged forward. It was too late to stop the arm's descent, and she instinctively knew she wouldn't have the power to block it. Instead, she threw herself directly between the whip and Gale.
She raised her arms to protect as much of Gale's broken body as possible, so there was nothing to deflect the whip.
Katniss received the full force on the left side of her face. The pain was blinding and spontaneous. Irregular flashes of light crossed her field of vision, and she fell to her knees.
The stones beneath Katniss were wet with Gale's blood, the air heavy with its scent.
"Stop it! You're going to kill him!"
"Wait!" a voice barked. Haymitch appeared and stumbled over a Peacekeeper lying on the ground. It was Darius. A massive purple bruise protruded through the red hair on his forehead. He was knocked out but still breathing.
What happened? Did he try to come to Gale's aid before I arrived?
Haymitch ignored it and roughly lifted me up.
"Oh, great." His hand closed under my chin, lifting it. "You have a photo shoot next week posing in wedding attire. What am I supposed to tell your stylist?"
Katniss saw a spark of recognition in the whip-wielder's eyes. Sheltered from the cold, her makeup-free face, her haphazardly tucked braid under her coat, wouldn't make it easy to identify her as the victor of the last Hunger Games. Especially with half her face swelling. But Haymitch had been appearing on television for years, and he would be hard to forget.
The man rested the whip on his hip. "She interrupted the punishment of a confessed criminal."
"I don't care if he blew up the damn Justice Building! Look at her cheek! Do you think that'll be camera-ready in a week?" Haymitch roared.
The man's voice remained cold, but a hint of doubt could be detected. "That's not my problem."
"No? Well, it's about to become one, my friend. The first call I'll make when I get home will be to the Capitol." Haymitch said. "I'll find out who authorized you to ruin my victor's pretty face!"
"He was poaching. What does it have to do with her, anyway?" the man said.
"He's her cousin." A cold voice echoed from behind Katniss, and then Jacob stepped so close to the Peacekeeper that he flinched a bit: "Let's leave it at that, or maybe you want me to take this personally? I'm very angry right now, you just ruined my fiancée's face, and my instincts are telling me to tear you apart right now."