Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Death Trap

The second district is a large jurisdiction, with rolling mountains and dotted villages and towns.Every town has its own mine or quarry.But now many villages and towns focus on training and exporting security police.Because the 13th District has already mastered the air supremacy, the military power of the 2nd District cannot pose a great threat to the rebels.But there is one exception: a mountain located in the center of the second area can be said to be unbreakable, where the main military forces of the Capitol are gathered. We nicknamed the mountain "Hard Bones" because I used Plutarch's expression "hard bones" when referring to the mountain to the rebel commander of the second district.This mountain has been unable to be attacked for a long time, and the commander of the second sector has been exhausted and discouraged by this.This "hard bone" was built shortly after the end of the Dark Ages, because the Capitol had just lost the Thirteenth District and was eager to build a new underground fortress.Some of their military strength and weaponry was assembled outside the Capitol at the time—nuclear weapons, aircraft, troops—but most of it was already under enemy control.Of course, it is impossible for them to rebuild a military fort with the size of the thirteen districts, because it took centuries to build.However, they found that the old mine shafts in District 2 could also be used.Looking down from the air, "Hard Bones" is no different from an ordinary mountain, except that there are several entrances on it.But inside the mountain, there is a huge space hidden.Large blocks of rock were dug out, dragged to the ground, and then transported through muddy and narrow mountain paths to distant places for the construction of houses.There was even a railway built between Hard Bones and the main town of District 2 to transport miners.One of the railways leads directly to the square where the judicial building in the second district is located.When Peeta and I were on the Victory Tour, we stood on the steps of the Justice Building, afraid to face the grieving families of Cato and Graf down the steps.

The mountain's location is not ideal, with mudslides, flash floods and avalanches occurring from time to time, but it still has some advantages.When the mountain was excavated, many supporting stone pillars and stone walls were left in the mine during the mining process, which played a certain role in the construction of basic facilities.After the Capitol strengthened the original structure, a new military base was built, equipped with a large number of computers, conference rooms, barracks and weapon depots.They expanded the entrances and exits to facilitate the entry and exit of aircraft in the hangars, and built missile launch platforms.However, the appearance of the mountain has not changed basically. It is still surrounded by towering rocks, dense forests and wild animals.This natural harsh environment just makes it difficult to be attacked by the enemy.

In the eyes of the other jurisdictions, the Capitol is a favorite of the second district.It can be seen from the rebels in the second district that they have ample food and clothing and a happy childhood.Some do grow up to work in quarries or mines, others are educated to work in "hard bones" or as vigilantes.They have been trained since childhood to be very strong and good at fighting.They see the Hunger Games as an opportunity to get rich and famous, a notion that is not common in other jurisdictions.Of course, people in the second district are more likely to be influenced by the Capitol's propaganda, and easier to accept the Capitol's way of thinking.But they were still slaves anyway.If the people who became vigilantes or worked in the "hard bones" did not see this, the workers who toiled in the quarries were not lost, and it was they who formed the main force of resistance.

When I arrived here two weeks ago, the warring parties were still deadlocked.The outskirts of the village have been controlled by the rebels. In the town, both sides occupy one side, but the "hard bones" are as indestructible as ever.The military fortifications at several entrances have been fortified and the center is impregnable.The Second Sector remains under the Capitol's control while several other jurisdictions have been captured by the Rebels. Every day, I try to do something.Visiting the wounded and cooperating with film crews to shoot short films.They don't allow me to participate in actual combat, but they often invite me to military meetings, much more than in the thirteenth district.I feel so much better here, more free, no schedules printed on my arm, less occupied time.I lived above ground in villages or caves controlled by the rebels.For safety reasons, I change residences frequently.During the day I can hunt as long as I take a guard and don't go too far.Breathing the cool air on the mountain, I felt a little stronger again, and my thinking gradually became clearer.But the more sober he is, the more clearly he can feel the sting of Peeta's misfortune.

Snow stole him from me, twisted him into someone I didn't know, and sent him to me.Boggs, who came with me to Sector 2, later told me that, despite the well-planned rescue, the process of rescuing Peeta was too easy.He believed that if the Thirteenth District did not save Peeta, the Capitol would return Peeta to me.Either throw Peeta in a hotly contested precinct, or directly in the thirteenth district, with a ribbon and a tag with my name on it.The purpose of doing this is to plunge me into the abyss of eternal doom. Peeta's current state of insanity allows me to see a kind, dedicated Peeta with a passion that is more than his death.Who in this world could love me so unconditionally but Prim, Mom, and Gale?If it were me, I don't think I would love him the same.Sometimes, when I am alone, I bring out the pearls I keep in my pocket.This pearl reminds me of the boy who gave me bread, the man who used his strong arms to banish my nightmares on the train, and the man who kissed me in the arena.This pearl made me remember what it was that I lost.But what's the use?The past is in the past, he has left me, and everything we had between us has been blown away by the wind.And all I have is one promise: to kill Snow.I say this to myself ten times a day.

In District Thirteen, Peeta's treatment continues.Before I'd even asked, Plutarch would call me with happy news about Peeta. "Good news, Katniss, we've pretty much convinced him you're not a mutant!" Or, "Today, he can eat pudding!" Haymitch then called and told me Peeta wasn't getting any better.The only glimmer of hope came from Prim's suggestion, "Prime thought of a way to hijack him back." Haymitch told me, "Take out his bad memories of you first, and then give him a large dose of sedatives like morphine. We only tested one memory, and we showed him the video of the two of you in the arena cave and you telling him about Prim getting the goat."

"Any progress?" I asked. "Oh, if extreme confusion is stronger than extreme fear, it is. I dare not say that it is an improvement. He lost the ability of speech for a few hours and seemed to fall into a kind of coma. When he was awake The only question he asked was about the sheep." "Ok." I said. "How are you doing?" he asked. "No further action," I told him. "We've sent a small detachment to take that mountain. Beetle, and a few others. You know, Braintrust." When the Think Tank was formed, I wasn't surprised Gail was on board.I figured Bit would take him, not because he had any expertise, but because Bit wanted him to figure out a way to outwit the fort.At first Gail offered to come to Sector 2 with me, but I felt that this separated him from Beet's research work, and I told him he'd better stay where he was most needed.But what I didn't tell him was that with him around, the pain from Peeta's misfortune was harder to heal.

One afternoon, they came to the second district, and in the evening, Gail found me.I was sitting on a rock at the edge of the village, plucking a wild duck.There are a dozen of them piled up at my feet.Since I came here, there have always been flocks of wild ducks moving south, and it is easy to hunt ducks.Gail didn't say anything, just sat down next to me and started plucking.When we were almost halfway through the pull, he said, "Can we eat these wild ducks?" "Yes. Most of them go to the camp kitchen, but they've allowed me to save a couple of them for whoever's having dinner with me tonight, just to keep me."

"Isn't your accolade enough to keep you?" he said. "Whatever you want," I replied, "but some say mockingjays are bad for you." We stopped talking and plucked duck feathers quietly.After a while he said, "I saw Peeta yesterday, through the glass window." "What were you thinking?" I asked. "Some selfish thoughts," Gale said. "You don't have to be jealous of him anymore?" I yanked my hand, and a pile of duck feathers scattered around us. "No, quite the opposite." Gale plucked a duck feather out of my hair. "I think... I will never be able to compete with him, no matter how painful I am." He took the duck feather and rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger, "If he doesn't get better, I won't have a chance. It is impossible to let him go, you will never feel at ease when you are with me."

"When I kissed him, I kept thinking about you, and I felt uneasy, and it was the same then," I said. Gail stared at me deeply, "If I knew this was the case, I wouldn't care about the rest." "It's true," I admit, "but what you said about Peeta was also true." Gail let out a sigh of exasperation.After we sent the wild ducks back to the camp, we volunteered to go back to the woods to collect firewood.In the woods, he took me into his arms.His lips brushed against the bruise on my neck before moving slowly to my mouth.As much as I thought about Peeta and felt sorry for him, it wasn't until this moment that I really felt that he would never come back to me; or that I would never come back to him.I'll stay in Sector Two until the country is liberated, then go to the Capitol, kill Snow, and then I'll let myself die quietly.And he, too, will die in madness and resentment.So, in this fading twilight, I closed my eyes and kissed Gale, giving him back all the kisses I've been keeping deep in my heart.Because it doesn't matter now, and I'm too hopeless and lonely.

Gail strokes me, his smell and the heat of his body reminding me at least that I'm alive.Right now, it feels good.I cleared my mind of all the clutter that was entangled in me, and savored the feeling, letting it spread throughout my body.At this point, Gale gently pushed me away, and I leaned forward against his body, but he put his hand on my chin. "Katniss," he said.The moment I opened my eyes, everything around me seemed to be distorted.This is not the woods we used to go to, or our mountain, or our past.I couldn't help touching the scar on my left temple, which was always closely related to the confusion of my thinking. "Kiss me now." I was confused, but firm.Gail leaned down and touched mine lightly with his lips.After that, he looked at my face fixedly, "What are you thinking?" "I don't know." I said softly. "So it's like you're kissing a drunk, and that doesn't count," he said with a contemptuous smile.He picked up a pile of firewood and pushed it into my arms.In that instant, I was back to my old self. "How do you know?" I said, trying only to hide my embarrassment. "Did you ever kiss someone drunk?" I guess Gale must have kissed a lot of girls in District 12.There must always be someone chasing after him.I've never given much thought to this before. He just shook his head, "No, but it's not hard to imagine." "So you've never kissed another girl?" I asked. "I didn't say that. You know, when I met you, you were only twelve years old, and you were annoying. Didn't I have a life except hunting with you?" He said, picking up a bunch of firewood. Suddenly, my curiosity was aroused, "Who did you kiss? Where did you kiss?" "Too many to remember. Beside the school, on the cinder pile, you name it," he said. I rolled my eyes, "So when did I become your favorite? When I was brought to the Capitol?" "No, about six months before that, right after New Year's Eve. We were drinking Gracie Se's soup together at Hob's Black Market. Darius joked he'd give you a kiss in exchange for you A rabbit. Then I suddenly felt... I care about you." He said to me. I still remember that day.By four o'clock in the afternoon it was cold and dark in the woods.We hunted all day, and the falling snow made us ready to call it a day.Hopper's Black Market is full of people sheltering from the snow.Gracie Sey was selling broth with wild dog bones that we had hunted a week earlier, but that day the soup was not as good as usual.Anyway, the soup was hot and I was really hungry, so I sat cross-legged on her counter and gorged on it.Darius, leaning against a post beside the stall, was stroking my cheek with the end of my braid.I angrily pushed him away.Darius kept babbling away that his kisses were worth a rabbit, maybe two rabbits, because everyone knows that men with red hair are the most masculine.Gracie Se and I couldn't help laughing at his ridiculousness, and he revealed that someone from Hopper's black market had benefited him from more than a rabbit just to taste his lips. "See? You woman in the green scarf, if you really want to ask, ask her." It was eight lifetimes ago, Gale remembered. "Darius was only joking," I said. "Maybe. If not, he won't admit it. Take Peeta, or me, or even Finnick. I'm afraid he's into you, but lately he seems to be back to his old ways," Gale said . "If you think Finnick likes me, you just don't know him," I said. Gail shrugged, "I know he's desperate, but desperate people do crazy things." I suddenly felt that he was talking about me. Early the next morning, the weather was fine, and I was very clear-headed, and I began to think about the "hard bones".They called me to a meeting even though I couldn't be of much help.In the conference room, instead of sitting at the conference table, I sat on the spacious window sill, from which I could see the mountain.The commander of the second district is a middle-aged woman named Lime.She showed us a mock-up of "Hard Bones", introducing its internal facilities, fortifications, and the status quo of being unable to attack for a long time.I have seen her several times since I came to the second district, and I always feel that I have seen her somewhere.She was easy to remember, six feet tall and muscular.I can't remember where I saw her, until I saw a short video of her at the front commanding the army to attack the "hard bone" mountain, and the person in front of me was another victor, the "tribute of the second district ".She had won the Hunger Games years ago and belonged to an earlier generation.Effie showed us her tapes, along with those of the other victors, while preparing for the Century Xtreme.Maybe I've seen her in previous Hunger Games shows, but she's been pretty low key.After I recently found out about Haymitch and Finnick, I've been wondering: How did the Capitol treat her after she won the Hunger Games? After Lime introduced the battle situation, the think tank from the second district asked her many questions.Time passed bit by bit.We continued the discussion after lunch, trying to find a practical way to break through the mountain.Bit thought he had a way to break into the enemy's computer system, and some people suggested using several insiders inside the enemy. In fact, no one came up with innovative ideas.As the afternoon passed quietly, people's discussions returned to the method used several times-directly attacking the enemy's entrance.Rhyme was visibly frustrated, as several such attempts had failed.Finally, she couldn't help it anymore, and said: "If someone suggests attacking the entrance directly, he'd better think of a good attack method, because this person must be in charge of commanding this tough battle!" Gail has been sitting at the table for hours, and has grown impatient, pacing up and down the room for a while, and then sitting on the windowsill where I was sitting.At first, he seemed to agree with Lime that the entrance was impossible to breach, so he no longer participated in the discussion.In the past hour, he has been sitting silently, brows furrowed, staring at the "hard bone" in the distance through the window.After Rhyme said something like an ultimatum, the conference room was silent. At this time, he said: "Is it really necessary for us to break into the 'hard bone'? Is it enough to destroy it?" "This is the right step, what do you think?" Bit asked. "We think of it as a wild dog's den. If we don't attack it, then there are only two ways to go, either keep the dog inside or drive the dog out." Gale continued. "We tried to blow up the entrance, but their fortifications protruded into the mountain, and the blasting failed to pose a real threat to them." Lyme said. "I wasn't thinking about that. I was thinking about how to use the mountain," Gale said.Beet stood up and went to where Gail sat by the window, looking at the mountain from behind the lenses of his ill-fitting glasses.Gale continued, "Did you see that? We attacked its flank?" "That's an avalanche-prone area. We must be very cautious here. We must place the fuze precisely. Once the explosion starts, we will be out of control." Bit said in a very low voice. "If we drop the idea of ​​occupying the 'bone', there's no need to control it. Just shut it down," Gale said. "So you're suggesting we cause a landslide and block the exit?" Rhyme asked. "Exactly. Trap the enemy inside, cut off their supplies, and keep their helicopters from flying out." Everyone started thinking about the plan.Boggs flipped through the simulation map of "Hard Bones", frowned and said, "No one inside will survive this time. Look at its ventilation system, it can only be regarded as a simple ventilation system at best. With us at Thirteen There is no comparison to the ventilation system in the area. It relies entirely on pumping air in from the sides of the mountain. Block those vents and anyone inside will suffocate." "They were still able to escape to the square through the train tunnel," Bit said. "But if we blast it, it won't work," Gale said suddenly.His intent, the whole intent, is clear, Gale doesn't want the man in "Bones" to come out alive.He never intended to spare the lives of the prey that got into the trap.This is one of his death traps.