Chapter 15 Chapter Fifteen

Regarding Gail's proposal, everyone was at a loss, silently weighing the weight of the matter in their hearts, with different expressions on their faces, some were happy, some were sad, some were painful, and some were satisfied. "Most of the staff in the mountain are citizens of the second district." Bit said from a neutral position. "So what? We can't trust them anymore anyway," Gale said. "We're going to at least give them a chance to surrender," Rhyme said. "But when District 12 was bombed, we didn't enjoy such treatment. You are already much more comfortable than us because you are close to the Capitol." As soon as Gail's words came out, Lime's face became ugly, and she seemed to wish she could One shot him, or at least a fight with him.She had been trained, and perhaps she would still have the upper hand.But her anger could only further irritate Gail. He shouted: "At that time, we could only watch the children in our district burn to death, and we were helpless!"

I closed my eyes and imagined what would happen after the explosion.Doing so does have the desired effect.I also want everyone in the mountains to die.I was just about to speak.But after thinking about it... I am a girl from District 12, not President Snow. This is an indisputable fact. I can't curse everyone to death like Gail did. "Gail," I said calmly, taking his arm, "the whole 'hard bone' is an old mine, and doing it like a mine disaster." People in District 12 reconsidered this matter in their hearts. "Not as quickly as our mine disaster, our father died instantly." He retorted, "Is everyone thinking the same thing? We should give our enemies a few hours to think that they are going to die Instead of just blowing them up?"

Gail has said similar things in the past, when me and I were ordinary kids hunting in the woods of District 12.But that's just talking, but if you put it into action now, it may bring serious irreversible consequences. "You don't know those people in the second district who work in the mountains. Maybe they are forced to do it, and they don't want to do it themselves. There are also some people who are our insiders. You even want to kill them?" I said. "Yes, a few lives can be sacrificed to eliminate an enemy. If I were one of those people, I'd say: 'Let the avalanche come!'" Gale said.

I know he's telling the truth.Gail would sacrifice his life for his cause, there's no questioning that.Perhaps, if we were on the inside, we would do the same when we had to make a final decision.I think at least I will.But it's cruel to make decisions about the fate of other people, both for those people and for those who love them. "You said there were two options, to block them in, or to push them out. If you ask me, we can use the landslide to block the exit, but leave the train tunnel. That way someone can escape to the square, and we Stop them there," Boggs said.

"I want our men to be fully armed, and their men must be armed," Gale said. "Well, fully armed, and we'll take 'em in one fell swoop," Boggs agreed. "Let's leave this matter to the thirteenth district to decide, and let President Cohen weigh it." Bit suggested. "She'll definitely choose to block the train tunnel," Gail said affirmatively. "Yeah, quite possibly. But you know, there's a truth to what Peeta said on TV, that we might kill each other and kill a lot of people. I've been doing statistics, counting casualties ...I think at least it's worth talking about," Beetle said.

Only a few people stayed to participate in the discussion, and Gail and I didn't participate.So I took him hunting to let him vent his dissatisfaction, but he didn't mention it again.Maybe I was against him just now and he's still mad at me. The call was made to the thirteenth district, and President Cohen made a decision.At night, I was dressed in a Mockingjay costume, with a bow and arrow on my back, and a headset.The headset is connected to Haymitch in District 13 to keep me informed when it's time to film a TV show.We are on standby on the roof of the Judicial Building, our target clearly visible ahead.

Our helicopters did not attract much attention from the opposing commander at first. Normally, these planes were just bees buzzing around the honey pot.But after two rounds of bombing by planes on the top of the mountain, it finally attracted the attention of the enemy.By the time the Capitol's antiaircraft combat weapons kicked in, it was too late. Gail's plan is beyond anyone's expectations, and Beetle is right, once the mountain collapses, it cannot be controlled.The rocks, which were not very strong, collapsed quickly like a mudslide after being bombed. The entire "hard bone" of the mountain collapsed before our eyes, and all traces of human activities on the mountain disappeared instantly.We stood there dumbfounded, too shocked to say a word, feeling how small and insignificant we were.The mountain rocks crashed down with a loud noise, tons of gravel blocked the exit, and the dust that rose up filled the air everywhere, dyeing the sky black. "Hard Bones" suddenly became a grave.

I can imagine the horrible scene inside the cave.The alarm rang loudly, the cave was pitch black, and the air was full of choking dust. The people trapped inside were terrified, screaming and rushing frantically to the exit, only to find that the exit, the rocket launch port, and the vent were all closed. It has been blocked by stones and soil, and the stones and soil are still pouring inward.Fires raged as power lines fell to the ground, and debris scattered on the ground blocked familiar pathways and made it impossible for people to find their way out.When the mountain squeezed inward and was about to crush their fragile bodies, people pushed each other, crowded, and ran around frantically like ants.

"Katniss?" Haymitch's voice came through the headset.I wanted to answer, but found that my hands were tightly covering my mouth. "Katniss!" On the day of my father's death, the school was opening for lunch, and suddenly the alarm bell rang.Nobody waits for school to end, or needs to wait for school to end.Even the Capitol had no control over how the common people reacted to mine accidents.I run to Prim's class.I still remember how she was then, seven years old, small and pale, but sitting upright with her hands folded on the table, waiting for me to pick her up.We've made an appointment that if the alarm goes off, I'll pick her up.She jumped up from her seat and grabbed my cuff.We weave through the stream of people swarming towards the exit of the mine.When we got there, we saw Mom holding on to the rope that had been improvised to keep the crowd out.Looking back now, I should have known that something must have happened, because at such a time, it should be my mother looking for us, not us looking for her?

The cage creaked and went up and down, spitting the blackened miner out of his stomach into the naked, pale sun.Every time a group of people came up, their relatives would cry with relief, and would slip under the rope, taking away their husbands, wives, children, parents or siblings.We stood in the cold wind at dusk, and there were snowflakes in the sky.The cage went slower and slower, and fewer and fewer people spit it out.I knelt on the ground with my palms on the cinders, how I longed to lead my father home from here.If there was any emotion beyond longing for my dad trapped underground, I don't know how helpless and hopeless I am at this moment.The wounded and the dead were being brought up, and we waited all night.Kind strangers put blankets on us and brought hot soup, but we didn't feel like drinking it.Finally, in the morning, the mournful expression on the mine manager's face could only mean one thing.

What did we just do? "Katniss! Are you there?" Haymitch was probably thinking about putting a headband on me at this point. I put my hand down, "Yes." "Go to the house. The remnants of the Capitol air force may be waiting for revenge," he ordered. "Yes." I repeated what I had just said.Except for the soldiers who fired their machine guns, everyone on the roof began to evacuate into the house.As I went downstairs, I couldn't help but run my hands over the smooth marble walls, so beautiful and cold.Even in the Capitol, no walls can match the grandeur of the marble walls of this old building.The surface of the stone was so hard that the muscles in my palms were crushed and the heat was taken away.Stone can always conquer man. I sat by the stone pillars at the entrance of the hall, and through the gate I could see the marble floor leading up to the steps, which lead to the square.I still remember the feeling when Peeta and I were being congratulated after winning the Hunger Games, and it was an uncomfortable feeling.At the time, I was exhausted by the Victory tour, failed to quell the rebellion in the districts, and was haunted by memories of the deaths of Graf and Cato, especially Cato's slow and tragic death. Boggs crouched next to me, pale in the shadows. "We didn't blow up the train tunnel, you know. Some people should get out." "And we shoot them as soon as they show up?" I asked. "Only if you can't," he replied. "We can bring the train in and help evacuate the wounded," I said. "No, we decided to leave the train track to them, so that they could send out as many people as possible. In addition, we also freed up time to mobilize soldiers to the square." A few hours ago, the square was no man's land, where the border between the areas controlled by the rebels and the security police met.When Cohen approved Gale's plan, the rebels launched a fierce attack on the Capitol forces, pushing the defense forward a few blocks, thus taking control of the train station in their own hands, in case the "hard bones" collapsed. Someone escaped from the train station.Well, now that mountain has caved in, it's a fact.If there are any survivors, they will definitely flee to the square.I heard the gunshots again and knew the vigilantes must be putting up all their strength to save their men.Our side is also sending troops to reinforce and fight the opponent. "Are you cold? I'll see if I can find a blanket." Boggs said and walked away before I could say no.I don't want a blanket, just let the marble floor suck the heat from my body. "Katniss." Haymitch's voice came through the headset. "I'm still here," I replied. "An interesting turn for Peeta this afternoon. You're sure to want to know," he said.Funny is not the same as good.Doesn't mean getting better.But I had no choice but to listen. "We showed him the video of you singing 'The Hanging Tree'. It was never shown on TV. So there's no way the Capitol used it when he kidnapped Peeta. He said he'd heard it Song." Suddenly, my heart was pounding.Then I realized it was just killer bee venom clouding his mind again. "No way, Haymitch, he's never heard me sing that song." "It's not you, it's your father. He heard your father sing it once when he went to the bakery to change things. Peeta was young, maybe six or seven, but he listened very carefully because he Wondering if the birds stopped singing. I guess the birds didn't," said Haymitch. Six or seven years old.That should have been before Mom banned the song.Maybe when I was learning to sing the song. "Was I there?" "I don't think so. Didn't mention you, though. But it's the first time he's had anything to do with you and hasn't lost his mind. Some progress, Katniss." my dad.Everything that happened today seemed to have something to do with him.His death in the mines.He enters the singing in Peeta's confused consciousness.When Boggs draped the blanket over my shoulders with pity, I saw him again in Boggs' eyes.I miss him so much, my heart hurts so much. The gunfire continued outside, with some rebels eager to join the fight urging Gale to move quickly.I didn't ask to join the fight.It's not that they don't allow it, it's that I have no interest in fighting, and the passion is gone in my blood.I wish Peeta was here - the original Peeta - because he'd explain why it's wrong to engage in firefights when someone's running for their life in the mountains.Maybe it's my personal experience that makes me overly sensitive?Isn't there a war outside?Isn't this to destroy our enemies? Night fell quietly.Huge, bright searchlights were turned on, illuminating the square.The train station must also be brightly lit, every light turned on to the brightest.Here I can clearly see the glass curtain wall of the long and narrow building.If a train or anyone arrives, it's impossible to miss it.But hours passed and no one came out.With every passing minute, it's hard to believe that there are still survivors in "Bones." It wasn't until after midnight that Cressida came to clip a special microphone to my clothes. "What's this for?" I asked. I heard Haymitch's voice explaining to me, "I know you don't like this, but we need you to give a speech." "Speech?" I said, immediately feeling nauseous. "I'll read it to you, line by line," he assured me. "You just have to repeat me. You see, there's no life left in that mountain, and we've won. But the battle Still going on. So we thought if you came out of the justice building, stood on the steps, and told everyone plainly that the 'hard bones' had been taken, that the Capitol was finished in Sector 2, you might be able to persuade other troops surrendered." I stared into the dark distance in front of the plaza, "I can't even see their troops." "That's what the microphone is for. Your speech will be broadcast, the sound will be broadcast through the emergency broadcast system, and the image will be seen by everyone watching the TV." I know there are a couple of giant TV screens in this plaza that I saw on the Victory tour.If I'm doing alright, maybe it will work.But I can't, I tried it before, read the lines prepared in advance to me, and let me say it, but it all failed. "You might save many lives, Katniss," Haymitch said finally. "Okay, let me try." I told him. Standing on the top steps of the Judiciary building, wearing a Mockingjay-specific costume, and being illuminated by strong lights, ready to give a speech, but no one in the audience could see, it was a strange feeling, like I was performing for the moon. "We'd better hurry up, your position is too exposed," Haymitch said. The film crew stood in the square with special cameras, and they signaled that they were ready.I let Haymitch start, clipped the mic, and listened carefully for the first sentence.As I began to speak, my image appeared on a giant screen across the square. "The people of the second district, I am Katniss Everdeen, I am in front of the judicial building, and I want to say a few words to you..." Before I could finish my sentence, two trains screamed and drove into the railway station side by side.After the door was opened, a group of people got out of the car in a hurry, carrying the smoke and dust from the "hard bones" collapsed and caught fire.They must have anticipated the situation in the square, so they were very vigilant when they got out of the car. Most of them immediately fell to the ground, and a volley of bullets smashed the lights in the station.They came with weapons, as Gale said, but they were also wounded.In the quiet of the night, their wailing can be heard. Someone immediately knocked out the headlights on the steps of the building as well, leaving me in the protection of darkness.The station was on fire - one of the trains may have been on fire - and thick black smoke was billowing from the windows.These people crowded into the square helplessly. They were coughed by the thick smoke, but they did not forget to wave their weapons.I scanned the rooftops around the plaza, each with rebels armed with machine guns.The moonlight shone faintly on the oil drum on which the machine gun was mounted. A young man staggered out of the station, holding a cloth to one cheek and a gun in the other.He tripped and fell to the ground, and that's when I saw the back of his shirt was charred, exposing the blood-red skin inside.Suddenly, before my eyes, he was the burnt man in the mine accident. I quickly ran down the steps and ran towards him. "Stop!" I yelled at the rebels. "Don't shoot!" My voice rang out from the microphone and echoed across the plaza. "Stop!" I ran up to the young man and was about to bend over to help him up when he struggled to his knees and put his gun against my head. Instinctively, I took a few steps back and raised my bow above my head to signal that I meant no harm.By this time he had raised the gun with both hands.I saw a hole in his cheek, probably pierced by falling rocks, and he smelled of burnt hair, skin, and fuel, and his eyes were full of pain and fear. "Stand still." Haymitch's soft voice reached my ears.I obeyed his orders, and I realized at this moment that all people in the second district, maybe all of Panem are witnessing this moment.Mockingjay is at the mercy of a desperate man. He said vaguely: "Give me a reason not to kill you." At this time, everything in the world has receded, and only I met the eyes of a painful person who escaped from the "hard bone", and he asked me to give him a reason.Of course, I had a thousand reasons, but the words that came to my lips were "I can't". From a general logic point of view, the next step is for this person to pull the trigger.But he was at a loss for a moment, trying to figure out what I meant.I was confused myself when I realized that I was telling the whole truth.The noble act of rushing to the square just now was replaced by the despair of this moment. "I can't, that's the problem, isn't it?" I lowered my bow. "We blew up your mines, you burned our districts, and we have every reason to kill each other. So, you kill, let the Capitol Please, I'm tired of killing its slaves." I threw the bow to the ground and kicked it away.The bow slid across the stone pavement and came to rest at his knees. "I'm not their slave," the man muttered. "But I am, so I killed Cato... Cato killed Saresh... Saresh killed Graf... Graf wanted to kill me. The slaughter went on and on, but who Winning? Not us, not the districts, but the Capitol. I'm tired of being a pawn in this game." Peeta had said the same thing on the rooftop the night before the Hunger Games, and he'd figured it out, before we even set foot in the arena.I hope that now that he is watching TV, he will remember that night and maybe forgive me after I die. "Go on, tell people how you felt when you saw that mountain fall," Haymitch insisted. "Tonight, when I saw that mountain collapse, I was thinking...they're doing it again, let's kill you—kill the people in the precinct. But why are we doing this? Second District and Twelve There should be no fighting between the districts, it is the Capitol who will provoke them." The young man blinked, unable to understand my words.Kneeling before him, I said in a low, eager voice, "Why are you up against the rebels on the roof? Why are you up against Lyme? Against your neighbors and maybe your family?" "I don't know," he said.But he didn't take his gun away. I stood up, turned around, and said to the rebels on the roof, "Are you there? I'm from a mining area. Since when did the miners start killing miners, starting to kill people crawling out of the rubble?" "Who's the enemy?" Haymitch said softly. "These people,"—I said, pointing to the wounded in the square—"are not your enemies! We have a common enemy, and that is the Capitol! We can end its reign, right now, but we need Everyone in every jurisdiction to do it together!" When I reached out to the young man.The camera lens followed me as I reached out to the wounded man, who was also a rebel to the whole of Panam. "Please everyone! Join us and act together!" My words echoed in the night sky for a long time.I looked at the big screen, hoping to see a scene of reconciliation among the warring parties in the crowd. Instead, I saw images of myself being shot.