Allowing myself further into the house, I head for the kitchen. Seeing that no person is still in my sight, I settle the bags on the marble countertop before grabbing a fresh green apple.
"Thresh!" I call out. "Are you home?"
"I'm in my office if you want to come talk to me!" I hear him yell back.
Immediately, I head to the basement where Thresh's office is located.
Thresh Okineyi became the brother I never
had. He was the one who gave shelter to me when I was alone and homeless and
had nothing to eat. His father fortunately scored a decent job in the Capitol,
where he serves for the president, earning them a house to live in and an
acceptable amount of riches to go through their everyday lives. Thresh also
didn’t had trouble looking for a job, for his father automatically hired him as
part of their team. During one of their missions where they were supposed to
visit every district to undergo its monthly check ups for food supplies and
everything, Thresh had found me.
It
was raining that day and I was trying to find some shelter to keep myself warm
and dry but all that I ever found was an alley. Unfortunately for me, it was
the same alley my parents were killed at. When I saw Thresh walking over to
me, I thought I was hallucinating again. I thought the disease was coming to
haunt me once more, just when I thought it had finally fleeted away. Thresh must have noticed me tensing and was readying myself for any possible attacks
that he held up his hands as if he’s surrendering. That’s when I knew letting
him come close to me was a safe idea.
“What
are you doing out here alone in the rain?” Thresh had asked me.
I
was hesitant and a bit confused. I didn’t know whether to run for cover or try
to face him. Even though I allowed him to come close, doesn’t mean I completely
trust this person. I have to make sure to be able to protect myself.
I
opened my mouth to speak but no words dared to come out. “I…” I cleared my
throat as I soon realized my words came out hoarse. “I don’t have any place to
go.”
I
watched as Thresh's blank, emotionless features soften a bit at my uttered
words. He must have been wondering why on earth someone like me is homeless? Is
he not wondering where my family is? Maybe he is eager to know but doesn’t want
to come out as nosy. I jerked back a bit when I felt his hand on my arm.
“Come
with me.” Thresh told me.
“How
do I know if I can trust you?” I questioned him. Paranoia is starting to settle
in once again. “How will I know you’re not one of them?” I bombarded him with
questions, which must have been confusing him at the moment.
“Look,”
Thresh said before reaching for the inside pocket of his cream-colored blazer
and holding up his identification card. I raised my eyebrows when I read that he
was some kind of an agent. He’s obviously working for the president. “I am an
agent in training. My father and I both work for the president
though he has a higher position.” He explained.
“That
doesn’t make me any comfortable.” I muttered.
“Just
come with me and I’ll fill you in.”
Seeing
that this man was determined and has no plans on leaving me alone anytime soon,
I leaned away from the wet brick wall and trudged along behind him.
It
turned out he invited me to their base camp in my district and offered a
bountiful dinner. It was actually a buffet table, in which Thresh said that I
could “grab whatever you want and gorge yourself until you can’t stomach any
more gourmet foods.” Over the course of dinner, I didn’t know how he did it but
Thresh managed to spew out a few details about me. I wouldn’t exactly fully
let him in, as this person is still part stranger to me. But in the end, I
allowed him to take me with him to the Capitol, promising to provide me a
prosperous life for the future.
“Hey.
Cato, are you listening to me?” Thresh asks, completely interrupting me from
any oncoming thoughts. I take notice that he has stopped typing rapidly away on
his keyboard. This is what he usually does everyday. I guess it is part of
being an agent trainee, having to sit on the computer all day trying to gather
information about an identity that the government of the Capitol made up
specifically for the training.
My
eyes snap towards him and raise my eyebrows as I take a huge bite of the apple.
“Huh?” I ask him. “I’m sorry; I’m just spacing out a lot lately.”
“Are
they occurring again?” Thresh's eyebrows are knitting together in trepidation.
Since I have grown close to him and we treat each other as family, he knows
about my hallucinations, nightmares and paranoia. It comes and it goes.
Sometimes, unexpectedly but most of the time it comes with a warning of some
sort.
I
shake my head for I can’t speak yet as my mouth is still full of the fruit. I
swallow hard and help myself on a chair in front of his worktable. “No.
Luckily, I haven’t had them for almost a week now.” I answer him.
Thresh takes a moment to study my expression. Being an agent in training, he knows how
to read somebody like an open book. Deciding that my answer is fair enough for his
liking, he uncrosses his arms and stands up from his chair. I watch as he makes
his way towards his own mini bar.
“Anyway,
as I was saying before I completely lost you, my mom is having a business trip
and my little sister Rue, I’ve told you about her right?” When he saw me
nodding, he precedes. “Yeah, she’s coming over tomorrow and might be staying
with us for a month.”
I
bob my head up and down in approval. “Cool. This is my first time meeting her,
yeah?” Thresh offers me a glass of wine but I refuse. Hallucinating is enough.
I don’t need any alcohol to make it worse.
“Didn’t
know you don’t drink.” Thresh comments.
I
chuckle at his statement. “Let’s put it this way, if you were the one
experiencing hallucinations, would you still drink?” I ask him with a smirk
slowly growing on my face.
“I
don’t want to admit it but…touché.”
I
let out a booming laugh that echoes off the walls of Thresh's office. “Anyway,
how old is your sister?” I question. Since the little girl will be living with
us for a month, I might as well start grasping for details about her.
“She’s
thirteen but she’s turning fourteen next month.” Thresh informs me. “Be
careful though, she may look all adorable and ditzy and stuff but she has an
agility of a professional athlete. She’s fast and can climb through anything in
a blink of an eye.”
“Sounds
awesome to me. I think Julia and I will get along pretty well.”
Thresh snorts. “Well then, good luck being her wrestling dummy.”
* * *
“Hey Cato, how about I tell you a
story?”
I
bobbed my head in agreement. I gazed amusingly at my father as I awaited his
tale. Even though I know my father tells the same story over and over again, I
always found myself amazed by his creative mind and all the different scenarios
he adds every single time he tells the story.
“There
was once a man – a strong man, a big man – and he made everyone afraid—”
I
rolled my eyes as soon as I heard the, oh so familiar beginning of the story.
“Come on, dad. It’s that story again. I already know you’re talking about yourself
so I don’t want to hear it.” I joked just to add a little extra fun in the
moment.
My
dad let out a nervous laugh as he let his gaze linger on the road ahead of us.
I may only be a six-year-old but my father had raised me to be alert in any
given situations. I couldn’t see far, and I couldn’t see plain, but there was
something – someone – in the distance
moving toward us. I was pretty sure there were three figures. No more, no less.
I glanced at my mother and saw the same wariness my father currently possessed
at the same time.
“Mom?
Dad?” I called out. “Is something wrong?”
My
father shook his head although I know something is terribly wrong. I became
aware of the three figures moving closer and closer to us. He started to
frantically search around, as if looking for an escape route we could use for
he detected trouble a few feet away. I felt his grip tightening around my tiny
wrist as he gently tugged us towards a dark alley.
Entering
that alley made me realize that this is where things were going to go horribly
wrong.
My
mother’s heels clicking against the ground was the only sound I could hear at
the moment as we speed walked through the narrow alley, hoping to get out of
there soon. But our eagerness set the three of us running. I grew more nervous
as I suddenly found it hard to breathe and it affected my pace.
“Mom,
Dad!” I called out once again. Tears were itching to come out of my eyes but I
wouldn’t allow showing any sign of weakness, especially now that my parents
wanted me to be the strongest I could be.
I
made the courageous move to turn my head around, and that’s when I saw the
three tall figures not ten feet away. One of them had a gun in his hand, aiming
at one of us. I’m not sure if the bullet was for me, for my dad or for my mom.
All that I care about is that, it shouldn’t even be for any of us. It should be
for them, the ones doing an attempt at such a violent act.
Even
at a young age with a young mind, I know for a fact that it was going to come
soon. I know somehow, that bullet is going to pop out of the gun and glide its
way to its chosen victim. It couldn’t have come any sooner but the bullet
immediately found its prey. I had heard it; I had seen it happen. But I
couldn’t care less that it wasn’t me, because the pernicious bullet apparently
saw a large X mark painted in red on the back of my father.
* * *
I awake; open my eyes. I shoot up from
where I lie, sweat covering my forehead and I find myself heavily gasping for
air. Taking a moment to fully allow the nightmare to sink in, I glance around
my surroundings and realize that I had fallen asleep on the leather couch in
Thresh's office. The television is on and it is showing a football match that
I couldn’t care less about. I wasn’t really a fan of the sport in the first
place.
It
doesn’t surprise me at all my parents’ death is my nightmare. It has always
been and it hasn’t changed ever since. For some reason, these ongoing
nightmares are starting to make myself at fault for my parents’ passing. Or
maybe it’s the paranoia kicking in again making me think that if it weren’t for
me convincing my parents to let me finally watch that movie I so wanted to see,
they wouldn’t even be gone right now. And I will still be in my district,
stuffing my belly with mouthwatering stew alongside my mother and my father.
I
prop my entire body up so I am in a sitting position and completely facing the
television. My elbows are resting on my knees as I rub my face up and down. The
humidity in Thresh's office is awfully dry and his air conditioning is scheduled, and
at this time of day, it is usually turned off. I stand up; deciding all I need
is a long, cold shower to somehow wash off the remnants of the nightmares
sticking into my body.
When
I enter the kitchen, I see Thresh sitting on one of the stool with his laptop
propped open in front of him. I clear my throat to further emphasize my
presence. As soon as I do so, Thresh's head swirl towards my direction and he
lightens up once he lays his eyes on me.
“Cato,
I am so glad you’re awake. I have something to show you.” Thresh announces as
I make my way towards him.
I
sit on the stool next to him and glance at his laptop’s screen. My eyes
automatically drift towards the image of a man. I can’t quite pinpoint his age
but I’m guessing it is somewhere around forty or fifty. He has a face the shape
of a square with perfectly angled cheekbones and a jaw line that could possibly
chisel granite. A prominent chin that suggests he is determined with pretty
much everything and is inclined to keep it up. His pair of deep-set and
shadowed orbs is the shade of forest green, with slightly thick eyebrows
arching downward in a way that made his sinister aura stronger. A long and
sharp pointed nose hooking over his thin straight lips, which settles below a
field of vague facial hair. His hair is the darkest shade of brown and is
tousled and seems to stick out everywhere.
“Who
is that?” I ask as I nod my head towards the photo on the screen.
“This,
my friend, is Brutus Kentwell. He is the most notorious syndicate in the Capitol.
He is known to have led twelve gangs. He sends his men and kills every person
who ever tried to get in his way. Your father Cato, he’s one of us; he is one
of the agents assigned to stop his wrongdoings. Unfortunately, Brutus developed
a strong animosity towards your father and simply wanted him dead.” Thresh explains as I keep my eyes trained on the man’s picture.
“Why
didn’t my father tell me any of this? Why didn’t he tell me he was working for
the president and battling these heartless people?” I hiss through gritted
teeth. Already I’m feeling strong hatred coursing through every vein in my
body. I feel my blood boiling in complete anger.
I
hear Thresh letting out a breath. “I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for that,
Cato. I wish I could tell you but…I don’t have enough information.” He says.
I
purse my lips together, close my eyes and take a few deep steady breaths to
mollify my anger. I know if I don’t do something about it soon, Thresh and I
will have a catastrophe in our hands. And it is not a pretty good scene to be
in.
“Where
is this man? Do you know where to find him?” I ask once I assure myself that I
am calm enough.
“Now
this is the good part.” Thresh holds
up his pointer finger and faces his laptop towards him. He starts to type something
that I could not fathom what is before turning the laptop back to me. “After
finally finding your parents’ killer, I did some further research about him,
and it says here,” he points at the screen, “just last year, Brutus's base camp
in the Capitol was finally found and he was arrested for numerous crimes: murder,
ransom, kidnapping, those kinds of violence. He is now, fortunately for you,
imprisoned under President Snow's supervision after his exclusive escape three
years ago.”
I
remain sitting on my stool; trying to process all the information Thresh is
currently feeding me. Although it is relieving to find out that my parents’
killer is now under duress, somehow a part of me wants something more. A part
of me wants this remorseless man to suffer worse consequences. I know that
being in jail under the president’s supervision is torture enough, but I still
want more. Like, revenge. Make him feel the pain losing someone brings.
That’s
when the thought suddenly hits me out of nowhere like a car crash on a
high-speed road.
“Since
you’ve done some research on this insensitive bastard, does he have any family members or relatives?” I curiously
ask.
Thresh tilts his chin on the side, eyebrows meeting in the center in deep thought. “I
remember reading that Brutus barely have any relatives. He is an only child and
considering his age, his parents are both gone. But…there is someone though.” He answers. “Why do you want to
know?”
I
shake my head. I don’t know yet if Thresh will approve of my plan since he’s
the “good guy” and he does not look like someone who will actually take revenge
on someone. He works for the president so he does all the good acts.
“Come
on, Cato. I know you’re up to something.” He says.
I
give him a sigh with a slight hint of annoyance. “Fine. I know you wouldn’t
approve of this but…him being imprisoned doesn’t sound okay to me. I simply
want nothing more but to avenge my parents.” I blurt out.
Running
his tongue across his upper front teeth, he mutters under his breath, “Just
what I thought.”
I’m
readying myself for his upcoming “big brotherly” lecture about how I should not
take revenge or if I still insists on doing so, at least do it in a polite way, in a more civilized way. But he of most people
should know by now that Cato Hadley don’t avenge in a civilized way.
Surprisingly,
the lecture did not let itself be heard.
To
ease the obvious tension between us, I clear my throat and ask him about the
one relative Brutus Kentwell still has, whereas searching for any sign of
emotion in Thresh's blank features. I am surprise Brutus still has someone he
can call family. Or maybe that someone isn’t such a family to him anymore as
much as he wasn’t to him or her.
He
hit a button on his laptop’s keyboard and a picture of a girl, maybe the same
age as I am or maybe younger, comes up. She is actually someone I can associate
with the word beautiful. From her dark as a raven mane of hair to those thinly
plucked eyebrows shaped into a deceivingly perfect arch that follows the slight
curve of her hazel eyes. It is not hard to tell she got her nose from her
father: long and sharp pointed. Her mouth is nowhere near Brutus's though. His
is naturally formed into a frown as hers is slightly puckered. I take note that
she is not wearing any makeup, making her far more natural than she already is.
Oddly,
Thresh hasn’t uttered a single word ever since the picture came on. Not even
bothering mentioning her name or any possible threats this girl carries with
her. Just when I am about to ask any information, Thresh opens his mouth to
speak. Seventeen words are all it takes for me to wholly understand what this
girl is about.
“Clove Kentwell, daughter of the most notorious syndicate that ever walked on the face
of the earth.”
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