Chapter 14

           Myeyesfollowthelineofherfingerupintothefoliageaboveme.Atfirst,Ihavenoideawhatshe’spointingto,butthen,aboutfifteenfeetup,Imakeoutthevagueshapeinthedimminglight.Butof.ofwhat?Somesortofanimal?Itlooksaboutthesizeofaraccoon,butithangsfromthebottomofabranch,swayingeversoslightly.There’ssomethingelse.Amongthefamiliareveningsoundsofthewoods,myearsregisteralowhum.ThenIknow.It’sawaspnest.

           Fearshootsthroughme,butIhaveenoughsensetokeepstill.Afterall,Idon’tknowwhatkindofwasplivesthere.Itcouldbetheordinaryleave-us-alone-and-we’ll-leave-you-alonetype.ButthesearetheHungerGames,andordinaryisn’tthenorm.MorelikelytheywillbeoneoftheCapitol’smuttations,trackerjackers.Likethejabberjays,thesekillerwaspswerespawnedinalabandstrategicallyplaced,likelandmines,aroundthedistrictsduringthewar.Largerthanregularwasps,theyhaveadistinctivesolidgoldbodyandastingthatraisesalumpthesizeofaplumoncontact.Mostpeoplecan’ttoleratemorethanafewstings.Somedieatonce.Ifyoulive,thehallucinationsbroughtonbythevenomhaveactuallydrivenpeopletomadness.Andthere’sanotherthing,thesewaspswillhuntdownanyonewhodisturbstheirnestandattempttokillthem.That’swherethetrackerpartofthenamecomesfrom.

           Afterthewar,theCapitoldestroyedallthenestssurroundingtheircity,buttheonesnearthedistrictswereleftuntouched.