Katniss explains why District 2 remains the Capitol's strongest holdout. The district's villages lie across the mountains, but the real obstacle is the Nut, a heavily fortified mountain complex that houses the heart of the Capitol's military. Although the rebels control the outer villages and part of the town, they have spent two weeks unable to crack the mountain. During this stalemate, Katniss helps with propos, visits the wounded, hunts under guard, and gradually regains physical strength and mental clarity.

That clarity makes Katniss feel Peeta's loss more sharply. She thinks Snow has effectively stolen the real Peeta and sent back a weapon meant to kill her. Plutarch keeps offering cheerful but misleading updates from District 13, while Haymitch admits Peeta is not improving. Haymitch says Prim suggested trying to reverse the hijacking by pairing distorted memories of Katniss with heavy calming drugs, but the first attempt only leaves Peeta confused and temporarily unable to speak.

When Beetee's team arrives in District 2, Gale comes with them and finds Katniss plucking geese. Their conversation turns to Peeta, and Gale admits that seeing Peeta's condition made him think he can never truly compete with what Katniss feels for him. Katniss agrees that both boys have made her feel guilty in different ways. Later, while gathering kindling, Katniss kisses Gale out of loneliness and because she believes her future with Peeta is gone, but Gale stops when he realizes Katniss is mentally disconnected. Their awkward talk afterward shifts into memories of District 12, including Gale's admission that he realized he cared about her romantically months before the Games.

The next morning, the rebel planners gather to discuss the Nut. Commander Lyme of District 2 presents its internal structure, defenses, and the repeated failures of frontal assaults. Katniss realizes that Lyme is a former Hunger Games victor. As hours pass, Beetee and the others fail to find a breakthrough, and the discussion keeps circling back to attacking the entrances, which frustrates Lyme because that approach has already cost many lives.

Gale finally proposes a different strategy. Instead of seizing the Nut, he suggests disabling it by using carefully planned detonations to trigger avalanches and seal the entrances, treating the mountain like a wild dog den that must be trapped or flushed. Beetee sees that the idea may be technically possible, but Boggs warns that blocking the ventilation system would likely suffocate everyone inside. Gale then proposes blowing the train tunnel as well, making it clear that he is willing to kill the people trapped in the mountain. Katniss recognizes the plan as another of Gale's deadly traps.