After blowing up the Careers' food supply, Katniss is thrown to the ground by the chain of explosions. The blast leaves Katniss dizzy, partially deaf, and bleeding from one ear, but Katniss keeps hold of the bow and crawls toward Rue's hidden copse because escape across open ground would leave Katniss exposed to Cato. Katniss reaches cover just before the Careers arrive and sees that the pyramid has been completely destroyed.

From hiding, Katniss watches Cato rage over the loss of the supplies. When the boy from District 3 confirms the mines are gone and there is nothing useful left, Cato turns on him and snaps his neck in anger. The other Careers assume the tribute who triggered the explosion is dead, so they wait for the hovercraft to collect the District 3 boy's body. That night, when the sky shows only the dead boys from Districts 3 and 10, the Careers realize the bomber survived and head into the woods to hunt.

Katniss stays hidden through the night, eats the plants Rue gathered, and endures the cold without her sleeping bag. By morning, Katniss's right ear is improving, though the left still seems deaf. Katniss sees Foxface scavenging useful items from the wreckage and realizes the destruction of the supplies has changed the balance of the Games by hurting the Careers more than anyone else. Katniss then travels back toward the stream and the meeting place, washing up, hiding Katniss's tracks in the water, catching fish, and worrying that the hearing loss may be permanent.

When Katniss reaches the rendezvous point, Rue is missing. Katniss waits for hours in a tree, cleans wounds, eats through the remaining food, and grows increasingly anxious as Rue fails to return. Near evening Katniss goes to the site of the third planned fire and finds the wood arranged but never lit, which convinces Katniss that Rue was interrupted after setting the trap in motion.

Katniss searches the area and hears Rue's four-note signal repeated by mockingjays, suggesting Rue was nearby recently. Katniss answers, then hears Rue scream and call Katniss's name. Ignoring the danger that it may be a trap, Katniss runs to the clearing and finds Rue tangled in a net. Rue reaches out to Katniss, and before Katniss can save Rue, a spear strikes Rue in the body.