Red Zone (Red Zone 1)

Fantastic. They were in a death trap, and he was teasing her.

Slowly, cautiously, Friday lifted her head and looked up the body of the man standing in front of her. He held out a hand.

“You’ll be stiff from crawling so long. Let me help you up.”

She took his hand, grateful for his aid, and he tugged her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her while she steadied. “You good now?”

“Yes.” Safe in his arms, she looked around her for the first time since entering the Red Zone and her knees gave way.

His hold tightened. “Like when Moses parted the Red Sea. Only it’s literally red, and instead of walls of water on either side of us, we’ve got deadly mist.”

“You think you’re Moses?”

Her attention remained focused on the red mist. It was a deep red, like dried blood. The consisten

cy varied. In the thinner places, she could make out hazy shapes, but they weren’t clear enough for Friday to tell what they were. In other parts, the red mist was so thick, it was a solid wall of impenetrable fog. There was a stillness to it, an oppressive heaviness weighted with foreboding. She peered closer at the section nearest her. It seemed to glimmer when it caught the light.

“Mesmerizing, ain’t it?”

“I swear,” she mumbled, “you can almost see patterns in it.”

“Bébé, you stare at it long enough and you can see anything you like in it.”

She reluctantly pulled her gaze from the mist to look up at her protector. “Someone could lose themself completely staring into it.”

For a moment, they stood there in the red glow, looking at each other. It was as though they were the only two people on the planet.

Striker cleared his throat and stepped back from her, although he kept his hands on her arms. “We need to move out. You dehydrate fast in that suit and I’d rather we didn’t have to remove the mask to get some water into you.”

“Of course.”

She let her hands drop to her sides and waited for further instructions.

He wasn’t slow in providing them. “I’m gonna turn. Hold on to my belt. Stay close. We’ll move at a faster pace now we can walk.”

She nodded as weariness began to overtake her. She’d barely slept since she’d run from CommTECH. Only adrenaline kept her going, and now she could feel her body shake as it worked its way out of her system.

“I understand,” she said, to make it clear she was listening. “But once we’re out of here, I need to find somewhere to nap for a couple of hours.”

“I know a place.” Of course he did. The smuggler-for-hire was a master at preparation.

They walked in silence for a long time. Friday lost track of exactly how long. Time didn’t seem to exist in the Red Zone. There was only the mist, closing in on them, swallowing them whole. The red walls on either side of them went up far into the sky. If she looked up, she could see a strip of black night above her. Other than that, it was one long, endless sea of red. The unchanging surroundings were almost hypnotic, and she found it hard to keep her eyes open. She stumbled, falling against Striker’s back.

“You okay?”

“Sorry. I’m tired.” And it felt like the inside of her suit had turned into a sauna.

“Hold it together. Not long until we get to camp.”

“Camp?” The red mist seemed to swirl in closer, disorientating her with its shifting patterns.

“Sleep. Water. Cold shower. Sound good?” He moved around until he stood behind her, supporting her with his hands on her waist. Not that she could feel them properly through the thick layers of her protective suit. “Just hold on. We’re nearly there. I’ll keep you on the path.”

“I’m okay,” she protested.

The air inside the suit was thick and hot. Her mouth was dry, and the world seemed to tilt with each heavy step she took.

“Five more minutes.” Striker’s voice seemed to come from very far away. “You can do it. We’re nearly there, bébé. Just put one foot in front of the other. I’ll do the rest; don’t you worry none.”