Red Awakening (Red Zone 2)

Oh, to hell with it.

She pressed the shiny blue button, opened the door a crack, stuck the gun out, and pressed the trigger.

And missed.

They stopped fighting and spun toward her.

“Oops,” Keiko said.

Mace used the distraction to grab the woman; she elbowed him and wrenched free, taking a step toward Keiko. He reached for her arm and jerked her back around toward him. Keiko pulled the trigger again. There was a strangled scream. The woman froze. Her face contorted. Her muscles spasmed. And then she fell to the floor, writhing in place.

“Yes!” Keiko thrust the gun in the air. And accidentally shot out a light.

“Give me that.” Mace took it from her hand.

“I got it right.” She beamed up at him. “I only wanted to fry her a little, not kill her. I thought it was the blue button, but I wasn’t sure. They should be labeled more clearly.”

The woman groaned, and Keiko walked over to her and kicked her leg. Not too hard—after all, she wasn’t wearing shoes. “That’s for hurting Mace.”

When she looked back at him, he seemed exasperated.

“What?” she said. “I’m not the one who can’t hit women.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” he grumbled.

“It is when one of us is kicking your ass in a fight.”

“She wasn’t kicking my ass. I was lulling her into a false sense of security before I restrained her.”

Keiko lifted an eyebrow at him.

“Whatever,” he said. “Help me get her tied up. We’ll dump her in a bathroom and leave her for Enforcement.”

The still-spasming Freedom fighter managed to smile smugly as she looked at Mace. “Totally…kicked…your…ass,” she said, forcing each word out.

Keiko glanced up at him. “Want me to shoot her again?”

He just groaned.

Chapter Eighteen

CommTECH headquarters

New York City, Northern Territory

“I am unable to give you a definitive answer regarding your demands.” Miriam Shepherd sat behind her desk, her hands clasped in front of her, as she talked with the leader of the Freedom group who’d attacked her building, taken her people hostage, and was threatening her profit. Oh, what she would have given to be able to reach over the desk and wring Susan Neal’s scrawny neck.

The terrorist toyed with the detonator in her hand. “You’ve had your hour.”

Miriam gave her what she hoped was a placating smile. “As you know, a decision to hold an election can only be made by the full board. Our board members are scattered throughout the world. Some are out of contact. I need more time to reach everyone and to set up a meeting in order to hold a vote. There hasn’t been a general election in this territory in over sixty years. You can’t expect decisions like this to happen within your timeframe.”

It was clear that Susan didn’t buy a word Miriam said. And from the research her company had dug up on the Freedom leader, she never expected she would. Up until a year earlier, Susan Neal had headed up a group of mercenaries that worked throughout the coalition countries. She was known for her hard attitude and her cold heart. In any other situation, Miriam would have admired the woman. Right now, all she wanted was for the Freedom leader gone. She was causing all sorts of public-relations nightmares for CommTECH.

Which was why Miriam had her PR team working up a plan to deal with the fallout from Susan’s siege. If the Freedom leader planned to murder one o

f CommTECH’s scientists live on the news, they needed to respond as soon as it happened. Death of an employee, especially one livestreamed for everyone to watch, was not good for the company image.

“Miriam, Miriam, Miriam. You’re known as a dealmaker. I’m sure you can get this done in the time I’ve given you. You just have to want to do it. Maybe you need stronger motivation, hmm?” Susan turned away from the camera before looking back over her shoulder. “You might want to turn on your newsfeed.”