Page 73 of Red Zone Awakened

She pressed a hand to her stomach as it became difficult to breathe.Her fingers tingled, and a strange, tight sensation constricted her throat.Death.Violence.Danger.It surrounded her.Filled her senses.Took over her brain.

Keiko took a step back.Ready to run.To flee—and never look back.The only thing that kept her there was Mace.Her eyes were glued to him, as though he were the only life raft in the storm that buffeted her.

Gradually, she became aware of new sensations, of a warmth seeping into her bare feet, a stickiness beneath her toes.As though a part of her brain already knew what she’d find, she didn’t want to look down.Yet she had to.Slowly, oh so slowly, her eyes made their way to her feet.The closer they got to their target, the more her focus narrowed—until all she could see was the blood oozing between her toes.

Someone else’s blood.

A strange rushing noise filled her ears.The world became unstable.As if the ground itself were roiling beneath her.

Blood.

Red.

Sticky.

Thick.

Congealed.The word sprang into her mind as though coming from far, far away.

Red blood oozed up between her toes to meet the red polish she’d used on her nails.The polish she hadn’t been able to replace with silver to match her dress because she’d been held against her will in the hotel.The polish that now mocked her.Telling her that she was frivolous.That she cared about shallow things when all around her people were dying.

People like Abigail.

The world was being painted red with blood.By Freedom.By CommTECH.

Red.Red.Red.Red…

The word echoed throughout Keiko’s body, growing, spreading until it took her over completely.There was nothing else.Only the red, red blood.In her mind, she saw it seep over her toes, her feet, her ankles.It was coming to get her, to swallow her whole.To take her down into the same hell as the body that should have contained it.

It was impossible to move.To run.To call for help.All she could do was stand there and watch as the blood consumed her alive.