Zone Zero: Redemption (Book 2 of 3)

Chapter 7

A gasp of air escapes me as I sit up choking for air. I cough and splutter before falling backwards and landing on a duck feather pillow.

I let my eyes adjust to the poor lighting and see that I am in a luxurious room befitting a queen. Amazing artworks hang perfectly perched on the walls as a fire crackles in the stone fireplace at the foot of the bed. I sit up once more and take in elegance of the mahogany king size bed that I have been laid in. I am so drawn to the grace of this room that I almost don't realise the beeping from a nearby machine.

I scan the room and come across an intravenous machine standing next to the bed with a tube coiling down and into my arm. I examine the tube and needle as it protrudes into my skin and feel a panic set in. What is getting pumped into me?

I immediately try to rip out the needle but as soon as I remove the plastic tape that sticks to my skin holding the needle in place, an alarm sounds. Frantically I try to find the off switch to make the obnoxious sound stop but I am too late. The door opens and a short and slender woman bounds toward me.

I watch every step she takes as she makes her way directly to the machine and presses a sequence of buttons. She has black hair that sits in a high bun on her crown and darkened skin. She chooses to wear a jade green dress with gold trimmings with matching slipper shoes underneath a white doctor's coat.

She soon turns to me and pulls my arm closer into herself to check where the needle is situated and I manage to look more closely at her face. Black eyes hide beneath black eyelashes that have been accentuated with black mascara and eyeliner. A thin layer of red has been pressed to her lips showing off her natural cupids bow.

She meets my gaze and gives off a half smile as I in return drop my gaze to her hands.

The door opens once more and I look up just as Cail enters the room dressed in a charcoal suit with a silver tie. He strides toward the bed and smiles devilishly toward me before turning his attention to the woman at my arm.

"Amrita, how is our patient doing?"

"She is doing fine. I was just about to remove the IV and give her the last injection." As she speaks, I detect the slight accent of Indian decent on her words.

My gaze flicks between the pair waiting for either of them to say something to me or to even acknowledge me in any way.

Cail is the first to oblige.

"It's almost time Evette. I hope you're getting excited." He rubs his hands together as he speaks as though highly anticipating something to come.

"Time for what?"

"Redemption." The word hangs in the air as Cail's attention drifts back to the doctor at my side.

"We will begin within the hour. Make sure she is ready." Cail speaks his words to Amrita and takes off toward the door leaving us alone once more.

Without warning, Amrita rips the needle from my arm and holds a tissue in its place. I jolt my head toward her at the sudden sting of pain and she meets my gaze with another half-smile.

"Hold this please." She indicates toward the tissue at my arm and I quickly assist.

As soon as her hands are free she retrieves a large syringe filled with a see through red serum from her coat pocket and attaches the needle head.

"This will sting for a few minutes or so." With those words she rams the needle quickly into my upper arm and injects the serum in its entirety.

I wince under the prick of the needle and watch as she removes it slowly and begins to slowly step away with a look of unknown across her face.

Panic sets in and I look from her to my arm as a slight burning sensation begins to set in. The pain intensifies until it feels as though liquid fire is coursing throughout my entire arm.

"What did you do to me?" I ask through gritted teeth as Amrita stands watching frightfully as my muscles begin to contract involuntarily.

I pull my arms close and ball my hands into fists as the fire begins to spread. Within a minute it has reached my stomach and other arm and is steadily racing toward my legs.

I thrust myself backward into my pillow violently as the fire burns through each and every vein and again look to Dr Amrita for some sort of guidance.

"It's working." A smile forms on her face as pleasure in herself rises. She is obviously surprised that whatever she has given me has worked. If she can call writhing in pain a success.

The fire reaches my legs and with a final blow, it sets my toes a flame. My whole body is set ablaze as I lie in agony, helpless to stop the pain.

I want to scream, cry, anything really to help stop the pain but I can't even move without my body shaking in torment.

The pain radiates throughout me for the longest minutes of my life before finally beginning to subside. I take in shaky breaths and look to Dr Amrita once more hoping for some sort of explanation.

My eyes plead to her but all she does is give off a large smile in return.

"Someone will come collect you when it is time. Good luck today." With those words she turns on her heel and leaves me alone in the large four poster bed.