Red Zoned

2

      Martha's still screaming as they escort me out of the house.

The neighbors crowd the front yard, their wide eyes locked on me as I'm ushered to a gray building without any windows.

"Ralf gave up so much for her and she murdered him in cold blood," one of the women whispers. I don't look at her. She'll get her satisfaction when they execute me in the town center.

I wonder if Jada will care. Will she breathe a sigh of relief when my body hits the ground? Will it feel like a weight is lifted from her chest? She'll never have to worry about me spilling her secrets again.

"Why'd you do it?" the soldier on my right whispers and my eyes shoot to his face. His voice sounds familiar but I can't place him from the side.

"He raped me," I admit.

It's the first time I've said it out loud. The fear of saying it, of making it real sucks the air from my lungs. Like I'm broken. Like he took a piece of me and I'll never be whole again. Never be loved by someone. "He wasn't going to stop," I add.

The soldier nods once, his eyes set on the road.

We walk down a long maze of attached hallways until we come to a metal door with a touch screen for a window.

The soldier with the cowboy hat dials in a long passcode and the door slides open. The inside is outfitted with a single cot in the corner.

I sit on the edge of the cot, wondering when they're going to end it. Are they going to make me sit here, alone with my thoughts, all night?

It's not long before footsteps tap down the hallway toward my cell. The image of a short man in jeans and a light button-up is projected on the wall.

"Charlie Greene," he says, sliding a pair of reading glasses from his shirt pocket.

I don't say anything.

He drags his finger across a tablet, and stops, his eyes wide. "Murdered your caregiver?"

I stay quiet.

He clears his throat. "Unfortunately for you, there aren't many options when one is convicted of murder. Just public execution or getting tossed to the animals in the Red Zone." He smiles and looks at me over his glasses. "Not much of an option at all, huh?" He moves his mouth like he's chewing something. "I'm Jeremiah, by the way." He's got a big nerd smile. "District President. I'm sure you recognize me from Sunday sermons," he adds.

"I'll take the Red Zone," I say.

He raises his eyebrows at me. "Oh?"

I nod.

He scratches his five o'clock shadow. "You won't live, you know?" He sounds so natural. My life doesn't mean anything to him. "We'll release you to the monsters and sound an alarm to attract them. They'll rip you apart before you've made it five hundred feet." He rests his hands on his hips. "It's a much slower death, really. More painful."

We stare at each other. I'm not changing my answer. I'd rather give the satisfaction to a Flesh Eater than some Search Team Soldier. Especially the leader. The one with the scar.

He shrugs and types something on the tablet. "Fine by me," he says and turns to leave. "Oh, and one last thing," he adds. "My son would like to have a word with you before your appointment in the morning."

"Okay?" I search my memory for who Jeremiah's son might be. Maybe the soldier who spoke to me on our way here? I don't think I'm familiar with anyone else that could be Jeremiah's son.

He smiles again and leaves.

A younger version of Jeremiah with buzzed brown hair and a scar on his lip takes his place in the projected image on the wall.

"My name is Ethan," he says when he realizes I don't recognize him. "We had classes together last year. I asked you to go on a date with me. You said no."

Doesn't ring a bell.

He waves it off. "That's okay. You'll know me soon." He pauses; smiles. He has the same too-large smile his dad has. "I think I can help you out of this," he explains.

"How?" I shift my weight on the hard metal. There's a cramp forming in my shoulder.

"According to my dad, I have to find a wife by the end of the year and I've only ever liked you. Everyone else here... I'm not interested in them." His stare deepens as he tries to read my expression. "So," his cheeks flush, "marry me."

My eyes go wide. "What the hell?" I shake my head. "Why would I want to marry you?" A tinge of guilt forms in my chest when Ethan winces. We're the same age, but he's got the attitude of a little kid. He even looks like one in cargo shorts and a T-shirt with a cartoon on the front.

His jaw clenches. "As the daughter-in-law of Jeremiah, I'm sure you could get out of this." He motions to the jail cell.

I shake my head. "I'll pass. Thanks for the offer."

He opens his mouth to say something and closes it again. After a moment of silence, he rests his palm over his heart and lips ouch. Nodding, he adds, "I'll see to it that you have a very special time in the Red Zone then."