Page 80 of Red Zone Awakened

CHAPTER31

This game had become tiring,and Keiko wanted it to end.She was fed up with being a pawn.Fed up being forced to play.She was done with the innuendo and cryptic commentary.Done with all of it.

Keiko let out a sigh.“Why are you doing this?Enforcement’s going to storm this building soon, and all of you will die.And for what?”

“I’m dead anyway, Ms.Sato.I died the day CommTECH decided everyone in their accounting division was to be implanted with active recorders.”

She stilled, her fingers on the back of her head, where she’d been checking to see if she was bleeding.“That’s illegal.”

“You really are as ignorant as you seem on the news.CommTECH runs the country—they make the laws and do exactly as they wish.It doesn’t matter whether or not something’s illegal.They wanted to plant a chip in my brain that would turn my life into a live feed for security to watch in detail.They’d have seen me bathe, seen me use the toilet, seen me make love to my wife.And there was nothing anyone could have done to stop it.”

It made no sense.“Active recorders are only used on heavily monitored criminals.”

“No, my dear, they’re used on anyone CommTECH decides to use them on.”He stood and held out a hand to her.“Please come with me.Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll have to let my less-civilized colleague take care of getting you to the terrace.Unfortunately, if he takes over, I can’t guarantee you’ll make it there in one piece.”

Keiko cast a glance back up the stairs; there was no sight of Mace.Time had run out.She couldn’t fight these two men, nor could she wait to be rescued.All she could do was hope Mace was kicking the monster’s ass and that he’d find a way to get to her.

Because there was no way she’d get out of this without him.

“Ms.Sato, we need to go,” the polite terrorist said.

For some reason, she found his genteel manner even more offensive than the brutish behavior of his fellow Freedom fighter.His civility made her stomach curl.He was issuing such a gracious invitation to her own execution.

She gritted her teeth and stood, feeling each bruise on her body as she did so.The man put his hand on the small of her back as he accompanied her to the elevator.It was a courteous gesture, at odds with her walk to the gallows.

“Stay here,” he told her attacker.“Back up Rock.Make sure the reporter’s dealt with.”

Keiko felt the blood drain from her face at his orders, and she stumbled over her feet.The man who’d attacked her glared in her direction but, doing as he was told, turned toward the stairs.Meanwhile, the polite man ushered her into the elevator and punched in their destination—the sixty-sixth-floor terrace.

Keiko glanced at her captor.“Did you run to Freedom when you were told you’d have an active recorder implanted?”She shouldn’t have cared, but she wanted to know.To understand.

He arched an eyebrow at her, appearing surprised by her question.“My wife left me.She didn’t trust me when I told her I’d refused the implant.A week later, I was fired.Two days after that, I lost my CommTECH-assigned housing.Tell me, Ms.Sato, to whom should I have run if not to Freedom?”

He didn’t need to say that all his other options disappeared as soon as CommTECH wiped their hands of him.Nobody would employ someone CommTECH fired.If they did, they risked the wrath of the company.Which meant that once CommTECH ruined an employee, they stayed ruined.Keiko had always thought it was a security matter.To ensure the fired employee had to find work in a different sector, preventing them from sharing the knowledge and skills they’d gained at CommTECH.Now she realized it was one more thing she’d been deluded about.

“I’m sorry about what happened to you,” she murmured.“No one should have to deal with that.”

He stared at her for a long moment.“I do believe you mean that,” he said at last.

As the elevator drew closer to their destination, her stomach clenched tighter.Was Mace still alive?Did he need her?

Oh God, please help him.Don’t let him die.

It was the first prayer she’d said since, as a child, she decided there was no room for God in this modern age.Please,she begged again, hoping that God hadn’t decided there was no room for Keiko and Mace in this modern age.I’m sorry.I’ll believe from now on.And she meant every word.Just please save Mace.

The elevator doors slid open, and the cool air from the terrace rushed over her.She stared out at the mass of reporters, crouched and fearful, in front of the platform.On the dais, Rueben Granger knelt with his hands bound behind him, wailing and begging anyone who would listen for mercy.The bodies of his colleagues lay beside him—a constant reminder of his fate.Keiko searched for Abigail amongst them, but someone stepped in front of her, blocking her view.

Unfortunately, they didn’t stop Keiko from seeing all the other deaths around her.Part of her feared she’d break down again, the way she had in the security hub.But when it didn’t happen, she wondered if she might still be in shock.Mainly, she felt a deep, aching sadness at the destruction and death before her.What a waste.Whatever Freedom was demanding from CommTECH, it wasn’t going to get it.Didn’t they see Enforcement gathering outside the building?Didn’t they realize their time was running out?Wasn’t it clear that this was a pointless exercise?

“Ms.Sato,” a woman said as she came up to them, her eyes alight with malice.“It’s lovely of you to join us.Do come in.”She stepped to one side and swept her arm in a gesture that indicated Keiko should precede her.

Nervously, Keiko walked forward, all the while scanning for a glimpse of her friend.At the same time, dreading she’d see Abigail like that, discarded for the entertainment of a crazed terrorist and news viewers around the world.

The whole situation made her nauseous.

“Yes,” Rueben Granger shouted when he spotted her.“Take her.She’s far more valuable.You don’t need me now you have the press secretary.”

There was a splat followed by a wail of outrage.A small bird had emptied its bowels on top of Rueben’s head.Keiko couldn’t help but smile as she cocked her head in the direction of the bird.Or perhaps it was a moth.No, it flew like it was dancing.