GLOWING (Joel Miller)

1 | The Quarantine Zone

"Jenna! I want you at the Capital Building with Hank's team."

I looked up from my breakfast as Marlene exited the dining hall. I knew it was her who had spoken. Her voice was unmistakably recognisable.

I rolled my eyes and swallowed as the person across from me snickered loudly. "Have fun." 

"Fuck you." I flipped Mason off as I pushed my chair back. "At least Marlene wants me out in the field." I picked up my tray, shooting him a pointed look. "How's gate duty treating you?"

Mason didn't respond; just pouted at me like a child that had been berated. I chuckled and made my way over to the door Marlene had left through moments before, chucking my tray in the collection bin as I passed.

The walk to the armoury wasn't long, but navigating the maze of corridors was no easy feat. When I finally made it, I slipped through the familiar metal doors to see Marlene standing in the corner of the room, speaking to one of the squad leaders, Hank.

"Jenna!" Hank waved me over and I complied, jogging over to the two superiors. "You ready to go?"

I nodded. "Yes." I glanced up at Marlene, who smiled tightly back at me. "Why are we going to the Capital Building?" I asked. "That zone's already been been cleared this week."

"You're not clearing the zone." I raised an eyebrow as Marlene grimaced. "I need some cargo smuggled out of the QZ. We're taking It there."

My brows furrowed in confusion. Cargo? Marlene watched me, as if she expected me to ask more questions. "Why do you need it smuggled out? We never sell to buyers outside the QZ."

"This isn't for sale." Marlene nodded. "But it is more important than the usual stuff." Hank and I remained silent. "It's a person."

"What?" I blurted out my confusion before I had even processed it in my mind. "Are we human traffickers now?"

The whole room went silent as my hand went to my mouth in shock. Marlene glared at me, clearly offended, while Hank just shook his head in second-hand embarrassment.

"The person..." Marlene began pointedly, narrowing her eyes at my impromptu outburst. "Is a girl." That didn't alleviate any of my concerns and Marlene could clearly tell. "And she is infected."

"We're smuggling an infected girl?" I could see the irritation on Marlene's face as I questioned her again. I obviously wasn't understanding a word of what she was saying and it was starting to become annoying. "Why?"

"Because she's immune."

My eyes narrowed in confusion and disbelief. Immune? To the infection? That's impossible. I shook my head, noticing the strict expression on Marlene's face, which made it clear she was being deadly serious. I bit my tongue.

"We're going to the old apartment block by the south corner of the wall. I've bought a battery off of Robert and we're going to use it for one of the trucks." I nodded, listening. "Then we will take the girl to the Capital Building and wait for the rest of the Fireflies to get there." She glanced over at Hank, whose face was set in an impassive stare. "Then we are leaving Boston."

My mouth dropped in shock. "We're just giving up? Where are we going?"

"We're not giving up!" Marlene snapped, crossing her arms over to her chest. "We're just redirecting the fight. We're not achieving anything here." She raked her gaze over everyone in the room. "And we're going to Colorado; Boulder, Colorado."

Boulder? That's so fucking far! I didn't know what to say and Marlene didn't give me the chance to think. She just nodded at Hank and left the room, presumably to get the "cargo."