Zone Zero: Redemption (Book 2 of 3)

Chapter 3

We drive all through the night and all of the next day stopping only to refuel the car. We speed the entire way as though we were on a deadline of sorts but I don't ask Alex about it.

We spend most of the day listening to old music that Alex found in this car and speak philosophy. We question everything from the human body to the universe and we do so with smiles gleaming from our faces.

We purposely steer clear from any and all questions that we may consider too difficult even though the largest one of them all dances in the back of both of our thoughts; what happens now?

More days go by of endless driving when we finally arrive at our destination.

Looking upon the walls of the zone that I once called home pulls at my heart strings as I try not to think about the lives that we are putting in jeopardy just by stepping foot inside. With any luck, no one will die today.

"Are you ready for this?" Alex looks over to me from the driver's seat and waits for my response.

I nod back at him but never take my eyes off the wall. It feels like some sort of poetic justice to be back here once more but I feel as though the beauty of the poetry may very well be lost on me.

We both exit the car and I continue to bask in the ambience of the wall as Alex delves into the cars boot, retrieving some silver chains that obviously hurt for him to even touch.

I quickly race to grab them from his hands so to stop the pain and he smiles at me in appreciation. My attempt to free him from pain is completely in vain as we both know these chains will soon be touching majority of Alex's skin as I escort him inside the walls.

With the cover of darkness on our side, Alex manages to scale the outer wall and get us both inside undetected.

We take cover in an abandoned house right near the wall as Alex begins to remove items from a duffle bag.

"We are at the other side of the Zone so there is no chance that anyone will recognise you, but just in case I brought you some things." Alex hands me a black shopping bag and I can't help but smile. What exactly has he done?

I open the bag and pull out a shoulder length blonde wig and clear glasses. I look up to him with a mischievous smile, Don't you like my hair colour?

Don't they say that blondes have more fun?

I let out a small laugh and roll my eyes before Alex cradles me to his chest and we are off once more.

Alex moves so fast that I choose to close my eyes at the perpetual movement in hopes not to get sick. The last thing I need right now is to have motion sickness.

We stop in a blackened alleyway and Alex begins to pull out the silver chains from earlier.

His plan is simple enough; I pretend that Alex is my prisoner from another area inside the zone being transferred here. When we get inside, we search for Keavy and then leave this place as quickly as possible.

My stomach turns as every possible scenario runs through my mind. What if they don't believe us and we are captured straight away? What if we can't find Keavy? What if she isn't even here?

Without saying a word, Alex reaches over to me and places his hand gently on my lower back. His touch instantly calms my nerves and after taking a deep breath in, i begin to don the wig and glasses given to me.

We need to get past those guards there and into that building. That is the entrance for the testing facility. Keavy should be somewhere in there. Alex words ring in my mind and somehow he makes what we are about to do seem easy.