Catching Red Read Free

the wastelands. More than half of all the women here will follow your grandmother to the grave. When they do, they will take the children with them.”
    A part of Scarlet clung to the hazy memory of a time before Eleanor’s mind had twisted into a dark, lethal labyrinth. “The church is her life. She cares for everyone here as if they are her own children.”
    “Your grandmother’s love is inseparable from hate. Her daughter has been in a straitjacket—her neck collared and attached to a chain—since you were eight.” Belle’s logic was difficult to refute. “You were sent into the wastelands when you turned sixteen. For the past six years, I’ve watched her dispatch you on one perilous quest after another. Her other granddaughter was killed by her decree. Forgive me if I don’t trust everyone’s lives to Eleanor’s mercy.”
    Hysterical laughter bubbled at the back of Scarlet’s throat. “What should I—what can I do?”
    Belle shrugged. “It’s quite simple. Complete the mission as soon as you can. Come back alive. Stay that way until we’re ready to make a move.”
    “Is that all?” Scarlet hoped she didn’t sound as defeated as she felt.
    “It’s what you owe me. It’s what you owe all of us.” Belle stood. “You got emotional. You screwed up. But we can’t get rid of your grandmother without your help. You need to get back on your feet and in fighting shape. You need to scrounge up more weapons and bring them back. When we’re ready, you need to piss her off enough she’ll summon another Circle. You can’t accomplish any of that if you let this quest turn you into a corpse.”
    Their gazes locked. Scarlet didn’t see judgment or pity in Belle’s gray eyes—only understanding and utmost confidence. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to focus on the present. She had tried to save Angie. She had failed. In time, she would have the chance to mourn her sister. But she couldn’t fall to pieces when so many futures rested on her shoulders.
    With a trembling hand, she wiped the tear she had only just realized was on her cheek. Her sister might be dead, her mother and grandmother might be insane, but the cause Belle started years ago filled that void. Everyone who was part of this fight possessed the strength to escape. They stayed because this was their home.
    The utopia her grandmother had once sought to create was worth fighting for. Without this church, almost everyone Scarlet knew would be dead. Those who remained would have had barren lives fueled only by survival. If she chose to abandon them in life or in death, she would lose the part of her that made her human.
    Scarlet lifted the corners of her mouth even though the muscles on her face felt like stone. Smiling had never been this difficult. She was beginning to understand why she hadn’t seen Belle smile in years. Both of them deserved a chance to learn how to be happy.
    “I’m still in this fight. I’ll come back to help you win.”

Chapter 2
    With great difficulty, Scarlet tamped down on the glimmer of hope blossoming inside her. Getting into the hospital wasn’t the hard part. Countless others had been lured over the years by the promise of medication and supplies. None had lived to tell their tale.
    It had taken over ten days of recuperation for her to regain enough mobility to leave the WITCH. Even now, errant movements still triggered twinges of pain. She was weeks away from full strength. But she knew the weather patterns better than most. The temperature had dropped below freezing, and the skies were overcast. It was a matter of time before a blizzard covered the woods in snow. She couldn’t risk being caught in the open on either leg of the journey.
    The dark, heavy-duty denim she wore was a rare find that had made more than a few eyes flash with envy. There wasn’t much they could have done. Scarlet was shorter, her hips were narrower, her breasts flatter, and even her feet were smaller than every other member