Blood Red Road

the bottles an leave the rest there. Be careful.
    I hand the rag-stuffed bottles down to her an she sets ’em gentle on the ground. Then I jump down outta the hole. Strange to be back in my cell like this.
    Ash takes two of the bottles an I take two. Th’others should be lettin the men out, she whispers. She cricks open the main door of the cellblock. She waits fer a moment, then she slips outside an starts up the outside steps, real slow an careful.
    She comes runnin back down an throws the door wide open. Git outta here! she says.
    The girls don’t wait to be told a second time. They go runnin past her an don’t look back. When they’re all gone, when the cellblock’s clear, Ash grabs a lit torch from a wall sconce an says, Let’s git this party started.
    I follow her out the door an up the stairs into the exercise yard. She holds up one of her bottles. She grins a wicked grin. Wreckers called these cocktails, she says. Two should do the trick. Throw it, then run like hell.
    I hold one of my bottles out.
    My pleasure, she says. She touches the torch to the rag an it catches light right away. Quickly she lights her bottle. We toss ’em down the stairs. Then we run like stink. Two seconds later, there’s a huge bang. The ground shakes unner our feet.
    We stop, turn an look behind us. Flames come shootin up the stairs, outta the cellblock.
    Wait’ll them flames hit the bottles in the tunnel, she says. Then we’ll really see some action.
    The female fighters is jumpin up an down, shoutin an huggin each other an cheerin. They pound Ash an me on the back. We look around. There’s Free Hawks everywhere an dead guards lyin on the ground. The male fighters is all streamin outta their cellblock now.
    There’s about six Hawks climbin all over the fence around the compound, snippin at it with wire cutters an rollin it back so’s everyone can git out. Other Hawks stand near a weapons pile an throw bows an spears an slingshots to whoever’s runnin past.
    I can see flames shootin up all over Hopetown. Maev warn’t foolin when she said she was gonna wipe it offa the face of the earth.
    I’m lookin fer one person but I cain’t see him nowhere. Silver gray eyes an a crooked smile.
    I grab one of the men runnin past. Where’s—? He pushes me off.
    I grab another. I’m lookin fer Jack, I says. He’s a new fighter. They brought him in a few days ago. Gray eyes, came in with long hair, down to his shoulders.
    I know, he says. He jerks his head back to the men’s cellblock. Try the Cooler. They threw him in there yesterday.
    My heart leaps into my throat. The Cooler. Jest like in the female cellblock, the men’s block has a metal punishment box sunk into the floor. I grab the man by the shoulders. He ain’t still in there? I says.
    Well I didn’t let him out, he says an runs off.
    Ash! I yell, lookin all around me to see where she is. Ash! There’s somebody trapped in …
    Then I see her.
    She’s lightin another cocktail.
    Aimin it at the door of the men’s cellblock.

    Ash! I scream. No! Don’t!
    I start to run towards her. But I cain’t go fast enough. It’s like the whole world slows down to a crawl.
    Ash pulls her arm back. She throws the lit bottle down the steps of the men’s cellblock. She turns, runs towards me. She holds up her arms in victory, a big grin on her face.
    Aaaaash! I yell. The ground shakes, the flames come shootin up the stairs. I grab her arm. There’s somebody in there, I says. He’s locked in the Cooler.
    Her eyes go wide. It’s too late, she says.
    No, I says. It cain’t be. I start to run, pullin her along behind me.
    Jest then, there’s the most almighty blast. We’re sent flyin into the air. I land hard on the ground. I lift my head. A great plume of black smoke billows into the sky. Ash scrambles to her feet, gives me a hand up.
    That must of bin the bottles in the tunnel! she says. The whole town’s burnin! You cain’t go in there, Saba! It ain’t safe!
    I cain’t leave him there, I says. Where’s the keys?
    That was Ruby’s job. Ash looks around. She sticks her fingers in her mouth, gives a sharp whistle. A short girl by the weapons pile lifts her head.
    Ruby, Ash yells. I need the keys!
    Ruby runs over an tosses ’em at us. I catch ’em one-handed an start to go. Ash grabs my arm. It’s too dangerous, she says.
    Let go, I says.
    She swears. Who is this guy? What’s he to you anyways?
    Jack, I says. His name’s Jack.
    She lets go an I’m runnin towards