Free Testing Zero: a dystopian post-apocalyptic young adult novella series (Remnants of Zone Four Chronicles Book 1) by N. G. Simsion, James Roth Page A

you that. The closest most people want to come to a Remnant is to watch through a second story window.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. Lefty looked up to see faces glued to the windows along every building’s upper floors. He also noticed where Zero was hiding and gave him a thumb’s up and a smile.
    “I’m Lefty, by the way.” Lefty reached out his mangled right hand, which the scout shook.
    “I’m Brawn.” He didn’t release Lefty’s hand from the handshake, but turned it over to get a better look at it. He smiled. “You live on the edge, don’t you?”
    “Absolutely.”
    Brawn nodded. “You’ve got heart. That much is clear. If only you were bigger.”
    “I’m stronger than I look.” Lefty puffed out his chest, causing Brawn to chuckle.
    “We need to get this Remnant in there.” Brawn pointed a finger in the direction of the small cage next to the large one where people would later be fighting.
    “You bet.” Lefty pulled as hard as he could to show off his strength.
    They dragged the limp body across the grass. Just before they reached the cage, the Remnant began to awaken. Brawn pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket and a small bottle from his front pocket. He poured something from the bottle onto the cloth and pressed it over the mouth and nose of the Remnant, whose eyes went big for a quick moment before rolling back in his head. He was again fully unconscious.
    Lefty’s eyes went huge and Zero knew he was wondering where he could get his hands on something like that. He was glad they didn’t have anything like that available to the students or Lefty would constantly being trying to find ways to use it on Flea.
    They dragged him the rest of the way to the cage and pulled him inside.
    Lefty looked up and saw the other frontline scout standing in front of one of the Remnants who was fully conscious, but still in his shackles. The scout stood over him with an amused expression on his face, kicking him in the chest and knocking him down every time he attempted to get up. The scout waved Lefty away when he approached. “No. Stay away. This isn’t the place for little boys.”
    Lefty hurried to his side anyway.
    The scout shoved him away before he could touch anything. “What’s the matter with you? Are you crazy?”
    “I’m not scared of anything, sir. I just want to help. I’ll drag him to the cage.”
    “If you’re that bent on helping, go ahead. Drag that one over there.” He pointed at the only one who wasn’t moving. “He’s unconscious already.”
    Lefty ran to the unconscious one and grabbed a leg. Even from a distance, Zero could see sweat pouring down his face as he dragged him across the grass. He paused long enough to wipe his forehead.
    After pulling the Remnant into the cage, he quickly exited and looked up to see Brawn once again soaking his handkerchief with the bottle, and then he snuck up behind the last Remnant. He smothered the Remnant by covering his nose and mouth with the soaked rag until he went limp and crumpled sideways on the lawn, drooling black slime out of the side of his mouth. Lefty was busy pulling the Remnant by the ankles before the two frontline scouts could even grab hold. This one was bigger than the other two—about the same size as Lefty—so it took him much longer to get him into the cage.
    He lay him next to the other two and escaped just in time. Right as he was latching the cage shut, one of them began shaking his head and then sat up, yelling gibberish and biting at the air. Lefty pulled his hand back as Brawn slapped a lock on the cage.
    Lefty stepped back and admired his work.
    Zero stepped out from his hiding place but didn’t dare come any closer than halfway. Lefty had done it. By the look on his face, he knew Lefty was feeling very proud. But by the looks on the faces of the two scouts, they weren’t exactly convinced he was ready to be one of them. Lefty didn’t seem to notice that detail.
    One of the scouts looked down