Zoey Is Too Drunk for This Dystopia (Zoey Ashe #3)

by Jason Pargin

“That guy is a turd in my teeth. As for his politics, the only thing I like is that he wants to hang rapists from bridges, I’m actually fine with that part.” “You are? I’m kinda surprised to hear you say that.” “It’d be nice to send a message to all of the other predators.” “I’ve known a whole lot of predators, Zoey. Done time with a few, worked with a few, got rid of a few. One thing I’ll tell you right now: they don’t get that message. These guys, the way their brains work, they don’t think they’re gonna get caught. That’s their whole thing, they can’t conceive of a future beyond satisfying this desire or that. Threaten them with death, threaten them with torture, it don’t matter. You know why?” “Because they’re sick? Mentally ill?” “No. Or, you know, that’s not for me to say. No, the reason they don’t think they’ll get caught is that they’re right. You do a crime with no evidence left behind, no witnesses, victims who can’t talk to the cops—you’re free and clear. Some of these guys prey on girls their whole lives, hundreds of them, before they die or just age out of the behavior. So people like Damon say, ‘What we’re gonna do is, the rare bad guy we actually catch, we’re going to go way over the top in punishing him, to set an example.’ But it doesn’t work, people have been trying it for thousands of years. I mean, maybe it deters good citizens, the ones who wouldn’t dream about raping anyway. So the only purpose it serves is cruelty. Remember, Zoey, cruelty is more add...