The Gender End by Bella Forrest (the giving tree read aloud TXT) 📕

hesitated, and then shook his head. All this work… it couldn’t be for nothing.

“Maybe not, but we might be able to get them to stall,” he said.

“What do you mean?” Logan asked, and he ran a hand through his hair.

“Someone here has to be giving someone there orders, right?”

“Not necessarily,” I replied, trying to understand what he was getting at. “Elena could’ve given them the orders before they left.”

“No,” Amber said. “A small sub-section of the Matrian governmental code is that no operation can legally be carried out without having constant communication with the palace.” She exhaled, and looked at us, her eyes wide. “It’s a small law, but an important one, drilled into the wardens. The fear was that if anything changed during a time of war—say, a treaty or peace—they needed to be able to contact everyone to make sure it was enforced.”

Logan gave her an incredulous look and shook his head.

“Who comes up with this? That’s ridiculous.”

“It’s not,” I told him. “Not when you consider what the Matrians stood for before Elena assumed control. None of them wanted to fight. They wanted peace from their neighbors, not war. You don’t leave an active weapon out there without a way to get them to stand down. Amber, how do you know that?”

She shrugged. “Desmond had us learn stuff like this in case we had to impersonate a warden.”

I smiled, appreciating the irony. “What’s the protocol if they lose contact with high command?”

“They are to stand down operations and wait. After four hours, they are to break down operations and return home to assess what has happened.”

Logan chuckled, and we all looked at him. “Bless those Matrian peace-makers,” he said with a grin.

“Wait,” said Owen, turning around and away from the terminal. “Wouldn’t Elena change that?”

“She might have. But it’s a chance we have to be willing to take,” Amber replied. “It’s really our only option, short of finding their location and going there to take them out.”

“So wait—what do we do?” asked Logan, looking around. “I mean, can we stop them from getting orders?”

“We can,” Owen replied. “We just need to take out their transmitting antennae on the roof. If we do that, we can take out all communications through the palace’s official channels… and then there’s a good chance they’ll stop the attack with the boys.”

That was a solid plan, and I took over the rest, signaling my approval.

“Amber, you and Logan stay here and keep them off our backs for as long as possible. Give us a couple blocks of your semtex and extra detonators, and then block yourselves in. Owen and I will go blow their communications array sky high.”

Amber arched an eyebrow and exhaled a sharp breath.

“That’s no small order,” she said. “But we got your back. Good luck.”

“You too,” I said, chambering a round into my gun and moving toward the hall. “You too.”

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39

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Violet

The hall before me was filled with doors and hallways leading to who knew what. I saw a sign that said “Servants’ Kitchen” heading left down a hall, and pointed to it.

Here? I asked Morgan, still entertaining the secret hope that Ms. Dale would answer, having miraculously survived all the guards, patched herself up, and found our new channel… It would be just like her, wouldn’t it?

It’s about right, Morgan replied, and I nodded, pushing away the stab of disappointment when hers was the only voice coming through the comms, focusing instead on checking both sides. I ducked back around the corner into the hallway we’d just left, motioning Morgan back as a regal voice became audible, instantly recognizable. My back to the wall, I used a trick Viggo had taught me and held a mirror down low, peering down the corridor and seeing, in the tiny glass, what was clearly Queen Elena’s figure, flanked by several guards. From the quick glance I got, they were striding toward us, Elena giving orders.

I looked over at Morgan and nodded toward the door a few feet behind her, and she nodded back and moved over to it, keeping her steps quiet. I followed in her footsteps as we slipped through the door into what appeared to be a closet. I held the door slightly cracked and tried to calm my heartbeat enough to hear what the queen was saying in the corridor beyond.

“—tine has been broken,” she said imperiously. “They’re getting into the palace. Where are the bloody torch units I ordered? They should be here by now. It might already be too late. Sierra and I may need to evacuate while this problem is resolved.”

“My queen,” another voice replied, growing louder as the group passed by. “I do not want you chased from your home! We will put an end to this, you have my…”

I couldn’t make out the rest, the words lost to the chaos of the entourage stomping by behind her. My eyes watched through the crack as sixteen wardens walked past, and I looked over at Morgan.

We have to follow her, I said. And she has a lot of guards with her.

Morgan gave a tired chuckle, shaking her head. Well, good news—Elena is definitely afraid of you. But we can’t take on that many.

We don’t have to. All we really need is Elena neutralized for a few hours while Alyssa gets the word out. We cloak, follow, and use the dart.

Morgan stared at me, and then nodded. Your bag—they’ll—

You’ll have to guide me, I said.

Her eyes widened, and she stood, quickly tucking a few grenades into the pockets of her suit. It looked odd and bulky, but they would go invisible with her, and she’d still be armed.

I pulled my bag tight around my shoulders and watched her disappear eerily from view—it never felt any less strange. A moment later, there was a ripple by the door as it was pushed outward. I sat my rifle down and went invisible as well. The bag still showed, and if anyone came up behind me, it would be