The Gender Game 2 by Bella Forrest (audio ebook reader .TXT) 📕

the dog gave a yelp of excitement, his tail slapping against my ribs. I tucked the dog in, clipping it closed so that his head remained out— it would be uncomfortable for him, given his size, but it would have to do.

I jumped on the bike and gunned it. Gunshots exploded behind me and I crouched low, making myself as flat as possible. This helped streamline the bike, but also made me a harder target. Bullets whizzed by me, and I grimaced. There wasn’t anyone on the street, thankfully, but even a ricochet through a window could kill. I couldn’t stop to check though. I could only hope that the other wardens arrived in time to catch them.

Irritation filled me as I realized I was basically running away. It wasn’t who I was, even with the odds against me. The fact that these men were still on the loose, doing as they pleased, sickened me, and I was letting them go free. It was almost enough to make me turn back. Almost.

I had bigger things to focus on. Namely, a girl with dark hair and gray eyes who had been haunting me since the day I met her. A girl who had murdered dozens of people and left me to be hanged. My grip tightened on the throttle in anger, and I had to take a deep breath to relax it.

I looked over at the dog, his mouth open and tongue lolling out, my mind planning my next course of action.

After a few minutes of riding, I pulled over to the side of the road and slipped out my handheld. I kept my gaze on the street behind me, just in case the Porteque men were pursuing me. The first call I made was to headquarters, alerting them to the presence of the men at Lee’s address. They curtly informed me that they were aware and that the wardens were on their way.

I made a second call. I waited patiently and then began explaining what I had learned, and gave a list of what I needed for the trip ahead. After the call was done, I patted Samuel on the head, then gunned the bike, taking off toward Veil River.

6

Violet

I froze, the buzzing of the red flies overwhelming my senses. Every time I breathed through the mask, it made the sound disappear for a second, causing the hair on my body to stand on end. I held my breath, listening for the noise, trying to discern the direction they were coming from.

The rest of the sounds in The Green seemed to have dulled, as if all the creatures knew the red flies were out on a hunt. My mind fumbled to remember what Ms. Dale had done on that first day we spent in The Green, but my brain felt thick as a brick.

The buzzing sound was definitely growing louder; moving closer to me. My heart beat quickening, I stumbled backward, away from the noise. My foot struck something, sending it spinning away from me. I managed to get the flashlight on it a few seconds before it disappeared into the mist, illuminating the silver aerosol can as it rolled across the mossy ground.

The aerosol can. I was so stupid. Of course, the aerosol can.

I scrambled after it, searching for it on the ground. The buzzing grew more persistent, but I focused. The can would help keep them away from me. I just needed to find a small space to squeeze into so that they couldn’t engulf me.

I heard something shriek from the direction of the buzzing, and stilled. My hands shaking, I cursed beneath my breath. I needed to get it together. Never in my life had I felt so helpless and frustrated. My anxiety was palpable.

I thought again about the Benuxupane pills in the bag. I had taken them only once, and they had managed to suppress my emotions. Maybe I really should take them again.

No, I told myself firmly, my fists clenched. If anything, they were responsible for how I was behaving right now. I remembered Lee mentioning something about one of the side effects being anxiety. Maybe it was responsible for the fact that I couldn’t seem to think straight right now.

I scanned the ground, and found the silver can wedged under a root. I shook it—it was half full.

I hurried to where my bag was, taking extra care to make sure everything was back in place. I nearly kicked myself when I saw the other four canisters in the bag. I had known they were in there, but with the panic that seemed to be arresting my senses, I could only seem to focus on one thing at a time.

I took a deep breath, and tried to calm my mind, picturing the steps of what I needed to do to hide. First, I needed to finish packing the bag.

I did it quickly, in spite of my shaking hands. I sucked in a deep breath of air through the mask.

Second, I needed to find a hole. I began to scan the tree that I’d been sleeping against. The roots were massive, but I didn’t notice anywhere I could curl up and hide.

The sense of panic threatened to overwhelm me again, as I felt tears forming in my eyes. Crying in a mask was never a good idea, as moisture in there would cause it to fog and obscure vision, so I took yet another deep breath and blinked back the tears.

I started talking to myself, which helped me to focus.

“Okay, you just need to find a hollow log. That’s good. Just use your flashlight and look around. There’s plenty of vegetation here, so you’ll find something very soon.”

Focusing on my words helped push the anxiety aside. I felt my chest loosening, and my muscles unclenching. The shaking in my hands stopped. I moved quickly, talking as I did so, until I spotted a hollow log.

I felt my lips start to form a smile, when something