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

Once there, I sneaked a glance through the grate. It was the stairwell, and it was empty. Taking a chance, I placed my hand on the grate, and pushed. It was fixed in place.

I didn’t waste any time trying to bust it open. The stairs were too exposed anyway. I would be trapped if anyone came through. It was better to proceed downward.

I moved forward and reached another downward slope. My arms were beginning to ache with the strain of using them to control my descent, but I had no room to turn around, so I made do.

Once the slope evened out again, I came to a fork—left or right. Ultimately it didn’t matter, but if this level was situated like one of the upper levels, with individual rooms divided by a hallway, I would need to search both sides for Viggo, and that would take time.

I moved left, pushing the bag in front of me. I turned the corner, and paused. There was a vent a foot away from me. Hurriedly, I clicked off the flashlight, so the light wouldn’t attract attention. Darkness flooded in, leaving me completely blind for several seconds.

I focused on my breathing, and not the creepy-crawly sensation that tickled the back of my neck. I did my best to block my mind from associating that sensation to the centipedes that I had been covered with a short time ago, but it was hard. My hand twitched with the urge to slap the area. I clenched my fists and forced my breath in and out evenly and slowly.

It took several seconds, but the sensation disappeared. Licking my lips, I slowly moved down the darkened tunnel. I paused at each vent, listening intently. The darkness was making my hearing more intense, and it was hard blocking out the sound of my own breathing and heartbeat, but I took my time, and moved slowly.

The rooms on this side appeared empty. I checked each grate after I was certain the room was vacant, but they were just as firmly bolted as the others. I left my bag at the junction that led to the next stairwell, and proceeded to the other side. As I came around the corner, I noticed that a light was streaming from one of the vents.

I carefully made my way over, taking extra care not to shift any of the panels. As I neared, I could hear the sound of breathing coming from the room. I paused just inches from the light, and listened, counting in my head. The breathing was even and deep, meaning the person in the room was either sleeping or unconscious.

I risked a glance inside. I couldn’t see much beyond floor level, but someone was tied to the chair. I recognized Viggo’s shoes and pants.

“Viggo,” I whispered.

The breathing continued uninterrupted. I reached out and grabbed the grate, giving it a little push. Like all the others, it didn’t budge.

I gave a sharp exhale of frustration, and released the grate. I was beginning to think that there was no way for me to get out of the ducts, and that while Viggo had saved my life, he had unknowingly condemned me to die of dehydration and starvation in my new hiding place.

I debated waiting until Viggo woke up so I could talk to him, but I had no idea how long that would be, and I risked exposing myself if they came in to check up on him.

“I’ll be back,” I whispered through the grate, pushing myself backward.

I headed back to the junction, and maneuvered my way down the next slope. The stairwell was empty again. I was guessing the two mystery women had headed back upstairs to check on Ms. Dale, so I headed down.

The next level was an open area, much like the greenhouse room and the common room, but it was cleaner, more pristine. I could make out some lab equipment from my position on the ground. There was also what appeared to be an office tucked into a corner, but I couldn’t see much—just a book case and a desk. The level was empty as well.

I tested grates as I went, moving along toward the next stairwell. I was going to find a way out of here, rescue Viggo, and get us both out of there.

28

Viggo

I came to consciousness slowly. I could taste the coppery tang of blood in my mouth, and the left side of my face felt like someone had gone at it with a shovel. I cracked open my eyes, or eye, rather. The left one was swollen over. I had been in enough fights to know that it would be a couple days before I would be able to open it fully.

The light in the room was blinding. It took several seconds and a lot of squinting before I began to make things out. This room was different than the others. That meant I was on one of the lower levels.

It was also sparse—there was only a table and some chairs, but they had been pushed off to the corner. The walls were all bare, except for the one I was facing, which had a massive mirror built into the wall. I squinted at the mirror, and realized it was probably two-way.

Which was impressive, given the size of it. Two way mirrors weren’t easy to make—it cost more to make them than it was worth—so the fact that there was one adorning the wall showed certain disregard for the cost. Then again, I was sitting in an underground facility miles away from civilization, surrounded by some of the most dangerous environment known to man… or woman. Whoever had built it had spent a lot of resources to do so.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Blood had dried all along the left side of my face, from the wound in my eyebrow. The flesh along my jaw and cheek was purple and brown, bruises