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

There was a sand box, swings, a see-saw… everything you could find at a park.

But it was pristine—unused. Like no children had ever played on it before. My mind kept mulling over reasons to explain its presence, but none of them felt right. I had considered the possibility of the researchers who had lived here having children, and this was a designated day care area.

Except that there were mirrors everywhere. At first, I had thought it was just a design thing, until I found an abnormal bit of ventilation, which led to a small room. As I strained on the grate, trying to open it, I realized that I could see the glass. It was a two-way mirror.

I realized then that the room was used to observe and study. Which made my theory moot, as no one would be comfortable with their children being studied like lab rats.

Then why did this room exist? What was the point of it?

Yet more and more questions to add to my ever-growing list. I sighed, and leaned back, resting my head on the duct, rubbing my thumb against my other fingers.

Suddenly, I wished Viggo was here. He likely wouldn’t be able to offer up any explanation for the room, but at least his presence would be comforting. I tilted my gaze upward, trying to imagine what was happening with him right now. My heart clenched in my chest as dozens of images ripped from the darkest part of my imagination.

“Get it together, Violet,” I said softly, jerking myself out of my grim thoughts. I sighed, rolling my eyes at my need to talk myself through my current dilemma. I was being ridiculous and wasting time.

And yet…

“Okay, Violet,” I began. “You know the vents upstairs are all sealed. You could use your gun, but that would attract attention. So… if you want to save Viggo and get out of these vents, you’re going to have to head down to the next level.”

Saying the words out loud helped, but not a lot. I ran my hand over my face and grimaced as I realized I had likely wiped all the grime and dirt I had been acquiring all over myself. So much for my miraculous shower from earlier.

I rotated myself in the vent, until I was back on my belly. Pushing the bag toward the next downturn that delineated a staircase, I used my hands and elbows to drag myself behind it. I had secured the flashlight to the bag using one of the straps, which gave me some freedom, but not much.

I approached the juncture for the next stairwell, and heaved the bag into it, before sliding down after it. I was well aware that I was making a lot of noise, but truthfully, I hadn’t seen or heard anyone since I had left Viggo’s level above. It was like they hadn’t bothered searching the lower levels.

Then again—why would they? The door had been secured. For all they knew, I was just hidden somewhere above.

Actually, that reasoning didn’t really fly. They’d had more than enough time to search the upper levels. There weren’t many places to hide. So why hadn’t they come down yet, looking for me?

I rounded the corner and slid down the next vent. I wasn’t sliding fast, so when the vent came to an abrupt stop at solid wall, I had enough time to slow myself down.

The bag continued to slide downward, the light from the flashlight illuminating a hole in the vent where it met the wall. A hole that the bag was sliding toward without any sign of stopping.

Cursing, I shot after the bag, sliding down quickly. I reached out with my left hand, managing to snag the loop at the top. Quickly, I spread my arms and legs, slowing myself down to a halt. The bag teetered at the edge, rocking back and forth for a few seconds, before slowly going over.

I braced for the weight, and managed to keep it from dragging me over, but I heard something clatter below. Pulling the bag back up, I realized the flashlight had fallen. I shifted the bag to my side, grabbed the edge of the hole, and looked down.

The flashlight was still on, somehow, and had fallen about fifty feet straight down. It was illuminating the wall, and I could make out something jutting from it. The light wasn’t powerful enough to reach up here, leaving me in darkness.

I felt the edges of the hole carefully. They weren’t sharp, which indicated this hole was intentional. I reached along the sides of the vent, feeling my way around. Like the rest of the vent, it was made of the same thin and flexible metal. I couldn’t reach the wall in the back, not without moving forward.

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the edge, and moved more of my torso over the empty space. I used my legs as a brace, spreading them wide and pushing against the sides of the duct. Slowly, I let go with one hand, using my other hand and muscles in the small of my back to keep me straight.

I tried not to look down as I reached across the remaining gap. One wrong move here and I would fall to my death. I took a deep breath, steeling myself against that thought. Besides, it was just another death filled situation. I should be used to those by now.

I felt for the wall, my fingers searching. The concrete was cold under my hand. I slid my hand around, keeping my breathing heavy and my muscles tight. My hand hit something cool and metallic over my third pass. I followed it from the wall, to where it curved around to be parallel to the wall, and then curved around again to intersect with the wall again.

It was a ladder.

I pulled back from the edge and sucked in a few deep breaths of air. My arms and legs were aching from the exertion, and I was sweating again. I