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

She narrowed her eyes at me. “I won’t,” she replied, moving toward the door.

I watched her leave, heading after Violet. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sighed, hoping that Ms. Dale would come through and help Violet. After everything she had put her through, it was the least she could do.

I turned back to the computer and began scanning files, pulling out what I thought would be the most relevant and transferring them over. While they worked, I clicked open the file labeled personal correspondence, and began reading, hoping it would shed light on what the purpose and goal of the facility was, as well as give me some names to work with.

I wasn’t sure how I could use the information just yet, but it gave me something to do, while I waited. A part of me felt that I should accompany both of them down, but my injuries were too bad. I was already feeling dizzy again, in spite of the adrenaline patch. If anything, I would only slow them down.

Besides, waiting down here meant I could intercept Marina and Selina if they came looking for Violet. I could provide a distraction if they did, and buy Violet a little time, if nothing else.

34

Violet

I raced down through the levels, repeating the letters to Tim’s cell like a prayer. I had no idea how I was going to get him out, but I was going to figure it out.

I couldn’t believe how close I was to finally seeing him again. It had been eight years - he would be sixteen now.

While I had been in the re-education centers, I'd often fantasized about being reunited with him. They were silly, but I'd found myself wondering how tall he was now. Would he be taller than me? What had happened to him after he fell in the river? Was he all right? Did he remember me?

That last one worried me a lot. That, and if he did remember me, did he forgive me for that night that he was captured?

Of course, that had been when I believed as everyone else did—that he had been sent to the mines. Now that I knew he was being used as some scientists’ lab rat, I only cared that he was okay. If he wasn’t, I wasn’t sure what I would do.

I entered the lower level, impatiently shoving the door open so hard that it clanged loudly as it impacted the wall. The sound reverberated in the room, the echo of it coming from several directions.

I ignored it and ran down the catwalk. It took me a matter of minutes to reach Row Fifty-five. I bypassed all of the other cubes, shining my flashlight at each one, even though I knew “B” was the first one on the right side.

Once there, I deftly grabbed the remote, and input the commands. I tapped my foot impatiently as the ramp extended. As soon as the ramp connected with the cube, I hit the button locking the clamps in place, and crossed over.

Shining my flashlights in the window, I saw him.

He was sitting in the corner, his arms around his knees, staring blankly ahead. His black hair was longer, curling down around his shoulders. He was bigger, more muscular, but pale. I could make out the slightest bit of a beard growing in along his jaw and upper lip. His face was gaunt, cheeks sunken in, bags under his eyes.

It was like looking at a stranger. Gone was the baby-faced boy who had held my hand as he marveled at the stars and the beauty of the world around him. In his place was a young man who had clearly suffered. I didn’t know him, and I didn’t know what he had been through.

My arms ached to hug him. To wrap him in them and shelter him from the horrors that plagued him. Guilt wracked me as I looked at him. I pressed my hand on the window, trying to will him to look at me. Would he even remember me? Did he hate me?

Doubts danced through my head, but I tamped them down. It didn’t matter how he felt about me. I loved him, and I was going to do everything in my power to get him out of that box.

I looked down at the buttons in front of me and bit my lip. All of my earlier concerns about not messing with the buttons were quickly evaporating in the face of seeing Tim again. But in spite of what Viggo said, I wasn’t sure I could justify pressing those buttons in the hopes that they would let him out. Not if it meant him suffering more.

I rubbed my fingers together and examined the buttons on the panel. They were all the same size and color—gray—with a soft glowing blue light to illuminate them.

I looked over to where my brother was sitting in the corner. “I hope this works,” I croaked, knowing he couldn’t hear me.

Hands reached out and snagged my wrist before I could touch the panel. Turning, I gaped at Ms. Dale.

“What are you doing here,” I hissed, jerking my hand from her grip.

She turned and looked through the window, a small frown playing on her face.

“I had no idea…” she whispered, her brown eyes studying my brother.

I frowned, clenching my fist. The rage was back, looking for someone to turn on. I bit it back, bitter taste and all.

“Why are you here?” I replied, taking a deep breath.

She was examining the panel now, her eyes probing. “I told Viggo I might be able to help you. Her fingers stroked lightly at the keys and my heart jumped.

“Don’t,” I said sharply, and she froze. Her eyes turned back to me and she frowned.

“Violet, I don’t want to hurt your brother,” she said patiently, her voice soft. “I’m trying to determine where the control box is on this.”

I fidgeted, torn between my distrust