The Gender End (The Gender Game #7)

“That’s never a good sign,” Ms. Dale muttered as she grabbed the kit from my hand and opened it up.

“You know, I couldn’t be certain the intruders down below were you, especially after Maxen gave that delightful little speech about coming to take me down. And you were so clever about overcoming the locks and the cameras that I never would’ve known… until this last one, that is. It was forced open in such a hurry that the cameras were overlooked. And imagine my surprise to see you, my dear annoying Violet.”

A chill ran down my spine as I heard Elena’s voice, and I turned, feeling considerably exposed for such a small room. Morgan reached out and touched my shoulder, and I turned to see one of the workstation screens lit up with Elena’s face looking out expectantly, a cruel smile playing on her lips.

“Elena? Can you hear me?” I asked, taking a moment to steel myself before moving in front of the screen. I looked over at Ms. Dale, and she nodded, mouthing the words “keep her busy” at me as Morgan cleaned her bite wound.

“I can indeed.” She smiled, her teeth gleaming unnaturally white on the bright screen. “Are you alone?”

I considered lying, but then realized that she must’ve seen us in the airlock. Were there cameras in this room?

“I’m with Ms. Dale and Morgan.”

“I saw that you brought Morgana. Come to seek revenge, little sister? Kill Ms. Dale and Violet, and I’ll let you come back home. I’ll even let you see Sierra.”

Morgan gave me a look, her face reflecting how repugnant she found that idea, and I smirked.

“She can’t come to the terminal right now,” I said sweetly. “I’ll give her your message.”

Elena’s smile grew wider. “Is that all of you?”

“It is. Viggo is back home trying to stop the boys from killing everyone.”

“Liar,” she replied, and the screen changed, showing me a picture of Viggo and Owen battling against something to close the door, while Thomas lay on the ground behind them, his hands on his stomach, as if he’d been shot. They’d just managed to shut the door when the screen cut out, and Elena was back.

“Where are they?” I asked, unable to stop the cold swoop of terror that had sunk into my stomach at the image.

“Oh, Violet, like I’d ever tell you that.”

Ms. Dale waved her hand at me, and I looked at her. She pointed two fingers at her eyes and then pointed up toward the ceiling, and I nodded at her.

“So, uh… Does this mean you’re watching us right now?” I asked, letting out a breath through my teeth, my terror turning into anger. I made a crude gesture with my finger and held it up to the screen.

“I am,” Elena replied smoothly, without even a quirk of her lips. If she knew what my middle finger was doing, she gave no sign of it—and I’d tangled with Elena enough at this point that I knew she wasn’t expressionless. I would take a gamble on the fact that she couldn’t see me. In fact, I was already doing it. I felt a cold smile come across my mouth and nodded silently at Ms. Dale, giving her a thumbs-up. She hopped on top of a workstation and pressed the tip of her knife into a screw holding one of the roofing vents in place. I sighed when I realized where we were going next, and turned back to distracting Elena.

“I showed you that so you can understand something. I hold the cards—at any moment, I could open the doors to the observation lab you’re in, or he’s in, if I wanted to. I could come to you, if I wanted to. You are finally at my mercy, and it is very tempting to open all the doors inside and let the specimens eat you. But honestly, I do so love this idea the best.”

As she spoke, Viggo, Thomas, and Owen flashed onto the view screen again. The two men were hunched over Thomas, frantically trying to stem the flow of blood that I could now see seeping out from Thomas’ stomach. There was no sound, but Thomas’ mouth was moving, as was Owen’s. Thomas was wide-eyed and scared—I could see it plainly on the screen—his hands shaking as he tried to say something to Owen. My heart began to rebel in my chest, and the cold sensation in my stomach was back… I had almost thought Elena was playing that video to trick me, but this… This felt real. I felt tears forming in my eyes and prayed that Thomas was okay, that Viggo and Owen would patch him up and get him out of there.

As if she knew my thought, Elena continued to talk as the video played.

“I’m going to make you watch your friends die one by one, Violet. First Thomas, then poor Ms. Dale. She won’t be long for this world—not after that green fly bit her.”

“Is there an antidote?” I asked, looking over to where Ms. Dale was handing the now freed grate to Morgan. She looked over at me, and I gave her a thumbs up, motioning for her to head up.

“Oh, Violet,” Elena breathed wistfully, an amused smile on her lips. “There is, and I do have some. But you? You have nothing I want.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” I said. “Because I have the egg. The real one. Right here with me at this very moment.”

“You’re a liar,” Elena said confidently. “Eyewitness reports said you blew it up with my sister.”

I smiled. It was unfortunate Elena couldn’t see it, all my rage and worry for Thomas’ wound, from being stuck here negotiating in this lab of horrors, scrolling across my face at once.

“There were two.” I bit out. “One was the first prototype in Mr. Jenks’ lab in the Facility. The second was the real one. I gave your sister Tabitha the fake and blew her up with it.”

Elena went quiet, her face thoughtful. That might be the only reaction I was going to get when she realized I had had one up on her all along—but it was so, so worth it. After a moment, she looked back at the camera.

“Go into the airlock,” she said. “I want to see it.”

“I knew you didn’t have cameras in here,” I said, perhaps a bit petulantly. But it was worth the annoyed expression that drifted across her face. “And no thanks—you’ll lock me in there.”

“I won’t strike any deal unless I can see that you have it.”

I hesitated, and saw Ms. Dale helping Morgan up into the vent, sweat dripping down her forehead.

“I’m going to prop the door open,” I said. “One minute.”

I moved over to the airlock door and pulled it open, wedging one of the chairs from the workstation into the opening. Inside the chamber, I held up the egg toward the camera for a moment, slowly moving it around so I could change the angles. After a few seconds, I lowered it and stepped back into the lab.

“Satisfied?” I asked as I thrust it back into the bag.

“What are your terms?” she asked, and I wondered if I was imagining that her voice was colder, darker than before… that she knew I’d had her fooled.

“Sierra, and the antidote for Ms. Dale. First aid for Thomas. Safe passage for all of us.” I stated the demands while Ms. Dale pulled herself completely into the vent.

“Fine. I’ll send a warden down to retrieve—”