The Gender Fall (The Gender Game #5)

I turned my gaze away from the screen and looked out at the crowd as King Maxen began to explain the genetic experiments performed on Elena and her sisters, and later performed on the boys collected by the Matrian screening process. He didn’t touch on that for very long—Thomas had said this was, statistically, the least believable part of the situation—before he began discussing the Matrian bombing of the city, the slaughter at Ashabee manor, and the horrific death camps.

“I myself saw,” his voice told the crowd, “Matrian wardens open fire on a room full of innocent women and children. I was there.” I felt a spike of fury at the sadness he affected, remembering the day he was referring to—how he had hidden like a shameless coward. I tried to set it aside.

The crowd’s faces were too far away for me to make out their expressions, but all were locked on the screen, on King Maxen. A few were standing up, their shock propelling them into motion. It was a good sign. I imagined the crowds of Patrians gathered to watch the streaming in every other stadium right at this moment, having the same reaction.

“All right,” I said, dragging my attention away from the presentation. “Jeff, tell Thomas to bring the ambulance around to the southern entrance.”

Jeff nodded and began mouthing the orders, while I went over to Cruz. Pulling a knife from my boot, I cut the bonds securing him to the pipe, then removed the tape from his mouth. His gaze, too, was focused on the screen, his lips parted and his brows drawn tight.

“Is this for real?” he gasped as I untied his shoelaces and helped him up from the ground.

“As real as it gets,” I replied. Jeff rushed over to us, unclipping the subvocalizer from around his throat.

“Here,” he said, thrusting it out to me and taking his handgun out of the holster cinched under his jacket. I wrapped the black swatch around my throat, the icy tingle freezing my vocal cords in place, while he moved to the door, pulling it open and joining Amber and Ms. Dale in the hall. We had no idea if or when the guards would be coming—in fact, we had planned for there to be guards pouring into the room about now—but we knew there was going to be a massive response to this, so we needed to get going.

I tapped Cad on the shoulder. Let’s go, I subvocalized, knowing he’d hear me through his earbud.

He was standing, staring out at the screen, his eyes drinking in the images. “All those images of Tabitha… they’re from the video Violet made?” He turned, looking at me, and I nodded. His mouth flattened, his grip on his pistol tightening. “Right. Let’s go.”

Towing Cruz behind me with a firm grip under his arm, I followed Cad to the door. He pulled it open for me, and I cleared it out of habit before stepping out into the dimly lit hallway—apparently it was only dark inside the actual stadium. The security checkpoint nearest us was still eerily empty, although there was an ominous buzzing coming from a left-behind handheld, no doubt someone frantically trying to get a hold of the guards.

Ms. Dale and Amber were waiting, waving me forward. Jeff stood on the opposite side of the hall, his handgun sighted down it. I pulled Cruz farther into the hall, glancing back over my shoulder just in time to see Amber and Cad following us. When the room’s door was closed, Ms. Dale stepped forward, slamming the butt of her gun into the black security clearance lock until it popped off the wall. Then she grabbed the box, jerking it away from the wires with an electric pop.

“That’ll slow ‘em down,” she said with a satisfied little smirk, tucking the box into her pocket. She looked over at where Cruz stood, still stunned, but now staring at her as though he’d never seen a woman in his life.

“Mr. Cruz?” I asked, disabling the subvocalizer. A part of me wanted to take a moment to bask in his shock, but we didn’t have time.

“Y-Yes?”

“Here’s what’s going to happen: you’re going to walk us out with our armed escort here.” I pointed to Ms. Dale and Amber. “If we run into security, you’ll do your best to convince them we are running behind schedule, hence why we are being escorted out. Once we get to our vehicle, you will be free to go. Do you understand?”

His eyes sought out mine, and I raised an eyebrow at him. He nodded. “I understand.”

I let him go, taking a step back. Popping the collar of my shirt up to try to disguise the subvocalizer, I slid my gun back into the hidden holster and tugged my jacket down, straightening it. Within moments, we were moving back toward the last checkpoint we’d passed. I could no longer hear King Maxen’s voice through the concrete that separated us from the main part of the stadium, but a quick glance at my watch told me it had been playing for over a minute. That left another two minutes before the message repeated. Why hadn’t anyone thought to check the projector box yet?

We were moving quickly, but within moments, I heard the distinctive sound of footsteps coming up behind us at an alarming speed, probably guards coming to find out what had happened at the checkpoint we had gone through only minutes before. I pressed everyone forward, knowing they would be distracted by the control box for a minute or two.

“Are there any checkpoints between here and the next set of stairs?” demanded Ms. Dale, her eyes narrowed at Cruz.

The man gave her a confused look and then nodded. “One more,” he replied.

“New plan,” she announced, pulling her gun. “Vivian and I are taking you downstairs after discovering you tied up.”

We’re on our way, Thomas, I subvocalized. Meet us at the access road that goes around the back of the stadium, off the main road. Be prepared to drive around looking for us—I don’t know which exit we’ll be coming out of yet, but it will be one of the farther ones.

Ms. Dale took point, Cad, Cruz, Jeff, and I holding down the middle of the party, with Amber bringing up the rear. The checkpoint was clear as we approached it, only a cursory guard standing there. She drew down on us as we approached, but Ms. Dale held up a hand and quietly explained the situation.

“We have to get them downstairs and out of the building to question,” she said in a hushed and urgent tone. “We have no idea their role in all this.”