The Gender Plan (The Gender Game #6)

Viggo and I left and climbed into the car. Jay was already waiting for us in the backseat, and as soon as I got in, we exchanged a big hug through the gap between the driver and passenger seats. “I’m so proud of you,” I said as soon as I let go of him.

“Thanks,” he said, blushing slightly. “I just… wanted to get it off my chest.”

“Well, it was good,” said Viggo. “You really got your point across.”

Jay flushed even deeper as Viggo turned on the car, executing a U-turn on the uneven dirt road that was more dirt than road. We drove the short distance to the house in silence. Viggo parked up front—mostly because he would be leaving soon—and we all got out.

“I gotta pack,” said Jay, and he scampered for the stairs.

I smiled at his exuberance, but it dimmed some when I realized he and my brother would be walking into multiple dangerous situations tonight. Anxiety suddenly struck me, and it took me a moment to pull myself together. We followed behind him at a sedate pace, heading upstairs to our room.

Viggo’s backpack was already packed, still lying on the bed where he had left it. I entered the room first, and then went over to the bag, picking it up. Turning, I saw Viggo closing the door behind him. I handed him the bag and watched him sling it over his shoulder.

“You packed everything you needed?” I asked.

“Even three of those surprisingly nifty waterproof bags you found,” he replied with a smile, a slightly teasing note in his voice.

“Everyone’s going to be super glad I included them in all the bags, considering you’re all going to a place where the stuff is practically everywhere.”

“It’s a good idea.”

We lapsed into silence, and a feeling of déjà vu fell upon me. It took me a minute to realize why: we had literally just done this less than a week ago. Said goodbye and had our last, lingering kisses before the mission began. I was beginning to hate it.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Viggo asked, his green gaze studying my features.

“These damn goodbyes?” I quipped.

He chuckled ruefully and then smiled. “I’ve been thinking about it, and… maybe we shouldn’t this time. If everything goes according to plan—” He stopped, and then shook his head.

“Nothing ever goes according to plan,” I said, vocalizing what I was certain he was already thinking. “You’re not going to make me promise not to go into the city, are you?”

Viggo sighed heavily. “Of course not,” he said. “I know better, and to be honest, even with a broken arm and a still healing skull, you are formidable. Besides, who knows what’s going to happen? You might wind up having to.”

“I knew there was a reason I liked you,” I said with a smile. “You’re a smart man.”

“I know,” he replied with a wink. I smirked at him and then rose up on my tiptoes, pressing my lips against his in a kiss. It was short, barely a peck, but it still sent a pleasant hum coursing through my body. I settled back down on the soles of my feet and opened my eyes. “We should go.”

In response, Viggo threw open the door and moved into the hall. I followed him as he moved to the master bedroom—Henrik and Ms. Dale’s room—and raised his hand to knock. With the impact of his first knock, however, the door swung open, revealing Ms. Dale and Henrik, pressed together so closely that it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began.

Henrik’s face was buried in Ms. Dale’s neck, his hands around her waist, clasping her back firmly. Her eyes were closed, but she wore an expression of happiness and good humor, laughing huskily, her back arched as though she were pushing away from him, but her hands clinging firmly to his shoulders.

My jaw dropped at the sight of them, and I looked over at Viggo to see him wearing a similarly stunned expression.

Ms. Dale’s eyes drifted open—then she froze when she saw us standing there.

I couldn’t help myself. “Ms. Dale, is this really the appropriate time to be making out with your boyfriend?”

That was when Viggo and I burst out laughing. It was impossible not to. Quickly, stiffly, Ms. Dale disentangled herself from Henrik’s embrace, smoothing her hands over her shirt and hair in jerky motions. Adjusting the bag on her shoulder, she met our gazes one by one, as if we had not just walked into the make-out scene of the century.

She cleared her throat. “Shall we?” She pushed past us without waiting for a response, but that only made us laugh harder. The sight of Ms. Dale actually flustered, her movements hurried and tinged with the mania embarrassment had caused… It was just so not her.

The stairs behind us creaked as Ms. Dale began to descend. “Pull yourselves together,” she said primly. It did nothing to help stop our laughter, which had simmered down to chuckles.

“Oh, just have a laugh about it, you old woman,” Henrik called down the stairs after her, and I looked up to see him resting his shoulder against the doorframe, his arms folded across his chest. A spark of humor shimmered in his eyes.

Without even breaking her stride, Ms. Dale called back, “I do not entertain the whims of children.”

Henrik chuckled at that, and then gave Viggo and me a nod and a wink before disappearing back into his room and closing the door. I guessed that he still had a few things he wanted to get done before we started, which was fine. We had approximately an hour before everything hit the fan.

Once we had pulled ourselves together and wiped the tears from our eyes, Viggo and I headed downstairs, where Tim, Jay, Ms. Dale, and Owen all stood near the front of the house, two vehicles waiting to take them to their different destinations. The rest of their teams were already on their way, being transported in every vehicle we could spare.

Our forces had been split into three groups, led by Viggo, Ms. Dale, and Amber. Drew’s people formed a fourth team, while Mags’ and Logan’s were being brought in to bolster our remaining forces with enough people that we could splinter into several smaller groups if necessary, depending on what happened. Viggo and Ms. Dale’s teams would take on the task of entering the water treatment plant. Amber’s team and a group of Logan’s people would stay behind to refortify the position, in case we attracted any hostile action, and then leave behind a small guard and move into the city, to a third position overlooking the water plant, to provide sniper fire.