The Gender War (The Gender Game #4) by Bella Forrest (read novel full TXT) 📗

if she needed to. The rest of the mock terrorists were performing similar tests. Violet wasn’t able to use her damaged hand to unlock the cuffs, but, slowly, painstakingly, she was able to do it with her left.

This was it. I had to trust her. With one last look, I went back to the front of the truck and climbed into the cab. Tim was already there, Samuel by his side.

“Hey, buddy, you going to be okay with this?” I asked, and Tim gave me a flat, gray stare that reminded me of his sister with its sheer stubbornness.

“Don’t like it. But… will do,” he grumbled, and I nodded.

“I promise I won’t let anything happen to your sister,” I said.

“Better not,” replied Tim, turning to stare out the window.

I paused, wondering if the boy realized he was threatening me. And then I realized that he was well within his rights to—she was his sister, after all. He was the only man allowed to be as protective of Violet as I was. I threw the truck into gear and started driving.

It took another five minutes to reach a real road, and from there it was another half-hour before I could see the glowing lights of the checkpoint illuminating the night around them. Our checkpoints were carefully guarded, and I was not surprised to see a contingent of wardens waiting at the station. I was surprised, however, to see my former second-in-command standing with them.

Stepping out of the cab, I held up my hands. “Hey, Mark,” I greeted as I slowly approached. “Long time no see.”

Mark Travers was a good man, and by that I meant he was a good man by Patrian standards. He did his job, never questioned the status quo, and was married.

“Viggo?” he said in disbelief, a smile lighting up his face. “Woah! I thought you were dead! Nobody has seen or heard from you in months!” He stepped forward, his hand extended. It was a good sign—if I were wanted in Patrus, then, long work history or not, he would have drawn a gun on me.

I gave a little shrug as I shook his hand, lowering my other arm. “Yeah, well… I got sent on a mission. They sent me all the way into The Green, if you can believe that.”

Mark gave an appalled look as he eyed me up and down. “And you survived? For how long?”

“I… honestly couldn’t tell you. Over a month.”

Mark whistled, clearly impressed. “That’s seriously amazing, man. I’ve never heard of anyone surviving that long.”

I gave another shrug. “Well… I like being alive, so yeah. Anyway… can you send an encrypted message to the palace? I have someone in the car that the king really wants to meet. Several someones, in fact.”

Mark gestured to one of his men, who ran off to the small outbuilding next to the road, presumably to fulfill my request. “Who’ve you got back there?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Sorry. You aren’t cleared to know. This is all top secret stuff.”

He paused for a moment, but then said, “All right, I can respect that. Can I… Can I take a look?”

He must have noticed my frown deepening, because he held up his hands. “You know I need to at least see what you’re carrying behind that tarp. Things have been kind of crazy since that lab was bombed, and anything could be back there. You’re a good guy, Viggo. I know you’re not lying—I’m just doing my job.”

I nodded, realizing that showing him was unavoidable. “Okay, fair enough.”

I led him to the back of the truck and pulled aside one of the flaps made by a long slit in the tarp. The four people inside glared back, their eyes glinting against his flashlight in slits of absolute hatred. Mark laughed at that, and then looked at me.

“Wow… is that…?”

“I really can’t say,” I said, stopping him. Most likely he’d recognized Violet from the public news announcements. It didn’t matter very much now. If the king believed us, he could clear her name without a doubt. And if he didn’t… I didn’t even want to think about that. The king had to believe us.

“I can’t imagine what they could’ve done, but judging by that look, they are about to get what’s coming to them. So uh… what’s with the kid in the front seat?” Mark asked.

I dropped the tarp and shook my head, manifesting an exasperated look. “You do not want to know,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I’m not even sure I can tell you what’s going on with that. But he’s harmless—after all this is over, I’m going to look into getting him his paperwork and Patrian citizenship. And get his dog proper registration. You know.”

“All right, then… Far be it from me to jeopardize your mission.”

I clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks. I’m not even sure I believe everything that happened out there myself. All I know is, I’m glad to be home.”

“I hear you. I can’t even imagine trying to rough it out there.”

Just then, the warden Mark had sent off to radio the palace returned, panting. “Mr. Croft is ordered to remain here. An escort is twenty minutes out. When they come, he is to follow them to a secure location away from the palace, where one of the king’s personal guards will be assisting him with the prisoners.”

Mark thanked him and turned to me. “All right, Viggo—I can imagine you don’t want to leave that boy alone too long in the cab, whoever he is. My men will be out here, so if anything happens, we’ll be ready to assist.”

I shook hands with him. “Thanks, Mark.”

“Just doing my job.”

Nodding, I turned back and climbed into the truck.

“Now what?” asked Tim.

Clearing my throat, I settled back in my seat. “Now we wait.”

10

Violet

After the truck began to move again, I leaned against the tailgate and gazed through the flapping tarp slit. I watched as we passed