The Gender Plan (The Gender Game #6)(65)

“My side—go,” I transmitted to the men and women behind me, and crept into motion myself.

Once we had gotten around the corner without anyone taking potshots at us from the questionable buildings, I motioned for everyone to relax a bit, and we began to creep less and walk more, a few people shaking legs out and breathing in slight relief.

“Pair off and stay close to the buildings,” I ordered. “I want one person in each pair watching the windows above, and another one checking the alleys. Call out anything you see. Mags, you’re with me.”

Mags lifted a dark eyebrow, the corners of her lips turning up and then down as she fought off a smile. She gave a nod and followed me up onto the curb, her footsteps light behind me. “Ready to finish that talk?” she asked.

“Windows or alleys?” I asked, adjusting the rifle strap on my shoulder. This area was mostly residential, with both wide and narrow buildings lining the streets, nestled tightly together. The tallest building had five floors, but most were only four. Like several residential areas, the bricks on the building bore similar shades of color, but the patterning on them was so varied and different. It had definitely been a beautiful street before.

“Windows,” she said, her head tilting up to peer at the line of them above the street. “And don’t try to dodge the question.”

“Of course I want to know what you meant. No offense, Mags, but you haven’t seen me in over ten years. Not to mention, you saying that around our soldiers kind of undermines my authority. It makes it hard to execute a plan if my soldiers are looking to you instead of me.”

Mags made an irritated tutting sound, and then sighed heavily. “You know what, you’re right, and I’m sorry. I just don’t like it when people try to take responsibility for stuff that wasn’t in their control. It’s a waste of energy.”

I pulled to a stop just short of the alley I was approaching. Mags must not have noticed, because she bumped into me, making a startled sound. I turned, steadying her, and gave her a frown. “It’s my energy to waste. Besides, the things that make me feel guilty are the things driving me forward, making me do something to right these wrongs and help these people.”

Mags gave an indelicate snort as she took a step away from me. “You sound just like my papa. He also tried to take responsibility for things that were out of his control. Look, if you hadn’t done something, someone else would’ve, and we’d be right back here. Different faces but same scenery.”

“You can’t know that for sure.”

“Sure I can. This place was a powder keg even before your video, Viggo. It was about to blow.”

I considered her information carefully. “We had two people embedded in the city. They seemed to think most people were happy with the status quo. That’s why we chose to show the video.”

This time, Mags’ chin trembled slightly as she shook her head. “Then your people were missing out on a lot. There were already small resistance pockets forming—Tío Alejandro was very involved with one, and I got sort of dragged into it after my papa got taken for one of Elena’s little… workgroup trainings. Tío tried to warn Papa, but… Papa’s anger was too great. He wouldn’t listen. They came and dragged him away from me.” Her voice was ragged and harsh in her whisper, and I could tell she wanted to scream out her anger and rage at her father’s loss. “He’s an arthritic old man! What could he have to learn?”

I looked over to her, and saw tears running down her cheeks. Her eyes continued to scan the windows, and I felt a rush of approval for her maintaining control like that. I reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, and she blinked in surprise, then gave me an appreciative smile. Alejandro and Tim gave us curious looks as they passed by, and I just shook my head. Mags sniffed loudly, and then let out a chuckle. “Dios mío, what a mess I am.”

“From what I hear, you are quite a formidable leader. I liked that idea of cross-training people you started implementing. It’s smart.”

Mags sniffed and smiled, finally looking up at me, her eyes sparkling. She nodded a few times and then emitted a small chuckle, wiping her eyes. “Did they see?” she asked, nodding ahead to the other members of the team.

“What?”

She smiled, her eyes finally dry. “You were worried that no one would follow your orders,” she said dryly. “Me crying on you ought to have restored your image.” She reached up and patted my cheek affectionately, then moved past me.

A small chuckle of surprise escaped me. She’d made her point—that I was arrogant—but she’d also explained why releasing the video wasn’t the whole reason things had gotten so bad. The people in the city had known something bad was going on. They had been planning to stop it. Our video had just been a catalyst to accelerate their plans. And it had been arrogant of me to assume we were the only ones who had thought of resisting.

I moved to catch up with her, stepping over an overturned mailbox. “So when did you become so scary?” I teased.

She flashed me a sardonic look and rolled her eyes. “You think only Matrian women are capable of being badass?”

My eyes flicked up the street to where Margot and Cad were moving. They were clearly chatting, and I saw a smile creep across Cad’s face as he tipped his cap at her. “Not at all,” I said to Mags, recalling the times Violet, Tim, and I had come to have dinner with Margot, only to be put to work, her tone brusque and commanding. She reminded me of my training officers when I had been a cadet: no nonsense, no disobedience, and everything would go along great. And then I thought of Amber, her fearlessness and resolve, and shook my head. “Not at all. Not even remotely.”