The Gender Plan (The Gender Game #6)(72)

“It doesn’t matter how secure you made it. You cannot expect to keep her in it. I still can’t believe that we’re even keeping her alive.”

“It was a group decision, and her execution hasn’t been lifted, only postponed,” I replied automatically, and then froze, realizing how insensitive I was being. Owen had been a pretty big part of the group of us in command, but after what had happened, he was still being excluded from those meetings. Not that he complained, but when it came to Desmond, and Owen’s attitude toward how to handle her… Well, Ian’s loss was still coloring his emotional state. But I knew it still hurt him that we couldn’t trust him yet.

That’s his own fault, the dark, angry side of myself argued. He created this mess, and now he’s got to lie in it. I pushed that part down, deep inside, and mentally closed the lid as hard as I could. I did not want to be angry at Owen. I wanted things to go back to the way they had been. If that meant biting back some callous remarks, I could do it. Soon.

“Mags, this is Drew. Do you copy?”

I came back to the discussion as the man’s gravelly voice filled the line. Henrik leaned forward in his seat, and I flashed him a nervous look. With all these new elements joining us, the whole operation was beginning to have a ‘too many cooks’ feeling. Still, we needed him, so all we could do was hope he would be a team player. Switching channels, I quickly informed Mags that she was being summoned, and then changed back.

A few seconds later, she was there. “Hey, Drew, can’t talk right now. Listen to these guys.”

Silence filled the line. “What’s going on?” asked Drew.

“Drew, this is Henrik. I’m glad you received your communications device all right. We were beginning to worry.”

“The runners I sent with Mags got held up and had to lay low for a few minutes to avoid one of the other gangs. But they got here. What’s going on with Mags?”

The line beeped, and I switched back over to Amber’s channel while Henrik began to explain to Drew about Viggo and Mags having to take on a building filled with Porteque guys. Hopefully he wouldn’t feel compelled to go after them and jeopardize the rest of the mission. The situation had become very messy very quickly, and I was frustrated, itching to break free of this tiny basement room and get into the city. Find Viggo, help him out, and then complete the mission… all in time for breakfast.

Things never worked that way, however. Not even when I had gone out on reckless and wild solo missions.

“Violet?”

I shook my head, trying to clear my fanciful thoughts. “Sorry, Amber. Repeat last transmission?”

“You haven’t told us if the next part of our route is clear.”

She delivered the line without any accusation, but I felt a kick of guilt in my stomach anyway. I took a deep breath, trying to untangle my thoughts, but couldn’t seem to break free of them. It took me several seconds to realize I needed a break. Now. Before a distraction on my part meant that something vital on Amber’s part got overlooked.

“Amber, hold on. I’m having Owen take over for a minute.”

There was a long pause, and I felt a moment of regret for dropping Owen on Amber. She didn’t seem even remotely ready to forgive him, and had even railed at me for being too nice to him after everything was said and done. I understood where she was coming from—I just didn’t agree, so I hoped she’d be able to put her differences aside to work with Owen. “Roger,” she acknowledged after a second, and I was relieved to hear professionalism in her voice.

I switched the drone over into hover mode and then turned in my seat, my mouth open to formally ask Owen to take over for me for a short period. The words died on my lips when I saw him scowling, his posture rigid, and I realized he was still thinking about Desmond and how close she was to him right now.

“Owen,” I said, and he started and turned, giving me a surprised look. “Stop thinking about her.”

“I can’t,” he said. “She’s dangerous, and after what happened with Cody—”

“Cody’s actually been doing a little better since that whole incident,” I told him irritably. It was true. Since meeting with Desmond, Cody had been showing little bursts of improvement here and there. Nothing major, mainly just talking a little more and being a little less sullen with people. I still wasn’t sure what had been discussed between them, and I still harbored a few doubts, but I hoped that somehow, in talking to Desmond while out of the influence of the Benuxupane, Cody had gotten a peek at the person inside, and it had made him change his mind.

“See, that’s another thing. Is it really wise keeping Cody here under so light a guard, now that he knows about Desmond?”

I didn’t disagree with him, but felt very much like I wanted to. That tightness was back—the walls of the room were beginning to feel like they were drawing in on me. I really needed to step away. “Owen, this isn’t the time or the place for this discussion. Can you just please sit here and scan the next portion of the road for Amber? I need a minute.”

His blue eyes immediately filled with concern. “Are you okay?” he asked, and I nodded as I stood up from the chair, the stiff muscles in my lower back protesting after being seated for so long.

“Fine. Just need fresh air. You remember how to do this?”