Page 24

CHAPTER

TWENTY-ONE

ASHER

“ W ell, the secret’s out,” Destiny announced. “I’m a crazy person.”

“I don’t think ‘crazy’ is the PC term these days, you know,” he joked.

Destiny laughed and raised her eyebrows at him. “I’ve been reliably informed that ‘insane’ is also out.”

Asher grinned. It was a relief to see her acting like herself, though he had to admit he felt strange being in here with her, especially with Karlin now speaking to the doctor outside in the hall.

He wished that he could go back in time to ten minutes ago and say a few of the things that were on his mind.

Though the circumstances were hardly ideal, Karlin had actually been opening up to him, and he found himself even more impressed by her now that he understood more of what she’d been through.

He had actually considered telling her more about what he’d been through in Afghanistan, which was not a topic that just anybody could drag out of him.

“Hey, have you seen anything about this? Check it out.”

Asher snapped to attention at Destiny’s words. The woman had been through a living nightmare. The least he could do was actually be present with her. He was glad that the hospital allowed him to visit with her at all, considering that sunrise was still a decent way off.

Though he still strongly disagreed with her choice as a Christian to take DX8, he could sympathize with her a lot more now that he understood what she was going through.

Even with God’s grace, schizophrenia had to be an incredibly heavy cross to carry.

He could see why she would be willing to try anything in hopes of being set free from her illness.

Destiny gestured toward the tv that hung over her bed, and he followed her gaze to a report from the previous day’s six o’clock news. She picked up the remote control that sat on her nightstand and turned up the volume.

“This evening, a breaking story,” the news anchor said, her voice grave. “According to Amarillo police, reports of cult activity have been steadily on the rise, and two potentially related crimes have the city on edge. Reporter Lindsay Cundiff has the full story.”

Asher watched as the camera cut to a male reporter standing in the middle of a quiet suburban street.

“Thank you, Monica. That’s right. This middle class neighborhood is not as peaceful as it seems. Back in August, two teenage girls disappeared from their homes.

As of this report, they still have not been found–but we have an exclusive interview with some of their closest friends. ”

“Creepy, right?” Destiny chimed in. “The whole potential cult story has actually made it as far as the Dallas media. I’m not usually conspiratorial, but a severe increase in cult-related reports is pretty striking.”

Asher nodded. “I mean, it could be Satanic Panic type stuff, I guess, but yeah. I hope they find those girls, either way.”

They focused back on the screen as the reporter sauntered up to one of the houses nearby and rang the bell. A woman invited her and her cameraman inside, and the shot changed to the same reporter sitting on the couch across from three teenage girls.

“You told the police that you think your missing friends have become involved in a cult. But the Amarillo police tell us there’s no evidence that the reports of cult activity have any credibility. Do you stand by what you reported?”

“Yes,” a slender brunette said as her friends bobbed their heads up and down emphatically.

“Stacy and Ava talked about there being this little community out in the desert somewhere before they went missing. They told me that a couple people invited them to come and join one of their parties, though none of us ever got the details. I told them both it sounded weird, and to stay out of it.”

Just as the reporter began to ask a follow-up question, the door to Destiny’s room swung open, and Karlin returned alone, looking chastened.

Asher could only imagine how furious the doctor must have been now that the immediate danger had passed. Senera giving DX8 to people like Destiny was dangerous, no matter what the FDA had said.

And even that official seal of approval was questionable.

Perhaps Bajwa or someone higher up at Senera had bribed regulators. If Asher could find evidence, that alone could be enough to get DX8 out of patients’ hands, at least for a while.

Destiny clicked the mute button on the remote, silencing the TV as Karlin walked up to the head of her bed.

“I am so sorry,” Karlin said quickly, her face pinched. “I feel terrible about what happened. How are you feeling?”

“Honestly, pretty much normal,” Destiny said, a smile rising on her full lips. “I mean, I have a bit of a lingering headache, but right now, I’m mostly just upset about yet another failed treatment option for my schizophrenia.”

Karlin said nothing, though Asher could tell by the way she gripped the railing of the hospital bed that she was trying to stop her hands from shaking. He desperately wanted to reach over and comfort her, but he couldn’t risk breaking cover in front of Destiny anymore than he already had.

Destiny continued. “I’d read stuff online about people going into a psychotic state after taking psychedelics.

It freaked me out, but I ended up convincing myself that a synthetic drug made to help people with their mental health would be safe.

I knew better, and I should have trusted my conscience. ”

“I am deeply, deeply sorry for what happened,” Karlin said again. She swallowed hard, and her eyes were starting to redden. No one would have blamed her for tearing up, least of all Asher, but she didn’t. Instead, she cleared her throat and spoke again.

This time, her voice was colder, almost clinical. The empathy she had shown moments before seemed to have faded away in an instant.

It didn’t take a psychologist to know that she was putting on a mask, trying to distance herself from the pain she was feeling. Asher knew the tactic well. He was used to using it himself.

“I am glad that you’re feeling better, at least physically,” Karlin said. “Dr. Bajwa is faxing some papers over for you to sign. We are going to be investigating this incident further to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.”

Asher tried to shoot Karlin a questioning glance, but she ignored him, her eyes remaining trained on her patient.

He remembered the non-disclosure agreement that he’d had to sign himself for the retreat.

He’d had his almost-sister-in-law and Forge Brothers Security paralegal, Bristol, look it over.

The document had been pretty weak, and he hadn’t been concerned about it getting in the way of exposing Senera’s illegal activities.

He could only hope that Bajwa wasn’t planning on bullying the vulnerable woman into signing something more airtight.

“Okay,” Destiny replied, smiling weakly despite Karlin’s abrupt demeanor. “But I’m starting to feel really tired. Can I deal with the paperwork stuff in a few hours?”

“Of course,” Karlin said, getting up to leave. “Before we go, is there anyone we can call to come and stay with you?”

Destiny shook her head. “Not really. Dallas is pretty far, and I’m okay. I promise. Thanks, though.”

They walked out of the hospital in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

Asher couldn’t help but to wonder if Destiny, like Karlin, was used to getting through life more or less on her own–and he was incredibly thankful that he had no idea what that was like.

KARLIN

Silence hung between Karlin and Axel as they climbed into Bajwa’s Jeep.

She was glad that he seemed to share her pensive mood.

After visiting Destiny, her thoughts were even more of a jumbled mess than they’d been before. She’d managed to hold it together for her patient’s sake, but just barely. She’d have to continue to steel herself. She doubted that the rest of the day was going to get any easier.

May as well get back to it.

When she moved to turn the key and start the Jeep, however, Axel laid his hand on hers, sending a burst of electricity dancing through her.

Despite Axel’s usually jovial demeanor, there was something about him that made him seem not only competent, but safe.

Not that she’d ever fully let her guard down.

The man would be going home in a week and a half, and all she’d have was herself, just like before. Especially if they got the evidence they needed to take Senera down. She wanted that victory, but she knew it would be bittersweet.

“You need to get some sleep before we drive back,” he said firmly. “The DX8 will have worn off by now and the others will all be asleep, anyway. Let Bajwa handle them. Ned will be coming in today, too, right?”

When she’d called Bajwa from the hospital earlier, he had still been awake and already thinking out loud about the legal ramifications of what had just happened.

And Ned would be coming in, though he wouldn’t have the first clue about how to help the patients process what had just taken place.

No. Whether she liked it or not, they still needed her.

“I don’t even feel tired,” she said finally. “And if I did manage to fall asleep, I wouldn’t be able to wake up again until tomorrow.”

“You’ve been through something traumatic, Karlin,” Axel said. “You’re not going to be able to just hop back in immediately and be on your game. Be reasonable.”

“Fine,” she snapped, a little more harshly than she’d meant to. “I’ll get a little bit of rest, but I’m keeping my eyes open.”

A smile broke out on Axel’s face.

“What?” she prompted, trying and failing to conceal her annoyance. Despite the terrible night they’d endured, he could still flip a switch and look as happy as a golden retriever with a ball at a moment’s notice. It was maddening.

“Well, I have some sightseeing to do. Since you want to keep your eyes open anyway, the timing is perfect.”

“Sightseeing? Axel, we do not have time for sightseeing . I need to check on the other patients. I need to call the hospital and check on Destiny. I almost certainly need to do eight thousand hours of paperwork–”

With another one of his teasing grins, Axel leaned over in his seat until his body was halfway over hers.

For a terrifying, electrifying second, she thought he was going to kiss her.

She froze in place, mouth still hanging open, unsure whether to try and kiss him back or to punch him in the nose.

But no attempt at a kiss came. While she was distracted, he yanked the keys out of the ignition.

“Hey! Give me those!” she said, lunging for the keys as he collapsed back down into the passenger seat. She tried to grab hold of Bajwa’s plastic keychain, but Axel was too quick for her and was now holding the keys over his head.

“Ha. I win,” he announced, easily deflecting her next attempt at swiping the keys.

“Cheater,” she muttered, sitting back down and crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re taller than me.”

“Having the physique of a string bean with sexy forearms has its benefits.”

“You’ve just made me picture Popeye. Congratulations,” she said.

“Popeye definitely didn’t skip leg day,” he pointed out.

“I do. Actually, I skip every day. The gym sucks. Whenever my brother Ben manages to rope me into working out with him, I end up needing to eat like three extra peanut butter sandwiches a day just to stop myself from losing weight. I run a little when provoked, but that’s about it. ”

She made a face. “As fascinating as your fitness regime is, we seriously don’t have time for this.”

“You’re right,” he said, shaking his head. “We don’t. Not if we’re going to make it to the Palo Duro Canyon before sunrise. Now, get out of the way so I can drive. Please.”

“What a gentleman,” she muttered as she got out of the Jeep and moved over to the passenger side. “Fine. You drive. But you can't tell anyone that I let you. I think this Jeep belongs to Senera, and they’d be even more mad than Bajwa if something happened to it. And there’s one more condition.”

“What’s that?”

She would have sworn she could see Axel’s ears actually perking up, as though eager for the slightest opportunity to make her happy.

It was cute.

Annoyingly cute.

“You stop for breakfast on the way,” she said. “Including coffee that doesn’t come out of a vending machine.”

“I was hoping you’d demand a kiss as the sun rises,” he said, starting the Jeep and shifting it into gear, “but coffee and food sounds almost as good. Done.”