Page 8

CHAPTER

EIGHT

ASHER

“ S hush! It’s officially way too early for you to be squawking like that,” Asher said, eyeing the black, crow-like bird that had planted itself directly in the middle of the path to the dining hall. “Though I have to admit, it is pretty out here.”

Asher and Karlin had arrived at the retreat site late the night before, and he hadn’t been able to see much aside from his comfortable cabin.

Karlin had parked her Kia at the main Senera research compound on their way in, exchanging it for a more rugged Jeep, but it had been too dark and quiet to get a look at much aside from the parking lot.

With little to do but read the single book he had in his carry-on, he’d gone to bed early and managed to wake up around dawn. Gabe would be so proud. And in the bright morning sun, the beauty of the property was undeniable.

Several buildings dotted the reddish desert landscape, most of them made with local materials that made them almost disappear into the scenery.

Despite the lateness of the season, flowers bloomed all over, and several towering cacti cast cool shadows.

From the looks of it, no expense had been spared in designing the area to look more like a Pinterest-worthy resort than a site to conduct medical trials.

When the bird finally meandered off the path–shooting Asher a final threatening glare–he pulled open the door to the dining hall and stepped inside.

It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the gentle lighting as he scanned the large space.

It was far and away the largest building he’d seen so far, with a single, massively long table and dark tile flooring that reminded him a little of being inside a cave.

Though the decor was simple, it followed the same luxurious-yet-natural style as the exterior.

Along a narrower table on the far side of the room, stacked with breakfast options, he spotted Karlin pouring a steaming beverage into a mug.

“Good morning,” he said pleasantly as he began to walk over, his sneakers squeaking slightly on the floor. With no one else but the two of them here, his steps were almost loud enough to echo.

“Good morning, Axel,” Karlin said flatly, looking up at him for less than a second before ripping open a pale green packet of stevia and tossing it into her mug.

Guess she was back to treating him like a barely-tolerable annoyance.

Oh well. He’d win her over eventually. And if he couldn’t, well, at least annoying her was fun.

“This is quite the spread,” he said, gesturing broadly to the piles of fresh fruit, warming trays filled with thick oatmeal, dark brown toast, fresh-squeezed juices, and various other Gabe-approved healthy breakfast options. “But, uh, I don’t see any coffee. Or bacon.”

That got a smile out of her, along with a single raised eyebrow.

“I thought you would have done enough research to know that the food on this retreat is caffeine free, sugar free, vegetarian, and exclusively organic.”

“I was a little more focused on researching other things,” he said, taking an instinctive glance toward the ceiling in search of security cameras. He wasn’t about to accuse Senera of criminal activity out loud, but Karlin seemed to get the gist.

“Well, there is actually a reason for the diet restrictions,” Karlin said, still smirking.

“We’ve studied this question heavily. As it turns out, the traditional diets that shamans prescribe with other psychedelics have some scientific backing, so we follow a lot of the same advice when we give our patients DX8. ”

“Are you sure it’s not just because it makes this place look more like a fancy celebrity rehab?”

“Oh, that’s definitely part of it.”

“Great,” Asher said, grabbing a mug and plucking a bag of herbal tea from the table at random. “If I die of scurvy, I’m suing.”

Karlin laughed, and once again, Asher found himself struck with just how different she looked when she loosened up. He could only imagine the gorgeousness that would ensue if she actually removed her ponytail and let her red hair fall to her shoulders.

“You do realize scurvy is the one where you don’t eat vegetables, right? It's a severe vitamin C deficiency.”

Asher picked up a slice of lemon and held it over his right eye. “Right. Scurvy is the pirate one. Arr, matey! Walk the plank!”

Just then, another man walked over to the buffet table, carrying a metal tray of scrambled eggs.

“Hey, Ned,” Karlin said, giving Asher a look until he dropped the offending lemon slice into his mug. “This is Axel, one of our new patients. He got in late last night.”

The man placed the tray on the table and shook Asher’s hand without meeting his eyes.

“Hi. Ned Anderson. I’m the camp cook. If you need anything, let me know.”

“Great. Will do. Oh, and thanks for breakfast.”

Ned gave a slight nod, his expression unreadable, and promptly retreated back through the swinging metal doors that presumably led to the kitchen.

“He’s the quiet one around here, isn’t he?” Asher said when he was gone. There was something about Ned that felt suspicious, but he’d just have to keep an eye on him. It was hardly a crime to be shy.

“Yep,” Karlin said, piling a bowl of oatmeal, a banana, and a scoop of egg onto a plate. “Total opposite of you.”

Before he could realize that her comment was probably intended to be a jab, Karlin had already turned on her heel and was headed for a table.

“Hey!” Asher retorted, quickling grabbing a plate of his own and loading it with three slices of toast, almond butter, and two massive scoops of scrambled egg. He balanced a cup of orange juice in his other hand as he scurried after her.

KARLIN

Karlin raised her mug of tea to her lips as Axel plunked himself down at the long table across from her, nearly spilling his orange juice in the process.

She gave him a tight smile, but inside, she was feeling on edge.

She wasn’t used to having someone else around who cared about what she was doing.

It had become her habit to get up early while working at the retreat site, ensuring she’d get at least twenty minutes to enjoy breakfast solo before everyone else arrived.

Ned was even more of a loner than she was, so his presence never bothered her. Axel, however, was a different story.

“So,” he said, swallowing a mouthful of toast. “I hope I’ll get a chance to see some of the tourist traps while I’m here. I definitely have to check out the canyon and the Cadillac Ranch, minimum. Oh, and the Second Amendment Cowboy.”

He paused, glancing over at her eagerly as he swallowed a sip of orange juice.

She suppressed a sigh.

She wasn’t going to be able to get out of his endless cheerful small talk. And anyway, she’d already resigned herself to the idea that Axel might be fun to hang out with. She guessed she’d just have to really try and give him a chance.

“I hear that the Palo Duro Canyon is amazing,” she replied. “And that the Cadillac Ranch and the big cowboy are totally overrated. So is that restaurant where people try to eat that huge dinner in one hour.”

“Woah, woah, woah. You mean to tell me you’ve never visited these hallowed sites yourself? You’ve never even tried to eat the legendary seventy-two ounce steak?”

“No. I’ve been working since I moved here. Guess I just never got around to it. I mean, I’ve been to museums–”

“Wait. How long have you lived here?” Axel interrupted, holding up a forkful of his eggs in mid-air.

Karlin felt a blush rising on her lightly freckled cheeks.

“A while. About a decade now.”

Axel looked like he might fall off his chair. “No one is that busy for ten years! That’s insane. Girl, you seriously need to get out more.”

Karlin rolled her eyes. “Gee, thanks.”

“Where did you move here from?”

She let his question hang in the air as she scooped up a bite of oatmeal. It was already starting to get cold as they talked. Somehow, Axel both ate and talked incredibly quickly, and seemingly at the same time. It was actually kind of impressive.

“I grew up in Michigan,” she said.

“Oh, whereabouts?”

“Ann Arbor.”

She took several bites of oatmeal, hoping that would be the end of this subject.

“Did you go to college there?”

Apparently, Axel’s curiosity was not going to be easily satisfied.

“Yes. It was cheaper to live at home.”

“That makes sense. Only one of my brothers, Cameron, went to college, but he stayed local and lived at home, too.”

“How many brothers do you have?” she asked.

“Technically I’m one of five, but our cousin Reilly is basically considered an honorary brother. He grew up with us.”

Axel leaned forward over the table to scoop up the last of his eggs, and Karlin caught a glimpse of a small wooden cross around his neck.

He was probably a Christian, just like the rest of his big, happy, perfect family.

“I just have one brother, John. But we’ve always been close. I miss him a lot.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she found herself regretting them. She didn’t need to be Axel’s best friend in order to help him investigate Senera. The fact that she had a brother was hardly a secret, but their shared past wasn’t exactly something she felt like discussing.

“Oh, nice. Where is he?” Axel asked.

“Just a couple hours away, in Lubbock.”

“Close enough to visit, at least,” Axel said, giving an approving nod. “My one brother, Jacob, is a missionary. Well, kinda. Anyway, he has been living all over the place and hasn’t been home in years. I miss him so much.”

Karlin was about to ask how someone could be ‘kind of’ a missionary, but Axel interrupted her train of thought.

“But never mind me. I’m curious about you. Why’d you leave Michigan? You stayed for college, but now you live on the other side of the continent. Bit of a change of heart?”

Her stomach clenched as she tried to formulate an answer he’d accept without actually lying to his face. Her story wasn’t the sort one could casually tell in five minutes over a cup of herbal tea.

She decided to settle on something simple. Less words, less of a chance of putting her foot in her mouth and humiliating herself.

“Something like that,” she said, forcing her eyes to meet his.

Fortunately, despite his class-clownish demeanor, Axel seemed pretty good at reading people. He simply smiled and changed the subject.

“I’m still pretty scandalized that I’ve come all the way to Amarillo, and you can’t even give me a personal review of a single tourist trap.”

“Not fair! I told you I’ve been to museums. The RV one and the American Quarter Horse one are both way cooler than they sound.”

Axel snorted. “I hope so, because they sound super lame. I’ve never been a museum guy.”

“Why? Too educational?”

Karlin was surprised at the teasing tone her voice had taken. It sounded almost flirtatious, and that absolutely was not going to become a thing.

“Actually, yes,” Axel said. “My oldest brother, Gabe, had this weird phase as a kid where he became obsessed with the Alamo, and he forced us all to participate in his geekery. I have spent a scary amount of time there. I swear I have every sign in the visitor’s center memorized, and the staff there knows my entire family by name to this day.

Once, he made me, all of my brothers, and Reilly dress up and go to this historical reenactment event–”

“To be fair, that sounds like so much fun,” she said, interrupting his tirade.

“He made me be a girl! Only me! I even had to wear a wig!”

Karlin couldn’t help but to laugh out loud at that.

“Growing up in a big family sounds amazing,” she said, still grinning. “I’m kind of jealous.”

“Well, I can’t fix your dark and mysterious childhood, but I can totally embarrass you at the tourist activity of your choice when this retreat is over. I’ll even accept going to a boring museum if you insist.”

She glared at him, and in return, he gave a dramatic wink.

Seriously? The man was impossible.

“You’re supposed to be undercover,” she hissed under her breath.

“It can be part of my cover. And it would be fun.”

“We still have to be professional,” she argued.

Axel crossed his arms over his chest and grinned. “Fine, fine. Professional. Have it your way.”

“Good. I will.”

She tried to sound confident, but she felt herself blushing once again.

What was the matter with her?

Fine, he was cute. She could admit that much. Especially his muscled forearms, his blue eyes, and his just-disheveled-enough-to-look-unintentional facial scruff.

But that didn’t change the reality of the situation she was currently in.

Even if she was willing to try and enjoy his company, she absolutely had to keep him at arm’s length.

Even if she didn’t need to be professional, she was not interested in getting too close to him or to anyone else.

She had an important career to focus on, and that would be even more true if she managed to successfully take down her current employer.

Getting involved with some guy who wore wrinkled band shirts and hated museums didn’t exactly fit into her plans.

Before she could attempt to steer the conversation toward a safer topic, however, she heard the door to the dining hall fling open across the room. To her relief, Dr. Bajwa and several of the other attendees began to file in.