Page 46 of Forged in Deception

She paused, debating whether or not to tell Axel the source of John’s–and therefore, her–biggest medical debt. A part of her wanted to, but she knew that if she did, she’d start crying all over again, and that was not what she needed right now. Not with Destiny in the hospital and a group of other patients back at the retreat site who still needed her.

“You’re helping him, aren’t you?” Axel asked, breaking the momentary silence. “I know how hard it is dealing withgovernment services, even as a veteran. We’re promised the moon, but…”

She nodded. “It’s part of why I’ve stayed with Senera for as long as I have. John is relying on me financially. The therapy, the meds, rent–some of it ends up being covered by his military benefits, but a lot of it doesn’t. He’s been trying to get funding for a service dog to help with his PTSD, but the Veterans Freedom Society keeps denying his claim. He feels guilty that I have to help him, but I’m all he has.”

Axel was about to speak, but before he could, one of the doctors Karlin had met earlier stuck her head out of a doorway.

“Ms. McKenna? Mr. Bishop? Destiny wants to see you.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-ONE

ASHER

“Well, 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?”

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