Page 49 of Forged in Deception

Not out loud, anyway.

He cleared his throat, gathering up their breakfast trash and tossing it into the largest paper bag.

“So. We haven’t really had much of a chance to talk about the real stuff, have we?”

Karlin glanced up at him, her face going decidedly pink. He smirked. Maybe she thought he was going to profess his undying love or something.

He wasn’t, of course.

At least, he didn’t think so. Probably.

“It feels like everyone and everything has been conspiring to keep us apart,” he explained. “It’s hard to investigate very well when I can’t actually talk to my point of contact.”

“I’m sorry,” Karlin said, looking way more chastened than he’d wanted her to feel. “It’s been so difficult. I should have found us walkie-talkies or something, though I think that might be risky when I’m in my staff cabin–”

“No, no, no, don’t be sorry,” he said quickly. “It’s no one’s fault. And you’ve done a good job, considering the circumstances. I mean, you didn’t accidentally dose me with DX8. Total win.”

Karlin didn’t return his smile.

“The doctor at the hospital threatened to report me,” she said. “That was after she chewed me out for putting my patient at risk. She wasn’t wrong, but it still hurt.”

Asher reached over and rested his hand on her shoulder. “This is the kind of thing that you need to let Bajwa handle,” he said firmly. “Don’t let it distract you.”

She nodded, and he let his arm fall away. He didn’t want to push her too much now. Not when she was clearly wrestling her own demons.

“I guess I’m still worried about my own reputation,” she admitted. “I don’t want to be shunned by the medical research community. I love what I do. I want to keep doing it, even after all of this is over.”

“Have you always been passionate about mental health research?”

She smiled softly. “I’ve always been a nerd. I loved math and science in school. I thought I’d do something else with that interest, though. Something nice and solitary, and preferably something that earned a lot more money than I’d had growing up. But when my parents left, I realized that I had gifts that could help people. Witnessing John’s struggle only solidified that plan for me.”

“I admire that,” Asher said. “It’s not always easy to use the gifts that God has given you. Especially when there are easier paths you could follow instead.”

“Right,” she said after a brief pause. “It’s not an easy field to be in, that’s for sure.”

Karlin looked a little uncomfortable at the mention of God, and he decided to change the subject.

“So, did you see the thing about the cults that Destiny was watching?” he asked.

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I’ve definitely heard about it. It’s been in the news for months.”

“You don’t sound convinced.”

“I’m worried about the missing girls,” she clarified, “but the idea that they ran off to some crazy cult compound out in the desert somewhere? No. Not convinced.”

Asher shrugged. “I’ve seen stranger things in my business.”

“If there was anything to it, the authorities would have found something by now,” Karlin said firmly.

“For someone with such a skeptical streak, why do you so readily believe in what the authorities say?”

She paused for a moment, considering this.

“As an authority myself, I can tell you that ‘the authorities’ screw up all the time,” Asher joked.

“Oh, so you’re an authority now?” she asked, returning his playful tone. “The Forge Brothers Security website made it very clear that you guys aren’t actually law enforcement officers, at least legally speaking. So I’m pretty sure you’re not the boss of me.”

“Hmm. My brother Gabe thinks he’s basically the president, emperor, and king of the world,” Asher mused. “Maybe I should read that page to him. Knock him down a notch or two.”

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