Page 76 of Forged in Deception

Everyone was sitting quietly, listening to Bajwa as he gave a few final instructions, including letting everyone know that he and Karlin would be monitoring their vital signs and taking notes.

She was glad that they’d managed to give Axel the proper placebo this time. His acting was convincing, but he couldn’t exactly fake a higher blood pressure or an increased heart rate. She didn’t think that claiming an underdose would work a second time.

They wouldn’t start drawing blood or measuring vitals for another hour or so, so she sat down and tried to relax. Even Bajwa seemed to have lost some of his usual energy, choosing to lean against the wall instead of wandering around the room.

Despite her boss’s assurances to their patients, she knew that the incident with Destiny had to have rattled him. Not that it would come close to being enough evidence for him that DX8 was dangerous.

After fifteen minutes or so had passed, she got to her feet and did a quick circuit to check on each guest. Everyone had their eyes closed, and both Paul and Cora were rocking back and forth slightly. When she approached Axel, she noticed that he was doing the same. He didn’t even open his eyes to try and sneak a smile in her direction. It was as though he hadn’t noticed she was there at all.

Well, whatever. So long as it convinced Bajwa and everyone else that he was high as a kite, she wasn’t going to–

A surprising sound from outside broke through the pounding of the drums.

A dog was barking loudly, and a few seconds later, the sound of sirens joined the chorus. Bajwa hit pause on the CD player and looked over at her with confusion.

“What on earth is going on?”

Karlin opened her mouth, and then shut it again as the sound of voices and footsteps grew louder.

A second barking dog joined the other one. She could distinguish it by the low rumbling of its bark, and for one absurd moment, she found herself thinking of John and the service dog he desperately needed.

“Karlin, what is going on?” Bajwa demanded, pacing back and forth in place. She stood completely still, her heart rattling against her ribcage as she tried desperately to think of a possible answer to his question.

At that moment, four police officers, a black Labrador, and an enormous German Shepherd burst through the door and entered the hut.

“I have no idea,” she said honestly, trying desperately to catch Axel’s eye as the chaos rose to an immediate fever pitch.

“Everyone stay where you are, and stay calm!” one officer–a compact man with dark skin who seemed to be in charge–commanded.

“We’re looking for Dr. Daman Bajwa,” the man continued, his fellow officers fanning out behind him, weapons drawn. One, a tan-skinned man who looked to be easily six and a half feet tall, kept guard at the door.

Karlin looked at her patients, all of whom were now making noise, rocking quickly back and forth, or covering their ears. Axel was doing the same, and while she knew he had to stay undercover, she desperately wanted him to acknowledge the insanity of the situation.

Had he called this in even though they’d agreed to wait until tomorrow?

She couldn’t think of any other explanation as to why the retreat had suddenly become overrun with armed law enforcement. She tried to catch his eye, hoping for a reassuringglance, but he was ignoring her completely. Undercover or not, he was seriously ticking her off.

“I’m Dr. Bajwa, but this is–this is preposterous!” Bajwa said, stepping forward with his hands raised. His face had gone red, and his eyes looked like they were going to bulge out of his skull. “For what possible reason am I in trouble with the law? I’m an American citizen! I have all of my documentation, and I can explain any discrepancies!”

Karlin resisted the urge to let out a snort.

There were discrepancies, all right, if Benjamin Forge’s research was to be believed. But she highly doubted that was why Amarillo PD had shown up now.

The officer in charge nodded to the other two standing nearby. Within seconds, they had produced handcuffs and closed in on Bajwa. “You are under arrest in connection with the suspicious death of Amira Elizabeth Gorsky. You have the right to remain silent–”

Bajwa interrupted the man immediately. “This is an outrage! I hope you are prepared to be sued for all you’ve got! I did not even work at Senera Pharmaceuticals at the time of Amira Gorsky’s death!”

To Karlin’s horror, he managed to yank one hand free of the police officer trying to cuff him, and pointed it in her direction.

“I wasn’t there, but she was. I’ve seen the file! She was the one who signed off on a severely depressed woman’s participation in a Phase I medical trial. Arresther!”

Karlin’s heart felt like it was going to burst right up into her throat, but she said nothing, figuring that holding her ground was the best option.

She had taken the aforementioned file with her and hidden it in her cabin. There was no way that Bajwa knew it was gone, and it was far from guaranteed that there were other copies of it floating around, especially if her theory was correctand it contained additional false information designed to bring her down. Senera–and therefore Bajwa–wouldn’t have wanted anyone to see it unless they found themselves in a truly tight situation.

“You can explain everything down at the station,” one of the other officers grunted, finally managing to secure the silver cuffs around Bajwa’s wrists. “I’ll make sure you get a chance to contact a lawyer.”

She knew the truth about what she’d done was going to come out, but if there was any way she could choose, it was going to be on her terms.

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