Lukas followed behind, somehow moved by her respect for the sparse, patchy turf. From what he’d gleaned about Oklahoma, there was no shortage of green grass. In the sandy soil of Sickle Ridge, however, a lawn didn’t spontaneously grow, it was cultivated. Nurtured by hard work, dedication, and near-constant watering. Without being told, Briar seemed to understand that.
“Are you coming?” she asked, standing on the last stone, hands on her hips.
“I’m not as young as you are.”
“Older by six whole years. Puhlease. Twenty-four is by no means old. That reminds me—how does someone become a doctor at such a young age?”
He picked up his pace. “Accelerated education—and no social life. I graduated high school at sixteen and earned a Ph.D. in biology by twenty-three.”
He caught up with her and they stepped together onto the narrow gravel path. He wanted to press her about what Caster had said. Obviously, his brother had upset her, and he wanted get to the bottom of it. But he couldn’t risk her shutting down on him. The last thing he wanted was an atmosphere of distrust. He and Briar were colleagues. More like partners, really. She was his key to a scientific breakthrough. He was her key to freedom. They needed each other.
“Your grandmother raised you?” Embarrassed that such a short trek left him winded, Lukas struggled to keep his voice steady.
She turned to look at him. “You really should get out of the lab and get some exercise. Weed the flowerbed, take Roxy for a walk. Do something. I’d give anything to be able to go outside and work up a sweat while breathing fresh air. Instead, I’m stuck inside every day, working out to techno pop with some muscle-head on a flat screen.”
Apparently, she’d not only noticed the wheezing, but felt compelled to comment on it. That settled it; subtlety was not one of Briar Lee’s attributes. Discretion simply wasn’t in her nature. For their partnership to work, he might as well thicken his skin and accept it.
“Granna Grace, that’s what I called my grandmother. You could say she raised me. She moved in when I was a baby and lived with us until she died, when I was ten. Even though Mom and Dad were around, I spent most of my time with her. I preferred it that way, and so did she. We were BFFs, best friends forever. I’ll never have a friend like that again. I’m thankful I experienced ten wonderful years with her.”
“She was your namesake. Briar Grace—your full name is on your chart.”
She nodded. “Yep. Though I’m not very graceful. But she was.” She stopped short and knelt on the path. “A lizard. Come here, little fella.” She held her fingers to the ground, coaxing the slender creature onto her hand. “What kind is he?” she asked, rising slowly, lightly stroking the mottled gray-and-brown tail.
Lukas leaned closer. “Side-blotched lizard. Very common in this area. They only grow to about six inches long. This guy is probably full grown.”
The lizard climbed higher on her wrist, and she cupped her palm gently around him. “That’s far enough, Blotch. Don’t want you down my shirt or in my hair. Go back to your family. Tell them about your exciting day on the path, how you ended up in the hand of a giant.” She stooped and opened her fingers, smiling as the creature slipped into the larger rocks beside the path.
Lukas chuckled and shook his head. “I’m picturing Reid right now. Screaming, running for shelter willy-nilly because a lizard got too close to her foot.”
“Fear’s ugly.” Briar shrugged and began walking again.
“You don’t experience fear?”
“I didn’t say that. I said it’s ugly. Makes you do ridiculous things—like run willy-nilly. I’m not even sure what that means, but it sounds really unattractive.”
Lukas laughed. “I’m having a hard time picturing you being afraid.”
“Here, let me give you an eye full.” Briar stopped walking and turned to him. “I’m afraid right now. Standing on this path, breathing in clean, crisp air, surrounded by scenery more beautiful than I could ever dream or imagine, conversing with the smartest person I’ve ever met—I’m terrified.”
Lukas’s scalp slipped back. “Of what?”
She lowered her eyes and shook her head. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Maybe not, but I’d still like to know.”
She took a deep breath, dropping her shoulders as she exhaled. “I’m afraid of unplugging from God. I mean, it’s not like I can help it—my God-zones are being destroyed by order of The Commandment, not by my own free will. But will God understand that? I’m not sure He will. And I can’t stand the thought of not knowing where I will spend eternity. I’ve always believed I would go to heaven when I died, that I’d be with Granna Grace again. But after the abstergent…” She massaged her collarbone. “Not knowing will be like living in hell already, minus the brimstone and flames.”
Lukas tried to trade places with her, tried to relate to her fear. But it was impossible. Instead, he felt sorry for her, and a powerful resentment toward her grandmother’s ignorance. The superstitious old woman had really done a number on Briar’s psyche. Thankfully, his abstergent would be able to alleviate her torment. The sooner, the better. To witness a young woman of Briar’s intelligence and fortitude trapped by the irrational fear of a make-believe god infuriated him.
“I’m sorry.” It was all he could manage to say. If he spoke ill of her grandmother, she’d never talk to him again, let alone forgive him.
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” She half smiled. “Since you asked the question, and now you’ve got me on a roll, would you like to know what I’m more afraid of? Even more than losing my connection with God?”
“Tell me.”
“I’m afraid that deep inside, I’m secretly glad.” She swallowed. “I’m scared I’m relieved, because things will be so much easier. I’m so tired of being isolated, lonely, shunned by society. Never being allowed to attend public school, or even to go shopping. Forbidden to dry the tears of the children I so desperately love and want to help.” She wiped at her own tears. “I’m only seventeen. It kills me to think of spending the rest of my life this way.”
“Relief, gladness, the anticipation of change—those thoughts should bring you comfort, not fear. Things will be easier once your Agathi are eliminated. Think of them as a ruptured appendix or compacted wisdom teeth. Painful. Excessive. Unnecessary. But easily removed by a pair of skilled hands.” He opened his hands like a book and held them palms up in front of her. “These hands.”
Briar sniffed and cleared her throat. “Are you being for real right now? Because I seriously can’t tell. I mean, how melodramatic can you get?”
His face warmed as he dropped his hands to his sides. Joking. She was only joking. He stretched a smile over his clenched teeth.
She gave a surprised laugh. “Glad to see you finally found your sense of humor!”
She threw her arms around him and squeezed, causing Lukas to sputter a surprised laugh of his own.
~*~
“Hello? Anybody here? Delivery.”
“Coming.” Lukas stepped quickly down the hallway toward the front office. “I’m sorry. We’re running on a skeleton crew.” He signed the electronic clipboard held out by the delivery man. “Thank you.”
“You, too. Have a nice day.” He handed Lukas the large padded envelope imprinted with the government seal and then walked out the front door.
Lukas pressed the envelope face down to his hip, and hurried through the empty waiting room and down the hallway. He ducked into his office, locked the door and sat at his desk. Sliding a pair of scissors from the top drawer, he carefully slit the top of the packet and slipped his hand inside. Heart tunneling toward his toes, he tweezed the postage-stamp-sized object between two fingers and slowly drew it from the opening. Briar’s fleshcard. It stared coldly from inside the clear plastic case.
What was he supposed to do now?
He frowned at the tiny chip, less than a quarter the size of its casing. He didn’t like the idea of tracing Briar’s every mo
ve. The thought was absurd, and he was well aware of it. Monitoring and testing was the sole purpose of Briar’s residence at Stone Labs.
What was the big deal? It was a fleshcard. He held the small, transparent case under his desk lamp and rotated his wrist, scrutinizing the chip. He’d seen hundreds of them before, exactly like it.
No. Not exactly like it. This one belonged to Briar.
Once the card was under her skin, she would no longer be her own person. He would know the levels of her biological chemicals. He would know the precise area of her brain that was processing information, not only when she was undergoing a brain scan, but all the time. As she conversed, ate her meals, brushed her teeth, and went about her daily routine, her brain would be an open book. Even while she slept.
He would discover her chemical responses to stimuli. The chip would track her every move, record her every word. Tell him if she was lying. It would give him a read out, essentially, of what she truly thought of him.
He would be alerted when her Agathi were active. He would know exactly when she thought about her god. The times when she remembered special moments spent with her grandmother, heads together over an open Bible. He would be aware when she prayed.
Installing the fleshcard would obliterate what sliver of freedom Briar had left. He might not have God-zones, or a soul, for lack of a better term. But he did have a conscience.
Lukas pulled his key ring from his pocket and selected a small silver key. He unlocked the third drawer on his desk, tucked the chip inside, and locked it back.
Shipment companies weren’t what they used to be. No telling when—or if—Briar’s fleshcard would arrive.
7
The quick knock on Briar’s door bounced off her ribs. She dropped her book to the bed, forgetting to mark the page. “Come—” she croaked out, cleared her throat, and tried again. “Come in,” she said, praying it wasn’t Caster.
“Hello, Miss. Hope I’m not bothering you too much.” A man with sandy blond hair sticking out from under a red ball cap stepped through the doorway. In both arms, he held a stack of neatly folded clothing. “Name’s Derby Jenkins.” He stuck out the fingers of his right hand. “I’m the guy who’s been bringing by your laundry and grooming supplies when you’re out. Sorry we haven’t already met. First time I’ve caught you here.”
Briar smiled. “I’m in the lab a lot. Let me help you with that so we can properly introduce ourselves. I’d feel terrible if you dropped all that perfectly folded laundry.”
“Fresh from the wash.”
Briar took the stack from him, setting it carefully on the bed. The clothes were soft and smelled heavenly—like spring rain, fresh cut grass, and sunshine. Sunshine? How was that even possible?
“What kind of detergent did you use? My mom would love it. She’s all about great smelling laundry.” A wave of nostalgia overtook her as she thought about her mom. She hadn’t realized how much she already missed her.
“Spring…something. Found it on sale at The Dollar Save. Thought it smelled nice.”
“It smells great.” She held out her hand. “I’m Briar Lee. Nice to meet you, Derby.”
“Pleasure.” He pumped her hand and grinned. “I was hoping to make your acquaintance sooner, but this place keeps me hopping.” He leaned in closer, as if someone might hear. “Tell you the truth, I’m enjoying my work more now with most of the staff gone. I can do things my own way, without anyone complaining.” He let go of her hand and readjusted his cap. “Want me to take out your trash, Miss?”
“It’s Briar, remember?” She glanced at her trashcan. “Nothing in this one.” She stepped to the bathroom. “Let’s see…A string of used dental floss and a soap wrapper in this one.” She stood in the doorway. “Safe to say my trash doesn’t need emptied today. But I appreciate the offer.”
“No problem. It’s part of my job.” He glanced at his cuffphone and tapped the screen. “Sweeping’s next on the agenda. I’ll be back to take care of the floor and clean your bathroom later, when you’re in the lab. Lukas—I mean Dr. Stone—said you were scheduled for some appointments this morning.”
“There’s no need for you to pick up after me. I’ll sweep up and clean my bathroom this afternoon.” She returned to his side.
“That’s my job, remember? You trying to get me fired?” He nudged her shoulder.
“Never.” She lifted a scrub-shirt from the top of the stack, careful to keep it folded, and held it to her nose. “I’ll let you clean my bathroom twice, as long as you keep the fresh laundry coming.”
He chuckled. “So how are you liking it here?”
She shrugged. “It’s OK. Maybe a little lonely. I mean, I was isolated before, but I had my phone and flexpane. Because of my condition, my conversations were monitored, but at least I could talk to my kids.” The look on Derby’s face caused her to rethink her words. “Not my own kids.” She laughed. “I meant the kids I talk to online. I love interacting with children. I’m majoring in child psychology.” She wondered what Mouse was up to lately.
“I thought you seemed a little young to have ankle biters.” Derby stepped to the door. “I’ll catch you later. Still a lot to get done this morning. Real nice to meet you, Miss Briar.” He tipped his hat and left, closing the door behind him.
Briar scooped up the stack of scrubs, burying her face in the fabric as she carried them to the dresser. She got a good vibe from Derby Jenkins. Fun loving, nice, polite. Visiting with him was like kidding around with a good-natured uncle. She hoped to see more of him.
~*~
“The color looks good on you. Brings out your eyes.”
Briar glanced down at her turquoise scrubs and hopped onto the exam table. “Thanks. They smell really good, too.”
Lukas nodded. “Derby’s a regular laundry connoisseur. I can use the same detergent and softener, but try as I might, can’t get the clothes as clean or smelling as fresh.”
“They say everyone has a talent. Did you pick out the colors?”
His cheeks pinked slightly. “Most of them. Reid chose a couple of sets—the brown ones and the mustard yellow. I picked out the rest. We ordered them from a medical supply store. We concluded they’d be an acceptable option to accommodate your daily procedures.”
“Gee, and I thought you guys were thinking of my comfort. Didn’t realize scrubs could be so technical.” She tugged up her waistband. “Be sure to tell Reid the brown ones are my favorite, followed by the mustard yellow. I’m saving both pair for a special occasion.”
Lukas glanced up from the flexpane where he was recording her vitals. He locked gazes with her for a second and grinned. “I’ll do that.”
She smiled back, glad he was finally able to tell when she was joking.
“Or you could tell her yourself. I won’t be in the lab this evening. Reid will be conducting your after-dinner testing. It will just be the two of you.”
“Can’t wait.” To her annoyance, Lukas chuckled. So now he was going to laugh at her every sarcastic remark? She didn’t find the thought of being alone with Reid very funny. “So, where are you going tonight, if you don’t mind my asking?”
He set the pane back down on the wheeled desk. “My father is flying in from Maryland, which is somewhat of a rarity. My brother and I are taking him to dinner.”
Caster. She almost shivered.
“I’m hoping spending time with Father will be good for Caster. Lighten him up a bit, emotionally.”
She shouldn’t say it, but she was going to. “What is the deal with him, anyway? He seems so cold and bitter. Of course, that’s strictly a first impression.”
He removed her blood pressure cuff. “He has his reasons. Life hasn’t been good to him.”
“His little boy sure is cute.”
Lukas’s countenance brightened like the sun moving from behind a cloud. “Gatlin is a great kid.” He slid a tongue depressor from the glass container on the countertop. “Open wide.”
She opened her mouth and stuck o
ut her tongue.
“You mean that’s all it takes to keep you quiet?” He flattened her tongue with the wooden stick and shined his penlight into her mouth.
“Very funny,” she mumbled around the depressor.
“Shhh!” His light brown eyes sparkled with mischief.
This guy was having way too much fun at her expense.
~*~
“Does this table meet your approval, Dr. Stone?” The blonde hostess glided her manicured fingers above the table as if she were about to make it disappear.
“Is it the best in the house?” Lukas’s father asked, standing up even straighter, dwarfing the young woman despite her high heels and towering up-do.
She smiled. “Yes, it is.”
“Then it meets my approval.”
She seated them, promising the swift arrival of a server. The older man’s gaze followed intently as she walked away. Whether she also met his approval or didn’t measure up to his standards, Lukas couldn’t tell.
“Caster, I was hoping to spend time with my only grandson this evening.”
“Gatlin’s with the nanny. Lira’s teaching him how to make cookies or candy. Something that rots the teeth.”
“Boys don’t belong in the kitchen. He should be here with us, talking business. Learning the ropes. Time passes faster than you realize. Soon he’ll be part of Stone Labs.”
“He’s six, Father.” Caster cut his gaze around the dimly lit room. “Where’s the waitress? I require wine immediately.” He frowned and snapped his fingers, beckoning the blonde hostess, now seating other guests.
She hurried to the table.
“Is there a reason our server has been detained? Perhaps the words on the menu are too hard to pronounce, or some catastrophe has occurred?”
“My apologies, sir. I’ll find someone right away.”
“When you find this ‘someone,’ be sure to tell them I tip according to service.”
She hustled away, looking somehow smaller.
“Was that necessary?” Lukas asked, his ears warming.
Caster smirked. “She’s a hostess who’s gone searching for a waiter. She can handle it. It’s not like I sent her on a scavenger hunt in a cannibalistic jungle.”
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