Page 28 of Todd
I think about you constantly, he wanted to say.You’re the first thing on my mind when I wake up and the last thought before I fall asleep. I’ve been thinking about you every day for eighteen months.Instead, he only managed, “Anytime...”
She disconnected after saying good night, leaving him holding a silent phone and drowning in regret for all the things he should have said but hadn’t found the courage to voice.
He stared at the dark screen for several minutes, replaying every word of their conversation and cataloging the subtle changes in her tone, the moments when her carefully maintained distance had seemed to soften. But her comment about the spa kept echoing in his mind.“This place creeps me out.”
Sadie wasn’t easily intimidated or unsettled. Years of CIA operations had honed her instincts to razor-sharpness. If something at Serenity Dunes triggered her internal warning system, there might be a direct link to the missing Natalia Benedetto.
Moving to his desk, he opened his laptop and typed “Serenity Dunes Spa Resort” into the search engine. He’d researched them from the moment the assignment came in, but now wanted to see what she was experiencing.
The screen filled with professionally photographed images that looked like they’d been torn from the pages ofArchitectural Digest. A world-class dining facility with crystal chandeliers and white tablecloths. Private rooms that resembled luxury hotel suites. Yoga pavilions overlooking desert vistas. Treatment rooms that promised to transport guests to states of transcendent bliss.
The marketing materials painted the facility as an oasis of sophistication in the Arizona desert, a place where stressed executives and celebrities could retreat from the demands oftheir high-pressure lives. Everything looked pristine, peaceful, and exactly what the name embodied… Serenity Dunes.
Sadie had spent weeks studying everything she could about the spa, but Todd had left most of the research to Timothy since he was the one accompanying her. Moving past the glossy promotional content, he searched for reviews and firsthand accounts from former guests.
Most of the testimonials were glowing, filled with praise for the transformative experiences and life-changing revelations achieved during stays at the spa. But scattered among the effusive reviews were a few comments that gave him pause.
One reviewer mentioned feeling uncomfortable with the transportation requirements, as guests weren’t allowed to drive to the facility but had to meet designated buses at predetermined locations, ensuring that no one had access to personal vehicles during their stay. The reviewer had initially found this policy strange but had ultimately decided it contributed to the “digital detox” experience.
Another guest had expressed mild concern about having to surrender all electronic devices upon arrival, including laptops and phones, but concluded that the enforced disconnection had been beneficial for their mental health.
A third review mentioned that the staff seemed unusually interested in guests’ personal lives and backgrounds, conducting extensive interviews under the guise of customizing treatment programs. But again, the reviewer had chalked it up to exceptional customer service.
Individually, each comment could be dismissed as the minor quirks of an exclusive facility dedicated to providing immersive experiences. But taken together, they painted a picture of an operation that exercised unusual levels of control over its clientele by isolating them from outside contact, gatheringdetailed personal information, and ensuring they had no means of independent transportation.
Todd’s military training and security background made him naturally suspicious of any organization that sought to limit people’s freedom of movement and communication. Add Sadie’s instinctive unease, and he felt sure Serenity Dunes might be something other than what it appeared to be.
One thing was for certain—tonight’s conversation had changed something fundamental between them. For the first time since that disastrous morning when he’d called their night together a mistake, she’d reached out.
It wasn’t much, but it felt like a beginning. And Todd was no longer willing to pretend that what had started when they first met couldn’t be built upon, developed into something real and lasting and worth fighting for.
He just hoped he wasn’t too late, and that whatever was making Sadie uncomfortable at the spa wouldn’t put her in any danger while he figured out how to win back the trust he’d thrown away with a few carelessly spoken words and misguided notions of protecting them both.
15
The crisp morning air filled Todd’s lungs as he jogged across the compound, his breath forming small clouds in the early light. Last night’s phone call with Sadie still had him riding high with her laugh echoing in his mind. For the first time in too long, hope had taken root in his chest.
That hope withered the moment he saw Mary’s face. Her wheelchair was rolled to the main building's doorway, her usually composed features tight with barely contained tension. The way her jaw clenched, the flash of something dark and urgent in her eyes, sent ice through his veins.
“I was just going to send out the notification to everyone, but you can head on in. Logan needs to see all the Keepers now.”
The words hit him like a physical blow. His heart lurched as every worst-case scenario flooded his mind. “Sadie? Is it Sadie?” Terror made his voice rough.
Mary’s expression flickered, revealing sympathy. She blinked hard, gave a quick shake of her head that did nothing to ease the panic clawing at his chest. “She’s fine. But you need to report to Logan. The others are coming.”
She’s fine.The words should have been a relief, but the tension radiating from Mary kept his nerves strung as tight aswire. Something was wrong, and if it wasn’t Sadie directly, it was connected to her mission. Which meant she was still in danger.
Todd didn’t waste time with questions. He rushed past Mary, his long strides eating up the distance as he hurried through the security checkpoints with practiced efficiency. His hands were steady on the biometric scanners, but his mind raced through possibilities, each one worse than the last.
The main compound room buzzed with nervous energy when he entered. The other Keepers clustered in small groups, their conversations dying as they noticed his arrival. Faces turned toward him, and the uncertainty in the room was palpable.
Cory and Devlin burst through the doors behind him, both breathing hard from their rush across the compound. “What’s going on?” Todd growled, his voice carrying the edge of barely restrained panic.
Heads shook around the room. No one knew anything. They were all waiting, all suspended in the hellish limbo of not knowing what had happened. The silence stretched taut until Logan’s footsteps echoed in the hallway. Every head turned toward the sound, and Todd felt his shoulders bunch with tension as their leader strode into the room. Logan’s face was carved from stone, revealing nothing, but the speed of his movements spoke volumes.
“We need a change of plans for Sadie’s assignment.” Logan’s voice cut through the silence like a blade. “Timothy has had an emergency. He became ill about two hours ago and finally called 911. He was taken to a hospital in Phoenix, and I just got off the phone with them. He’s being prepped for an emergency appendectomy.”
The room erupted. “Dammit!” “Fucking hell!” The curses flew from multiple throats, but Todd barely heard them over the roar of blood in his ears. Timothy was down. Sadie was alone,exposed, with no backup in a potentially hostile situation. The careful planning of her protection had just collapsed.
