Executive

…63

She hated to admit it, but she was mostly out of it, falling asleep just seconds after each sentence that Steve said. She could barely remember anything from the drive, since they left the restaurant. They drove by Steve's place; she wasn't sure how long that took or where Steve lived. She had slept the whole way. He carried her from one car to the other. She wasn't that drunk… She was just immensely tired. She needed to explain that.

"You know, I'm not that drunk," she said, half asleep.

"Uh-uh," Steve said, pulling out of his driveway. "That's what they all say."

"Ugh… Not fair… I'll prove it to you. I'm still alert. Why did we change cars?"

"I don't know, you tell me," Steve chuckled.

"Now you want me to observe stuff, right?"

"Right. It's a long drive, and we need a topic for conversation."

"How long?"

"An hour and a half."

"Understated?"

"Nope."

"Where are we going? You never told me."

"Up in the mountains. I have a cabin there. It's the safest place on Earth."

"Oh." She desperately tried to wake up so she could process the information. No good. Her brain simply refused to operate.

"Did you drug me?"

"What? No," he laughed. "You must have me confused with the coworkers from your other job."

"I've never been so tired," she said, slurring her speech and yawning.

"It's because you finally feel safe after a long period of non-stop stress. Your body is claiming its toll. You've been running on adrenaline for a while, depriving your body of the deep sleep and relaxation it needs to rest properly and recharge. Here, in the car with me, you know there's nothing much that can happen to you, so you're finally stepping out of your constant state of hypervigilance."

"So, you know I am not that drunk, right? That's all I care about right now. The rest you can explain to me again tomorrow, 'cause I won't remember much."

"Yes, I know you're not that drunk."

Alex could hear the smile in his voice, despite the darkness that surrounded them. Interstate 8 was quiet at that time of night, as they headed toward the mountains. She continued to battle her sleepiness.

"Why did we change cars?"

"What can you tell me about the car we're in?"

"It's an SUV?"

"Yes, more suited for a ride to my cabin on unpaved roads than the BMW, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes," she sighed, closing her eyes and falling asleep instantly.

"Hey, we're driving by the plant," he said, a few minutes later.

"Huh?" She tried to keep her eyes open.

"Yep, we're driving through Alpine." He briefly looked her way. Her eyes were closed. "Ah, go back to sleep."

She had no idea when they got there. At some point, she felt the road had become somewhat bumpy, but this car was just as comfortable as the other one. She remembered thinking that they should be getting close, once they left the highway. Then she fell right back to sleep.

Somewhere between her blurry dreams, they arrived at the cabin. Steve carried her inside, where a dim light was on and an immense black dog was waiting in the doorway. The cabin was chilly. Steve took her to a sofa in front of a fireplace and laid her down. Minutes later, a nice little fire was casting shadows on the walls. The dog was lying at her feet. After a while longer, she woke up to see she was cuddled with that enormous dog, on the extended sectional couch, covered with a blanket that dissipated a strong cedar scent.

Steve was sitting on the floor next to her, stirring the logs in the fireplace.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, touching his shoulder, "I was not a good date for you tonight."

"It's all right, kiddo, there will be plenty more opportunities for that."

"You promise?"

"Promise. Now go back to sleep."

When she woke, it was daylight, the sun was already high. Sensing her move, the dog stretched his paws and licked his nose. She rose and noticed she was wearing Steve's pajamas. She blushed. Oh, well… She noticed a note, pinned to the fireplace mantle.

The note wasn't signed.

The day passed quickly, between naps, meals, and brief walks around the cabin. The landscape was breathtaking. The cabin overlooked one of the few wooded gorges of the southern California mountains. She had no idea where exactly on the map the cabin would be. From the back, you could see all the way into the valley. Down there, far away, a road was barely visible. She could not distinguish the cars on it. The front of the cabin was facing a thickly wooded patch, and the road leading to the cabin was nothing more than a forest path. She listened hard and could only hear the forest sounds: birds chirping, leaves rustled by the wind. The sounds of serenity.

Teddy nudged her, waking her from her daydreaming. He was a huge Terra Nova, from what Alex could tell, in great shape and obviously hungry by now. It was dusk already. She went inside and prepared food for her and Teddy. They both sat in the dimming daylight, eating and watching a spectacular view through the window.

Suddenly she became aware of Teddy's low growl. Hackles raised, he started walking toward the cabin door. She looked out the window, trying to see clearly in the darker dusk. A silhouette moved near the tree line. Alex gasped, seeing a man carrying a shotgun. Teddy's growl grew louder. She crouched, reaching for her cell phone. There was no coverage here, so high up in the mountains. She looked around for something she could use as a weapon. There wasn't much. The man was approaching the door, and she could see him better under the porch light. He was huge.

The man grabbed the screen door handle and opened it. He knocked on the doorframe.

"Hey, there, miss?"

Teddy's attitude suddenly changed, recognizing a familiar voice. The hairs on his back settled, and his tail started waving.

"Miss? Are you in there?"

Alex rose from behind the couch.

"Yes. Who are you?"

"I'm your neighbor to the south, miss, just came by to see if everything was OK with you. Steve asked me to. Oh, and I also feed the dog when Steve can't make it up here."

"Oh, I see. Thank you for checking in on me. I've already fed Teddy. You nearly scared me to death," she laughed.

"Didn't mean to do such thing, miss, I apologize. I'll be on my way now."

"Uh… excuse me?" She did not know the man's name.

"Yes," he turned.

"Did Steve say when he was coming back?"

"Later tonight, that's what he said."

She waited, curled up on the couch, in front of a newly started fire. When she woke, the sun was high again, and Steve was holding a cup of steaming coffee in front of her nose.

"Good morning, sunshine, how are you feeling today?"

"Aww… you said you'd come last night." She voiced her disappointment before she could restrain herself. She had made plans for their evening together.

"Oh, but I did, and you were fast asleep," he smiled. "Here's some coffee, and I promise you there's no meth in it. Come on, you're going to need it."

"Huh?" Alex took a sip. The coffee was excellent.

"You have a plane to catch. You're going to Florida. Dr. Barnaby managed to arrange for you to interview the Florida drone operators. We're leaving in an hour."