The Twin Test

He hated that Erebus and a few other companies had gotten concessions to explore parcels of land in Kenya’s wilderness. The region was an environmental wonder. It was famous for its beauty, wildlife and indigenous people. It was also known in his academic circle for its fault line along the Great Rift Valley. Not an ideal place to drill and frack—two things Erebus had already been doing...with government approval, no less.

He could see their tank farms, wells and trucks from the area his team was supposed to map out. In fact, that chief engineer, Ron, had mentioned that if things went well with this project, they might have him do another seismic survey in their current drilling field to map out more definition between the subterranean structures shown in their original models. They wanted to improve efficiency in hitting their jackpots and zeroing in on oil pockets. Dax was building a reputation for himself.

He yawned and rubbed his eyes. He really did need to get a little sleep before his morning commute. Erebus Oil had provided a driver, so he wasn’t worried about getting to the site again. He was worried about the girls, though. He would be an hour away, and it was their first day with a new caretaker. Pippa seemed fine, though. Plus, he’d done some checking up on her after she left. He’d told himself it was necessary and responsible to do so. For the twins.

The elephant rescue she’d mentioned had a big website, and most of the photographs on it were credited to Pippa Harper. They were good, too, though he really hoped she’d used a super zoom lens on some of those close-ups. According to some of the lodge employees, she also had relatives with connections in security and the Kenyan Wildlife Service. The twins were probably in safer hands with her out here than with a professional nanny who freaked out at the sight of a toy spider.

He reviewed the list of rules and the schedule he’d laid out for tomorrow. Nothing was missing as far as he could tell. If all went well, they’d be done with their list by the time he arrived back from the site.

I was teaching them about the natural environment here and why it’s so important to protect the land as well as the animals from being destroyed by human ignorance and man’s greedy actions.

Pippa’s voice filled his head loud and clear. She may not have been referring to him at the time, but according to her worldview, he was selling his soul by working for an oil company.

And wasn’t he? He’d abandoned his research on earthquake patterns and prediction. He’d forgotten the Dax who’d become a seismologist because he desperately wanted to figure out how to save people. The Dax who believed in climate change, and wanted to preserve the land, sea and sky and all their inhabitants.

Maybe he wasn’t destroying any of that directly with this new job, but he was guilty of aiding and abetting. He was using his skills and expertise in reflection seismology to analyze and develop subterranean maps that would in turn tell them where to drill...or even frack if they chose to.

One of these days, he’d have to explain it all to Ivy and Fern and hope that they’d forgive him. He was doing this for them. And as far as Pippa was concerned, she knew nothing about him. She had no idea what it was like to raise the twins alone. He was doing what he had to do. Besides, she drove a jeep, and it sure didn’t run on air. Who was she to judge? And why did he care what she thought of him anyway? Why did he suddenly feel guilty?

It didn’t matter. She was responsible enough to watch the girls until he found someone else. That’s all he needed. So long as she kept the girls safe for the next few weeks, Pippa Harper could think whatever she wanted of him.

* * *

PIPPA PROPPED HER feet up on the rattan ottoman, threw a light shawl over her knees and leaned back in the rocker that sat on the front porch of the Busara house.

The full moon cast shadows on the opposite side of the camp, where the old framed tents she’d grown up in still stood, decades later.

Her parents, and Kamau—the other vet who ran Busara—and his wife, Niara—Pippa’s mother’s best friend—hadn’t built the house until Pippa was five years old...right after her father had discovered she existed.

The fact that she still lived here wasn’t all that weird. It wasn’t like there were apartment complexes every block so she could move out—not that she wanted to move away. The year and a half she’d spent traveling had been enough to stretch her wings and make her miss home. At least that’s what she kept telling herself. Maybe if she ever made enough money to invest in herself, she’d be able to build her own cottage nearby. It seemed like a waste of resources, though. There was room here. And whatever money she made, she preferred to donate to her education project or funding wildlife projects, like at Busara.

A lamp from inside cast just enough light through the nearby window for her to read the book in her lap. The house was quiet; everyone was asleep. The rise and fall of cricket and cicada song lulled her into a dreamy, relaxed zone, perfect for reading. Dark. Breezy. Alone. Perfect for a romantic mystery.

She opened her book and vanished into the story. It sucked her in. Page after page. The thrill of not knowing...like that first spark of attraction or first crush. Dax’s face flashed in her head and she rubbed at her eyes. Where had that come from? She glanced at the page number and paragraph she’d just read. Nope. She wasn’t falling asleep. She’d read that. It had just been an exhausting day, that’s all. She shifted in her chair and kept reading.

This was it. The moment of truth. The whodunit. A wild dog howled in the distance, and the brush beyond the elephant pens rustled. Her pulse raced, and she flipped the page.

“What in the name of thunder? No!” she growled.

She double-checked the page numbers. It wasn’t a typo. The page was gone. The page with the whodunit. She stretched the binding apart just enough to spy the jagged remains of a torn page. White powder shook onto her lap. White powder. Sugar. A brown smudge stained the following page. Chocolate.

“They. Did. Not!”

The twins had torn out the page. Who did that? Who damaged books like that? A rare copy, no less.

“Those freaking girls. I’m going to—” She grabbed fistfuls of her hair and braced her head against her knees. “I swear they better not have thrown it away.”

The screen door to the house creaked open and her mother appeared, half-awake.

“Pippa, what in the world is going on? You’re going to wake up the entire camp.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t realize my voice had carried. It’s just these twins I’ve agreed to look after. This whole thing might not be worth it. I’m pretty sure their dad knew they were a handful. He lied to me by omission. Alim tried to warn me. I should have listened.”

Her mom sat on the corner of the ottoman and put her hand on Pippa’s knee.

“Since when do you back down from a challenge? You seemed so excited about this at dinner and you haven’t seen them since you left Tabara. Why the change of heart in just a few hours?”

“They tore my book.”

“Ooh, that’s bad. Girls their age should know better. You ought to call in first thing and quit.”

“Just like that?” Pippa sighed and slumped back when Anna smiled. “Am I ever going to outgrow your reverse psychology tactics?”

“Nope. Because we parents know our kids so well.”

Just how well does Dax know his daughters?

“I guess. I just never met a child who would tear up a book. They’re evil little monsters.”

“A harsh label for girls so young. I love you to pieces, Pippa, but I’m pretty sure a few of my gray hairs were caused by you.” She gave Pippa’s hand a loving squeeze.

“Just a few?” Pippa tipped her head up and stared at the moon. “I’m sorry I woke you. Go back to bed. I’ll be in in a sec.”

“Okay. But just remember, Pip, you’re the one in control. This can’t be that different from all the tours you’ve given at camps and lodges in the past. You’re the leader. You make the rules and set the boundaries. Maybe these girls need some. Maybe they need someone like you.”

“You’re right. I’m the one in control.”

Her mom nodded as she disappeared through the screen door. Pippa got up, wrapped the shawl around her shoulders and filled her lungs with night air.

You have them at your mercy, Pippa. Don’t lose it. Use it.

Civil war history and battle strategies, huh?

She had a few battle plans herself.

And if Dax didn’t like her methods, he was on his own.

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