Page 26 of Vanishing Legacy
Penny sniffed and ran a hand under her nose. “I know. Rocco teached me.”
“Are you kidding? You…you really know how to drive this thing?”
Penny gave a small nod.
“You are so amazing.” Alana smiled and tucked Penny’s hair behind her ears. “Well, Captain, what do we do?”
Penny’s small voice instructed Alana to pull a nylon cord to open the vent and allow hot air to escape. Alana alternated working the red and orange cords, trying to steer the balloon back toward the field of brightly lit hot air balloons dotting the ground. It took a few attempts to find the sweet spot, but eventually, they began a slow descent.
The balloon basket finally touched down, swaying gently as it settled onto the grassy field. She must’ve done something wrong, because the balloon deflated and fell to the ground behind them.
They climbed out of the basket. Her knees gave out. She sank to the ground and hugged Penny. The girl’s small frame shuddered each breath, but she wasn’t screaming or even crying. Simply breathing. Alana closed her eyes and took another deep breath. If the injection had a physical effect on Penny, she couldn’t see it.
The blare of sirens cut through the night. Alana’s eyes flew open, and she turned her head toward the horizon. A line of emergency vehicles flashing red and blue lights raced across the field. The sound was almost deafening, drowning out everything else. As Alana struggled to her feet, several emergency vehicles raced past them. Probably headed for wherever Carl had landed.
A pickup slid to a stop in the ankle-high grass. Rocco and Cash jumped out and sprinted toward them.
Alana lifted Penny and thrust her into Cash’s waiting arms. “The man…he gave her something. An injection. In her stomach.”
Cash’s eyes widened. “What was it?”
She shook her head. “I-I-I don’t know. He wouldn’t say. Is she going to be okay?”
Cash didn’t respond. Holding Penny against his chest, he ran to the ambulance, shouting instructions to the paramedics. The doors slammed shut. The ambulance took off, sirens wailing.
Alana hugged Rocco and kissed his head. Images of Carl’s face flashed unwanted in her mind. The realization hit her hard. Tonight, she’d risked everything to save Penny but had come so close to losing her own son. She’d left him standing alone in a crowd and charged into danger. Nearly fallen to her death like…like Carl had.
There were sacrifices she’d have to make to be an Elite Guardian, but her son wouldn’t be one of them.
“Mom? Will Penny be okay?”
Alana squeezed his shoulders. “I don’t know, baby. I don’t know.”
Whatever was in the injection, Alana prayed Cash would find out before it was too late.
SEVEN
ELITE GUARDIANS AGENCY
SATURDAY, 7:49 A.M.
Cash was dead tired after a long night at the hospital. He hefted a sleeping Penny up the bricked steps of the Elite Guardians office. The historic three-story home near Lafayette Square ate up half a block of prime Savannah real estate. The cream and black exterior maintained the details of the traditional mid-nineteenth-century homes of the area.
Inside, a young woman with a midnight-painted smile stood behind the reception desk. She embodied the essence of goth culture in a lacy black corset-top dress, chunky combat boots, a thin choker necklace, and thick eyeliner rimming smoky eyes. Her hair gleamed with an iridescent sheen of ebony that shimmered with hints of deep blue and purple. “Good morning—oh…” She covered her mouth and whispered, “Sorry, I didn’t realize she was asleep.”
Cash hoisted Penny higher on his shoulder. He didn’t bother to lower his voice. “No worries. She slept through the extraction from the car and the trek up here. I think she’s good.”
“Cool. I’m Raven, administrative assistant to the Elite Guardians. Alana asked me to make you comfortable in our client room while they finish up. Shouldn’t be long. Follow me.”
Raven led him to a parlor behind the reception area. The room had gorgeous wide-plank hardwood floors, a marble mantel over the gas fireplace, and ornate finial and garland decorative plaster moldings. The windows flanking the fireplace offered a view of a massive live oak tree in the center of the garden. “Wow, is that the original crown molding?”
“Most of it. This home has been in Juliette’s family for generations. Her grandmother handed it down when she passed away. Juliette moved into the ground-floor apartment while the upper floors underwent restorative renovations but decided the big old house was too much for one person.”
He surveyed the refined details of the room. His ex-wife had been an interior decorator, and he’d learned to appreciate the intricacies. “It’s exquisite.”
“I’ll be sure to let her know.” Raven dipped in a half curtsey. “Take a seat wherever you like. Can I bring you a hot or cold beverage?”
“Coffee?”