Page 45 of Vanishing Legacy
Ryan’s eyes swept to Alana, then to Cash.
“Not my car,” Alana said.
“My ex-wife is deceased. A storm surge from Hurricane Irma swept her car off the road. It’s never been recovered.”
Ryan lifted his chin. “And what made you two think you could recover a vehicle in the middle of the ocean?”
“That would be me, Lieutenant. I served on the LAPD dive unit.” Alana clasped her hands together. “I read the reports and studied the currents to come up with a search grid.”
“You accessed the reports?” Ryan’s eyes narrowed a twinge.
“Yes, sir. I’m currently working for the Elite Guardians Agency in private security.”
“Ah. I read about the incident in Forsyth Park last week. It was in the papers. That you?”
Alana shifted her weight. “Yes, sir. I haven’t seen the article, but we managed to stop a woman who’d been stalking S. M. Warren for months.”
“Good on you,” Ryan said. “Now, on behalf of the United States Military, thank you for recovering the unexploded ordinance. As you may or may not know, ocean disposal of munitions was formerly an accepted practice. We do not have accurate information on the number of military UXOs on the sea floor, nor their locations. However, when one is located, we work swiftly and diligently to retrieve and secure the device.”
It sounded to Cash like Ryan had memorized the speech. How many times had he delivered it?
Ryan continued. “I was informed that during retrieval of the UXO, divers did uncover a vehicle obscured by debris and vegetation, which is making it difficult to remove. It’s too early to tell the make and model or if there is an occupant. We’re working with local detective Matt Williams, who says he will keep you two posted.”
Cash exchanged a look with Alana. The woman who had not only awakened his heart but also had the skills and tenacity to help him find what had been lost for all these years. “You did it. You found Sonia’s car.”
Alana slipped her hand into his. The gesture spoke more than words ever could. A banner of hope unfurled itself inside his chest. All the guilt, all the regret, all the wondering…could it really be over, just like that? And all because he’d met Alana. Could it be that God had orchestrated the events that’d brought them together? That His guidance had led Penny to Alana to bring them to this very moment?
Questions rattled around in his head, but he said, “I’d like to be there when you bring the car up. I need to see it with my own eyes.”
Ryan’s jaw tightened. “That’s not possible. It will take time to bring up the UXO and secure it. We’ll need to keep a two-hundred-yard safety zone at all times. I know you don’t want to hear this, but the vehicle is our secondary concern. We’re losing daylight, so we likely won’t extract it until sometime tomorrow.”
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Alana asked.
“No, ma’am,” Ryan said. “It’s too dangerous for civilians to be involved in a situation like this. We appreciate your assistance in locating the UXO and the car, but we’ll take it from here. In fact, we’ll need you to vacate the premises as soon as possible.”
Cash didn’t like it, but he understood the seriousness of the situation. This was a dangerous military operation, and they were the same civilians the military were sworn to protect. They couldn’t be standing around if the bomb detonated. “Thanks, Lieutenant. We’ll head out, but I’d appreciate it if you could give me an update. You have the info?”
“Yes, sir.” With that, Ryan did an about-face and headed toward the dock.
Cash released Alana’s hand and drew her into a tight embrace. “Thank you,” he whispered. His lips brushed her earlobe.
“You’re welcome.”
Cash wanted to stay there forever, holding her close and breathing the intoxicating aroma of her salty skin. In that moment, time slowed and nothing else existed but the two of them.
But they should really leave before someone came along and escorted them out. He released his grip and let his hands slide down her arms before stepping back. “We should get out of here.”
“I guess you’re right.” Her eyes scanned the area. “Although, I’m dying to stay here and help. This is the exact thing I’m trained to do. Well, maybe not the bomb thing. We have bomb techs for that. But retrieving evidence like Sonia’s car.”
“So, what’s the next step?”
She lifted her palms. “I guess we wait.”
Alana’s eyes darted over his shoulder. She whirled around and stepped behind him. When Cash turned around, a weary man in a dark off-the-rack suit stood in front of her.
“Dr. Thomas?”
“That’s me.” He stepped beside Alana. Job or not, he wasn’t about to let her take the brunt of an attack on his watch.