Page 55 of John’s Yearning

“Sure. When’s she due to arrive?”

“In about half an hour.”

“Gee, thanks for the advance notice.”

“Oh, and Wes,” John added, looking over his shoulder to check that Savannah was nowhere near. “She doesn’t know who we are.”

“Okay, I’ll keep things under wraps.”

“Owe you one.”

“Don’t worry, I’m keeping track.”

John disconnected the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

A few minutes later, Savannah was ready. John walked to the window and looked outside. A black Porsche was just turning into the street. Perfect timing.

“Let’s go.”

He took Savannah’s travel bag and walked downstairs ahead of her. As he exited, Benjamin was already coming up the steps.

“Hey, John,” the young hybrid said. His gaze fell onto the bag in John’s hand, then drifted past John to Savannah who was exiting behind him and pulling the door shut.

She let out a gasp when she saw Benjamin stand there as if blocking their exit.

“This is one of my colleagues,” John said. “Benjamin LeSang. He’s been checking up on Alexi and Rachel and some of the other people Buffy had contact with.”

Savannah seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “Hi, Benjamin.”

“Hi, Sav—I mean, Ms. Rice.”

Savannah made a dismissive gesture. “Savannah is fine.”

Benjamin nodded politely. “You had something for me, John?”

John pulled the plastic bag with the ransom note from his inside pocket and handed it to the hybrid. “Have this analyzed right away. I smelled something really pungent. Some sort of chemical. It’s faint, but I think it’s significant. It could lead us to where the children are kept.”

“Alright. Not a problem.”

“And once you’ve got the results for it, let me know. And contact Detective Donnelly. He might be able to help us find where in the city this chemical is used, if indeed it is a chemical.” And if the kids were indeed being held in San Francisco and hadn’t already been transported somewhere else.

“I’ll be in touch,” Benjamin promised and, with a nod to Savannah, walked back to his Porsche and got in.

John motioned to his Mercedes, unlocked it and put Savannah’s bag behind the seat, while she sank into the passenger seat. He joined her seconds later and drove off.

“Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you to a friend’s house where you can stay until all this is over.”

“A friend’s house?”

There was an edge to her voice that made the hairs on his nape rise. Why did he suddenly have the feeling he had to tread carefully? “Yes, Wesley and his wife will protect you.”

“I see.”

She might as well have said fine, because it sounded just like it. Fine, when a woman used it, meant anything but. It meant she didn’t agree, didn’t like what he’d arranged. He felt he had to explain.

“Listen, Savannah, you can’t stay at your place. I thought you understood that. The kidnapper knows where you live, and now that we’re certain that he wants you too, I can’t risk you being without protection. Wesley is a fully-trained bodyguard.” And a witch to boot. And he had a wife who could make people invisible. He and Virginia were the perfect people to watch over Savannah.