Page 89 of John’s Yearning

It took several minutes for her to make it up to the top. When she set her foot on the pavement of the parking lot she’d reached, she looked down at the display of the cell phone. Where would he send her next?

“Welcome!”

Savannah snapped her head up and stared at the middle of the parking lot. Every drop of blood in her body froze in her veins.

“Oh, no! Oh God no!” she cried out.

37

Still invisible, like John and Logan had been during the entire pursuit through the city, John froze the moment he and his Stealth Guardian companion cleared the stairs and reached the parking lot a few steps behind Savannah. What he saw was worse than he’d expected.

Viktorov was indeed waiting for Savannah, and he had, as promised, brought Buffy with him. John had expected Viktorov to have a gun to Buffy’s head or maybe a knife, something to ensure that Savannah made no false move, and that anybody approaching, trying to save Buffy, would think twice about it for fear Viktorov would kill the child before a rescuer could reach her.

In fact, John had been counting on it. Hence he’d devised his plan to approach invisibly with Logan’s help. Logan was cloaking him with his mind, eliminating the need to touch. What John hadn’t counted on was that Viktorov would go far beyond a gun or a knife: he had blindfolded Buffy and put her in a suicide vest. This changed everything.

Buffy stood about twenty yards away from Viktorov, who was leaning casually against the back of a dark SUV. She was slouched against the thick post of a street lamp that illuminated the otherwise empty parking lot high above UCSF Medical Center, her hands tied behind her back so she couldn’t run away. Nor could she see what was going on around her, which probably added to her fear.

“Well,” Viktorov said in a casual voice, “we’re finally all together. Remember me?”

“I remember you. Now let her go, let Buffy go. You’ve got me like you wanted,” Savannah replied.

“Mommy? Mommy?” Buffy cried out.

“Yes, baby, I’m here now.”

Buffy started crying. John exchanged a look with Logan, indicating with signs what to do next. Logan understood and nodded. Making sure he made no sound, John walked across the parking lot to Buffy until he was behind the pole she was tied to.

“Everything will be fine, baby,” Savannah reassured her daughter.

“Yeah, about that,” Viktorov said and chuckled. “Slight change of plans. You’re both coming with me.”

“You bastard!” Savannah yelled at him.

“Buffy,” John whispered into the girl’s ear. Her head jerked up in response and she began to struggle against her ties. “Don’t say anything now. Just listen. I’m your Mommy’s friend. I’m going to untie you.”

Buffy stopped struggling, while John blocked out the conversation that was now unfolding between Viktorov and Savannah.

“Good. I’ll cut the rope around your wrists, but you have to pretend you’re still tied up. Can you do that? We don’t want the bad man to see that I’m freeing you. Okay?”

She nodded, but didn’t speak.

“You’re a brave girl,” he praised her and willed his fingers to turn into sharp claws. With them, he sliced through the rope, caught it, and quietly laid it on the ground.

“Let her go!” Savannah demanded again.

“You see, I can’t do that,” Viktorov said. “The moment I saw the picture of you and her together, I knew what I’d been missing. A mother and daughter, both beautiful in their own right, but together, stunning!”

“Don’t!” Savannah snapped.

“Oh please, as if you don’t have your own fantasies. We all have them. I’m just more liberated and willing to act on them. You’ll see. You’ll enjoy it in the end.”

John wanted to curse. Sick bastard! He rose again behind the pole and put one hand on Buffy’s shoulder.

“Now we need to get this vest off you. Bend your upper body forward a little. Slowly so he doesn’t notice what you’re doing.” Luckily, Viktorov was currently concentrating on Savannah.

Guided by John’s hand, Buffy moved away from the pole a few inches.

“That’s good, Buffy. Now stay still. You’ll feel my hands at your back. I need to make sure there are no wires criss-crossing your back, before I can cut through the fasteners.”