The Forbidden Trilogy(44)

'Sam, no!'

"He has a family, Drake. I can't let him do this!"

"My wife knew something like this might happen. She'd want me to help you if she knew everything. I can't walk away and leave you in their hands without at least trying to save you."

"Why?"

"Because... our daughter... she's special. Special like you and your friends. I'd hoped your school could help her, but now I need to make sure she's safe from them."

His mind pulled me in and memories of his daughter filled my vision.

***

"Daddy, Daddy, come quick!" A little girl with flaming red hair and emerald green eyes sat on the grass next to the lake.

Gar ran out, fear clutching his heart at the distress in his daughter's voice.

Dirty tears streaked her freckled face. In her hands a kitten shuddered and convulsed—dying.

"Daddy, she's broken. Fix her, Daddy, fix her."

Gar knelt down next to the little girl who owned his heart, and cupped her cherub face with his large hands. "I'm sorry, Baby, I don't know how to fix the kitten."

"I found her here, next to the lake. I think she was attacked by a bigger animal."

The snow-white ball of fur had streaks of blood on its belly, likely internal injuries. Gar knew she didn't have long.

"Serena, I'm sorry. You'll have to let her go."

He tried to pry the girl's hands off the kitten, but she used all of her 6-year-old fury to hold on without crushing the dying animal.

"Do you see that, Daddy? The world got sparkly and my hands feel hot."

Gar didn't see the sparkly world, but when he looked down at his daughter's hands, they glowed a bright white.

Shocked speechless, he watched as the light surrounded the kitten.

He didn't notice how pale Serena had become until the kitten sat up and licked her face.

"Daddy, I'm tired now."

He picked up his daughter and carried her home, with the kitten trailing behind.

***

Gar's voice jolted me out of the memory. "That cat hasn't left her side since. This was four years ago."

My voice came out in a whisper. "She's a healer. A powerful one."

"Yes. We've done our best to keep her gifts secret. After healing the cat, she couldn't get out of bed for a week. We'd hoped—"

"—that Rent-A-Kid would keep her safe."

If they ever found out about her powers, the rich and powerful would pay anything to live longer, to be healed from disease, and she'd be drained until nothing remained but a shell of that girl.

It made sense now, why Gar had become my guardian angel.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. We still have a lot of work ahead of us."

***

The seconds dripped into my veins like acid. Dread filled me each time I thought about our plan.

We were about to hijack a plane? That was insane. I mean, sure, Gar would be the one doing all the heavy hijacking, but I would be part of it.

He ignored my attempts at small talk, so I finally shut my mouth and prayed to whoever might be listening that we'd make it out alive.

When we neared the airstrip, the runway lights and buildings turned night into day and blinded me. It shone bright with one tall radar tower, an office for the air traffic controllers who doubled as guards—or maybe guards who doubled as air traffic controllers—and a hanger that fit two state-of-the-art jets.

We drove through a chain link fence topped with razor wire, and pulled up to the jet that had been prepped for my journey.

I did my best to put on a game face. If I just pretended as though this were another assignment, I might get through it.

The pilot stood by the plane with a clipboard in hand, presumably doing a last-minute check of everything, and the stewardess smoked a cigarette outside the hanger.

Gar pushed thoughts into my mind. 'There are two guards stationed at the entrance of the jet, two in the office, the pilot and the stewardess. I'm the only guard that will be on the plane once it takes off, so I can disable the stewardess and pilot and take over the plane.'

As he opened my door and grabbed my luggage, I jerked my head an imperceptible amount to let him know I'd heard him.

A chill swept through me and I shivered, pulling my jacket more tightly around me. My flimsy party dress did nothing to protect me from the cold night air.

Gar greeted the pilot and handed off my luggage to the guards manning the entrance. The short, stout bald one took my luggage up the stairs and into the plane, then returned and stood next to his taller, lankier partner. They both wore all black and had guns holstered at their sides.

Once the luggage had been handled, Gar motioned for me to enter first, so I did.

So far so good.

Then Gar tried to follow me in, but the stout guard stepped in front of him. "Change of orders, we will accompany the girl this time. You're needed back at the school."