The Thirteenth (11 page)

“Can we go now? I haven’t found anything.”

Delta had her pleading face on and Val had to admit she was tired. It was a quarter to five and she knew Mr Gallymore would not be back today, so she agreed to close.

“We need to stop off at Shane’s on the way home. I want him to check out my tattoo and tell him about last night.”

Delta nodded, making her way out.

As they arrived at Shane’s, Val felt a pang of apprehension. Would he have any more news for her today? Would his secret friend have any more facts to make some sense of Val’s life? They went towards the double doors through a group of rough looking men. Delta grabbed Val’s hand.

“Hello, ladies.” Shane appeared before they could get in. “Lads, these young girls are my friends. If they ever need anything, you help them out, alright!” The large men all nodded.

“Oh, I do feel better now,” said Delta ironically, looking at Shane with a weak smile. “Many tattoos today?” she asked. Val had to take her hat off to Delta; she was trying to be nice.

“Not a bad day at all.” Shane grinned at Delta. “I’m just about to close up, so would you girls like to stop for a coffee or a cold drink?”

Val nodded.

“Let me see your arm,” Shane said, waiting for her to roll her sleeve up. “Ah! I see you have lost another symbol, Gemini, this time. Have you had another adventure?”

Val pulled down her shirtsleeve, nodding. “Yes, last night. Short version: crazy lady knew all about me. I’m freaked that she knew so much. It was as if she was waiting for me to arrive.”

Shane was obviously concerned. “Are you OK? Did you get hurt?” he asked.

Val sat on one of his chairs pulling off her shoe to show him the gash in the bottom of her foot.

“Doesn’t look too bad, but let’s get it cleaned up. Wait here while I get my first aid kit.” Shane walked out through the swing door leaving the girls alone.

“Why didn’t you tell me about your foot, Val?” Delta looked hurt.

“Because it’s nothing, and I know how much you hate blood.” Val looked regretfully at Delta.

“Don’t do it again. We could have come here in your lunch break to get this sorted instead of prancing around town.” Val knew Delta cared, though, if they hadn’t been in town, she never would have seen her mystery man.

“Delta, Shane is taking a long time. Maybe you should go and have a look for him.” Delta huffed as she walked off through the swinging door. Within seconds, Shane was back.

“Where’s Delta?” he asked.

“She’s looking for you. Haven’t you seen her?”

Shane shook his head. “Let’s sort this foot out. She’s probably out the back, getting a drink. We can go and find her in a second.” He lifted Val’s foot and gently started to clean the wound. Val spent the next few minutes giving Shane the full run down of the previous night’s events and by the time she had finished so had he.

“Have you spoken to your friend again?” she asked. I don’t want you to think I’m badgering you, so please tell me to give it a rest if I am.”

“I spoke to him this morning. He’s going to investigate deeper. He was very interested in what’s happening to you and very disturbed that an eighteen-year-old is disappearing into thin air and falling into situations way over her head. I’m sorry to say I have to agree.” Shane patted Val’s leg for her to put it down. “We need to find a way to protect you, as we don’t seem to be able to stop you, and I think I have the answer right here.” Shane grabbed Val’s hand and pulled her up. “Come with me.”

Val followed Shane through the swing door and out towards the gallery.

“Delta must be comfortable, she hasn’t come back,” Val said, but even as she said the words, Delta came flying towards her.

“We need to talk.”

Val was surprised at the strange look on Delta’s face. “Just let me sit down and have a drink first, Delta.” Delta was now grabbing urgently at Val’s hand. What’s the matter, Delta? You can talk in front of Shane; he’s our friend.” By now they had moved into the gym area and Val was surrounded by the equipment.

“Don’t worry, it’s too late,” Delta said walking over to the table and sitting down. Val watched her, wondering why she was acting so strangely. Maybe the teleporting had scrambled her brain.

“I’ll put the coffee on,” Val said. “Do you want a cup?”

“No thanks, I’ve already had one.” Delta responded.

Val looked at her in shock; Delta never drank alone if she had to make it.

“OK. You want one, Shane?” Val shouted. Shane called back his request for one and then there was another voice.

“I’ll have one too. White two sugars if you are making.” Val looked up. Who was there and had they heard her talking to Shane? As she surveyed the area, she spotted the punch bag moving, and a pair of feet at the bottom. Could this be Shane’s special friend?

“Hello, coffee coming right up.” She turned towards the percolator, not wanting to stare. This was great; she would get to meet him in person.

Delta sat staring over at Val with a smug expression on her face.

“What’s your problem?” Val asked.

“Nothing,” said Delta still looking at Val.

Val made the coffee whilst she mulled all the questions she was going to ask Shane’s friend when he came over.

“Coffee’s ready.” Val made her way to the table with a tray and placed it down. Shane came up behind her and, reaching round, grabbed his.

“You can stay if you look after us like this,” said Shane, his smile filling his whole face. Reaching out for the stranger’s coffee, she murmured to herself, “Take your time Val, don’t scare him off.” She could feel heavy breathing behind her.

She spun around to greet him. “Hello…” The coffee cup slipped, dangling dangerously from her hand with her jaw hanging almost as low as the cup. Val just stared at the young man standing in front of her.

Delta got up and made her way around the table to Val’s side. “Val, please let me introduce you to Shane’s son, Jason.” Delta seemed to be revelling in Val’s silence. “He is here on holiday.” Delta made her way around the back of Jason and stopped on the other side of Val. “So next time, when I say I need to speak to you, maybe you will listen.” Delta laughed a small wicked laugh, flicked her hair and made her way back to the table.

Val was still fixed to the spot. It was him, the young man from the shopping centre. What was the chance of it being him?

“Are you OK? Nice to see you again. I couldn’t forget that t-shirt.” Jason broke the moment by grabbing the hanging coffee cup, luckily still containing most of its contents.

“Yes.” Val was blushing a painful red. She noticed that even sweaty, he smelt great.

Shane walked past her. “This is my son. He is going to teach you to box and fence.”

“Sorry, what?” Terror streaked across Val’s face.

“Jason can teach you both boxing and fencing if you want. They will at least give you a better chance of defending yourself.” Shane sat down with Delta. Jason, who now had his drink under control, also moved past Val, who seemed stuck to the spot. Her brain was throbbing with the thoughts shooting through it. She needed to calm down and make her way to the table.

“Yes, that sounds good to me.” Val turned and grabbed the first available chair. Looking into her coffee cup, she questioned Shane. “Does Jason know everything about me?” She wasn’t ready to look up yet.

“Jason knows you need help, that you are at risk of getting hurt, and he can help you.” Shane moved his hand over the table and gently placed it over Val’s hand. “All the people at this table want to help you. Last night you could have been in serious trouble. I know you have powers that you can’t control, but that’s not enough.”

Val could feel a burning behind her eyes. Although it wasn’t as bad as the pain in her arm, she knew it signalled danger. Out of nowhere she heard moving water. She concentrated. No, it was more like waves crashing on a beach. She looked around the table; her friends obviously weren’t hearing the same as her.

“Shane, I think I’m going.” Val pulled her hand from under Shane’s.

“Val, don’t go. We want to help you. Please stay. Tell us what you need?” Shane said, misunderstanding.

“
NO
Shane. I’m really going.” Val leaned forward. The sound of waves was even louder. Then she spotted it, an image in the coffee jug in the middle of the table. It was a man drowning. As her eyes focused on him, Val was completely oblivious to Delta who was trying to get her attention.

“Time to go,
now.
“ Val reached out and touched the coffee jug.

Shane, Jason and Delta watched as Val disappeared.

The arrival was soft. Val was quite impressed. Maybe, just maybe, she was getting used to this teleporting thing. As she opened her eyes, all the colours of the rainbow seemed to be flapping in her face. Looking down she noticed that her feet were sinking into sand and then, out of the blue, a child’s face popped over the top of what Val realised was a wind breaker.

“Hello,” he said.

“Goodbye,” said Val to the boy as she stood up and hurried off.

She looked around her. She was definitely on the beach she had seen in the coffee jug. It had soft white sand and its crystal blue waves were caressing the shore. Val realised this was definitely not Skegness. The beach seemed quite busy. Arriving inside the temporary changing area was a stroke of luck, and consequently no one seemed to be paying her any attention.

“Where is she?” Shane looked at Delta.

“How am I supposed to know?” Delta raised both her hands.

“What should we do, Dad?” Jason looked at Shane for an answer.

“Wait, that’s all we can do. What’s the time?” asked Shane. Delta looked up at the clock.

“Five-forty-five. Her mum is expecting her home in fifteen and she is already in trouble.” Delta voiced her concern for her friend.

“Is this her mobile on the table?” Jason picked up a phone.

“Yes it is, you can tell by the drab black exterior.” Delta took it from Jason. “I’ll send her mum a text message saying she’ll be late,” she said.

“OK, you do that. Val said that she returns to the same place she left from” Shane pointed to Val’s chair. Delta nodded in agreement.

“Jason, let’s move the table and prepare for her coming back then.” They both stood and started to move things out of the way.

Val wondered
where
in the world she was. Under different circumstances she and Delta would have loved being here. However, her previous experiences had taught her that something, possibly nasty, was about to happen.

Val looked across the beach and out to sea for a sign. Within seconds she spotted an arm waving frantically above the water. Then the arm became a man rising in the waves, then sinking again. Val wasn’t prepared to rush in like last time. While she was still considering the best course of action, Val was practically knocked down by a masculine figure in red shorts, holding a float under his arm, running towards the water.

Well, this was going to be easy. Lifeguard saves man; Val pulls man out of water and ‘pow’ we touch hands and that sparkly thing happens and back to Shane’s I go. Val felt quite pleased with herself. She watched as the lifeguard made his way purposefully through the waves towards the man, who was at least consistently drowning. As he reached him, he threw out his float. Val felt quite nervous. She had never seen someone drowning before. The man came above the water again and as he grabbed the float, Val felt a deep sense of relief. However, this was fleeting. With a violent jerk, the lifeguard disappeared.

“No! Not again.” Val kicked the sand and she stood on her toes, praying that they were just out of sight. Within a few seconds, she knew what she was going to have to do; the only problem was that she was a seriously poor swimmer. Val bent down, pulling at her laces like an angry six-year-old. She wasn’t taking anything else off; she didn’t care how many women on the beach had three inches of cloth on their bodies. As she straightened up, she was still hoping that they were going to suddenly reappear above the waves, but nothing happened. Val headed towards the water at a snail’s pace, the waves starting to lap over her toes and the impending
save
now looming heavily over her head.

Unexpectedly and out of nowhere, she felt two large hands slamming into her back, and then she was tumbling uncontrollably to the ground. Looking around to see who the perpetrator was, she was shocked to see the man who only moments ago had been drowning.

“Why are you here? Where’s the lifeguard?” Val was getting to her feet, shouting at the man who was now running away backwards in a mocking fashion.

“Go, fetch, chosen one,” he shouted, blowing her a sarcastic kiss, leaving Val standing in the sand.

“I will, don’t you worry,” Val shouted indignantly. If she was going to be pushed around by these strange people, it didn’t mean she couldn’t answer them back. Brushing the sand off her clothes, she began making her way back into the water.

“
Chosen one
was what the old lady had said and now him. Did they know each other? There’s obviously some connection between them.” Val realised she was muttering and looked around to see if anyone else had spotted her. No, it was all clear, so she started to stride into the waves with a newfound determination.

“I may be the
chosen one
, but chosen for what?” This was frustrating. Val had been an average girl all her life and had tried her hardest to stay in the shadows of the attention tree, but now there was someone who needed her, and she wasn’t going to let them down.

Val’s was now waist high in cool seawater and there was still no sign of the lifeguard surfacing. Glancing back towards the shore, she couldn’t make out anyone else coming to the rescue. She was on her own. The water was now up to her armpits and she knew that she was going to have to swim. With a grunt of frustration, Val lifted her feet off the seabed and started a form of doggy paddle, aiming for the point where she thought the lifeguard had gone down.

Through the crystal water, Val observed far too much sea life swimming near her. She didn’t much like fish unless it came in batter with a portion of chips in white paper.