The Turncoats (The Thirteenth Series #2) (26 page)

Hi Alien. Isn’t it entertaining – you go to the cinema to watch a movie about aliens
I suppose it makes you feel at home and I see you have a few new friends. More fun for me! Kiss-kiss Delta.

Val felt her body starting to shake with adrenaline. Delta was watching them. She knew they had gone to the cinema. Val felt her anger building and knew she needed to move out of here before something went wrong. “Wendy, we need to leave here now,” she voice commanded.

Wendy wasn’t stupid; she understood instantly that whatever had just arrived on that phone wasn’t good. “Daniel, I’m not feeling well. I think I need some fresh air.” She stood, not giving him time to ask her what she wanted to do. Val grabbed Zac’s hand, pulling him up while trying to survey their surroundings. If Delta was in the theatre, she couldn’t see her. One thing about Delta was that she stood out in a crowd, even in the dark.

“Are you alright?” Daniel asked Wendy as they all made their way to the reception area.

“I need the bathroom. Will you come with me?” she asked Val, who nodded.

“Stay here,” she instructed Zac, like a newly trained puppy.

“Just here.” He pointed to the spot he was standing on.

“Don’t be silly,” she replied as they disappeared into the ladies.

“So what’s going on?” Wendy whispered, looking around to see if anyone was in there.

“Look at this.” Val handed Wendy her phone.

“Oh, this is not good. What do we do?”

“We get out of here as fast as we can. She’s obviously watching us, plus now Daniel is on her radar. Do you know where he lives?” Val started to look into the empty cubicles.

“Yes, I picked him up today. It’s a house on Queen Street, very big, very impressive actually.”

“Then we need to get him home.”

“Oh yes, and remind me next time to invite Fran and Jason,” Wendy chipped in as they left the toilets to collect the guys and leave.

Val showed Zac the text during the very quiet journey to Daniel’s house. It was as if they were waiting for a bomb to go off. As they pulled up, Val had to admit that his house was very nice. She could see his old, or as Wendy would call it, Classic car in the drive. Next to it was a shiny new BMW sports car.

“So, that was short but sweet. I will call you to see if you’re feeling any better,” Daniel said as he got out the car, turning to wave briefly at Val and Zac on the back seat.

“Don’t worry, we will look after her,” Val replied, feeling guilty that this had to happen.

They watched Daniel head up the drive as Val’s phone beeped again.

Do you think it’s safe to let the boy go? Look what happened to Fran

“Wendy, call him back. Now! Get out of the damn car and call him!” Val was desperately trying to climb over the seat.

“Daniel, come back!” Wendy screamed as she struggled with her door. He turned looking at her with a confused expression.

“What’s up?” he headed back to them. “Are you going to be sick?”

“Get him in the car,” Val pulled out her sword. “She’s followed us here.” Val jumped out, her mobile phone in hand. “Shane, where are you?” She turned, looking at all the cars and surrounding buildings. “It’s Delta. She’s following us. Stay at work, we’re coming to you. Get Jason and Fran there now.”

“What are you doing Val?” Daniel protested as she pushed him back into the car. “Oy!” He didn’t seem at all impressed with her weirdness. “I don’t want to come across as rude, but you’re weird, and your foreign friend is even weirder.” He tried to stand but Val dived into the car and plonked herself on his lap. “This is highly inappropriate! Wendy, please understand that I don’t want this girl to sit on my lap.”

“Daniel, shut up! She’s trying to save your life.” Wendy waited for the door to close and drove off as fast as her Morris traveller could go.

“What’s going on?” Daniel demanded, trying to shove Val onto the floor between the seat and the dashboard.

“You have no choice, but to tell him he’s in danger, Val.” Zac advised from the back.

“Right. Yes, Daniel, I’m not really who you think I am. I have a secret agent chasing me because I’m an MI6 agent working undercover.”

“In Arcsdale, in a second-hand bookshop!” Daniel raised an eyebrow.

“I thought that would sound good, but it really was lame. The truth is I’m half alien, half witch, and my evil ex-best friend, who I left in sixteen forty-five to fend for herself after she helped kill me, is trying to kill you because you’re dating my friend here.”

“I think I’ll go for the MI6 agent. Now let me out of this loony bin so I can go home, or I’ll call the police.” Daniel was about to do something Val knew he would regret and so the time had come to put an end to his journey.

“Sorry,” she said as her sword extended in front of Daniel’s eyes. She touched him as carefully as possible; she only wanted him out until they could get him back to the tattoo parlour. It was swift and he only shook for a few seconds.

“I can’t believe you just did that!” Wendy yelled over Daniel’s limp body.

“I had no choice; get us to Shane’s,” she demanded. There wasn’t much room on the one seat in the front. She leant her body the best she could against the door of car and looked out the window wondering when this was all going to blow up in her face.

Jason and Fran were already waiting for them outside Shane’s. “Hello strangers,” Jason called out cheerfully.

“A hand would be good,” Val replied as she fell out the car in an attempt to hold Daniel’s body up.

“Here.” Jason pulled her to her feet. She pushed him backwards. “Not me you fool, Daniel.”

“Is he dead?” asked Fran.

“No, just unconscious.” Val jangled her sword.

Fran tutted. “You so have the advantage on everyone.”

“Hey Wendy, how are you?” Jason enquired, casually pulling Daniel’s body out of the car. Zac climbed over the car seat to grab his feet.

“I’ve had better Sundays,” she announced.

“When?” Jason grinned at her.

Wendy thought about her response. “That’s disturbing. I can’t think of an answer. Just take what could have been my first real boyfriend indoors so he can wake up and dump me.”

Jason pulled as Zac lifted, and Daniel was out. Lucky for them it was Sunday and the high street was empty or it might have looked like they were moving a corpse about. Wendy locked the car and they all piled into the tattoo parlour.

“Morning Shane,” Zac greeted him.

Shane was working on a large man who seemed undisturbed by the body coming through.

“How’s it going Brad?” Jason tipped his head.

“Good.” The man looked up. “I remember the days when me and your dad could...”

“That will be enough information, Brad. Put him out back Jason, to sober up,” Shane said not lifting his eyes away from the amazing golden eagle he was crafting.

“Shane, why do you work on this day? Do you not worship any God or Goddess?” Zac asked as he helped carry Daniel away.

That made Shane look up. “Ok, who is messing with Zac’s brain?”

“Believe me, if I could have predicted his reaction, I would never have even gone there.” Val pushed the door with her back as they carried Daniel into the gym.

They placed him onto a gym mat in the corner, out of harm’s way, and sat down at the glass table.

“We have a big problem. Delta is stalking us, big time. She knew we were in the cinema and she knew we were dropping Daniel off. That’s why we had to bring him with us.”

“How does she know what you’re doing?” Fran asked.

“I’m such an idiot!” Jason slammed his hands on the table. “Your phone! She’s got a phone! Don’t you remember? Sam gave us all a phone. She can track you anywhere.”

“Oh my God, you’re right. I never thought about it.” Val pulled her own bulky phone from her bag. “What do we do with them?” She placed hers in the centre of the table; Jason put his down next to it.

“Is that Wendy’s new friend?” asked Shane, joining them. “Is there no one we meet that you don’t electrocute, Val?”

“Where’s your phone, Dad?”

“Here.” He pulled it out of a pocket inside his jacket. “Why?”

“Delta has been tracking Val with the phone Sam gave her.”

“She’s a clever little madam. Someone needs to sort that girl out.” Shane shook his head in disbelief.

“We need to call Sam. Maybe he can scramble them.” Val pulled out her phone.

“Not going to happen; he’s had to go away. Something about a job with ‘no comms’. Sorry.” Shane could see the disappointment in Val’s eyes.

“What does ‘no comms’ mean?” Zac enquired.

“He won’t be in touch. Probably got an important client. You can never predict with him.”

Val felt her heart sinking into a place she didn’t like the idea of. He had a job to do and so did she. She wouldn’t hang around moping over some guy who disappeared without even a text to say goodbye.

“So what do we do, flush them down the toilet?” she asked Shane.

“First thing, switch them off.”

Wendy and Fran turned the phones off. “We all have mobiles; it’s just Val that wears the tracker.” She glanced down at her necklace. “We can keep in touch for now with our personal mobiles, but I think the necklace has to go. That’s what she’s following.” Val quickly removed it, handing it to Shane who proceeded to stand on it. “She more than likely knows you’re here. We need to move.”

“We can go to my house if you like,” Wendy offered.

“Great. You guys go to Wendy’s. I’ll close up and leave a message for my other customers, but we need to get Val out without Delta seeing, or she could follow her.”

“Excuse me, can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Daniel suddenly appeared behind Jason, wobbling slightly from side to side.

“Daniel!” Wendy exclaimed, running over to put her arm around him for support.

“I see our new friend is awake.” Shane gave him a hearty pat on the back as he walked towards the parlour. “Wendy, bring your car around the back to the fire exit,” he said.

Daniel was helped to the table by Wendy and Fran and was now sitting, looking from one to the other.

“I’ll be back in a second,” Wendy jangled the keys to her car at him and ran out.

“Well, you see this is what we were trying to tell you before, but you just wouldn’t listen. So my advice would be to pay very good attention.” Val placed her foot on the chair next to Daniel and leant forward, holding the palm of her hand out in front of him.

“I’m sorry, but if you think I’m going to believe that you are an...” Daniel stopped dead, his word hanging in the air.

“Proof enough?” Val asked as her hand flickered with the flames that now engulfed it.

“Don’t!” Fran moved in between them. “It’s not his fault. This is a crazy world we live in, and we should have kept him safe.”

Val shook the flames out on her hand. “He’s got no choice now, so he’d better get used to it. At least till we catch Delta.”

Fran spoke to him. “Daniel, I was like you, but you have to understand that what Val has to do helps to save people’s lives. I don’t have fire springing from any part of my body, thank goodness, but I’m part of this just like you are now. Delta, the girl that’s after us, is a traitor. She betrayed us and left Val to die. You need to hear the whole story, then, if you want to leave, you can.” Fran placed a gentle hand on Daniel’s. “Jason get us a drink. Let’s just take a moment to tell him, and then we can all head out.” She’s amazing, Val thought to herself. Yesterday she was tied to a chair and today she’s the rational voice for the group.

“Five minutes.” Jason tapped his watch as he walked over to the fridge and pulled out a few cans.

Val and Fran sat patiently explaining what was happening to them. Val explained how she had met Shane, Jason and the others, about the tattoo and how Excariot had tricked her into freeing him. She told him about travelling back in time to stop Lailah, Excariot’s true love, from being freed and how hundreds, maybe thousands, of prisoner sprits had been released from her real home, Alchany, and it was now her job, along with her hunter, to return them, with the help of Wendy of course.

He kept nodding very slowly and Val wasn’t sure if this was a nervous reaction or just because he really was taking it all in. Then she told him about Delta, how she had been her best friend, or so she thought, and the betrayal that had made her leave Delta in the past. She explained that Delta was now back in the present, ready to wreak havoc, and that Daniel had just made it onto her hit list. She told him that she had every intention of keeping him safe, but he had to work with her. He became noticeably calmer, but made no comment.