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

“Your landing was worse than I expected and your memory is highly disappointing. I have already told you, I am thirty-three twenty-seven, your designated hunter. Remember it. I know you are a reject, but it seems that this is going to be harder than I could have ever expected.” The hunter stopped and gradually turned on the spot almost in slow motion, until he was facing Val. He raised his hand up straight and pointed to a nearby dumpster.

Val wanted to laugh; it was like something out of one of those S.A.S movies her dad had made her watch.

“In the iron box is prisoner 77294. Do you have your dellatrax with you?”

“My what a trax?” Val looked bemused.

“Your dellatrax! A guard’s most important piece of equipment. It catalogues all prisoners, their abilities, strengths and weaknesses.” The hunter started to look worried.

“No, I don’t have one of those. What does it look like?” Val responded with a perplexed expression.

“It looks like a dellatrax. We’re going to be killed! The Warden promised me this would be an easy mission.” He glanced at his watch again.

“Hello, anyone in there?” Val called out to the dumpster.

“What are you doing? You are giving away our position,” the hunter hissed, seeming confused by her actions.

“Rather him out than me in that thing,” Val replied.

“Here it comes,” he said stepping back as the dumpster sprang open.

“AHH!” screamed a very rotund, balding man as he leapt out. Val was shocked by his agility compared to his size. She reached instinctively for her sword, but it was too late. The man had grabbed her and in one compression Val was powerless.

“Assistance now!” Val wheezed at the hunter as her attacker squeezed harder and harder.

“What? We don’t assist, we just hunt,” the hunter shouted back at her across the alley.

He had to be kidding, she was being squeezed to death and he was seriously intending to just stand by and watch. She could feel herself getting crosser.

“Plus, if you had your dellatrax this wouldn’t be happening.” The hunter glared at her like a scolding parent.

Val lost it. Her knee came up with force, straight into her aggressor’s stomach making him loosen his grip for one second. “Are you insane?” Val called out, managing to take a breath. “Help me!”

The aggressor had recovered quickly and was now lifting Val high off the ground, preparing to throw her.

“Sorry twenty-three thirteen, but rules are rules.” The hunter shuffled back, neatly dodging Val who hurtled past him, crashing into the dumpster.

As she lifted herself back onto her feet she noticed that her bracelet had started to glow. She pulled out her sword and flicked it into the extended position and headed back across the alley. “I’ll deal with you in a minute,” she mumbled as she passed the hunter on her way towards the babbling maniac who was coming at her again, arms extended. Val swung her sword at him, knowing it would take at least five to ten seconds to take effect on someone of his stature. What happened next was as much a surprise to her as it was to him. She aimed at his chest and as the sword made contact her bracelet lit up like a Christmas tree, and the power through it seemed to be enhanced by one hundred percent. The man shook for what felt like a blink in time and then dropped to the ground. Val stood over his body in a state of disbelief. What made that happen?

“Well, not a bad first arrest, reject,” the hunter said, surveying the prisoner and looking impressed.

“I’m sorry but you and I need a little chat. You don’t just turn up and teleport me away and you definitely don’t call me a reject. On this planet that’s an insult.”

“It is on mine as well,” he replied smoothly.

“My name is Valerie Saunders,” she told him, closing her sword, “and the next time you will help me, or I will take great pleasure in taking you to Alchany for extraction myself!”

The mounting tension was broken by the Star Wars theme bleating out from her mobile. “Hi Shane. Yes, I’m ok. Do you know where we are?” Val waited for his response. “Soho in London. Ok. I will be back at the bookshop in a minute, I hope,” Val flipped the phone shut. “So, what do we do now?” She pointed at the motionless man on the floor.

“We should get him to your Collector before he wakes.” The hunter reached out for Val and the man, the blue spark passed between them and they were off again.

They didn’t arrive, as Val had expected, back in the bookshop but in the flat, just in front of the portal to Alchany. The door was still wide open from the hunter’s arrival. He placed his hand in the gap and instantly the warning noises started. They stood in awkward silence but after only a few seconds the Collector arrived.

“Thirty-three twenty-seven, what a pleasure to see you and Val,” the Collector said looking down at the unconscious man on the floor. “Oh, I see you have prisoner 77294,” she sniggered. “How easy was that catch then?”

“Not easy at all, actually. If hunter boy here had helped I probably wouldn’t have ended up with this bruise from hell on my back,” Val moaned.

The Collector looked at her sternly. “He’s not here to fight your battles for you; his job is purely to hunt out the escaped prisoners when they take human bodies.”

“So, it’s ok for me to get mangled and half beaten to death while this bloke watches?”

“Yes. Was this prisoner hard to catch?” The Collector looked back and forth from Val to the hunter.

“No, and I apologize for her complaining.” The hunter lowered his head in shame.

“I’m sorry, but yes it was difficult. Maybe I will get the next prisoner to throw
you
against a dumpster.” Val poked him in the arm.

“You should have had your dellatrax then this would not have happened.” The hunter poked Val back.

“Well if you...” Val started.

“STOP!” the Collector shouted, cutting her short. “Enough. This prisoner is a grade one, Val. That means he is the easiest person you will ever get to arrest. He has no magical power and probably isn’t too bright.” The Collector placed her hand over the man’s body and he started to levitate, almost as if he was on a conveyer belt. “And you, thirty-three twenty-seven, Val hasn’t been trained. You will need to get her a dellatrax, and try to be patient. You know you can’t leave your guard, unless they become deceased, so you need to work together.” Abruptly she turned away from them and headed back through the portal.

Val and the hunter stood like chastised children, staring at the floor until she was completely gone.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence Val chose to speak first. “Fancy a fresh start?” she asked looking at her unwanted new friend.

“Very well,” he smiled back. It was the first time Val had seen him do anything but frown. She decided he had a friendly smile.

“Well we can’t go around calling you hunter or thirty-three twenty-seven, so what’s your name?” Val sat on the bed.

“I don’t have a name; why would I need one?” He sat next to her.

“Because it will help you blend in. I will give you one.” Val looked around for inspiration. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a magazine. It wasn’t one Wallace would have read. She knew exactly who this had belonged to: Delta. She must have been in the flat, visiting her beloved master, long enough to read a copy of TEEN-VOGUE. Val leaned over and picked it up. On the front cover was a picture of the actor Zac Efron and some girl.

“Who’s he? Is he important?” the hunter asked pointing at the picture.

“He is almost God like on Earth. All the women crave him and all the men want to be him.” She smiled; he wasn’t her type; she liked the dark and secretive type.

“Then I shall take this name, Zac Efron, as my Earth name.” The hunter stood up looking really pleased with his new title.

“Zac it is. Now we need to go downstairs to see if my friend Wendy’s OK.” Val pointed to the stairs and together they headed down. When Val pushed the door she was surprised to find it was locked. She tried her key, but with no success. Zac had a go, but still no luck. Then they heard a voice from behind the door.

“Who is it? I’m armed and dangerous!” Wendy’s voice was noticeable shaky.

“Well, Wendy-armed-and-dangerous, this is your boss; now let me in,” Val called. They heard Wendy pulling away whatever was blocking the door as she opened it. Cautiously, two green eyes popped around the edge.

“Oh, you’re ok!” Wendy sighed with relief and allowed them back into the shop. “I called Shane. He was with Jason working on the laptop. Have you spoken to him?” Wendy asked.

“Yes, it’s all fine.” Val pushed Zac forward. “Wendy, this is my hunter.”

“Hello,” Wendy smiled politely, keeping her distance after his physical approach earlier.

“I am Zac Efron. You must be the one they say is a powerful seer.” Zac actually seemed excited to meet Wendy, more so than he had Val.

“I’m sorry, did you just say your name was Zac Efron?” Wendy looked to Val for confirmation.

“Yes, I have taken the name of one of your Gods, so the reject Val tells me,” Zac said with a smile.

“Enough with the reject.” Val shoved Zac out of the way. “How come you know about Wendy?” she asked, walking to the kettle and switching it on.

“In Alchany we have been cataloguing your life. We knew Wendy was here to help you, and all about her powers. What makes her special is that she has a similar power to one of our Judges. The ability to see the future is a far more valuable power than anything you and I could ever dream of having.”

“Yes Val, I have the power.” Wendy rubbed her temples and tried to look mean.

“I agree, but for now let’s concentrate on the job at hand.” Val stirred their drinks and passed a mug to Wendy and another to Zac.

“What is this?” Zac looked at the mug with a confused expression.

“It’s coffee. I made you white with one sugar; that combination tends to please anyone on this planet.”

Wendy sipped hers trying to show Zac what to do.

“In Alchany we don’t have this coffee.” He sniffed at it suspiciously.

“Just drink it.” Val tapped his mug with hers. “So Zac, tell me what is a dellatrax?”

“Ah yes, the dellatrax is a unique device that all guards receive at birth. I didn’t know you haven’t received yours yet and so for that I must apologise. I can get you one when I return to Alchany. It tells you all about your training, skills and abilities. It has lists of all prisoners past and present.”

Zac took a sip of his coffee and pulled an outrageous face of puzzlement, looking closely at the liquid in his mug. He placed the mug on the counter as cautiously as if it was a hand grenade and looked at the girls. A beeping sound interrupted whatever he was about to say to them. He looked at his watch.

“I must leave. I have been summoned to an extraction.” He turned to go.

“So that’s it. You whisk me away, bring me back and dump me. I need to know more.” Val complained.

However, Zac wasn’t taking any notice of her. “I will return when I sense the next prisoner.” He hurried through the private door with Val hot on his heels.

“When? And how do you know you’re going to an extraction - Is it your watch?” she asked.

Zac stopped. “My what?” He looked confused.

Val caught up and touched his wrist. “This. It’s a watch,” she said.

“Oh. Well, yes, it tells me where, and who, but I don’t have all the information, that’s why hunters and guards work together. Now, please stop delaying me.” Zac pushed past Val to the door to Alchany, and was gone.

“Bye, it’s been special,” Val shouted sarcastically, making sure she didn’t get too close to the portal as she knew what could happen.

When she got back to the shop, Wendy was sitting with her drink staring wistfully into the air.

“Ok, what’s wrong with you?”

“He said they knew all about me and my power, that I was special,” Wendy said, as if she hardly believed what she’d heard.

Val realised that this was something new for Wendy. Val had received adoration from her parents all her life, but all Wendy had ever done was try to befriend Val; it had never been about her.

“Wendy you are special with or without your power, it just took me time to realise that, now let’s get to work.” She handed Wendy a duster.

They moved around the bookshop together looking at the different sections, talking about Zac and how much life was changing for them both. Some things made them laugh and others were beyond them both. There were just about to start cataloguing the Irish fiction section when the doorbell rang.

“Just coming,” Val called out.

“Hurry up, we haven’t got all day,” a familiar voice called back.

“About time you two showed up.” Val got to the counter to find Jason and Fran with two large boxes. “Thinking of moving in?”

“Dad says that it makes sense to bring the kit here,” Jason told her. “So, what happened in Soho?” They put their boxes on the counter.

“Big guy threw me about a bit. I met my designated hunter, but he has popped home for an extraction and will return later. Then we had a coffee and dusted a little.” Val smiled looking from Jason to Fran, who looked as confused as she felt. “To make it simpler, we caught a prisoner this morning and he was what they call a grade one, he had no magical power and the Collector told me he wasn’t too bright, but it was hard work. I’m not sure I’m up to all this.” To illustrate her point, Val lifted her top up to the satisfying gasps of the others as they saw the size of her bruise.

“Did this hunter guy get hurt?” Jason asked.

“He doesn’t fight or help with the arrest; he just hunts them down for me. He knows when one of those spirit things that came back with Excariot takes a human’s body. It’s like, he’s Rudolf and I’m Santa.”

Fran let out a snigger, “Sorry but I have images in my mind.”

“So, changing the subject, what about the boxes?” Val started pulling at the tops.

“You’re obviously going to need us here, so where are we going to set up base?” Jason started to look around for space.

“Well, you can’t go in the flat, it’s too dangerous. The only other place is the cleaning cupboard at the back.” Val pointed to the rear of the bookshop.

“You want me to spend my days sitting in a cleaning cupboard?” Jason looked from Val to the other girls. “Fine, but I will not be helping around the shop, plus you and me: fencing later.” Jason pointed at Val then picked up his box and strutted off down the aisle. Fran grabbed hers and followed smiling back at Wendy and Val.