The Turncoats (The Thirteenth Series #2)

by G. L. Twynham

  “Wait,” Zac called from behind.

  “What do you want, hunter?” They looked at him in disgust.

  “I have something greater than money or the life of this pathetic guard for you.” Zac reached into his pocket and pulled out a bracelet.

  “You would give us a portal key for the life of this thing?” The dark haired women asked, kicking at Val with the edge corner of their boots.

  “It’s no good to me now, but it would be to you.” Zac waved it at them and they seemed hypnotised by it. Turning towards him they moved as one in his direction.

  “How can we trust that it will work?” The leader of the two women held out her arm towards it, but not quite reaching it, scared to touch it.

  “You have my word as a hunter.” Zac stepped forward, holding it closer to them as they recoiled nervously.

  “Then the deal is done.” The woman snatched the bracelet and they huddled quickly together in the corner of the room examining their prize.

  “Zac, what are you doing?” Val grabbed his hand as he pulled her to her feet.

  “Making sure you live to fight another day.” The blue spark passed between them and they disappeared.

  Zac arrived back at the door to Alchany to find Val had landed upside down on the bed. “Move. We need to get ready,” he said. “And remind me that we must work on your landing; you come across as childlike when you arrive in such a manner.” He held out his hand to help her rise.

  “I’m trying!” she snapped pushing him away.

  They entered the bookshop to find Fran holding a glass of water for Wendy. Relief flooded her face when she saw they were safe. “You had me worried, guys. Wendy had to go all psycho to find what you wanted.”

  “Psychic, not psycho.” Wendy lifted her head and beamed at Val.

  “Val has no time to talk. Show me where her things are and the page with the Chellemi on it,” Zac said.

  “Excuse me. I can speak for myself. So, what’s going on?” Val rummaged in her bag and retrieved all her gadgets. She flicked out her sword to check it was still working then shoved it into her pocket.

  “They will come as soon as they find out the portal is here,” Zac warned them, scanning the information in the book. “Then they will attempt to kill us all. They have amazing strength and give no value to our lives. We only escaped because I gave them a key to our universal doorways, all over the galaxy. Aha...” Zac was now tapping his finger on the page. “This is how we can stop them.”

  Val looked over Zac’s shoulder to see a hideous image of a slimy looking, half-human half fish creature. “Is that what they really look like?”

  Zac nodded.

  “Wow, gross. So what do we need to do?” Val asked.

  “It says that the original guard who captured them used a trap. He and his hunter cornered them and used a slig-lock to take them back.”

  “I’m sorry, a slig-what?” Fran asked as Wendy finally stood up.

  “A slig-lock is a powerful force field. You see, the Chellemi are very clever, cunning and hard to catch and, as I said, they put no value on life, so they will kill us all unless we can make a trade of sufficient value.”

  “I think we get the ‘they will kill us’ part now, Zac.” Val needed him to stop talking for Fran and Wendy’s sake. “Does the book tell us how to create this slig-lock thing or not?”

  “We need a conductor of energy and a supply. They seem to have a problem with the thing you call electricity. I presume that is because in their original form they are 96.8% fluid.”

  “That’s not good news because we Earth people also have a problem with that thing we call electricity. What sort of risk are we going to need to take?” Val asked.

  Zac moved around the counter and headed for the door. “A large one; they’re here.”

  Fran and Wendy moved towards the door behind Zac and watched as the two very angry women made their way up the street towards the shop.

  “Hey, what’s going on? I saw you were back. How did it go?” asked Jason, choosing that moment to emerge from the cupboard.

  “Not good,” Val said taking off the bracelet Sam had given her. She flicked it out, watching it uncoil rapidly and then relax by her side.

  “When did you get that?” asked Jason.

  “Yesterday. Now help me set it into a circle on the floor and then get the others back behind the counter.”

  Val stepped to the side of the water cooler and flicked out her sword. Jason laid the lasso style bracelet on the ground and went to the door.

  “Come on guys, Val has a plan.” Jason grabbed the girls and led them behind the counter.

  “Open the door, Jason; we can’t afford any damage,” Val called over. “Zac, you stand on the other side of the circle, ok.”

  Zac did as he was told. “What’s your plan...” he asked, but he was too slow and the women burst through the open doorway.

  “You,” the women closest to Val pointed at Zac, “where’s the portal?” They stepped forward. Luckily both entered the circle at the same time. Val stepped into view and gently placed the tip of her sword onto the bracelet. She was apprehensive, not sure what would happen, but she just hoped that her small knowledge of science was correct and she had created a conductor. She need not have worried. Her father’s bracelet plus the sword touching the Sam’s bracelet made a powerful combination and the sparks started to fly.

  The Chellemi stared around them, then they began to laugh heartily. “You are pathetic. Are you going to dazzle us to death with your light show?”

  Val responded confidently, “No, I’m going to show you how not to mess with electricity on planet earth.” Her free hand came back and she grabbed the water cooler. “Zac, run,” she called as it started to fall.

  The two women in the circle were not so confident now. They stood no chance. The cooler crashed down and the water gushed across the floor in seconds. When it entered the circle it had the desired effect and the two women started to shake and shudder. Their screams were stomach curdling. Val pulled the sword away as they fell to their knees into a pool of water and sparks.

  “Zac, get them upstairs,” Val ordered.

  He touched both women and disappeared. Val picked up her bracelet turning the gem as Sam had shown her and watching as it resumed its original form.

  “We will be back in a minute,” she reassured the others as she ran up the stairs to join Zac who had deposited the bodies in front of the portal. “Call the Collector,” she ordered and he placed his hand through the portal.

  “Warning! Warning! Prisoners in transit,” the portal called out.

  “Like we didn’t know,” Val whispered sarcastically.

  Meanwhile Zac was panicking. He desperately searched the bodies of the two women for the bracelet. When he finally found it, he quickly placed it in his pocket and glanced nervously at Val.

  The Collector arrived before he could say anything.

  “Good day Val and thirty-three twenty-seven. Or would you now prefer me to call you by your new earth name, Zac?” She looked from one to the other. It was amazing how she was at least a foot smaller than them, yet Val always felt like she was looking up to speak to her. “I see you have captured prisoners 148702 well done. I also hear you have created a spell to protect the shop. Very good indeed, if it works.” The Collector placed her hand over the women and elevated them in preparation to take them away.

  “Just a minute. I need to ask a question. Aren’t these humans? Aren’t they just possessed by your prisoners’ spirits?” Val felt nervous questioning the Collector, but she needed an answer. “So what exactly happens to them? After all, they could have families. These women could be mums, wives or sisters.”

  Zac now looked as uncomfortable as she was feeling. The Collector pivoted in her direction, still holding the women with what seemed like no effort at least three feet off the ground.

  “Yes, they are humans and our key objective is to never harm a human, taken by a prisoner’s spirit or
otherwise. I take it you want to know exactly what is about to happen to these women?” The Collector raised just one eyebrow.

  “Yes and the men yesterday,” Val said, ignoring Zac who was looking at her with a pleading expression.

  “That’s ok, Zac, Val wants answers. We take them back to the prison. Firstly they go for an extraction to make sure our prisoners are safely removed and put back where they belong. Then they are wiped clean of their memories and returned to their point of origin. Anything else I can help you with?” The Collector looked steadily at her but Val could see that she was uneasy with the line of questioning. Neither Val nor Zac spoke. “Good.” She turned, leaving them once again, alone in the flat.

  They both took a deep breath and exhaled at the same time, the tension released. “Ok Zac, I need more answers. Who brings them back? Is it the judges?” Val pleaded unable to let it go that easily.

  Zac looked to the portal to make sure the Collector had completely gone. “No, they have a special group who return prisoners to their places of origin when they are in their new bodies ready for release, and they can also return the humans,” he said uneasily, looking every so often towards the portal as if someone might jump through at any second. “Some call them ‘the Returners’ others call them ‘the Darks’. We don’t get to see them as it would put us at risk. The humans go to the extractors, as the Collector said, then the Returners clean any memories they have of their experience and place them back here. We don’t interfere with them. They are a group apart from the rest.”

  “So up until the point they are returned, the humans will know exactly what’s happening to them?” Val felt disturbed that those poor women today had been high jacked, then electrocuted. Now they would be extracted, then they would have their memories wiped, all because of Excariot’s emotional issues.

  “Yes, but you cannot get involved. They are alive and so we have done our job.”

  “Ok. Next, why is it those women trusted your word like that?”

  Zac made his way over to the bed and sat down, his expression visibly emotional.

  Val joined him. “What’s wrong? We’re a team, if you can’t tell me then how can I trust you?”

  “Everyone knows, even criminals, that hunters don’t lie. The bracelet would open portals all over the galaxy, that’s true.”

  “So, where did you get it from?”

  “It belonged to my guard and this is the thing I didn’t tell the Chellemi: it will only work for someone with the same strand of DNA.” He held the bracelet pensively in his hand. Val placed her hand gently on his. He flinched momentarily then relaxed again. “We were connected at birth. We worked together as one for two hundred and thirty-six of your earth years. We were as close as a hunter and a guard could be.” Zac moved the bracelet between his fingers. “Then it happened. It was a dark night and we were just out checking a local hot spot for a little action when I found a nest of Tucklets, level six. We were far too confident; we walked straight into a trap. He fought bravely and I tried to get some back up for him, but they were too late. He received a fatal wound and within minutes he was gone. I took his bracelet as I didn’t want anyone else to have it. The Collectors just assumed the Tucklets had stolen it. It’s all I had left, Val. Please don’t tell them; they will take it from me.” Zac’s voice was beseeching.

  “We are one now, it’s our secret. I’m genuinely sorry you lost your guard. We have been connected for only a few hours so I can’t begin to imagine what it must feel like to lose someone you have been with for that long.” Val patted Zac’s hand and they sat, just for a moment, in united silence.

  “Ok buddy, enough information for one day. Let’s go see how the others are doing.” Val stood to the sound of her mobile phone breaking into song.

  “Here.” Zac passed it to her.

  It was Sam. “Oh Sam, I’m so sorry about earlier. Zac came for me and I had to work; you know how it is.” Val had forgotten all about her quick departure from her lunch date. “Oh, you tracked me. You’ll be telling me I’m on ‘Google View’ next. Yes I know it’s for my safety, but,” Val pushed Zac as she chatted. They went downstairs where the others were clearing up. “Yes Sam, your gadgets did come in handy. Ok, I’ll see you there.” Val flipped her phone shut.

  “Everything ok?” Fran enquired.

  Val nodded.

  “What about those women, will they be ok?” It was as if Fran’s mind was on the same wavelength as Val’s.

  Val nodded and hoped that would be the end of the questions. It would take far too long to explain, and she knew that they would be no better off knowing about the returners or the extractors.

  “You’re extremely muddy.” Wendy pointed at Val’s soiled clothes. “We need to open; you go get cleaned up. I’m sure we’ll be fine without you for another couple of minutes.” Wendy pushed Val back towards the flat as Fran opened the door once again.

  “Are you guys sure. Because we don’t have to open?” Val looked for support as she looked down at her now brown jeans. How annoying. Now she would have to find the washing machine.

  “And let that evil man Excariot and his minions win? Never!” Wendy replied with determination in her voice. “Anyway, you have bills to pay, and wages.”

  “Fine. I’ll be back in ten.” Zac started to follow. “NO.” Val put her hand out to stop him. “This is alone time again, just like earlier. Stay.” She closed the private door behind her.

  “Come on, Zac, let us men hide in the cleaning cupboard,” Jason said heading down the aisle.

  Fran busied herself around the shop, placing things back on shelves while Wendy found a safe place for the dellatrax under the counter. It would be easier to keep the volumes there; at least they wouldn’t get sold by mistake. She was the first to hear the doorbell. Standing up from behind the counter it must have looked as if she had appeared by magic to the young man who entered.

  “Hello, I was wondering if you could help me please?” He smiled at Wendy. She thought how odd looking he was. He was different; something wasn’t making sense to her. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. Was it his messy blonde hair or his emerald green eyes? Could it be that lovely scent he was giving off? Maybe she should speak but nothing was coming into her head just yet.

  “Are you alright?” he asked politely.

  Wendy was still staring. Then her brain joined the rest of her body. “Welcome to the bookshop,” she mumbled.

  He responded to her much slower than was normal, exaggerating each syllable as if Wendy was foreign or something. “I-need-a-book,” he said, making open and closed signs with his hands as a visual aid.

  Wendy was now blatantly aware of the fool she was making of herself. “Sorry, it’s been a long day, what were you looking for?”

  He gave a relieved grin. “Oh, ok. I was looking for something by Umberto Eco,”

  “The Name of the Rose, a classic. Good choice and I do know that we have a signed first edition. I wanted it myself but you can’t have everything.” Wendy took a breath in her babbling and found herself blushing uncontrollably.

  “Very impressive. My name is Daniel,” the young man said.

  “I’m Wendy.” She circled the counter as Fran came into view.

  “Hello.” Fran moved in. “Is everything ok, Wendy?”

  “Perfect. Please come this way.” Wendy led him down the aisle.

  Val ran upstairs, throwing her clothes across the room, then dived into the shower. Alien prisoners could attack at any moment. It was completely apparent that they all knew where the bookshop was and they would come looking for her if necessary. She scrambled in and out of the shower in record time and threw on another set of clothes, forcefully tugging at her wet mess of hair. She was worried that the others wouldn’t be able to cope if something or someone happened. If Zac had lost his guard after two hundred odd years, what chance would they stand without her, after just two days? She must hurry.

  Val came bursting through the private door back into the b
ookshop. “Miss me,” she sang to no one. The shop looked empty. Had they all been kidnapped? She needed to find Zac and then get help. She was starting to put plan together in her mind when she heard laughter coming from one of the aisles. She moved towards the sound, but before she could close in on the fun, Fran was there to stop her.

  “Don’t you go any further,” she grabbed Val’s arm and led her back towards the counter.

  “Did I just see what I think I saw?” Val questioned.

  “Yes, and I’m as disturbed as you. She’s our Wendy. I hope he buys and disappears.” Fran tutted as she put the kettle on and pulled out some mugs. “Tell me, while we are on the subject, how did it go with you and Sam?”

  Val felt all her tensions release as she thought about him. She sat down on her stool; a dreamy expression in her eyes. “His house was my dream house. He can cook as well as iron. He smells gorgeous, looks amazing and makes something inside me go soft like marshmallows over a fire.” She sighed dramatically. “But he’s not interested in me. In any case, I don’t have time for that sort of stuff.” Val folded her arms defensively, ending the discussion.

  “If you say so, Val, but you have to ask yourself: what if he doesn’t agree with you?” Fran shrugged her shoulders, gave Val a mug of tea and grabbed another pile of books off the counter. “Changing the subject slightly do you think many more prisoners will come to the bookshop? I’m worried about damage. Do you know if we’re insured?”

  Val shrugged her shoulders, “Insured? I haven’t a clue.”

  “I’ll check with Wendy when she’s free.” Fran turned and headed off.

  Val was very glad that she had responsible people here to help her. She had never paid a bill in her life. She lifted the tea as the doorbell rang again.

  When Val saw who had come into the shop, her hand shook so much that she was forced to place her mug on the safe surface of the counter.

  “Good afternoon, I hope you can help me,” said Eva, as she walked towards Val. “I have a reservation on a book and I was wondering if it was in stock yet?” The most shocking part was she said it all in perfect English. Val didn’t know what to say. Only three days ago Eva had given birth to a baby on the floor just two feet away and could speak hardly a word of English and yet here she was, ready to take her place on Countdown.