Destinata (Valguard) (20 page)

She expected something from Eloise or Matt but it was Zane who spoke to her next, his voice soft and full of pain.

“Kara’s visions weren’t always accurate Charlie. You know yourself that even yours aren’t always right and with a slight shift or change of mind, everything can change in a heartbeat. Maybe in the beginning you were supposed to stop the war but now, who knows. Everything’s different now and all we can do is try to stay alive for as long as possible and keep trying to stop the fighting. We can’t get out of town and we can’t stay here so it’s our only choice really.”

“We’re safe here for tonight right? They won’t find us here?”

“No, I don’t think so. We are too far in and even as a Valguard if you don’t know where this place is it would be too hard to find.”

“Good. Then let’s get cleaned up and get some sleep under our belt because tomorrow we’re going to have
to think of something to get us out of this mess.”

Zane followed Charlie into the bathroom to help her undress and shower; it was impossible to get her shirt over her head without causing excruciating pain to the burns on her arms so he rummaged for a pair of scissors in a nearby draw and cut the shirt from her body.  He sacrificed a hot shower for a slightly warmer than freezing one after Charlie’s screams filled the air when he had set the temperature to warm. The tears of agony rolled down her face as Zane washed her body and by the time they were done she was shaking uncontrollably. She needed medical attention but she wasn’t going to get it from here and she couldn’t trust anyone in town anymore. Zane was the best option she had now. He cleaned the burns as best as he could before applying some burn cream and bandages from the first aid kit he had retrieved from the kitchen before heading the bathroom. He gave her a glass of water and some paracetamol for the pain and brought his arms around her and just held her close. She had never known such comfort, not even with Ford. When Zane was around he was like a security blanket for her, he made the dark thoughts that filled her mind almost completely disappear and shadowed her with love. She wondered how a Valguard had ended up with such a big heart but she knew the answer before she had asked the question. Because he
chose
to be loving instead of choosing a life of hatred. It was that simple.

“Charlie, who is James?
He was just a barista, why is he all of a sudden leading the Valguard?”

“He’s not James. He’s Jaramm.”

“No, I’ve met Jaramm and he is not it.”

“
Jaramm had a burned face right?”

“Yea, how’d you...”

“He told me. I ran into him in the hardware store before going to the square, he said one of the doctors in town had fixed him up and he changed his name to James.”

“I never would have known.”

“I think that was the point. He didn’t care that he had told me because he wasn’t expecting me to live. I wasn’t expecting me to live. I’m still not quite sure I’m going to actually.”

“You’re going to be fine! I’m not going to let anything happen to you now.”

I don’t think either of us have a choice in that really.

She had been so certain that when the town’s people had turned on her that she wouldn’t survive the night but then again, she had been certain of this many times now and it had never come to pass. She could feel it coming but she couldn’t understand why in an instant it changed and she was allowed to live. Maybe it was just to torment her some more; lull her into a false sense of security before doing away with her for good.

She didn’t voice her opinion to Zane, she just wanted to go to bed and sleep for a while. They assumed their usual position of Charlie’s head resting on Zane’s chest but sleep didn’t come easy. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically but there was too much to worry about and too much to think about that her thoughts kept her up well into the early morning when she finally drifted off to sleep listening to the sound of Zane singing an old lullaby.

The time for waking came far too soon for Charlie’s liking and although besides her burns she felt physically fine – after all, little rest is better than no rest – mentally she was still exhausted and after a short, broken sleep her mind was worse for wear. She didn’t know how long Zane had been awake but when she looked up, his tired eyes met her own with a small smile.

“Morning.”

“How’d you sleep?”

“Horribly. You?”

“About the same.
You feeling up to some breakfast?”

Zane was ridiculously enthusiastic about breakfast all the time. Charlie hadn’t been much of a breakfast person before she met him, preferring a morning coffee instead but since the day she had decided it
would be easier to stay at his house while they were training, he made sure she ate a substantial amount every single morning. She protested at first but after a few days gave in and just rolled her eyes at him every time he put a plate in front of her face and remembering her words from that first day at his Oak Street house she repeated them now with a sense of humor and teasing.

“Anyone would think you are trying to make me fat you know.”

And he responded accordingly.

“No one likes
to hug a stick figure Charlie.”

She smiled at the memory but made no movement to get out of bed, she wanted to stay here like this for as long as possible. She knew she was only prolonging the inevitable but laying here with Zane in this cottage cut off from the rest of the world it was easy to forget all the troubles that surrounded her life and even easier to enjoy it.

She heard something drop in the kitchen and knew that Eloise and Matt must be up making their own breakfast.

“Must be time to face the world then.”

Charlie let out a small sigh of reluctance before moving from Zane’s chest.

“Come on, I’ll cook you some bacon.”

He jumped out of the bed and offered his hand to help Charlie and pulling her into a hug as she climbed out of the bed.

“I love you Charlie.”

“I know.”

She saw the disappointment in his eyes as they walked to the kitchen but she still couldn’t bring herself to say it. She wouldn’t hurt another person the way she had hurt Ford, she needed to be completely sure about her feelings before admitting them to anyone else this time and with everything going on she couldn’t possibly know how she felt towards anyone let alone Zane. For now it was better that he be dis
appointed than hurt.

They found Eloise sitting on the floor of the kitchen in tears surrounded by a shattered breakfast bowl. Matt was hovering over her not sure what to do; he had seen her angry and upset and could deal with those times easily but seeing the broken down mess that was sitting on the floor must have had him feeling completely useless. He was close to tears himself not knowing how to handle what was going on but not wanting to leave her alone at the same time. Charlie stepped over to El’ being careful not to stand on any of the smashed bowl and helped her to her feet. She very quietly directed Eloise towards the stool that sat by the counter and eased her down onto where she dropped her shoulders as the tears started to ease and Matt came to stand by her side again.

Her words came through thick and fast and it was plain to everyone in the kitche
n she wanted to say what she needed to before the tears started again.

“Maybe we could just stay here. If they can’t find us, why can’t we just stay?”

Her voice broke on the last word and almost broke Charlie at the same time. Zane who had been cleaning up the broken bowl, dropped the dustpan and broom he had been working with and stood to face El’.

“Because eventually they would.
They would have seen us running towards the trees when we left the square. They’re bound to come looking for us sooner or later. Even if this place is difficult for them to find, it’s not undiscoverable.”

The look of hope that El’ had briefly displayed fell from her face and was replaced by a look of defeat.

“So what’s left then? We go out and meet them head on and face our death with courage and dignity? I don’t think so! I’m not ready to die!”

“I am…”

Eloise, Zane and Matt all snapped their heads towards Charlie with varying degrees of incredulity plastered firmly on their faces.

“I just mean, from the moment this all started I never expected to live for this long. I’ve been preparing myself for death from the start. It’s not like I have a death wish or anything, I just know that it’s coming eventually and I’m ready for when it arrives.”

At her statement El’ seemed to get some of her old spark back.

“Well I’m not! If you want to give up so easily then that’s fine! But don’t go dragging me along with you!!”

She jumped down from the stool she had been seated upon and stormed out of the room, Matt rolling his eyes and clambering off after her. This was his job; this he knew how to handle.

“Well that was fun.”

It was Zane’s turn to roll his eyes at Charlie and mumble something that sounded suspiciously like ‘girls’ under his breath before smirking in her direction and continuing to clean up the broken ceramic from the slate floor in the kitchen.

Two hours later they were still no closer to having a plan than they were when they woke up that morning. They were completely alone in this war now; the humans were against Charlie and the Valguard and the Valguard were against Charlie and the humans. It was no use trying to come up with a plan really. There is no way that the four of them could take on either the towns people or the Valguard without forfeiting their lives. There was only one thing left to do.

“We have to get a call out of the town.”

Zane who had been zoned out - wrapped up in his own thoughts – looked at Charlie questioningly.

“Huh?”

“We need to get a call out of the town. Get in touch with the authorities in the closest city and get them to air lift us out or something. We can’t just sit here waiting for them to come. We need to get El’ and Matt out at least. The town’s gone crazy, the people will be kill anyone associated with me in a heartbeat and if they don’t the Valguard will. I can’t let that happen to them.”

“Can’t let what happen to us?”

It was Matt, obviously Eloise had finished her tantrum and now he felt enough at ease to leave her side.

“I won’t let you get killed because of me. I’m going to place a call to the authorities in Raine. It’s the closest city to us here. I’m going to tell them that the town is under threat – give them as little information as possible – and get them to bring in a helicopter or something. We already know that the
force field around the town won’t allow us to walk or drive through the barrier but I doubt it would extend as far as to keep helicopters out so that’s our best bet.”

Matt raised his eyebrows at Charlie, obviously thinking that her plan wasn’t going to work but allowing her to go along thinking that it would.

“Ok it’s worth a shot I suppose.”

Charlie took her cell phone out amazed that the battery was still going - it had been days since it was charged – and dialed
information and made the call that would hopefully save the lives of her friends. She didn’t however let her friends know that she had absolutely no intention of leaving Tole with them, that she
couldn’t
leave their home town. No, where they were going she couldn’t follow, she had to stay, she had to do as Kara had said. She had to stop the war and defeat the Valguard.

Charlie had no idea how she pulled it off but the authorities from Raine would be meeting Charlie and her friends at a n
earby clearing in the woods in two hours’ time. She had found the coordinates on an old map stashed in the study drawer that would let Raine police department know exactly where to pick them up from.

Surprisingly they hadn’t asked as many questions as she had expected. She had assumed that they would ask her for every little detail but instead
, as soon as she told them that there was an emergency and she needed immediate assistance in the way of a chopper to get her and her friends out of town they were onto it and rang back within half an hour to tell her to sit tight and be assured they would be there soon.

Charlie bounced back into the house positively wound up with excitement over the prospect of saving her friends and ran straight into a solemn looking Zane.

“What’s up? The choppers going to be here in a couple of hours so we’ll have to get some stuff together and get going soon.”

“Charlie…”

“What? What is it?”

“Eloise has gone.”

“Gone? Where the hell has she
gone
?”

“Matt went to tell her that you were about to make the call, he found this on the recliner and the basement door open.”

Zane handed Charlie a crumpled piece of paper that was splattered with tear stains. It read:

I can’t stand this anymore, if they won’t listen to you, they have to listen to me right? I am a human after all, 100% human, they can’t hold that against me. I’ve grown up with these people, I can make them see reason. I’ll get them to understand that you aren’t a bad person, that you are trying to help, that we can overpower the Valguard and take our town back. I have to do this. I have to try. I’m sorry.

“Shit! Where’s Matt?”

Zane closed his eyes and pointed towards the basement.

“He went after her? Of course he went after her. Why can’t things ever just be easy?”

“We better try to get them before they get too far.”

Charlie was moving before Zane had finished. It wouldn’t be too hard with their speed to catch up to their friends in the tunnels but if they had already made it out, who knows how long it would take to find them.

She ran without regard for her safety, not caring if the
Valguard’s were traveling these tunnels. All she cared about was getting her friends – the only people she had a chance at saving – back and out of this town before the day was ended.

She realized when they reached the shelter at Zane’s house that she was too late. When she had escorted El’ and Matt to Kara’s cottage through the tunnels she had made sure the shelter doors were firmly shut; they now stood wide open.
Evidence that someone had been through here recently. Of course the Valguard could have returned but she just knew in her heart that wasn’t the case.

Seeing the wreckage of the house once again brought back memories that Charlie wished would remain lost forever and so pushing them to the back of her mind along with the pain that flared in her arms with the memories, she moved silently through the destroyed building.

“They’re not here.”

Zane’s voice was defeated.

“Where the hell would they have gone?”

“El said she was going to talk to the people right?”

His voice had taken on a more knowing tone at his thoughts.

“Yea.
So what? She could be anywhere by now.”

“No. Matt’s smart.
Really smart. I’m willing to bet he would have suggested calling all of the people in town to one spot again when he couldn’t convince Eloise to turn back. He’d never leave her on her own, he wouldn’t have had any other choice.”

“So you think he’s what? Sending another mass email?
From where?”

“No I don’t think he’s sending another email. The people wouldn’t fall for that again. Charlie, you’ve lived in this town and known Matt and El’ practically your whole life. Where was the one place you all went to feel safe?”

Charlie paused thinking about all the time she had been in trouble when she was younger and about all the times that El’ had stumbled to her house when her dad had decided on having another violent outburst and the answer came to her suddenly.

“The attic!”

They knew that the fire had devastated the house next door and although this one was a total mess and had holes in every single wall and door, it was still standing.

Charlie was running before she had finished speaking and was bounding up the stairs that led to the third floor of the house two at a time.

Bursting through the door at the top of the stairs El’ and Matt – clearly hearing her approach – stood side by side and ready to attack. At least one of them – she didn’t know which – had the sense to bring weapons.

In amidst Charlie’s sighs of relief at having found them she heard Eloise speak for the first time since entering the attic.

“You’re too late.”

She was smiling with pride at the thought of finally having done something to help in the war but Charlie was suddenly furious at her for running off and couldn’t offer her the congratulations that she thought she deserved just yet.

“Why’d you run off?!”

She placed her hands on her hips to emphasize her anger when her voice came out sounding concerned rather than irritated.

“I told you already. I’m not ready to die! Not yet!”

“You don’t
have
to die Eloise!”

“No?
then what am I supposed to do? Sit around to wait and wonder whether you’re going to be coming back alive or in a wooden box? No thanks. You aren’t the only one that can play the hero Charlie.”

Charlie threw her hands up in the air in exasperation not wanting to show how much El’s words had wounded her.

“I am
not
playing the hero! I’m… Wait. You didn’t tell her?”

Charlie turned on Matt, his face shining pink at being addressed so abruptly.

“No I…”

“Tell me what?!”

“He didn’t tell you that I called the Raine police. They’re picking us up in the clearing in a little over an hour, so if you want out of here I suggest we move. And quickly.”

Charlie had just stepped back onto the second floor landing when she heard something downstairs and gesturing for the others to stop and stay quiet she crept along the landing to the top of the stairs and peered down. She couldn’t see anything but she could still hear muffled voices and the unmistakable sound of clutter being pushed around. She listened harder and hearing a faint echo she realized why the voices sounded so muffled. They were in the tunnels and from the sound of it they were almost at the shelter.

She turned to El’, Matt and Zane who hadn’t stayed where she had told them to but had crept up to peer over the banister with her…
Of course. Rolling her eyes at them, she whispered a warning for them to run as fast and as quiet as possible and then started running herself.

Of course the safest and quickest way back to Kara’s and then to the clearing was through the tunnels or out the back door but that was made impossible when two Valguard appeared at the pantry entrance just as the four of them were making a run for the rear entrance of the house.

“Don’t stop!”

Still heading for the back
door they were surprised again by two more Valguard standing guard in the dining room effectively ruining their plan to flee the house without a fight.

Charlie turned hoping they could get past the Valguard back at the kitchen but realizing when she turned on her heels that they were cut off, it was fight or die and the latter definitely wasn’t an option.

“You’re not going anywhere now girl. Just hand over the weapons and we’ll let you live.”

“But you won’t let us go.”

It wasn’t a question. Charlie knew if they surrendered their weapons they would be defenseless and most likely the Valguard weren’t lying, they would be allowed to live but they would also be taken to James and be made the first lab rats of Tole. She didn’t plan on dying or becoming a lab rat today and in one fluid movement had her sword free from its restraints on the leg of her pants and had killed the first Valguard before the second had even realized what was going on. Zane tackled the second to the floor before he could produce a weapon as she turned to focus her attentions on the two Valguard’s at the back door. They weren’t moving, not a muscle. They didn’t even blink, they just stood and watched as two of their friends were taken down and killed.

Not liking the thought of wasting time Charlie yelled for everyone to move out the front door and turned herself not taking her eyes of the guards at the back door until the last second and
ran for it. She noticed about thirty seconds down the road and heading towards the forest that they were being followed but not by the guards they had left at the house, by the human population of Tole. There were five men and two women after the four friends and more were emerging from their houses alerted by the shouts of those who were doing the chasing.

By the time they reached the
tree line there were at least twenty people pursuing them. Hunting them down like animals and moving in for the kill. The threat of the Valguard had driven the town crazy and now Charlie wondered whether it was the Valguard or the humans that she should be worried about. It was clear now that the Valguard would not kill her; they would lock her away with other ‘experiments’ for further testing. The humans were just out for blood, whether they killed her quickly or slowly she would surely die at their hands. That had to be better than a life – a very long life - under the microscope right?

But right now, they still had another option. Get to the clearing, meet the choppers and get the hell out of here. She hadn’t planned on leaving with the others but now… Now she knew she wasn’t going to be able to help this town, no matter what she said or did she was an outcast from both sides and neither was going to adhere to her pleas.
She would go with the Raine police department and sort something out once she was out of the town. There had to be someone – the secret service or the FBI maybe – that could help with situations like this and if there wasn’t she would make sure there was by the time she was done telling them what was going on here.

They burst through the trees but there was no outrunning the people behind them. Of course Zane and Charlie could have easily ‘turned up’ the Valguard and taken off, leaving them behind but with Matt and El’ they couldn’t go any faster than they currently were and it wasn’t fast enough.

Charlie was taken down from
behind; the hands that had clutched her burned arms pulled her to the ground and started to punch into her face before she could defend herself. She felt fingernails digging into the flesh on her cheeks and knew they had been dug in far enough to draw blood; she could feel the warm liquid running the wrong way up her face, pulled by gravity over her eyes and turning her vision red. Through the crimson haze, she finally saw her attackers face.

“
Jill! Jill! Stop! Please.”

She realized she had tears mixing with her plasma and her voice cracked as she pleaded for the once kind librarian to stop and let her go.
She desperately thrashed her head around trying to pry the woman’s cold fingers from her face and to catch a glimpse of her friends at the same time. She found Matt and Eloise nearby fighting off Bob from the car place and his son but she couldn’t see any sign of Zane anywhere. Hopefully he was still headed for the clearing, if at least one could get there, they could still get out of here.

While Jill fussed over getting Charlie’s flailing arms from behind her to bind them she saw that half of the people that had come after them had stopped along the tree line and were just watching and waiting. Waiting for what though?

“Jill. What’s going on?”

The fear and panic were rising within Charlie and it showed on her face and in her voice. There was no concealing the worry that had nothing to do with being restrained and everything to do with almost two dozen faces staring in her direction waiting for something that was unknown to her.

Jill stopped trying to struggle with her arms and looked down upon Charlie’s face, a cruel smirk playing on her lips. 

“Well, while you’ve been out here playing hide and seek in the woods the people of Tole have been talking with our enemy. And they say that if we hand you over, since you’re really all they have ever wanted, they will let us go free. You’re
a hot commodity Charlie and too get what we want we need to trade you in.”

“You’re crazy! The whole lot of you have gone completely and utterly
crazy
! Do you really think they’re going to let you go just because they get
me
? I’m worth nothing to them. I’m an experiment and nothing more. I’m the first and when they get me out of the way, you’re going to be next. Only they know that our DNA’s mix perfectly now and there will be no freedom of choice for you. No free will. You’ll be just as disposable as I am.”