The Thirteenth (21 page)

Val placed it down. “Do you see the woman’s bag?” Paul nodded again pointing to a red leather handbag. Val picked it up and tentatively opened the zip. Before she had time to look inside, Paul sat down abruptly, and was looking even more petrified. When she looked at him he pointed past her head.

“What do you want to tell me?” Val asked, but before she could get any more out of him, a deep Texan accent came from behind her.

“Ma’am, I’m Sky Marshal Lewis. Please raise your hands and move away slowly.”

Val turned around, gently placing the red bag next to Paul. Behind her, a man in blue jeans, white shirt and a black bomber jacket was aiming a gun at Paul’s head.

“No! Stop! You don’t understand.” Val raised her hands towards the man, trying to block his view of Paul, in the hope he would listen to her, aware that Paul was now fumbling through the red handbag with his free hand. If she could get him a little time, maybe he would find the keys.

“I won’t tell you again. I’m an armed sky marshal and if you do not leave that man right now I will have to assume that you are his accomplice.” The man was edging forward. Only three or four rows separated them now. To her horror she realised that he was pointing his gun directly at her head. Val saw Paul pulling out a set of keys. “Stay calm. This may still work out,” Val told herself. Then, behind the marshal, she saw the woman who had originally raised the alarm. She stared at Val, then gave her a little teasing wave.

Val would have been more annoyed if she hadn’t just seen Paul undoing his cuffs.

“Please, this man can’t speak. See, there a label on his bag that tells you that. That woman handcuffed him to his chair and…” Before Val could finish, the woman grabbed the unsuspecting sky marshal’s hand and was pulling at his gun. As he struggled with the woman, the gun went off. Val’s instincts kicked in. She leapt through the air, her hands reaching out like a goalkeeper’s, her body pushing in front of Paul with no thought for her own safety.

Val focused all her energy on deflecting the flying bullet with one hand. It felt like she was bending the air with her hand. The power that surged through her was similar to the energy she had used on the lifeguard. With her other hand, she grabbed Paul’s jacket and pulled him to the floor. There was aloud thud just millimetres above her head as the bullet penetrated his chair. Val knew that she had saved Paul’s life.

As they lay on the floor, chaos reigned overhead. Time to go. She looked at Paul, smiled and grabbed his hand.

Val felt the blue spark, and a deep sense of relief to be off the plane. She landed hard in front of the painting, to an instant explosion of cheers from her adoring fans. As she stood up Delta started hugging her, thanking her profusely for coming back, and for saving her dad. Shane was visibly moved by the whole experience. Jason grabbed Val and lifted her off the floor and into his arms before planting a huge kiss on her cheek.

“You are my hero,” he said into Val’s ear, lowering her gently to the ground.

“Wow! I wish I could have taken you lot with me before.” Val smiled. This felt amazing; at last her friends could see what she had to go through.

“I feel a celebration is in order.” Shane waved his arm in the air almost like a general calling his troops together.

“Don’t you think Val should have a rest?” Delta said.

“No, I’m fine. Let’s party.” Val was loving this.

As they closed the shop and packed away all the goodies, Val looked at the others, feeling a sense of satisfaction, as if she was now part of a team. Today she actually liked her life, even if it was the strangest life possible.

Arriving at the ‘Snakes and Ladders’ burger bar, Val was filled with excitement. Jason had kissed her! OK, only on the cheek, but hey, she wasn’t complaining. So where should she go from here? She saw marriage maybe two years down the line and then three children, although she did want to do a little travelling before then.

“Come on ‘Val the amazing’ let’s get you some meat.”

Val snapped out of her daydream as Delta grabbed her arm and they waltzed into the bar.

The smell of burgers frying and the sixties music playing made this place one of Val’s favourites.

“This place, it reminds me of home,” Delta said, looking pensive. Val forgot that Delta was away from her home and her other friends, with whom she spent considerably more time than she did with Val.

When the waitress brought their drinks, Delta called for silence. “I would like to make a toast to the bravest, and most courageous person I know,” she said, lifting her sparkling water. They all raised their drinks.

Val thought that she might pass out with the feeling of sheer contentment in her heart, and she hadn’t even eaten her favourite double burger with pineapple yet.

“To Val,” they chorused.

“Shh,” the barman shouted over in an annoyed tone. He was staring very closely at a large flat screen TV over the bar.

“What’s going on?” Shane asked him as they all turned to look at the screen.

“Plane crash. They say it’s a blood bath; no chance of survivors,” he replied.

In the silence of the moment, Val heard Delta’s glass smash on the floor. She got up from the table with an expression Val had never seen before. Val rose and followed her as she moved to the bar. The TV screen showed a burnt-out plane. What was left of the tail was sticking out of the ground, resembling a bleak gravestone. The Sky news reporter was grim. “Gatwick airport is not releasing any information until the families of crew and passengers have been informed. We are unsure of the number of casualties. Looking at the devastation, the situation doesn’t look promising.” As she finished speaking a trilling sound broke the silence.

“Delta, it’s your phone,” Shane grasped Delta’s hand, thrusting a glossy pink phone into it.

Delta opened it in a dream like state. “Yes,” she nodded. “OK, I’ll come home now.” Delta closed the phone and started to walk towards the exit without even turning to speak to the others.

“Wait! I’ll drive you,” Jason called out.

“Let me come too, Delta.” Val followed.

Delta turned around with tears welling in her eyes. “You have done enough damage. Please stay and celebrate your great success.” She turned and ran through the doors, leaving the others silently watching.

When Val started to follow, Shane grabbed her arm. “Not the best time, Val. Leave her to go home,” he nodded gently at Val.

“But she needs me.” Val now had tears streaming down her face. “This is all my fault. I should never have got any of you involved.” She started to pull away from Shane’s grasp and he instinctively knew to let her go.

“Delta will be OK,” Shane called as Val followed Delta.

“Oi! Someone has to pay the bill,” called the barman angrily.

“It’s OK, I’ll pay you now!” said Shane making his way back to the bar. Jason stood looking between his dad and the door, almost unable to decide what to do.

“Leave it, son. They’ll be OK and there’s nothing we can do right now. Come on, let’s go home.” Shane passed a bundle of notes over the counter and, putting his large arm around his son’s shoulders, led him out.

Delta had already left the car park by the time Val pushed through the door; she knew there was no way of stopping her now.

Val knew she couldn’t go back in; the pain of seeing those pictures on the screen again would be too much. What had she done wrong? Why had it crashed? Was it the bullet? She started to run, needing to get home. As the tears started pouring down her face, she felt ashamed for celebrating at the cost of her best friend’s father’s life.

As Val ran, she screamed abuse into the darkness at whoever thought it was a good idea to give her this curse. Then she shouted at herself for letting all the others in on her secret. She finished off with a despairing bellow for being such a loser.

When Val eventually stumbled towards her house, it was lit up like a Christmas tree. She reached the door and pounding at it with her fist. The door opened. “Val!” Mike’s voice was the best sound she had heard all day.

“Dad.” Val reached out and grabbed her father’s neck as he bent down and pulled her in close.

“Are you hurt? What’s wrong? Val, please speak to me.” Mike was inspecting Val for visible wounds. “Susan, come here now! Val’s hurt!” Mike shouted towards the kitchen.

Susan was at their sides within a second, and wiping her dirty hands down her apron, she ordered, “Get her to the sofa, Mike.” “Mum! It’s the plane. It crashed,” Val blurted through snot and tears.

“Get her a brandy.” Susan pointed at the cabinet. Susan sat at Val’s head and stroked her sweaty hair, making a deep shushing noise. She asked Val no questions, just sat waiting for her to talk when she could.

Val took a deep and controlled breath. “Mum, Delta’s dad was on the plane; he’s dead.” As the last word came out, she started to sob again.

“Mike, put on the TV please,” Susan asked calmly.

The huge flat screen TV on the wall sprang into life. Mike quickly switched to Sky News and was met with horrific images of burning metal and fallen trees.

“Dear God!” Susan breathed.

“Mum, it’s all my fault.” Val kept crying.

“How can this be your fault?” Susan asked.

“It just is.” Val needed to stop talking or things would be said and she would put her family at risk.

“Val, where is Delta?” Mike asked.

“I don’t know. We were all having a burger at the ‘Snakes and Ladders’ and she saw the news and ran.”

Val was slowly calming down and her father passed her the brandy.

“Who is all, Val?” Susan enquired.

“Just me and Delta.” Val looked up at her mum who was still stroking her hair.

“Have you called her?” Mike asked.

“No, I just ran home.”

“You ran the five miles from the ‘Snakes and Ladders’ to home? Wow, no wonder you couldn’t talk!” Mike exclaimed. “I’ll give her a ring.”

“Where is your mobile, Val?” Susan started to look around.

“It’s in my back pocket.” Val reached down and realised that she still had an assortment of gadgets about her body. She reached in and pulled out what now seemed like a very plain and unexceptional mobile from her pocket, trying to leave her telescopic sword behind.

“Call her then,” Susan said as if giving instructions to a toddler. Val pressed her speed dial but it went straight through to answer machine.

“How are you doing, Mike?” Susan called through.

“Engaged at the moment, but I will keep trying,” he shouted back from the kitchen. All of a sudden, Val saw something in her mother that she had never noticed before. She had an inner strength that was helping her cope in this very delicate situation. For a moment, Val just looked up at her mum in appreciation and then the phone started to ring.

“Yes, just a minute,” Mike said as he walked into the lounge. He handed the phone over to Susan.

“Hello Patricia. Yes, Val is home. Is Delta with you?” There was a silence. Patricia was Delta’s mum. Sometimes Val had mistaken them for each other, which had been slightly disturbing. “OK, I’ll tell Val. If you need anything, please call me. Bye.” Susan switched off the phone.

“Val, he’s OK.” Susan now had tears in her eyes.

“Really Mum?” Val started to sit up.

“Yes, Patricia said it was a miracle. Some man called Paul Brown helped to get Jeffrey out of the plane. It seems that one of the engines exploded as the plane was landing. Patricia says Jeff mentioned a bomb.” Susan looked into Val’s eye with that heartfelt emotion only a mother and daughter have. “He’s OK, Val, don’t worry, and Delta is safely at home.”

Val nodded. Paul had saved Delta’s dad. So, that’s what it had all been about. For a second she felt a little relief from the pain, then she just lay back down, letting the tears roll down her face. Her mum slowly stroked her hair until she slipped into the world of sleep.

When she opened her eyes, Val saw the trees and the path leading to her dream village. It was dark and damp and she felt the coolness of the wet grass between her toes.

She could sense the presence of the one she was growing to know as her adversary, although she didn’t know where it was emanating from.

“Come out coward. I know you’re hiding!” Val shouted. She no longer feared him. Her best friend had walked away from her and possibly hundreds of people had died tonight because of her actions, so what had she got to lose?

“Scared of a little girl are you?” she baited him, sensing the anger vibrating in the air. “Too scared to face me, you have to send your little followers to get me.” Val was now spinning in circles as she shouted. Then she spotted a shadow moving across the body of a huge oak tree. “You do know only pussies hide in trees?” Val didn’t get time to see what struck her; it was far too fast. It smashed across her face and she felt the blood spurting from her mouth. She coughed as she fell onto her knees.

“Well I must say, you are brave.” Val wiped her bloody lip and laughed. She pulled herself back to her feet as another blow caught her from the other side and she collapsed again.

“You will give up child,” mocked a voice that almost didn’t exist. It was a cold voice that left Val, not only in pain, but shaken to her bones as she pulled herself onto her feet again.

“Never, I will never let you beat me and if you ever try to hurt anyone I know again, I will kill you.” Val spat blood onto the woodland floor.

“Kill me, you pathetic creature? You can’t even see me. How do you expect to kill me?” the voice mocked her. “Gather your soldiers, child. I will enjoy killing each and every one.”

Val felt another strike from behind and this one held such force that even as she fell, she knew he had damaged her.

Hitting the ground with a thud, she immediately heard her mother screaming. Opening her eyes, she understood why. She had been thrown from the sofa where she had fallen asleep, onto the glass coffee table and had managed to smash it. As Val took in the extent of the situation, she noticed large amounts of blood on the carpet and in the broken glass, which was now only inches away from her throat. Val felt herself being lifted into the air. The arms that held her were strong and steady; she knew they were her father’s.