The Thirteenth (31 page)

“You have failed,” she shouted in Val’s face. Val didn’t like what she was saying, but she remembered what Wendy had told her about being clear of sight. Maybe this was what she meant.

“What can you see, Wendy?” Val asked.

“Baby’s still in danger. The evil one is coming and the traitor is in position.” Wendy slumped on the chair releasing Val and lowering her head between her knees.

“Things just get weirder,” Fran said from the floor.

“Fran, we need to get back to the shop
now
. That baby is in danger and the evil one is coming.” Val grabbed her phone and dialled Shane’s number.

“Hi Shane we need you. Meet us at the bookshop.” Val hung up and started to dial Delta’s number. “Delta, you need to protect that baby. I’m coming, but so is the evil one. Tell Sam and Jason to be ready.” Val put the phone into her pocket. “OK ladies, we have a job to do, let’s go.”

As they all jumped into Wendy’s Morris Traveller, Val wondered if they would ever get there. Wendy revved the car and they set off for the shop.

“OK, when we get there, let me deal with the big evil, please girls. You need to stay safe,” Val shouted over the noise of the engine. Fran and Wendy nodded in agreement. As they pulled up outside the shop they could see the others inside.

“Let’s go.” Val jumped out of the car with Fran and Wendy following. Making her way up the stairs, she could hear the cries of the woman who was still in the throes of giving birth.

Jason saw the girls arriving and opened the doors to let them in. Val came flying past. “No time to stop.” She was followed by Wendy and, as Fran entered, Jason grabbed her and gave her a hug.

“You OK?” he asked.

Fran nodded. “I will be when this is all over and Val is safe.” She let go of Jason and moved towards the girls on the floor. Val was already sitting by Eva’s side.

“Miss me?” Val smiled. Eva’s expression was one of fear and confusion, but the pains of labour were obviously scarier than Val’s disappearing act. “Where is that ambulance?” Val called out.

“I called Val. I don’t know what’s keeping them,” Delta said as another contraction started.

“Where’s Shane?” Val asked.

“Is he coming?” Sam wanted to know.

“I called him. He should have been here ages ago.” Val looked concerned. “Get some hot water,” she ordered. “Our coats will keep her warm.” Once again, Val felt in her element.

Eva gripped Val’s hand as another wave hit her.

“Do you have any family?” Val asked Eva as she started to breathe more calmly.

Eva nodded. “Away.” She made flying signs at Val.

“Where?” Val asked trying to keep Eva distracted whilst she wondered what to do next.

“Mexico.” Eva’s eyes were filling with water.

“That’s lovely. Do you know anyone here?” Val didn’t want to ask about the baby’s father, just in case it was a sore subject.

Eva understood the question. “Si.” Another wave hit just as Val’s phone rang. It was her mother. Val knew she couldn’t lie to her, so she let it ring.

“Who was it?” Delta asked.

“Mum. I’ll call her as soon as this is done. I can’t lie to her so I’m better off waiting.” Val turned to see a message pop up on her screen.

Hope you are OK. Luv you to the moon and back, Mum.

Val pushed her phone back into her pocket.

“Ow!” There was an intense pain in her arm. She saw that the final tattoo, the one that symbolised V, was glowing red. “Not now!”

“What’s wrong, Val?” Delta asked.

“My last tattoo is glowing; I think I’m going again. Hey, it may be the last time.” Val smiled, standing up and walking around the others. “Fran, you sit with Eva. Jason, I need you to protect her, I don’t know where I’m going or if I will make it back in time.” Jason nodded. Val turned towards Delta. “Look out for Shane; he must get here soon.” Delta moved towards the door. “Wendy, don’t have another turn until I get back OK?” Wendy blushed and Val patted her on the back as she passed.

“What about me?” Sam asked.

“You are coming with me.” Val smiled as she grabbed his hand.

“Val, you know what happens if you take someone with you,” Jason said sounding panicky.

“Yes, but you all have jobs to do, and you more than anyone need to be here, Jason.” He had to agree she was right. “And if I need someone to get me back here, Sam is an even faster driver than Delta.”

“Well, I’ll have to be the judge of that myself,” Delta said.

“Positions everyone.” Val walked over to Eva. “I will return.” She smiled kindly at her and then turned to look for what was to be her last journey. She moved with definite purpose around the bookshop, looking for the place, with Sam hanging onto her hand. Strangely, there was no distinguishable sound and there seemed to be nowhere to touch. Was this last tattoo different to the others? “Val I’m starting to get dizzy.” Sam pulled Val to a halt at the main door. Val looked out through the glass door in the hope of seeing Shane, who still hadn’t arrived. All she could see was the reflection of the highly lit up bookshop.

“Let’s take a look outside,” Val suggested.

“OK,” Sam agreed.

Val pushed the door open and, in a flash of light, they were gone.

“OK, they’ve gone and we need to get on with things.” Jason moved around Fran and headed to the door to check if anyone was coming.

Eva was in a complete state of shock having watched not only Val disappear twice in one day, but now Sam too. Her contractions seemed to have eased a little and Fran was talking to her to keep her calm. Wendy was just standing very still, obviously trying to take it all in.

“Where do you think they are?” Fran called over to Jason.

“I don’t know, but here comes Dad,” Jason said relieved.

“Hello son,” Shane greeted him as he opened the door. “Where are Val and Sam?” he asked. Before Jason could answer, there was a flash of light and the rip by the doorway opened. Out stumbled Val, still holding hands tightly with Sam.

Val leapt into her ready to go position and Sam just managed to get onto all fours before he was sick all over the floor.

“Well, at least someone else knows how it feels.” Delta declared as she threw over to Sam a bunch of tissues from the box on the counter.

“What are we doing back here?” Val stood up straight, stretching her back and looked at Shane. “And where have you been?” Val looked confused and annoyed.

“I had a job to do,” Shane said hugging Val. She rested her head on his chest, comforted by his strength.

“Hello, man down, in need of medical attention here,” Sam called from the floor. They all ignored him. Eva screamed and started to push, and that grabbed everyone’s attention.

“If I’m here, that means someone in this room needs my help.” Val felt confused. She had already helped Eva, so it wasn’t her. She walked around, touching everyone’s hands.

“What are you doing mate?” Jason asked.

“No one needs my help, so why am I here?” Val was getting nervous.

“Sorry to stop the party, but I can see something coming out.” Fran looked pointedly in Shane’s direction. “Do you know what we should be doing?”

“OK, let me through.” Shane started to roll up his sleeves. “Jason, lock the door,” he ordered. Eva was now screaming.

“Olla, mi nombre es Shane.” Shane employed his best holiday Spanish and bent down to have a closer inspection. He could see the baby’s head was coming. “OK, I need you to push really hard; the baby is nearly here.” Eva nodded. Shane’s calm attitude made her trust him.

“So Shane, did you learn midwifery at tattoo school?” Delta called over sarcastically.

“No, but I delivered Jason,” Shane responded, not looking away from Eva.

“Don’t ask for details please,” Jason said his face flushing crimson with embarrassment.

“Isn’t anyone slightly even concerned that I have disappeared and ended up back here again?” Val asked the group who were all busy witnessing the miracle of life.

“I can see its head,” Fran squealed with her hands up to her mouth.

“One more push,” Shane told Eva.

She nodded in agreement, gripping his hand tightly. As she let out the final scream everyone stopped moving. Even Val paused to take in the moment, as Shane lifted the baby up.

“It’s a boy,” Shane he said, wrapping the baby in Jason’s jacket. “Pass me your knife, son.” Shane raised his hand and grabbed Jason’s knife.

The group stood mesmerised around Eva who was absolutely exhausted. Val moved closer to see the baby. She had never seen a birth before and now she was truly impressed. Not just with Eva and her baby, but that they had managed to bring this new life safely into the world. No big bad, no traitors. Maybe Wendy wasn’t as good a clairvoyant as she thought, although the white-eye thing was scary.

“Hey Delta, do you want to have a look at the baby?” Val asked her. She noticed that Delta had moved away while everyone else had moved closer.

“No thank you, but I think it’s time Daddy got to see it.” Delta walked behind the counter and, to Val’s shock, pulled a key from her pocket.

“What are you doing Delta?” Val asked, feeling fear coursing though her.

“Something I have waited a long time for.” She pushed the key into the door marked Private and slowly opened it. Val stood up.

“How did you get a key for that door Delta?” Val walked towards her.

“Master, your child has arrived,” Delta called through the gap.

“Who are you calling? Stop it! You’re freaking me out.”

Delta lowered her head and out walked Mr Gallymore. Val nearly burst out laughing. What was Delta doing, calling Mr Gallymore master? For heaven’s sake, he couldn’t master a large gust of wind. And what had she meant by ‘it’s time to meet your Daddy’? Eva was far too pretty and young to be seen dead with anyone like Wallace.

“Delta, whatever you are doing it’s not funny.” Val’s raised voice had caught the attention of the others who were all turning to look at the counter.

“Mr Gallymore, I’m really sorry you had to walk in on this, but the woman was having a baby on the street and…” Val didn’t get to finish her sentence. Wallace ignored her and walked towards the mother and child.

“Mr Gallymore!” Val followed him.

“You are boring me, be quiet.” Wallace flicked his hand limply at Val. He knelt down next to the mother. The silence of that moment was like nothing Val had ever experienced. They all watched him, no one understanding what was happening, all fighting rising fear.

Wallace looked up. “Delta, come and get the baby.”

Delta started to do as she was told.

Val couldn’t believe it. It was like a really bad B-movie. “What are you doing?” Val put herself between Delta and the baby.

“What is required of me” Delta replied.

This was Val’s best friend, she couldn’t seriously be thinking of trying to take Eva’s baby. What would she want with a baby?

Delta stepped round Val and went to Wallace’s side. Eva was now crying, but was too weak to help herself. Shane moved in-between them.

“Delta, I’m not going to hurt you because I don’t know why you are doing this, but you aren’t taking this woman’s baby,” Shane said, blocking Delta’s path. Delta glanced around Shane’s large frame at Wallace. He rose up to stand, and then continued rising.

As the other’s watched in various degrees of terror, Wallace levitated until he was on a level with Shane. Then he flicked out his hand. He didn’t even make contact with Shane, but Shane felt the full force of the blow that threw him violently out of Delta’s way.

“I think it’s time that aunty Delta got to hold the baby, don’t you?” Delta said, trying to pull the baby from a weakened Eva’s arms.

“Val, do something!” Fran, screamed frantically.

Jason was making his way towards Shane when Wallace delivered a similar blow, throwing him in the opposite direction. Jason hit the counter.

Eva was crying, “He is not papa!” and trying to keep hold of the baby, but Delta had a good grip now and kicked her back to the ground. That was it! Val had had enough of this game.

“Hey Wallace, the girl says you’re not the daddy. Maybe we need to take a few blood tests.” Val walked forward with power in her stride. She was going to get that baby back. She had the big bad and the traitor in her sights, as Wendy had predicted, and she knew she could take Delta down. She had to trust that a little old man - even if he was floating - wouldn’t be as strong as her.

“You think you can take me down don’t you, Val, or should I call you V?” Wallace was laughing.

Val stopped for a second to feel in her back pocket to see if her sword was there. She wasn’t going to let him distract her with things she already knew about.

“Well, I suppose it’s time you saw me for who I really am.” Wallace sank slowly to the ground. Once he had settled, he began to shake and vibrate violently. Val felt completely freaked out. The movement was almost faster than her eyes could see, but she saw that he was changing, not only his height but also his shape and age.

Wendy started screaming and Sam ran to place his hand over her mouth in case she suffered the same fate as Shane and Jason.

Delta was just looking on in amusement, holding the baby tightly and every so often knocking Eva back with her foot.

When Wallace eventually stopped, Val could feel her mouth was completely open. The man in front of her appeared to be in his early thirties. He was a good six-foot tall, had a thick mop of blond hair and was wearing a very strange outfit; he looked a little like Shakespeare with not quite so many ruffles. Val noticed straight away that Eva had stopped screaming. She could tell instantly from Eva’s expression that this man
was
the father of that baby. However, his new appearance made no difference; she was going to sort this out once and for all.

“So you’re not old. Is that supposed to impress me, Wallace?” Val asked.

“Please call me Excariot.”

“There was me just getting used to calling you one stupid name and you come out with another.” Val grinned at Excariot.