Destinata (Valguard) (16 page)

“So what do we do now?”

“We bring them down.”

“Yea but how? They are so willing to fight to the death.
We
are so willing to fight. How do we stop both parties from wiping each other out and destroying the town?”

They knew t
hat both races had to survive or they would tear the whole world apart trying to kill each other off. At first it had seemed more than senseless to have to start a war to end it, but no amount of talking would have convinced the Valguard to relinquish their control over the town. They have settled here and become complacent among the humans over the years but that didn’t change much. Only that they were content in their role of ‘rulers’ over the humans. Any talk of rebellion would have seen each and every person in town in an early grave. At least this way some of the town may survive and one day be able to rebuild without having their actions and thoughts and feelings being dictated for them.

Charlie answered her own question before Zane even had a chance
to, she knew exactly what would bring the Valguard to their knees.

“By making
them realize just how much they need the humans alive.”

“What do you mean? The
Valguard don’t need the human’s Charlie, they never did. They only keep them around to do their bidding so that they can live better lives and feel supreme knowing that they hold the power. At first when Kara told me the reason you needed to make both sides see reason and live together to ensure the survival of both races, I didn’t doubt her for a minute but now… They don’t need human’s Charlie. As long as they win they don’t care about the survival of other races, as long as they either control or the humans die out they just don’t care.”

“Yes, but their hazing doesn’t work now that everyone in town knows about them, free will is just too strong. They’ve already lost their power and their cushy living style, so why are they still here? Why haven’t they moved onto some oth
er unsuspecting town to lord over its people? Why are they still fighting for
this
town? Even if like you say they don’t care about future generations of Valguard, they’ve lost their power. Why aren’t they leaving or killing everyone on sight?”

“Because they’re bloodthirsty lunatics with only half a soul?”

“No. Because they
have
to be here. And for some reason when they settled here they needed the humans and probably still do. I don’t know why yet but I’m going to find out and then I’m going to make sure none of them ever step foot in Tole again.”

Zane’s response what cut short by the howling that blasted through Charlie’s ears, the nausea creeping up on her so slowly it was like torture and the whirlwind of images that were placed into her mind.

First a clock, like those you would see in a bank, they had both the date and the time on the face. Concentrating hard to pull the clock into focus she saw that it displayed today’s date and
14:00 showed as the time. The vision panned out giving her full view of a small dingy room, dimly lit by lanterns hanging from above. There was a small desk perched in the middle of the room and behind it… Mikal.

“The people of town have returned to their homes or go
ne into hiding. We need to get them out! They will surrender or die, that is the only option. We cannot leave town nor can we live with rebels. So at 7pm we flush them out.”

“They’ll never surrender Sir.”

The second voice had come from behind where Charlie was able to see but his voice had a military sort of air about it, maybe a guard of some sort?

“Then we’ll kill them all.”

There was murmured agreement from around the room, voices coming from people that she couldn’t see as she was pulled from her vision and back to reality.

“Charlie. Charlie?”

“Yea?”

“Vision?”

“Yea.
What time is it?”

Charlie was frantically looking around for a clock amongst the disorder that was Kara’s – now Charlie’s and Zane’s – kitchen. Zane simply looked at his wrist watch, clearly more with it than Charlie was.

“It’s just past ten why?”

“We have to move.
They’re planning to strike at seven, they’re going to have the meeting at two, we need to kill Mikal before that happens.”

“But weren’t we going to find out why they can’t leave and…”

“Yea, no, yea. I don’t know anymore. They’re going to ‘flush’ the town out and if they won’t surrender they’re going to kill them. They know they’re cornered now and they aren’t going to give up. The plan can still work but Mikal is going to have to die, we have no chance at all with him alive.”

Charlie wished for a change of clothes as they walked the underground tunnels to El’ and Matt’s house where they had decided to check in before heading out to find Mikal and end his life.

“What do you think is the reason they can’t leave?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been wracking my brains since you mentioned it but I just can’t think of a reason why they just can’t pack up and leave and take over another town.”

“I couldn’t let them do that, you know that right?”

“I know, I wouldn’t either but I still don’t know why they haven’t tried.”

It only took a short few minutes to travel the almost straight line from Kara’s cottage to El’s house in town and into the shelter behind the pantry. Charlie wasn’t quite sure she was ready to face Ford just yet but she had no other choice, she needed to make sure he was ok, that they were all ok before she could even think about going after Mikal. Zane pushed open the pantry door before Charlie had half a chance to compose herself and was left looking extremely shell-shocked and drained when they were greeted by Ford not a half inch away from Zane’s face.

“Oh. It’s just you.”

The words were spat at Charlie and the hurt that resonated from them made her heart break all over again.

“Yes, it’s us. We just came to make sure you were ok.”

“Well we’re just dandy, thanks for stopping by. Oh and thanks for bailing on us last night too.”

Charlie could see Zane’s fists clench in anger at Ford’s words but they relaxed when she placed her soft hand on his forearm; the gesture relaxing one male in front of her but making the other tense up. She rolled her eyes and pushed passed Zane to enter the house.

“You know what Ford. I fought and I killed last night so this town can one day be free, just like you did so how about laying off. We’re on the same side
remember?”

Ford started to retort, no doubt with a smart remark but Zane cut him off and beating him to it.

“The plan was always to get Charlie out safely, or don’t you remember that? You were so busy being the big man and killing as many as you could, you left her to fend for herself. I got her out of there before they could kill her and what were you doing? Running.”

Ignoring Zane, Ford looked back to Charlie once again.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok. Just stop fighting ok?”

“Sure. So what’s going on this morning? All seems quiet out there.”

Charlie glanced at Zane who gave her a slight nod of his head, letting her know that she shouldn’t hold anything back from Ford or the others.

“They’re getting ready to flush the town out and give us an ultimatum to surrender or be killed. Although I don’t think that’s what they are going to use to coax people out of their homes.”

“And what are we going to do about it?”

“Well,
you
are going to stay here with El’ and Matt. Zane and I are going to kill Mikal and then work on the rest of the plan after that.”

“You are
not
going without me. I failed to look after you last night, I won’t do it again.”

The look on his face told them both that he had made up his mind and there would be no changing it. If they didn’t allow him to go with them, he would follow them anyway. There was noth
ing for it; it looked like the three of them would be going to take down Mikal together.

They didn’t bother taking the tunnels to Mikal’s coffee shop for two reasons. They didn’t want to alert the Valguard to the fact that a system of tunnels ran under the whole town and because there was no point in trying to surprise them. Mikal needed to be confronted, and Charlie needed to be the one who confronted him. He was her father after all.

“I never thought I would be walking alongside you two to kill my own father you know.”

It was a weak attempt at lightening the air and it was apparent by the eye rolling from both Zane and Ford that they thought so as well.

“Save it Charlie, we both know you’re terrified and one of us will be the one to have to take him down.”

Ford was out of line and couldn’t have been more wrong.

“Oh really?
You think I’m going to let you jump in and be the big hero Ford? You have no idea what I am capable of.”

“Obviously or I would have known better than to have been with you in the first place.”

Zane drew a deep breath trying to keep his aggravation towards Ford as low as possible for the time being.

“That was out of line Ford.”

“Yea and you moving in on my girl wasn’t?”

Deciding to step in before their words turned into fists Charlie stopped in front of them blocking their path and looking decided angry.

“He never moved in on me, I just moved out so get over it and move on. And thanks but I can handle my own drama’s Zane. I seem to remember you were there the day that I told Ford I was a big girl and can handle things on my own and make my own decisions so stay out of it. Now can we just get on with what we are
supposed
to be doing and not what has already happened?”

All three looked between each other and coming to a silent mutual agreement started moving forward.

As usual the trek to the small coffee shop in town was far too short and didn’t allow Charlie
time to prepare adequately for what was coming. Maybe Ford was right, maybe one of them would end up killing Mikal for her. No. This was something she needed to do, for herself and for the residents of Tole. She had to take a stand against her own father whether she was ready or not.

“Is Mikal in?”

Zane had directed his question at the new counter hand in the shop but was pointedly ignored. Moving along the counter with him, Charlie spoke up
irritated by the lack of respect and hospitality shown by the attendant.

“Hey! He asked you a question.”

“Yea and I have strict instructions not to talk to anyone but you.”

Charlie looked around her then and realized that the shop was des
erted. Well of course it was, ninety per cent of Mikal’s customers were human. So why did he need an attendant in here at all?

“So? Is he in?”

“No.”

“Where is he then?”

“Not here.”

Charlie was over the counter so fast that neither Zane nor Ford could catch her. Grabbing a fist full of shirt she saw the name plaque on the attendants badge then and for some reason it gave her satisfaction knowing his name.

“Tell me where he is James or I swear to god I’ll rip your throat out before you can utter a single world.”

What was that look in his eyes?
Loathing? Anger? No, it was fear, as plain as day. But why? Charlie was the size of a flea compared to him, why should he have any reason to fear her?

“He’s downstairs ok, just let me go, I’ll take you down.”

“I’ll let you go when my friends are on this side of the counter.”

Zane and Ford were over the counter and standing by her side in a flash and as promised she let James go and followed him out the small back door that she knew led to Mikal’s office. Once inside he led them around to where Mikal’s chair stood shoved it aside and reache
d for something on the floor. It was a small brass handle that brought a concealed door upwards as he lifted.

The descended in single file, Ford and Zane going ahead of Charlie.
After a half-hearted scuffle to see who would win out at following immediately being James, Zane gave in a little too easily and followed after Ford while leaving Charlie to mumble something about testosterone and pissing matches before she herself started the journey underground.

They came out in the same ill-lit room that Charlie had seen in her vision and just as he had been in the same vision, Mikal was seated behind the small desk in the center of the room his back toward the clock that now read 12:02. Unlike in her vision though, she could see no one else in the room bar James and clearly he wasn’t a threat at this stage.

“Ah daughter, how nice of you to join me.”

“Save the sweet talk Mikal, you know why I’m here.”

“Of course I do. You
think
you’re going to kill me today.”

“No, I
know
that I’m going to kill you today.”

Mikal let a small chuckle slip out before composing his features into something somewhat scarier than Charlie was used to seeing.

“So, is there anything you’d like to say first? Any last meaningful words for your father?”

“Just this.
You’re not my father, I don’t have a father. Just because your blood runs through my veins doesn’t make you my dad any more than it makes Ford my dad and if I could drain every last bit of Valguard body from my blood it still wouldn’t be enough. You disgust me.”

“You’ve got your mother’s spirit I see. Such a shame that Mayor
Reynold’s did away with her, she made a perfect trophy wife, don’t you think?”

“She was never your wife, she never would have been!”

“Ahh but you are wrong again, she
could
have been if she had just learned to keep her dam mouth shut! That was the only problem with Eva… Too much spirit.”

Charlie saw a slight movement from the corner of her eye and before she could stop him, Ford had launched himself through a half open doorway where she could see the faint outlines of a glowing set of eyes. She knew in that instant that the Valguard knew about the tunnels, they probably always had, so why hadn’t Kara seen it?

Her thoughts didn’t progress any further after that because just as she asked herself the question, Mikal had jumped the desk and was heading for the stairs and toward escape.

She’d concealed a knife in the waistband of her bloodied cargo pants before arriving at the coffee shop but now unsheathed it and in one fluid movement spun herself on the spot her knife held at throat height and brought the blade across Mikal’s neck with precision. He fell to the ground gasping for air, the blood that poured from his wound creating a stark contrast against the white concrete. Knowing he would bleed out from a wound like this Charlie turned and ran through the concealed door after Ford. In amongst the chaos Zane must have headed that way too because she could find no sign of him anywhere else. It was hard to navigate the tunnels without a torch – both of which Zane still possessed – but with her
Valguard eyes she could see more than a human would. It was so dark underground that she wondered how Ford had managed to get even this far without any source of light.

Zane’s discarded torch cast a shadow across the wall of the tunnel and though she couldn’t see them yet, she could
see their figures in the shadows on the wall. Two were down on the ground; one was leaning over them, his body moving rapidly up and down. Was it the Valguard plunging a knife into a chest? Was it Zane or Ford doing the same to the Valguard? Her pace quickened as she turned the corner to discover the fate of her friends.

It had been Zane that was hovering over the bodies of the
Valguard and Ford but he wasn’t plunging a knife into anyone’s chest, he had his hands crossed over Fords chest, right where his heart was situated. He was trying to resuscitate him, frantically pumping on his chest a few times and then blowing his own oxygen into Ford’s lungs. She could see the steady rise and fall of his chest as Zane worked over him; she looked around trying to figure out what had happened here. There was no blood, no signs of a struggle, no weapons. Just the eerie silence, one dead Valguard and one fallen friend.

“I’m sorry Charlie, he’s gone.”

“No. Keep working, he’s going to be fine. He needs to be fine.”

“I’ve been here for five minutes, even if I can revive
him, the brain damage will see him being a vegetable for the rest of his life. We need to get out of here.”

“No. Better a vegetable than dead. Move out of my way.”

Zane slumped to the side and allowed Charlie to work on Ford while he gathered himself but he knew it was a pointless effort, Ford was gone.

“Charlie, we have to go. They know about the tunnels, James escaped.”

“No, I’m not leaving him. He’ll be ok.”

Charlie was shouting through thick sobs now, barely able to contain
the pain that was about to burst through her chest.

“We can’t stay here, you know that.”

“Well I’m not leaving him ok! I can’t. He’s going to be ok!”

Charlie kicked and screamed as Zane lifted her off Ford’s lifeless body, trying desperately to get back to her friend, to save him. She couldn’t leave him there with that scum.

“Let go! I’m not leaving him! How can you just leave him like this?! Put me down, I can save him!”

There was no response from Zane who was struggling to keep his grip on her as she flailed her arms and legs in her effort to be free of his clutches.

Finally she let the grief take over and let the tears fall and became still. She felt herself being gently placed on the ground in the underground office where she had killed Mikal. Her grief turned to anger the moment she saw Mikal’s lifeless body laying not meters from her. She knew that the only thought that was going to get her through this was that she was going to make the Valguard pay for what they had done. She might not be able to kill all of them, but she could make them suffer.

Gathering herself and standing slowly she turned to Zane. She could see the faint glow of her own eyes through the contact that lenses that once protected her identity and
started to move forward.

“What should with do with him?”

Zane was pointing towards the spot where Mikal was laying surrounded by a pool of blood.

“Leave him here to rot.”

She pulled the concealed door they had entered through shut on her way out, twisting the small brass handle which clicked into place, sealing Ford, Mikal and the guard into a makeshift tomb.

The walk back to El’s place was somber and seemed to pass in a daze; before she knew it they were standing on the porch and she was trying to decide on the best way to tell her
friend that her brother was dead.

“I can’t do this. She’s not going to understand.
I
don’t understand.”

“Just let me do the talking ok. It’s going to be alright.”

Zane tried to comfort her by putting his arm across her shoulders, but Charlie knowing El’ the way that she did, knew that it wasn’t a good idea and shrugged it off before walking inside.

“Ford?
That didn’t take long, who got the honor of killing the ‘lord and ruler’ himself? Ford?”

El’s voice had been coming from the lounge but when there was no answer from her brother she stepped into the entry way coming face to face with Charlie and Zane. Charlie’s tear streaked and reddened face spoke louder than any words could and the small sarcastic smile that El’ had warn upon entering vanished in an instant.

“No. He’s not dead! He’s not! Where is he?”

“El’ we couldn’t save him. We tried, I’m so sorry.”

Although Charlie had had no idea what to say when standing on the porch, it didn’t seem right to let Zane do the talking for her, this was something she needed to do.

“You’re lying!”

El’ was positively screeching now, sending Matt flying into the room where they all stood now on opposite sides staring at each other.

“Eloise, she’s telling the truth. Ford ran off into one of the underground cellars chasing one of Mikal’s guards. He couldn’t see, the guard waited for him around a corner and shot him in the heart with this.”

Zane fiddled in his pocket for a second and then held up a small rectangular device with wires hanging from one end. A Taser. That’s why there was no blood, Ford had been shot in the heart with an electrical current.

“Don’t you even talk to
me! We were fine before you came to town. Happy, unaware and now look at us. My sister’s dead, my brother, Charlie’s a freaking Valguard and we’re all about to be herded like cattle so that we can surrender and live out the rest of our lives being lorded over by
your
people or die. Get out of my house.”

Charlie had seen El’s temper before, even been in the firing line of it but she had never seen her like this; so full of contempt and anger that she seemed to be bursting with it. Charlie had to do something to calm her down before she did or said something that she would regret later on.