Destinata (Valguard) (8 page)

I knew in that moment that I would finally be returning to Tole. If El’ and Charlie needed saving, I would protect them to the ends of the earth.

The desire to run to Ford and the need to devise a plan with Zane warred within Charlie but in the end the want to rescue her mother won out and she returned to Zane’s living room with only a glance behind her to see Ford looking somber leaning against the metal gate, once again his clothing soaked through.

“Was that Ford?”

“Yes.”

“Hmmm.”

“Hmmm what Zane?”

“Nothing.
It’s just, don’t you think it’s a bit curious that after all this time, he just happens to turn up within days of you finding out you’re half-Valguard?”

“No actually, I don’t. Ford is El’s sister, obviously he wanted to come back and see her. We haven’t seen him in over a year.”

“I guess.”

“Geez Zane! He isn’t some evil doer lurking around to try and win me over just to feed me to the enemy, which remind me is who exactly? Coz it seems to me that I don’t actually have any enemies, I am part of both races surely that grants me some sort of rightful passage to work alongside both parties right?”

The diversion worked. Zane, preferring to answer her questions rather than amble on about the fact that Ford had returned to town unannounced and uninvited.

“That’s not exactly how it works
Charlie, there will come a time when you are going to have to choose sides. I’ve said it over and over but the war
is
coming and unless you can figure out a way to stop it, you are going to have to choose to fight alongside the Valguard or the humans. You can’t choose both.”

“Right well.
First things first. I want my mom out of that dam cell!”

“You might want to invite your friend Ford along for this
discussion, we’re going to need the muscle.”

“No! No way! After what I just saw, you think I’m going to invite him along to his death? You’re crazy.”

“That was what was to happen at that time, there is no certainty it will happen this time. And you want to tell him anyway don’t you?”

Charlie swore she heard a touch of jealousy in his tone but shrugged it off for now.

“Yes but…”

“No but’s.”

Before she could stop him Zane was at the front door gesturing for Ford to join them and she was letting out a low, exasperated groan.

“Oh come on Charlie, it’ll be fine.”

Ford settled in, a scowl on his face aimed at Zane and a towel wrapped around his broad shoulders. The atmosphere in the room was tense to say the least. Charlie sat and strummed her fingers on her knee waiting for the awkwardness to subside. Thankfully it wasn’t long before Ford spoke up, saving her from having to break the tension herself.

“Charlie. I need to talk to you…
Alone preferably.”

Zane getting the hint that he wasn’t wanted left the room, heading up the stairs where they heard his bedroom door close firmly behind him.

“Ford, I’m going to explain everything, just dry off a bit and I’ll get you a coffee.”

“Explain what? I really need to talk to you it’s about…”

“I know what it’s about Ford and I said I will explain, just give me a minute ok?”

“What no Charlie. Listen to me please, it’s nothing about you.”

“Oh, but then what is it? Is El’ ok?”

“Eloise is fine for now. It’s Ava. She was killed yesterday.”

Charlie wept while Ford explained to her what had happened with the creepy stalker guy
Tony
and all the events that had led up to Ava’s death.

“But why?
Ava never hurt anyone. I’m so sorry Ford.”

“Me too.”

Crushed by the devastation that was painfully clear on Fords face Charlie reached over to gently wipe the tears that had escaped from the corner of his eyes. Taking his hands in hers, he turned to hide his face ashamed by his weakness but Charlie let go of his hands to cup his jaw in her palm and turn it back towards her own tear-streaked face, letting him know that in her company, he never need be ashamed of any feeling. Moving in she watched Ford closely for any signs of resistance and finding none wrapped her warm arms around his cold neck. Overcome with grief, they sat for what seemed like an eternity not speaking, not moving just holding each other until the tears seemed to dry up.

Ford whispered thanks to Charlie as he pulled away, his face
now dry but the pain he felt was still evident in the way he spoke.

“Have you told El’?”

“Yea, Matt’s taking care of her, I just needed to get out of there.”

“Ok. Do you think I should go and see her?”

“Nah, she’s pretty broken up, she just needs to be with Matt.”

“What’s with Tony though? First he stalked you, then went out with Ava, then killed her. And what was Ava trying to warn you about?”

“I don’t know, but as soon as I saw the writing on her hand I left town and came straight here. And then I saw your creepy eyes this morning and it reminded me of everything a little too abruptly, is that what you wanted to explain to me?”

“Oh, right. Not great timing really. I’ll get Zane, hang on a tick.”

Charlie ran upstairs and knocked quietly on Zane’s bedroom door, cautioning him to be nice to Ford and quickly recapping what had happened, they walked back down in silence.

“Ford.
I’m sorry to hear about your loss and just as soon as we get things sorted here, I promise we will find this guy.”

“Ah thanks but what exactly do we have to sort out here?”

Zane explained quickly everything that he had told me and everything that had been going on the last few days and to Charlie’s surprise he took it rather well.

“I knew it! I knew something was wrong with half the people in this town! But Charlie, you’re one of these Valguard?”

“
Half
Valguard!
Half
!”

“Ok then
Half
Valguard! That explains the glowing eyes at least.”

“Yea, sorry about that, I didn’t even know it would happen.”

“Don’t worry about it, I was more worried about what was wrong with you then anything else. So these Valguard’s are going to start a war?”

“That’s not exactly clear yet but a war will be started, we just don’t know who will be the one to start it yet.”

“And Charlie has to stop it? How? She’s an eighteen year old girl for god sakes.”

“Gee thanks for the vote of confidence Ford!”

“Sorry but they can’t expect you to stop a war Charlie and if they really do, I will be there alongside you the whole way.”

That small
commitment made Charlie’s heart burst with pride and love for the person sitting across from her and a small smile escaped her.

“Good, because she is going to need all the help she can get.”

Charlie wandered home later that day, leaving Ford and Zane to work on war strategies and to come up with a plan to bust Eva out of her cell under the Town Hall.
She found El’ and Matt huddled on the lounge, El’s face red and blotchy from crying.

Charlie’s voice broke as she uttered a lame ‘sorry’ and hugged her best friend. She wondered for half a second whether she should fill her and Matt in on what was going on over at Zane’s place but decided against it before the thought had even fully formed.
Ford had handled the news of the impending war and Charlie being a half Valguard rather well but she didn’t think it would be the same for El and Matt, they were too closed off to the idea of other beings being out there. They had both scoffed at Ford when he told them his fears about the town for all these years, Charlie didn’t want to run the risk that her best friends might turn their backs on her, that they might look at her in disgust every time they saw her after she told them the truth. Not yet anyway. She knew the time would come that she would have to tell them but today wasn’t going to be that day.

“You ok? Sorry, stupid question.”

“It’s ok. I’m as good as can be I suppose. The hardest part is not being able to say goodbye.”

“I know. But Ford’s back right, that’s something at least.”

“Charlie, you know he loves you right? He didn’t come back for me, he came back for you.”

“That’s completely crazy El’! You’re his sister, of course he came back for you, he came back to look out for you.”

“Yea, that’s why he couldn’t stop worrying about you the whole time he was here.”

“That’s not… He’s just…”

“Yep, just completely and hopelessly in love with you. Just go Charlie. I love you too and I know you want to be over there right now, so just go. I’ll be fine ok.”

“Matt. Look after her.”

“Will do.”

Matt was the complete opposite of Eloise, where she was loud and overbearing, he was quiet and withdrawn. Hardly anyone ever heard him
speak, preferring to keep the peace at all times and taking everything that came his way in his stride. Matt was brought up with an Autistic sister, whom he loved with all his heart and would do anything for, but living with someone who constantly needed more attention than he did, he started to withdraw into himself from a young age. The teachers at school would think him stupid because he never participated in anything, always thinking that there was someone else that needed the attention more. He was far from stupid, at just nineteen he held a master’s degree and ran his own business from home that exported computer software all over the world. Matt’s parents don’t agree with the relationship he has with Eloise and kicked him out the moment they found out that he had feelings for her. This was the reason he had needed somewhere to live at the same time Charlie’s mom had been taken away and El’s mom had died. Although he didn’t say a word of this to either of his housemates until after he and Eloise had officially started seeing each other. He never put up a fight or voiced his opinion on what he really thought about his parents, he just packed his stuff when they told him to and left. In some ways – most actually – Charlie was glad that Matt had come to live with her and El’. He acted as a buffer between the two stubborn friends who had grated on each other’s nerves since childhood.

Back over at Zane’s, they were still discussing tactics. Charlie didn’t feel it necessary to step in with her worries and suggestions, they sounded like they had it all sorted so she roamed around the house quietly not really paying attention to anything until something on the side table under the house phone caught her eye. It was just an ordinary letter sized piece of paper but something about it drew her attention. What she found was anything but ordinary, it was a handwritten letter addressed to Zane. The letterhead was what had drawn her attention; it was a bright blue perfectly rounded circle – the same blue as her eyes – and had the letters LC embedded in the center of it. Charlie started to glance over the letter; something about it was screaming for her to start reading, so read she did.

Dear Mr. Cooper,

I’m writing to you to address the situation at hand.
As you are well aware, you are employed by Lucas Corp. to collect and provide information on the town of Tole and its inhabitants. It has come to Mr. Lucas’s attention that you have not been fulfilling your duties as an employee of Lucas Corp. As such you are now required to return to base of operations effective immediately for questioning. If you do not return, another operative will be sent in to extract you personally. If you have since fulfilled the duties required of you, please disregard this letter.

Sincerely,

Harlem McNeish

Vice President of communications, Lucas Corporation.

Stamping her way through the old house to the living room where Zane and Ford still sat in deep discussion Charlie waved the small paper in Zane’s face angrily.

“What the hell is this?”

“Ahh.
Charlie, you weren’t supposed to see that.”

“Well maybe next time you shouldn’t leave it sitting on the side table where anyone can read it.”

“It’s not what you think, I’m not working for them. They were my way into town officially. No one knew I was here while I was living with Kara but the time came where I needed to get in. Lucas Corp. owns this town and everything in it, I had to make them believe I was working for them.”

“And you were never going to tell me that you are
supposedly
a spy for a major corporation?”

“I didn’t see any need to since I’m
not
a spy.”

“Sure looks to me like you are. And who is coming for you exactly? Is it someone else I need to save this town from? Because you know I don’t have enough on my plate already.”

Zane looked at Charlie, pleading with his eyes for her forgiveness, red faced and ashamed of what he had brought here with him.

“It’s Jaramm. But I’ve taken care of it Charlie, he isn’t going to hurt you or me or anyone else in town. He’s gone for now.”

“Jaramm. You mean creepy stalker, first of the Valguard’s Jaramm? Oh but that’s right, you were talking to Kara about him this morning weren’t you. Even you said yourself her sight isn’t perfect Zane! You can’t be so sure of anything.”