The Twisted (6 page)

Giuseppe had Richard Blake's attention now and in his final seconds, the magician urged the rest of the group to turn to face their enemy…as he evaporated into nothing and one by one the rest of his Twisted Army joined their leader into nothingness.

“Ah, Ms Bazaar!” said a voice from behind her. Ginger turned around to see a white-haired man standing there – a doctor, she presumed.

“Hello. If… you don't mind me asking, who exactly
are
you?”

“Oh, don't be silly,” the man replied. Shadows began to leak out of his eyes.

Ginger let out a scream and lashed at the man, but she was sent twirling backwards. She felt her back breaking as she crashed into a wall.

She lay there as the man closed in. She heard his footsteps – hard like stone. She closed her eyes tight.

There was a burst of green light and Ginger was forced to open her eyes. The light was blinding. The shadow man's footsteps stopped.

There, standing in the man's place was Tiger Higgins, clutching herself. The Shadow had broken the window as it left.

“You just saved my life,” said Ginger, in awe.

“Yes, I did.”

“I thought you said you had little magic.”

“I was afraid you'd kill me if I told you how powerful I really was.”

“I won't kill you. What is your level of power?”

“Basically, I could take over the world with my power. I'm more powerful than The Baroness. I'm more powerful than Richard Blake.”

Ginger giggled. “Don't be silly,”

“I'm not
being
silly. I'm being truthful.”

Ginger's mouth dropped open. “So you could just kill me right now with your hands.”

“Exactly. I could kill you right now.”

“Which you won't be doing, I hope.”

Tiger shrugged. “Expect the unexpected.”

Now despite the world being rid of the most powerful sorcerer that ever lived very few people yet knew of the existence of Tiger Higgins – the most powerful enemy of all.

It looked sheer impossible to get out of Opal Drive. After the incident, hundreds of people some mortal some immortal, had piled into the house, most of them journalists.

Paolo had answered a few questions and left it at that, Dave was the same while the others shied away – all except Giuseppe of course…the undisputed hero!

“It's all in a days work,” he could be heard saying to camera. “It was nothing really. Anyone in my position would have done the same thing.”

“All the clichés in the book!” laughed Vivian and Daniel, but no one begrudged him.

“At the end of the day,” he continued. “Some people may scoff at magic, in the traditional sense. Some people believe that unless you are a sorcerer or a wizard or a witch that magic is not real but today just proved that, once again, The Great Fragola Brothers are what magic is really all about.”

The crowd went wild and Giuseppe pulled his brother close as cameras flashed everywhere.

“I think we might just crack America now,” he whispered and Paolo nodded and laughed too.

Eventually people started to move on – some back to their newsrooms to file the story and some just home to gossip about it.

As Paolo and Giuseppe made their way back to the Bentley where the rest of the gang were waiting on them a pretty young woman with short hair and glasses grabbed Paolo's arm leaving ‘Giuseppe to go ahead.

“Excuse me. Don't worry, I'm not a reporter,” she said quickly. “I need to tell you something urgently.”

The men were intrigued.

“I have learned of a girl. She is 16 years old. Her name is Tiger Higgins.”

“I really don't have time,” said Paolo, pushing past her. He was exhausted and just wanted to go home.

“Listen!” She pulled him back. “She has the power to destroy the world. She is more powerful than Blake. She's coming – and she's going to destroy us all.”

Paolo froze. “Is she coming soon?”

“From what I sense, she'll take about a year to get to her full level of power but when she does she could kill us all with a flick of her hand. It could happen and no one could stop her.”

“OK,” said Paolo

“Keep in touch.” She said, and left him with a business card and a sincere smile.

“Who was that?” asked Giuseppe when he approached.

Paolo checked the business card. “Emma Vantage. Elite Crime Squad, it says.”

“What was she talking to you about?”

“She said they've tracked down a girl. She's 16 years old and she's more powerful than Blake – or at least she will be.”

“That's bad.”

“Very,” admitted Paolo. “We'll all die she said.”

“Well we better make do with all the time we have left,” he joked half-heartedly.

“Only a year.”

“Ah well. That's life for you. Or should I say that's death for you?”

“The latter.”

“Cool.”

Giuseppe put his hands in his pockets and sighed. They probably would try and stop her – but they didn't have much confidence that they would not succeed.

Some people called Emma Vantage a pessimist. She considered herself a Believer. A Believer of life and death was what she was. The world is an on-going sphere, life coming and going.

She liked her little office on Broadway. It was nice to hear the noise of the theatre. There was no use for her office really except for her own luxury. Emma had never been one to care much about others. She ran her own business fighting crime and had no real need for anyone else.

Or at least that's what she had always thought. Perhaps the visit to Richard Blake's house and the people, or rather person, she met as part of it, would change her mind.

It was the day after the huge event and most people had, had a lie in but The Fragola Brothers were up.

“I had a dream last night,” said Giuseppe
. “About that girl.”

Paolo who had been looking out the window turned to him and said; “I know, me too,” as he held up Emma's business card.

“Not that girl!” said his brother laughing. The one she spoke about! The powerful one!”

“Oh,” said Paolo, embarrassed. “Of course.”

“I think we need to do something.”

“Yes me too, and we need to act fast.”

“Got any suggestions?”

There was a pause and then Paolo said: “Well
I've
a few tricks up my sleeve if you must know.”

At that the two brothers burst out laughing – happy in the knowledge that the latest hurdle had been jumped but knowing full well that another huge one was just around the corner.