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Chapters (60)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. Acknowledgements
  59. About the author
  60. Copyright

Luka didn’t need to be told twice and sprinted off to join up with Flo. Chandler turned to Tanya.

‘I’ll stay,’ she said, with a solid nod.

‘Don’t worry, you’ll have company, Tanya,’ announced Mitch. ‘I’ll leave Roper with you,’ he said pointing to the large man awkwardly wedged behind a desk.

Though he felt awful at leaving Tanya – and Nick, again – behind, and sick at the possibility of this being a wild goose chase constructed by Gabriel to leave the station open for attack, Chandler knew he had to be out there, leading the search of the farms to put some of the jumpier residents at ease and to make sure that his townsfolk were safe. No one in town had been killed and he was desperate for it to remain that way.

43

Chandler led Sun and MacKenzie up to Brian East’s farm, the unpaved, untended lane extra treacherous in the dark. Reaching the front gate he switched off his headlights and coasted to a gentle stop. A single light beamed from the one-storey farmhouse; the kitchen or living room. It was ominously dark for a six-bedroom house with four kids below the age of twelve.

Climbing out of the car he flexed his hands to ward off his nervous anticipation. He was joined by his two colleagues, appearing out of the darkness dressed all in black. Meant to inspire confidence, out here amongst the dirt and rusted barns it looked conspicuous.

‘Stick close to me,’ whispered Chandler. ‘And keep your guns in your belts. There are kids in there.’

They stalked up to the farm, wary of the ditches and fences hidden in the gloom, Chandler almost tasting hard earth a few times before they made it to the chicken shed and were greeted by the mumbled clucks of hens disturbed from slumber.

He murmured instructions to his two colleagues.

‘You two go around the sides. Check the windows but don’t put your face right up to them in case you scare the kids. If anything seems unusual meet back here. Okay?’ Sun’s expression remained as emotionless as ever, MacKenzie agreeing on his behalf with a solitary nod before they set off, splitting up as they skirted past the oil tank and moved out of sight.

With the others gone, Chandler focused on the kitchen window. Approaching it, the residual light from the living room illuminated it sufficiently for him to see that it was empty, and typically messy, plates in the sink, crumbs littering the table. Nothing out of the ordinary.