Chandler wondered whether Gabriel’s intention was to kill him too. He had, after all, been lured out here in the middle of the night. He didn’t think his name was in Genesis but anything was possible, his name could be twisted into something from the Bible; even Canaan might have been close enough for Gabriel to believe Chandler should be punished.

But Chandler realized something further. There was nowhere else he would rather be. He would go to the depths of hell to get his kids back.

Gabriel continued, ‘The next couple I abducted in the hope that they could help look for Martin’s remains but keeping a hostage for longer than a day proved difficult. They were always whining.’ There was incredulity in his tone. He was apparently amazed that people might not like being held prisoner. ‘It’s not that easy getting supplies up here either and I ended up spending more time looking after them than I did searching. I tried to explain to them – Seth and Eva – why they had been taken. They called me crazy and worse, but I’m not crazy.’

Chandler bit his tongue.

Chandler could see that Gabriel had truly convinced himself that by murdering others his brother would be somehow returned.

‘But I can let Sarah go. In return for Heath. I might be what you and everyone else considers evil but I’m not a monster. You did try to comfort my dad, even though you told him to give up.’

‘It was best for your family.’

‘How can you say that when they’re all dead?’

‘I couldn’t have known—’

‘And you didn’t.’

There was a brief silence, the stolen gun glinting as it flashed in Gabriel’s hand.

Gabriel continued, ‘Bring me Heath and I’ll happily hand them over.’

‘No one else needs to die. Your dad wouldn’t—’ said Chandler.

Gabriel interrupted. ‘People die, Chandler, that’s what they do.’

‘Heath, Sarah, Jasper – they don’t deserve to die. They haven’t done anything wrong.’

‘Neither had my brother, my mum, my dad. But God saw fit to take them.’

‘You’re angry and you’re right to be, but you can’t do this . . . Davie.’

‘This is what I have to do. I don’t have a choice but you do, Chandler, a simple one: him or them.’

‘Tell me where they are.’

‘Now, Chandler . . .’ Gabriel’s grin peeked out from the gloom.

Chandler battled for an advantage. ‘If you had this so under control, how did Heath get away?’

In the faint light Chandler could see Gabriel’s brow knit together.

‘Is this a ploy to waste time until backup comes?’

Chandler shook his head, blocking the beam with his hand. ‘There’s no backup. Do you think that they’d just let me kidnap Heath and hand him over?’

Gabriel’s grin wormed its way through the darkness. ‘That’s the kind of dedication I respect.’