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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

‘Enough.’ The biting squeak of exasperation. ‘What is it? What’s happened?’

As ever, his mum was sharp as a tack. She understood that her son not coming home when he had promised meant something significant had happened and she wanted to know what. There was an insistence in the tone as if she felt she deserved to know and wouldn’t stop until she had weaselled the information from him.

‘Just something,’ said Chandler. ‘All I can tell you is to stay indoors.’

There was a slight pause. ‘That sounds serious.’

‘It might be.’

‘You expecting a great storm?’ she said, cryptically as if she thought the lines were bugged.

‘Don’t worry about me.’

‘The day a mother doesn’t worry is the day they put her in the ground.’

‘Mum,’ said Chandler, frustrated. ‘Don’t talk like that.’

‘It’s just a saying.’ Her voice turned quiet. ‘Just don’t go putting yourself in danger.’

‘That’s what they pay me to do.’

‘Not enough.’

On that Chandler could agree.

His mum continued, ‘Okay, you go on. Your dad says hi.’

She hung up. It was her standard end to phone calls. Chandler knew that his dad hadn’t said hi at all. In fact he probably wasn’t even aware of the conversation, engrossed by something else entirely, the TV, the paper, or whatever it might be. When his dad got it into his head to do something, his attention was as hard to capture as his nine-year-old grandson.

Even though the phone had gone silent, Chandler could still hear his mum’s words. Don’t go putting yourself in danger. He might not have a choice. Currently there existed two options: that he had either a very scared and flighty witness on the loose somewhere around town – or a cunning and resourceful mass murderer.

12

Chandler itched to be out on the streets. But only once everything was in place could he consider adding his boots to the operation. So right now, he was in the same purgatory he had forced Nick into, having to accept his station behind a desk.

State confirmed they could have troopers in place within the hour. Nick’s trawl through social media had confirmed that all was quiet in town aside from a couple of rumblings about the cops being more visible than normal. Nothing extraordinary. Things were being kept under control. Swept under the rug, his conscience reminded him. He had been able to indirectly warn his own family to stay inside but the rest of the town remained vulnerable.

As he awaited the inevitable slew of calls and requests he decided to test Nick.

‘What do you think might have happened after Gabriel escaped the hotel?’

Nick tore the headset off, as if he had been itching for Chandler to ask.