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Back Cut to the Bone Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for Cut to the Bone
  3. About the Author
  4. Also by Roz Watkins
  5. Note to Readers
  6. Dedication
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. Extract
  67. Prologue
  68. Chapter 1
  69. Author’s note
  70. Acknowledgements
  71. About the Publisher

‘Right. Do not mess with that carbon monoxide. We need you to be able to think. You’re going to get us out of here. You and that pig.’

54

‘These pigs can fetch,’ Bex said. ‘I know exactly what Dad taught them.’

‘Right.’ My voice came out as little more than a whisper.

‘I’ll coach you through it. We’re going to get the pig to fetch Dad’s coat. She’s going to get us out of here. She’s bloody well going to get us out of here.’

My breathing was coming fast. ‘I’m not sure I can … She’s massive.’

‘Yes, you can do it.’ Bex sounded confident, as if she’d switched to work-mode. This was what she did, and she was good at it.

My heart thudded steadily. If I diverted the carbon monoxide and Tony died, he’d be found and they’d look in the barn. If they found him quickly and the lower barn was reasonably airtight, the others would be saved. I’d be dead but they’d be saved. But if he survived and came back, he’d either kill them or they’d stay locked up, and Bex claimed they didn’t want that life. Or if it took too long for people to come, everyone would die. I didn’t have the energy to make the decision. I let Bex take over.

‘You’ll have to give me a running commentary,’ Bex said, ‘but I know you can do this.’

‘What do I have to do?’

‘You’re going to release the pig, and you’re going to reward her for touching one of Dad’s coats. Use one of the ones behind you. Then you’re going to move that coat towards the coat with the key in it, and reward her for touching that coat. Then you’ll only reward her if she bites it. And then if she pulls at it. She can drag it to you.’

‘Oh God.’

‘Do you remember how you trained your cat to high five?’

‘Yes.’

‘Thank God you did that. You’ll be fine. This is the same. But it will happen fast once you free her. She’ll be excited and we need to tap into that. She can’t get to the food, can she?’

‘No, it’s behind a barrier.’

‘Okay, rip open one of the bags of feed, and put a load of pellets in your pocket. Leave the bag open so you can get more pellets. We’ve got no time to waste.’

‘Okay.’ It was like a dream I have where I’m about to do an exam but I’m completely unprepared and usually naked. This time I was completely unprepared and chained to a barn wall, surrounded by vast, scary pigs.