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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

I put the gun down, and the key to the handcuffs. If Tony was faking, I couldn’t risk him grabbing those. I crept closer to him. Still no sign of life.

I reached out and slipped my hand into the pocket nearest me. No keys. I groped around to the other pocket. No keys. My pulse was pounding in my ear. I slowly unzipped Tony’s coat and slipped my hand inside to feel for the inner pocket.

He grabbed my arm. And punched me in the face. I gasped. The agony in my nose blinded me. Colours spiralled through my head – reds and purples and exploding golds – and my ears roared. He hit me again.

I pulled back and lunged at his stomach, where the knife had gone in. Pulled off the bandage.

He kicked me, and connected with my bad ankle. Always my bad ankle. I cried out and plunged my hand into his side. Into his wound. He screamed and fell back. The loose pig let out a squeal of alarm and shot out of the barn door.

I staggered away from Tony and grabbed the gun.

My voice was low and full of pain and fury. ‘I swear to God, you fucker, I will shoot your arm off and use your thumbprint. Just tell me the fucking code.’

He was clutching his side. ‘Okay, okay. Get us out of here.’

I ran to the door and waited. He shouted a six-figure code and I tapped it in to the keypad. The door popped open.

‘What’s the code for the bottom door?’ I shouted.

‘The first five primes in reverse order.’ And he passed out.

‘Oh for God’s sake.’ I dragged myself down the steps, blood smearing my vision. Hesitated while I convinced myself he wouldn’t have included the number 1, and then typed 11, 7, 5, 3, 2.

The door clicked and I pushed it open. ‘Bex! Violet!’

There was no sign of them.

I rushed forward and pulled open the door to one of the bedrooms. Nothing.

Oh God, were they already dead in the other room? I opened the door.

They were there. Still alive.

‘Oh my God,’ Bex spoke far too slowly. ‘You did it.’

They were groggy and pale, their lips an uncanny cherry red. Violet staggered ahead of us. I took Nina’s hand and Bex took Sofia’s. We dragged them up the stairs and into the barn.

Ignoring Tony’s shouts, I wrenched the barn door wide open, to the first daylight Nina had seen for thirty years.

Sofia stopped at the edge of the barn and refused to move, her pale skin and hair looking unearthly in the pink light. We couldn’t delay; there was too much carbon monoxide inside the barn. Bex and I released the remaining pigs, and then the four of us dragged Sofia whimpering into a world she’d never seen.

56

Meg – A Week Later