The stench of faeces assaults her and she almost gags. It’s dark and she cannot see anything. She unhooks a torch from the back of the door and points the beam into the darkness. She sees a small stairwell leading down to a stark concrete cell of a room. At the bottom is a weary, skinny blond boy with a heavy shackle fixed around his wrist.

Jordan.

Her heart pounds. He is pale and sickly-looking. She barely recognises him as he slowly bangs the shackle against steel steps.

‘Jordan!’ she calls but he doesn’t seem to hear. A fury implodes inside her and she grabs the axe and climbs down the rungs.

She crouches to face him. ‘Jordan, I’m here to take you home.’

Slowly, he lifts his head. ‘Mum?’

Archer feels tears threatening to break through.

‘Jordan, place your hand on the ground.’

He obeys without any resistance.

Ignoring the pain in her palm, she raises the axe and slams it down once, twice, a third time on the chain until it breaks and he is free. She tries to help him up, but his stamina is depleted.

‘Jordan, stay with me. We’re going home, OK?’

With all her strength, she hauls him up and fixes his arms around her neck. She is surprised at how light he is.

‘Hold tight and wrap your legs around me, sweetheart.’

‘Tired,’ he says, sinking into her warm body.

‘Let’s get you to bed.’

‘Where’ve you been, Mum? I’ve missed you.’

His lips are dry, his voice is a croaking whisper. Archer’s eyes well but the tears do not come. Her fury at Jamie Blackwell burns.

She climbs the steps with the boy. His hold is loose and he keeps sliding down.

‘I’ve missed you too. Squeeze me tighter, darling.’

His weak limbs embrace her and she makes the climb upward.

She crawls up the stairwell. Jordan is clinging on with every ounce of his strength.

She hears a noise from the kitchen and peers round the door.

Jamie is stumbling toward the hallway.

‘Shit!’ she whispers.

‘Grace, where are you?’ he calls.

‘Mum,’ says Jordan, his voice trembling.

Jamie halts and turns around. Archer retreats inside and grabs the torch. She hears him shuffling toward the utility room.

She needs to act fast.

She pushes open the door, rushes out and slams the torch against Jamie’s head. He is already weak and falls backward. Holding tight to Jordan, she skips over Jamie’s body and runs across the kitchen.

The rest seems like a blur as she races up the hallway and out of the house.

She is barefoot and bloody. Adrenaline pumps through her body as she sprints down Swains Lane dodging traffic and ignoring the honking horns of cars. All she can think about is survival and to do that she must run and get her and Jordan far away from here.