BooksBarbecue
Back The Bad Place
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. THE BAD PLACE
  3. Contents
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  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. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. Acknowledgements
  71. About the author
  72. An Invitation from the Publisher

‘No,’ whispered Ian. ‘What are you—’

‘Did he hit you? Did he make your life a misery? I bet he did, I bet you dreaded him coming home late at night, barely able to put the key in the door, coming in angry and drunk.’

‘Don’t you talk about him like that,’ he hissed. ‘Don’t you dare!’

She glanced at Sasha, be ready.

‘My mum was the same, Ian, she was a violent drunk. What did he do to you, Ian?’ He blinked at her in shock. ‘Poor Ian, look what he made you.’

I know you can do it.

‘He didn’t… he didn’t mean it, the pressure, it…’ Ian smeared away the tears streaming down his face. ‘I’m going to count to three and if you haven’t chosen by then you’ll be sorry… One.’

‘Ian, don’t do this.’ Sasha shifted the weight of the baton in her sleeve, but he was still too far away. If she lunged at him, he would still be able to fatally stab one of the kids. ‘It’s not too late.’

‘Two.’

Karin came closer. ‘That’s why he made mistake after mistake in the investigation, that’s why he was drummed out of the police, and it’s why he couldn’t save Becky in that basement – because he was a blundering drunk!’

‘No!’ Ian stepped towards the chairs. ‘Three!’

Karin stepped right up to him, getting in his face. ‘A useless, pathetic, vicious drunk!’

‘Liar!’ he screamed.

His hesitation gave her a fleeting moment to grab his hand that held the knife, twisting the wrist as hard as she could. But he effortlessly swung her into the wall, pulled back the blade—

‘No!’ Sasha let the baton drop from her sleeve into her palm, extending the steel rod at its core with a soft click, and stepped forward to smash Ian across the back of the shoulders as hard as she could. The knife flew out of his grasp as he crashed to the floor.

‘We’re going to get you out!’ she told the kids, dropping into a crouch at Angel’s chair.

‘Mum!’ cried Angel, desperately straining against her bonds.

‘The knife!’ Karin kicked it towards her, and Sasha used it to cut through the tape tying Angel to the chair.

On the floor, Ian groaned. He rolled on to his front, hands clawing at the dusty tile.

When Angel was free, Sasha told her, ‘Go!’

But her daughter helped her tear the tape off Lucas. ‘Get out of here!’ she repeated, but Angel didn’t listen. ‘Just run!’

As Karin freed Sammi, ripping the tape with her bare hands, she heard a groan and glanced over her shoulder to see Ian lifting himself on to all fours. The three teenagers scrambled up the stairs and Sasha followed them.

Karin was just behind her. ‘Keep going, I’m here.’