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Back The Dead Line Save as PDF
Chapters (87)
  1. Cover
  2. By the Same Author
  3. Dedication Page
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. Acknowledgements
  86. Also Available by Holly Watt
  87. The Hunt and the Kill

‘You can’t go there.’

‘I can try.’

‘She says it would be very dangerous.’

‘That doesn’t matter.’

Layla pursed her lips, and for a moment, Casey thought Layla might not tell her. Then Layla shrugged.

‘They’re out there,’ Layla pointed. ‘They’re being held on one of the old ships.’

46

46

‘We have to go out to the ships,’ Casey said, and the others nodded wordlessly.

She was almost surprised by Ed’s agreement, but he shrugged. ‘We can’t leave them behind.’

‘We’ll drive these women to the safe house,’ said Miranda. ‘Layla can stay with them there, and I’ll come back as fast as possible.’

‘We have to get them safely out of the way,’ agreed Casey.

‘Going to the ships is dangerous,’ said Miranda flatly.

‘We’ve still got a bit of time,’ said Ed. ‘We closed the door to the barn, so if you were just looking across from the workshops, it wouldn’t show. But you have to get these women out of here, right now.’

‘Yes,’ said Miranda.

‘Hessa.’ Casey looked around. ‘You can go with Miranda. This is too . . .’

‘No.’ Even in the dark, Hessa looked outraged. ‘I’m coming with you.’

Now they had reached the top of the beach, the sea a shimmering black nothing. They scrambled back down the makeshift stepping stones towards the ships.

‘Which one?’ panted Hessa.

‘The Tephi,’ Casey decided fast. ‘The Beauvallet looks far too dilapidated.’

‘Right.’ Ed peered up at the Tephi, as she soared above them. ‘How the hell do we get on to that?’

The hull of the ship rose up, impossible to climb. For a second, Casey thought about the Somali pirates, racing across the blue of the Indian Ocean. Armed with grappling hooks, and praying for a chance.

She tapped the hull quietly, but no sound came back.

A Panamax can be 190 feet tall, Casey knew from Ed’s research, twenty storeys high. She peered up at the vast hulk. The Tephi looked easily that big, the proportions out of all human scale.

‘There must be a way in,’ she whispered. ‘There has to be.’

Casey splashed towards the bow of the ship, wedged high up the beach. As she hauled herself through the sludge, the smell was nauseating. A filigree of oil gleamed on the mud. At last she reached the bow.

‘There,’ Casey whispered in triumph.

As their first effort towards breaking down the ship, the shipyard workers had carved a hole in the Tephi’s side. It wasn’t large, just big enough for a man to fit through, but it was there. For a second, Casey imagined this hole if the Tephi were still afloat. The weight of the water smashing in, crushing any human body in its way.

‘Come on,’ she whispered.