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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

Dragged away to this strange distortion of luxury, fed decent food for the first time in years. And then . . .

Casey leaned against the wall, knees shaky.

‘You OK?’ It was Ed, hovering in the corridor, and she stared at him.

‘We found Romida,’ she said simply. ‘I never thought we would.’

‘Yes’ – Ed’s mouth turned up at the corners – ‘you did.’

‘We have to get out of here,’ Casey said to Hessa. ‘Tell them we have to go as quickly as possible.’

Hessa began to explain, pointing to the door, gesturing with her hands. Casey moved across to the porthole, looking up the beach towards the woods.

A jolt, adrenalin flooding. There were lights: torches moving, up by the barns.

‘We have to hurry.’ Casey spun around, the fear flashing round the room. ‘Hessa, tell the girls that if they want to escape, we have to go right now.’

Even as Hessa’s voice rattled, Casey could see the lights shift, hurrying down towards the makeshift path.

‘They’re coming.’ The girls looked up, as Casey whipped round again. ‘They’ll be here any second.’

‘Oh God,’ said Hessa. ‘Oh God.’

‘Tell these girls, Hessa,’ said Casey. ‘Tell them now is the time to run if they ever want to go . . . Right now. Because they may never get another chance.’

48

48

They crowded through the doorway into the corridor, carefully quiet. Ed pulled the door to the Emperor Suite closed.

The silence prickled around them. In the distance, the wash of the sea was lost beyond the hull.

‘Is there . . .’ Hessa breathed, silenced by a gesture from Casey.

They hesitated, statue-still. Just as Casey thought she might be able to move, there came a clatter below.

Casey slammed off her torch. Ed and Hessa followed her lead. The darkness swallowed them like a curse. Casey felt shapeless again, as blind as the night. Amorphous, as if she had never been.

As she stood there in the dark, listening to the girls’ breathing, Casey felt herself falter.

She forced herself to breathe calmly. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe . . .

A child, covering her eyes to hide.

They’re coming. They’re coming. They’re coming for us.

Casey took a deep breath. ‘Hessa,’ she muttered, ‘we’ll try and work out which staircase they are coming up. You take the three girls and go the other way. Ed and I will try and distract them.’

Ed nodded.

‘But . . .’ Hessa tried.

‘Do it.’ Casey’s whisper was fierce. ‘Go to the little fishing boat. Get these girls away.’

‘I’ll watch out for you,’ Hessa insisted.

‘Keep them safe.’

For a second, Casey pressed the heels of her hands deep into her eye sockets, shooting lights across her eyelids. One breath. In, out. Then she reached out, touching the sleek banister of the Beauvallet’s grand staircase, and eased her torch back on.

‘Let’s go.’

Together, they crept down the first flight of stairs.