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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

The mud was hellish as she and Ed struggled away along the beach. Every time she took a step the mud sucked her down, insatiable. A step, a step, and another step and she tripped, floundering in the slime.

Ed dragged her up. ‘Come on.’

She threw herself forward again, and the mud took hold, each movement painfully slow, every step a pointless battle. ‘We can’t get away from them. There’s nowhere to go . . .’

In the dark the beach seemed endless. A few hundred yards away, Casey could see the next huge ship, slumped deep in the mud, but she would never reach it. Never. And even if she could, what then? She gasped for air, lungs screaming as a bullet ricocheted off a shipping container sagging on its side.

‘Hurry, Casey.’ Ed pulled at her arm. ‘Come on!’

She dragged herself on, the animal at the back of the herd that knows it’s the one to die. Lumps of metal lay half-buried in the mud and ripped at her legs as she lurched past. The gun blasted again.

The men were chasing them, excitement in their voices, almost glee as they scrambled through the mud. They were so much faster, inexhaustible.

The sand was firmer here, and for a few blissful seconds, Casey could run, feet slapping, freed from the oozing grasp. But then she plunged into the mud again.

The men were getting closer.

‘We’re never going to make it,’ she screamed.

There was the sudden judder of an outboard motor, just out to sea. A boat racing along in the shallows.

‘Help!’ Casey screamed, not caring who was steering it. ‘Please help us.’

The little boat turned sharply, heading to the beach. Past thinking, she dragged herself towards it.

‘Careful, Casey.’ Ed grabbed at her arm. ‘We don’t know . . .’

‘Casey!’ The yell reached out across the water. ‘Come on!’

‘It’s Hessa,’ shouted Casey. ‘And the girls from the ship. Oh, thank God . . .’

52

52

Hessa grinned down at them.

‘Guess you needed saving.’ She was almost laughing, a triumphant gleam in her eye.

Romida and the two other girls were sitting in the front of the boat, huddled up in the cool night breeze, Romida’s eyes shining with excitement. The little fishing boat was chugging north.

‘All three girls wanted to come back for you,’ said Hessa.

Ed and Casey had collapsed in the bottom of the boat, unable to sit up. Lying on her back, Casey stared up at the stars.

‘Tell them thank you,’ she managed.

They had come in under fire. The fishing boat was a big target for the men on the shore, and the bullets sent up explosions of water all around them.

Hessa had ignored it all, steering the boat straight to the beach. She and Romida had grabbed Casey’s arm and hauled her on board with startling strength, almost capsizing the little boat in their urgency.