BooksBarbecue
Back The Hollows
Chapters (77)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. PART I
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. PART II
  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. PART III
  44. 37.
  45. 38.
  46. 39.
  47. 40.
  48. 41.
  49. 42.
  50. 43.
  51. 44.
  52. 45.
  53. 46.
  54. 47.
  55. 48.
  56. 49.
  57. 50.
  58. 51.
  59. 52.
  60. 53.
  61. 54.
  62. 55.
  63. 56.
  64. 57.
  65. 58.
  66. 59.
  67. 60.
  68. 61.
  69. 62.
  70. 63.
  71. 64.
  72. 65.
  73. PART IV
  74. 66.
  75. 67.
  76. 68.
  77. Acknowledgements

And then the wind dropped, only a little but just enough. She’d reached the bend, where the hill’s bulk became a partial shield against the wind, and visibility improved, showing Ellie the crash barrier rushing up to meet her.

She swung the wheel hard right and the X5 fishtailed; there was a crazy, terrifying instant where she thought the rear end would drift too far left, smash through the barrier and take her down the hill. Instead the car clipped it and rebounded, slewing right.

The front left of the BMW gouged into the barrier up ahead. It buckled but held. But there was a splintering of glass, and, finally, the surviving headlight went out.

And then the engine stalled.

Fuck.

Ellie lunged across the backseat for the shotgun, yanked it into the front and dumped it on the passenger seat, twisting the key in the ignition with the other hand. How’s that for multi-tasking?

The engine caught; Ellie threw the car into reverse.

It crashed into something solid but yielding, flinging it backwards. She put the BMW into forward gear, and in the same moment the driver’s window shattered.

She lurched sideways to avoid the spraying glass, but as she straightened a huge white spider unfolded its legs directly in front of her face, shot forward and clamped hold of her head.

Ellie realised she was screaming. She swung the wheel right, away from the edge, with one hand; her left clawed across the passenger seat for the shotgun. She found the safety catch and clicked it off. Now get hold of the pistol grip, quickly. There’s a round in the chamber – a jolt and it could fire. Can’t see. About to crash.

The shotgun was big and long and cumbersome, but she managed to blindly shove the barrel out through the shattered window. It hit something solid, and she remembered how she’d pushed its barrel into Liz Harper’s stomach hours before. I’ll blow you in fucking half, she’d threatened. And in return, Liz had promised They’ll come for you tonight. All of you.

Ellie pulled the trigger, and the blast inside the car was as though someone had boxed her ears with a pair of cymbals. A high-pitched eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee sounded; she could feel the engine running, vibrating through the car and her body, but couldn’t hear it, couldn’t hear anything other than that sound. But the grip on her face was gone, and she could see and breathe again. She swung the wheel left before she ploughed into the rock face, then right before she could hit the crash barrier, dumped the gun across her lap and steadied the wheel in both hands, flooring the pedal despite the darkness.