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

“Do my best.” There was probably a joke to be made about Milly’s car insurance and Acts of God, but Ellie chose not to risk it.

Milly peered through the surgery windows’ blinds at the crowd outside, then fished in her jeans pocket for her keys. “Here you go. It’s in the alley out back.”

“Thanks.” Ellie picked up the shotgun. She hesitated, then loaded another cartridge to replace the one she’d fired. It might not be much use, but it helped. A little. She took half a dozen road flares out of the box, put her stab vest and jacket back on, and finally reached for her hat; somehow donning it felt almost like crossing herself. Then Milly opened the back door, and Ellie stepped outside.

27.

27.

Ellie climbed into Milly’s sturdy pink Audi and reversed out of the alley onto Hollybeck Row, shotgun across her lap, road flares on the passenger seat.

Before the crowd outside the surgery could react, she’d driven onto Halliwell Way, spun the wheel and guided the Audi onto Blackfield Grove. The cascade of snow had become a trickle, drifting down in the streetlights’ glow. Except outside the surgery, there was no one out of doors.

She turned onto Litch Way, alongside Blackfield Park, which was in almost complete darkness. Ellie didn’t look: too easy to convince herself she’d seen white things moving in the blackness, and she couldn’t afford to imagine too far.

Litch Way led out of Barsall, across the top of Slapelow Hill. The houses fell away; half a dozen streetlights led up to the village boundary, and then there was only the road and the night-black, snow-white fields either side of the car.

Ellie’s palms sweated on the wheel; she was out in the dark again. Grey shapes flickered at the edges of her vision, thin as greyhounds, pacing the Audi on spider-thin legs. She kept her eyes on the road, trying to dismiss them as tricks of the light.

Visibility was fucked, even without the snow. But Annable Farm was closer than the Height, and the journey there safer. The top of Slapelow Hill was broad and flat; if Ellie went off the road the worst that’d happen was the car ending up in a ditch. Although that would be bad enough, in these conditions, even without whatever was lurking in the snow.

Better still, though, Annable Farm had light. Bert had had problems with trespassers in the past, so he’d set up floodlights, security cameras and motion detectors – not cheap, but he could afford it. With all the snow blowing around, setting off the detectors, the lights would be permanently on. Unless he’d switched them off to save power, deciding no-one was mad enough to come out there in this weather.

Or unless something else put the lights out for him.