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

As Laura and Ernie reached the door Ellie heard a boot scuff tarmac and spun. Keira Lucas was aiming a shotgun – sawn-off, barrels cut practically to stubs – across the snowplough at her. Her teeth were bared; one eye was a bloody ragged wound, the other wild with hate. Ellie dived again, landing on her side as the first barrel discharged. She pulled her own gun’s trigger in reply, and Keira recoiled behind the snowplough again, sparks flying from blade and bodywork where pellets hit.

“Ellie?” Ernie yelled. “Are you –”

“Get after Paul and Frank,” she shouted back. From the ground she could see under the tractor. She saw Keira’s legs: the girl was moving towards the back of the vehicle. Circling around, towards the church.

The church, and Liz. Liz and her guns.

Ellie moved to intercept her; as Ernie and Laura vanished inside the church, Keira came round the back of the tractor and ran towards Liz.

Noel reached the last flight of stairs to see Laura Caddick and Ernie Stasiolek coming past. Ernie looked up and nodded in his direction. The pair of them were moving slowly, spreading out. Noel reached the foot of the stairs, then peered round the corner.

Paul and Frank Harper were edging back towards the kitchen at the rear of the church; Paul held Tara Caddick against him by the throat, as a shield. Laura was silent, jaw clenched.

The rifle was cocked and loaded; Noel aimed around the corner, sighting on Paul’s head.

Ellie raised the shotgun, but ducked back as Keira fired the sawn-off’s second barrel at her. Ellie swung back round to take aim, but Keira was kneeling, grinning, by Liz, the big Ithaca pump-action cradled in her hands.

Keira’s grin became a laugh, and she pulled the trigger, but the shotgun only clicked. She screamed in rage, pulled the slide back – an empty cartridge spun out – and shoved it forward, then, before Ellie could fully raise her own gun, pulled the trigger again.

Ellie leapt back behind the snowplough as the Ithaca boomed, shot spattering the bodywork. She poked her gun around the side of the tractor and fired back, but only heard the crack of pellets smacking into the wall. Keira racked the Ithaca’s slide, fired, racked the slide again.

Ellie kept still, waiting. Over the whining in her ears she heard Keira wheezing and panting, the sounds of objects clattering on the ground. Reloading.

Ellie never knew what made her move, but she broke left, around the far side of the tractor, in the same second Keira fired under the vehicle. Shot clattered off the tarmac and something hit Ellie’s right ankle; she stumbled, almost lost her balance, but managed to stay on her feet.