She heard the shotgun being racked again; another blast was coming. Ellie jumped for the cab. The Ithaca boomed; another blast sprayed under the tractor. Ellie pulled herself into the cab and saw Keira and her bloody one-eyed face crouched beside Liz. She screamed something at Ellie, pumped the slide, and fired again.

Noel must have moved a little too suddenly, because Paul Harper saw him with the rifle and pulled Tara up onto tiptoes, hunching down so Noel couldn’t get a clear shot.

“Stop fannying around and come on!” Frank called. Paul back-pedalled towards the kitchen; when he reached the door, he shoved Tara forward and ran after his brother.

Laura sprinted forward, shouting her daughter’s name. Ernie charged for the kitchen, shotgun in his hands. Noel slipped the rifle’s safety catch back on and followed.

Laura knelt by her daughter. “Sweetheart?”

“I’m okay, Mum. I’m okay.” There were gunshots from the back of the building. “Jess,” said Tara.

Laura nodded and stood. Noel followed her through the kitchen, in time to see the Harper brothers vanish through the gate at the end of the garden. Ernie reloaded his shotgun, snapped the barrels closed and nodded to Noel. Laura brushed past him, cutting through the garden. Once again, Noel followed.

Ellie flung herself forward across the seats. Glass exploded around her, raining down; something flicked the fur hat from her head. Fire back. Fire fucking back. She thrust her own gun forward two-handed: a clumsy grip, a wild shot. She pulled the trigger as Keira pumped the slide.

The blast hit Keira in the chest, knocking her back into the wall. The Ithaca clattered away; Keira slid down, coughing bloody froth from wounded lungs.

Ellie clambered through the cab and dropped back down onto the road. Keira wheezed and fought for air, face darkening, pawing at her chest and stomach. Breathlessness, Ellie thought – but then Keira’s hand reached her waistband and pulled a pistol out.

Ellie fell sideways to one knee, racking her slide. The pistol fired, and something plucked the shoulder of her jacket. The pistol arced towards her; she racked her weapon’s slide and pulled the trigger again. The side of Keira’s face burst and splattered up the wall; the pistol in her hand fired wild, bullets spanging off tarmac and bodywork.

Keira fell sideways. Bubbling, wheezing sounds came from her: she was still breathing. As Ellie moved towards her, she grunted and tried to raise the pistol, but couldn’t get it more than an inch off the ground. Not that it would have helped if she had: the bolt was locked back, the gun empty.

A last breath rattled in her throat; blood bubbled on Keira’s lips. Her eye stopped blinking and grew fixed. She was still.

Her shattered skull steamed. Red and white and pinkish grey: blood and bone and brain.