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

Paul turned. A shotgun fired, the crash of it deafening in the confined space. He cannoned into the wall, all long thrashing bony spider-limbs, then staggered forward, firing the rifle. The side of his neck and shoulder were stripped of flesh; half his face hung off the bone. Then Laura Caddick shot him in the groin, and he doubled up screaming.

Laura Caddick pumped the shotgun’s slide again, face pale. There was blood on her jacket and Jess realised she’d been shot as well, but she didn’t look angry, scared or even in pain: she looked very calm and steady as she stood over Paul and aimed at his head. Determined. She looked as if she were about to unblock a toilet or kill a trapped rat: something unpleasant, but necessary.

When she pulled the trigger, Jess looked away. Something wet splashed her face; when she looked again, it was splattered all up the front room’s green and gold wallpaper.

Laura Caddick slumped into an armchair beside the window. “That’s him sorted,” she said.

Jess’ ears were still humming from the gunshots. A dog barked somewhere. A woman was speaking outside on the High Street, through the shattered front room window. Otherwise, silence.

Dr Emmanuel’s boyfriend came into the front room and stared around him – at the blood, at Paul, at Laura. As he opened his mouth to speak, Jess shut her eyes.

50.

50.

Ellie smoked three or four cigarettes, one after the other. By then poor Sally Cupit had been moved into the Co-Op’s freezer and laid beside Tony Harper. His corpse had escaped last night’s depredations, either because the door had defeated the creatures or because they only liked live prey. The other Harpers’ bodies were left where they’d fallen: someone flung plastic sheeting over Liz and Keira, not wanting to waste the blankets. The sheets clung to the bodies, sticky and red.

Paul Harper had shot Laura Caddick in the chest, but the small-calibre bullet had only embedded itself in a rib, leaving her in discomfort and even grumpier than usual, but otherwise unimpaired. Ernie Stasiolek had collected a couple of pellets in the meat of his leg and, once they were removed, stayed on his makeshift bed with a very bad grace: Ellie suspected he’d be up and about the moment Milly turned her back. The Robinsons and Brailsfords had taken over setting up the fires in Groveley Meadow and gathering supplies for the night, with Chris Brailsford breaking into the pharmacy on the High Street in search of a shopping list of stuff for Milly.

Ellie found Noel in the Assemblies church kitchen, smoking. Everyone seemed to be doing that lately. “Hey,” she said.

“Hi.”

“You okay?”

“Not really.” He gave a shaky laugh. “Five years in the Army, and I never killed anybody.”

“I know, mate. Same here. I mean, not the Army but...” she trailed off.