“Laura,” Ernie hissed; when she looked up, he pointed to the nearest hatchway, hand cupped to his ear. Then Noel heard it too: a faint scuffling, growing louder.

Laura sprinted towards the camp, Ernie hobbling after her. Someone threw kerosene on some of the fires and bright orange flames soared up into the sky; sparks flew up and danced. Noel felt their heat on his face, felt it parch his throat when he gulped for breath. A shelter of light, that only deepened the dark around it.

First Laura, then Ernie, made it across the boundary into the lighted area. They were safe, or as safe as anyone could be tonight.

Someone shouted, and Noel looked towards the church grounds, but there was nothing there yet. Hands pointed instead towards Halliwell Way, where pale, ragged forms crouched on the parapet of the bridge over Groveley Beck. A moment later, white, spidery shapes began crawling from the road, across the meadow.

Liz Harper, heart hammering, gulped for breath.

The last thin white ragged shapes scuttled across the cavern floor, then up the shaft to the Hollows. Several had passed within inches of her hiding-place in the tunnel entrance; she’d wanted to retreat deeper into the tunnel away from them, but hadn’t dared lest the movement draw attention to her.

Besides, Judas Jess and her new friends couldn’t be far ahead, and with her luck Liz would’ve walked straight into them, because if they had a morsel of sense they’d be keeping still too.

When the last of Them were gone, she listened, and soon there were new sounds. Voices, whispering. Liz turned and peered into the darkened tunnel.

“Okay.” A click, and a glimmer of torchlight. “Now, everyone take it easy.”

Licking her lips, Liz unslung the shotgun and removed the safety.

“Tunnel’s full of them, but they’re either dead or asleep.” As soon as she’d said it, Ellie felt as though she’d tempted fate. “Lights on, and keep it together, people. Okay, Madeleine –”

There was no answer; Ellie shone the torch around in search of her. “Madeleine!”

“I’m here. Calm your jets.”

Ellie’s torch-beam wavered back and forth across the tunnel. Curled-up, shrouded monsters leapt out of the shadows at its touch, till finally it fastened on Madeleine’s face. “This way,” the vicar said.

She’d kept on going in the darkness, while the others had stood frozen, waiting for the swarm to exit the caves. What was steering her? Faith, fever or some other sense that couldn’t be readily computed? Whatever it was, it hadn’t guided her badly thus far.

Jess and Charlotte followed Ellie in single file, Charlotte throwing glances of mingled hate and terror at the wall-niches. Finally the narrow tunnel opened out into another dome-shaped chamber.