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

Jess was still breathing, however tormentedly. She looked tiny, and ridiculously young, even more so than she was. Her eyes were closed. There was blood smeared on her cheeks where Charlotte had wiped away the froth, but more of it was accumulating on her lips. Ellie pulled off one of her own sweatshirts and tore it into strips to bandage the chest wound, then picked her up. The poor kid felt so light.

Cradling Jess in her arms, Ellie followed the others along the tunnel, between the alcoves of the still unwoken dead.

Liz Harper tried to move, but every attempt brought crippling shocks of pain.

Her face was a white fire of anguish, with a spike of it drilling through the ruined socket of her eye. Her spine wasn’t broken, at least. Almost a pity, as it might be the only bone in her body that wasn’t. Arms, legs, ribs: she’d caromed off the shaft walls as she fell, which had grown more jagged as she went. A protruding rock had shattered her pelvis like an old china sink, but the final impact had somehow failed to kill her. Her fumbling fingers (not just her spine that was unbroken, then), encountered fragments of ancient, brittle bone that crumbled at her touch. Maybe that had cushioned her fall.

At least Judas Jess was dead. Had to be. Liz had got the treacherous little cow in the chest. She’d managed that if nothing else. But Ellie Cheetham and the rest were still alive, and had escaped the trap they’d fallen in.

They wouldn’t succeed, though. Liz had to believe they wouldn’t. They would take care of Ellie Cheetham and her friends –

Something moved in the darkness.

Several somethings.

More than several.

Not her. Not her. She’d served Them. She’d –

But they were all around her, scuttling insect-like in the dark.

This wasn’t fair, she thought. This wasn’t fucking fair.

But thin, clawed fingers were plucking at her, and robes of tattered skin brushed her face.

60.

60.

Fabric flapped and rustled. Milly looked around: all but a tiny handful of folk had retreated inside their tents. What else could they do, after all, other than huddle down and hope to live till sunrise?

Reuben slunk out of hiding and licked Milly’s fingers. Milly moved between Ernie and Noel, who stood with their guns at the ready. She could still feel the flames’ heat, but it was fading. Once the fire in Blackfield Park burned out, they’d be surrounded on that side too.