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

“Yes.” It came out as a croak; Ellie tried again. “Yes.” She somehow stood. Felt the propane cylinder’s weight on her back. Breathed out. She was still crying, but dragged her sleeve across her eyes and made herself stay upright. Richard. Oh Christ, why was she thinking of him, now? She mustn’t weaken. Not so close to the end. There’d be time to grieve afterwards. Unless the Dance woke the giants; no time then for anyone to cry. Only scream.

Ellie shook her head, breathed out again, and tried to perform the steadiness she wanted to feel. “Right,” she said, and made herself look down at Jess, who lay on her back, head turned to one side, resembling a discarded doll. Ellie crouched and lifted her.

“Ellie –” said Charlotte.

Ellie propped Jess against the wall, in a sitting position. The girl’s head drooped, chin on her chest. Her short legs stuck out; tufts of newspaper protruded from her boots, packed in to make them fit. “Right,” Ellie said again. Jess was still clutching the flare pistol; Ellie prised it from her grip, reloaded it and stuck it through her waistband. “Sorry. Let’s crack on, eh?”

There was a soft murmuring. Madeleine, Ellie realised: she’d been praying quietly all the while. “Amen,” the vicar said, then turned, swaying slightly, and looked around the cavern. There were two entrances; unlike the first chamber, neither looked overgrown or disused. “This way, I think,” said Madeleine, pointing to the left-hand one.

“You think?” demanded Charlotte. But Madeleine had already entered the tunnel. Charlotte turned to Ellie. “You sure we should –”

“Got any better ideas?”

Charlotte looked at Jess. “Last time we followed her –”

Madeleine’s voice floated out of the tunnel. “We went the right way,” she said. “We’re on a lower level now. Closer to them.”

Charlotte gave Ellie a mute, pleading look. But she’d been right before: there was no more time. Ellie followed Madeleine.

“Ellie?” Charlotte called after her. “Oh, fuck it. Wait up.” And she followed too, boots crunching in the salt and bones.

62.

62.

“Want one?” said Kate Beck.

Milly blinked; she hadn’t even heard the girl sit down beside her on the upturned plastic crate. Kate had Reuben on a makeshift lead; the dog jumped up and put his muddy paws on Milly’s leg. “Gerroff,” she said. “Sorry, love?”

“Cigarette?” Kate was holding out a packet of Silk Cut. Weak-ass smokes, but the packet of B&H Chris Brailsford had given Milly was long gone. Her throat was raw from smoking, but she’d have plenty of time to quit, if there actually was a tomorrow.

“Ta, cock.” Milly accepted the cigarette and the proffered light. Kate tucked the lighter back inside the cigarette packet and the packet back inside her sling, smiling her enigmatic smile and staring into the thickening dusk. Already Halliwell Way was barely visible.