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

“What happened down there?”

Ellie tried to speak, but couldn’t. Charlotte told the Caddicks the basics, including what had happened to Jess. “Jesus.” Laura looked off nowhere in particular, and sniffed. “Tough little thing, isn’t she?”

“Yeah.”

“And Madeleine,” Laura added. “She was a good un. I’ll miss her.”

“We all will,” said Ellie.

Milly came out of the church, cleaning her hands on a rag.

Ellie took a deep breath, ready for the worst. “How’s she doing?”

“She’s fine.”

“What?” said Charlotte. Milly shrugged.

Ellie shook her head. “Liz got her smack in the chest with a twelve-bore. Buckshot.”

“What can I tell you, cock? Must’ve been a duff round. Fuck-all powder charge. Pellets broke the skin and she’s bled a lot. Maybe a couple of cracked ribs. But that’s about it.”

“But she was coughing blood.”

“Bit the inside of her mouth. Banged her head too – there’s a big fucking lump on it – probably passed out from that, but no sign of concussion. No serious damage at all.”

“But she wasn’t breathing,” said Ellie. “I’m sure of it. And – Mill, I saw her chest…”

“Trick of the light, maybe. As for the rest – maybe she was just breathing shallow. And the cold might’ve slowed her metabolism down...” Milly trailed off, knowing it sounded like clutching straws. “Look, would you rather she was dead?”

“No,” said Laura Caddick.

“Fuck no,” said Tara. Laura gave her a stern look, then the pair of them began to laugh.

“Well?” said Milly.

“Definitely not,” Ellie said.

“Well, then. Important thing is she’s okay.” She grinned. “Maybe it’s a miracle, eh? Right time of year.”

“Oh, bugger off,” Ellie groaned.

67.

67.

Jess woke, and thought she’d been buried. It was dark around her, and there was stone: she was dead and under the earth.

She cried out; a hand squeezed her shoulder. “It’s all right, love,” Milly said.

“Is it? Am I? What?” She remembered the Hollows, the tunnel – then Mum, the shotgun’s flash, the impact like a giant fist crashing into her chest. Ribs cracking like stale bread. The bitter copper taste and smell of blood in her mouth, even as she aimed the flare pistol at Mum’s snarling face and fired. Choking, unable to breathe.

Her chest was still sore, especially if she breathed deep, but breathe she could. She blinked up at Milly, dazed. “I was dead. I thought I was dead.”

“Came bloody close,” said a voice. “What I heard, anyway.”

Jess looked to her right, and saw Laura Caddick sitting on the floor. Tara sat beside her mother, cradling Baby Joel. Jess smelled beeswax polish. The ceiling overhead was high and vaulted. Broken arched windows. “Where?”

“Church,” said Tara. “Pretty much the last place standing.”

“Wanna sit up?” said Milly.

Jess nodded; Milly and Tara helped prop her upright. “Wanna hold him?” Tara held the baby out.