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

Ellie shook her head. “You go. Just see you winch Jess out too.”

“What?” Charlotte – her hands and face, Madeleine saw, splattered with blood – stared at her. “Ellie, don’t be stupid.”

Unnoticed by either of them, Madeleine picked a heavy thigh-bone – a horse’s, maybe, or a cow’s – off the floor.

“It’s still dark out. They’ll come after you. This’ll make sure.” Ellie drew the flare pistol. “We’ve one shot left. Just get Mad out and –”

No time to waste in argument, and there was only one answer anyway. Madeleine swung the thighbone at Ellie’s head, and Ellie pitched forward and lay still.

Madeleine picked up the flare pistol. “Get her out,” Madeleine said. “Jess, too.”

“Madeleine –”

“Go on, for fuck’s sake. And tell her to look after Reuben.”

“Look after –”

Madeleine smiled. “She’ll know.”

The pack was screeching, the sound almost deafening now. Charlotte opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. She grasped Madeleine’s shoulder for a second, then ran over to Ellie and tied them together with a spare coil of rope.

Madeleine ventured towards the tunnel entrances. The smell of gas was stronger, making her feel light-headed and sick. She cocked the flare-pistol. Not long; not now.

Bone clicked and rattled. Madeleine glanced back to see Charlotte and Ellie disappear through the hole in the ceiling. On the bone-heap, Jess Harper’s body lolled and shifted; that had been where the sound had come from. Then Jess stirred and began to rise, pulled up with a series of jerks on the rope.

Madeleine stepped back from the entrances.

She’d wait till they were on top of her. That was the best way. Get as many as she could in one go. The gas would be seeping down through the tunnels. Hopefully the explosion would cause a collapse, seal them in till morning at least. After that – with the Dance stopped, with the Sleepers sunk back down into the Yawning – it wouldn’t matter.

The creatures were here: pale shapes crouched at the tunnel mouths, waiting, motionless. Scenting, maybe. They knew something was wrong, but not what.

She thought of Shona and Snapper, and of Reuben, who’d at least survived and would have a home, and smiled to herself. Nunc dimittis, she thought: Lord, now lettest thou Thy servant depart in peace.

“Fiat fucking lux, you bastards,” said Madeleine, and they rushed forward. She raised the flare-pistol and fired.

There was a flash of red light; then a wash of orange and blue swept through the air. And then there was only white light and a kiss of brilliant pain, followed by a sound of thunder that swept Madeleine Lowe somewhere far beyond its reach.

PART IV

PART IV

The old stars

22nd December

Sunrise: 0818 hrs

Sunset: 1551 hrs

7 hours, 32 minutes and 19 seconds of daylight

66.

66.

It had been the longest, strangest night Milly could recall.