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

She made her voice a shout. “What’s gonna happen’s gonna happen. Our job’s getting through it, and we won’t do that by whining. We’ll do it by doing what’s gotta be done. Giving Them what we’ve got to give Them. We do that, we’ll live.” And more than just live, too. She knew what the old parchments – as old as any Bible if not older – promised those who kept the faith. Adore Tony though she had, this was about the whole family now.

Jess had hunched back, bright red in the face, head down, humiliated. “All right?” said Liz. “Then shut up.”

“Ha-ha,” sang Keira – a last little jab at her sister-in-law, and the straw that broke the spine of Jess’s restraint; the girl spun and, with surprising skill given how ineffectual Liz had always thought her, punched Keira in the face.

It sent Keira flying, as much due to the element of surprise as to its actual force, and she’d have gone sprawling if Paul hadn’t caught her. She kicked free of him, shouting, “Keep your fucking hands to yourself, pervert,” (in fairness, Liz was sure she’d seen Paul’s fingers groping towards Keira’s breasts), in a muffled voice. Her mouth and chin were slick with blood. “Fucking bitch!” she shouted, and lunged for Jess.

Frank stepped between them and Paul grabbed Keira from behind; she yelled and thrashed, kicking. Liz grabbed the big shotgun and jacked the slide, hard. “Enough!” The harsh shucklack of the action froze everyone in place; there’d been a cartridge in the chamber and Liz heard it tinkle on the stone flags.

“We’re a family,” she said. “We stay together. Not fight each other, at a time like this. Keira, get yourself fucking cleaned up.”

Keira elbowed Paul aside and stumbled from the kitchen. “Thought she’d knocked me fucking teeth out, the bitch...” she mumbled. “If she had I’d fucking...”

Liz almost smiled at Jess: Might make a Harper of you yet. “Paul, do one thing, eh? Get some plastic sheeting down under them in the front room. They’ll be pissing all over the carpet ‘fore we know it, and probably worse. Rest of you, get on watch and be ready. We’ll have guests soon.”

14.

14.

“Matlock from Sierra Four Five, urgent call, over. Matlock from Sierra Four Five, urgent call, over.”

The radio’s only answer was a hissing, mushy scream of static. Ellie checked her smartphone again, but there was still no network.

Beyond the windscreen, veils of snow blew across the Height. The Land Rover’s wipers beat, wiping away the flakes that accumulated between each arc. The lights of Barrowman Farm, down in Thursdale, gleamed through the snow. So close; so distant.