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

“Right then,” said Ellie. She was afraid, but it was the kind of fear that went with giddy excitement, like riding a roller-coaster or bungee-jumping. At least, she supposed so, never having done either. She was jumping into the unknown, though. A gamble. A risk. She felt alive for once, instead of existing. That could become addictive, which mightn’t be a good thing, but that was another day’s problem. For now, she’d work to do. “Let’s go.”

15.

15.

Liz saw the approaching headlights as she peered between the boards of the front room window, through the snow and the winter-stripped hedges. Here any second. “Frank!”

On the front room floor, Charlotte Famu-whatsit jerked at the shout, then gagged as the movement pulled the noose tight around her throat, while Dave Chapple let out a whimper. The pair of them were shivering, although that was as likely to be from cold as it was from fear; they were stripped down to their underwear after all.

Liz was glad she’d had Paul lay some sheeting down; the girl had managed to hold her water so far, but a glistening stain had already spread out around the Chapple boy. Not so high and mighty now, Little Mr King Of All The World. Probably soil those boxer shorts of his in a bit as well. Which would be a problem, given that the smell of his piss was already bad enough. Thank God he’d be the first one down the chute at the Hollows tomorrow.

“’Sup, Mum?” Frank shouted from the landing.

“I want you at the top of the stairs, ‘case they try anything. Tell Keira to keep an eye on them, but just watch for now. I’ll say if it’s to be anything else.” She’d stationed Keira in the attic, to watch for trouble; it’d been Keira who’d shouted a warning down about the approaching vehicles minutes earlier. Keira also had the rifle, since she was by far the best shot in the family, town-bred or not. All that worried Liz was how eager Keira might be to use it, especially on Ellie Cheetham. “Paul! Dom! Kitchen. Watch the back.” Safest to have Dom with one of his brothers, and it meant that would leave someone free to watch the hall lest anyone get past Liz. “Jess!”

The girl appeared, whey-faced and trembling, in the doorway, the baby on her hip and the pistol in her free hand. “Mum?”

Liz peered between the boards again. The cars rolled into the drive and parked up, spread out. Car doors opened and slammed. She jerked a thumb towards the prisoners. “Watch them,” she said, and picked up the Ithaca.

The wind had dropped, and the snow was tumbling down. Ellie turned off the wipers and got out of the Land Rover, reaching inside to take out her shotgun.

Even with the wind gone, Barrowman Farm remained a shadow, a silhouette, looking more like a squatting, predatory toad than ever. Thinking of Liz Harper, Ellie wondered if some houses, like pets, could grow like their owners.