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

“That’ll wait till the weather clears,” said Ellie. “Priorities, people. Charlotte and David. Now, I need this clearly understood – the weapons are for show unless otherwise instructed. No-one fires them or even points them at any of the Harpers without my express authority. Is that clear? I don’t want the shootout at the OK Corral here.”

“Thought you said they should just hand them over,” said Laura Caddick.

“I’m hoping they’ll see sense,” said Ellie, “but this is the Harpers we’re talking about. We all clear?”

“It’s clear,” said Noel. “So when do we go?”

“Straight away. No time to waste. Who’s on board?”

Virtually every hand went up.

“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.