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

“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.

“Ernie?” she said, quiet as she could. “Round the back when I say.”

Ernie Stasiolek nodded, motioning to Chris Brailsford and Phil Robinson. Ellie hadn’t liked the idea of a second armed group not under her or another officer’s direct control – not that she’d have had much confidence in Tom – but Ernie had a good head on his shoulders and apart from maybe Noel was the one person she’d felt she could trust with such a job.

She looked around, but both Bert Annable and Noel had already moved to flank her. Bert carried his twelve-bore over one arm, Noel his rifle. The wind picked up again, and snow billowed around them. Ellie held the shotgun behind her, against her leg. The others were turned briefly into shadows; faceless men and women with guns, come knocking at someone’s door. “Ready?”

Bert Annable snapped his shotgun closed; Noel pulled back his rifle bolt. “The rest of you, hang back and no shooting, unless I say otherwise.”

“What if they shoot at us?” someone asked.

“First thing you do is take cover,” Ellie said. “After that, you wait for my instructions.”

No one thankfully asked the obvious question – what if they shoot you? – and Ellie took a deep breath. “Let’s go,” she said, and with a nod to Ernie Stasiolek, stepped towards the house, Noel and Bert beside her.

16.

16.