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 kept eye contact and carried on moving back at a slow pace, pushing the heel of her back foot along the hall carpet in search of the door’s sill. Last thing she needed was to trip over that and go sprawling, especially with Liz moving towards her. “What’s that then, Liz? Enlighten me. What about those signs? What do they mean? At the Bell, at Wakeman’s –” Liz’s face tightened, but the smile stayed fixed on her mouth and she didn’t answer. “What about your Tony?” Ellie tried. “What about the sign by him? What’s that all about?”

“You’ll see,” said Liz. Ellie’s heel caught the sill and despite everything she almost stumbled. Liz chuckled. Ellie stepped carefully back over the threshold. “Wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise, Ellie. But you’ll see. You’ll all see. They’ll come for you tonight. All of you.”

Ellie took another step back, and Liz, still grinning, slammed the front door in her face. Clever. Maybe the crazy grin had all been an act so that she could do that – shut the house up tight again, so Ellie would have to either fight her way back in or leave them alone. Not that there’d been any need: Ellie had what she’d came for, and she’d happily wait until she could whistle up some aid from Matlock before coming near Barrowman Farm again.

“Clear!” she shouted. “All clear!”

It had started snowing again. A moment later she heard muffled voices and footsteps; Ernie Stasiolek and the others, making their way back round from the rear of the house. Her heart was pounding and she was panting for breath, but she was grinning. Adrenaline.

Even if a part of her was disappointed; even if a part of her was sorry she hadn’t had a chance to hurt one of the Harpers. Or worse.

She wouldn’t think of that now. The important thing was that they had what they’d come for, and no-one was hurt. She could live with that.

The snow was coming down thick and fast. Ellie turned away, and took a step towards the Land Rover.

She was never sure what she trod in, but whatever it was made her stumble. As she did, something flicked the top of her head, hard. She stumbled harder, tripped; as she fell, she saw her fur cap fly ahead of her through the falling snow, a ragged chunk torn out of the crown.

And then she heard the shot.