They stank.

Her head was spinning, panic dulling her senses so she didn’t instantly notice that the space she was in was now bigger. Emptier. The twins had crawled back out into the tunnel. She could hear Leah screaming as she headed towards the exit.

‘No, wait.’ She knew the men could easily have heard their cries. Be waiting to grab them. But the girls didn’t slow and she had no choice but to follow them.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

George

Now

George slips out of the house while Leah and Archie are sleeping. His mouth is still sour with last night’s whisky.

As he climbs into his car he receives a text. Tash. He calls her via his hands-free system.

‘Are you okay?’

‘George.’ Her voice is thick with sobs. ‘I can’t do this any more. I can’t keep lying to Leah. She’s my best friend.’

She’s my wife, George thinks and he does nothing but lie.

‘It won’t be for much longer,’ he promises before he pulls into the car park of the greasy spoon to see the man as he’d arranged.

‘Here.’ George hands the man an envelope stuffed with notes and in return reluctantly takes the box. It feels as heavy as George’s heart as he hefts it into his car. The plan had felt so right, but now it feels so wrong. But he is committed.

There is no going back.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Carly

Then

Carly burst from the tunnel after her sisters, resigning herself to the fact that hands would grab her. Drag them back to the oppressive room that stank of blocked toilets and vomit.

But there was nothing.

She rose to her feet, all the while brushing her hands against her body. Shaking out her hair. She could still feel the beetles on her.

Thought she would always feel the beetles on her.

She usually loved the rain, felt it made everything smell clean, but now there was only the stench of insects in her nostrils. She shivered, her clothes soaked through.

‘What do we do?’ asked Leah.

Carly wanted to lie down on the floor and cry. She wanted to give up, but that wasn’t an option. She was the big sister but she felt so shaky, her legs like spaghetti.

She spun a slow 360, eyes searching the gloom, but it wasn’t until the cloud passed across the moon lifting the darkness that she saw the glint of the fence. It was close.

So close.

‘Listen.’ She crouched onto her haunches and gathered her sisters to her. ‘You’ve been so brave but I need you to be brave a little longer.’

Her sisters nodded. Their faces edged in silver light.

‘Over there is the fence. We’re going to run as fast but as quietly as we can. If the men come back – if one of us gets caught – we don’t stop. We don’t go back.’

‘But—’ Marie began.

‘No buts. If we’re separated it will only be until one of us reaches help and then all of this will be over.’ Carly felt guilt scrunch her insides. Marie was sick and Leah had hurt her ankle, but if she went at their pace, there was a danger they’d all get caught. At least this way there was a chance she’d make it and she’d fetch help more quickly. She was determined if she left them, it wouldn’t be for long. ‘We’ll soon be home.’