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Chapters (94)
  1. Cover
  2. Time for the Dead
  3. Dedication page
  4. Map
  5. Epigraph page
  6. Prologue
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  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. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. 83
  90. 84
  91. Epilogue
  92. Acknowledgements
  93. About the Author
  94. By Lin Anderson

Rhona listened in silence. She’d been aware that Ellie had been with McNab when Harry McArthur had been stabbed. What she hadn’t known about was Ellie’s determination to give Harry house room for his recovery.

‘That was very good of her,’ she told McNab at this point. ‘But, I take it, not what you wanted?’

‘Don’t mix business with pleasure,’ McNab said wryly. ‘The plan did have its positives, however, since it meant Ellie staying with me for a while.’

‘But not once you lost Harry?’

McNab nodded.

‘So, what’s changed?’

‘I don’t know,’ McNab said, ‘but at least we’re in contact.’

‘So, any word from Portree?’ Rhona went on.

‘Not on the whereabouts of the soldiers, but they’ve started questioning locals who were involved with Watson before.’ He hesitated. ‘You do realize that all five medics may already have departed the island?’

Rhona had contemplated that. ‘I did ask Seven to inform the station before they left. Whether she will or not . . . But if they’re a unit and due to be posted back to Afghanistan, I assume the MOD will tell us when or if they return to the fold.’

As they discussed this, McNab’s mobile indicated an incoming email.

‘It’s from Ollie,’ he said, checking the screen. ‘He has some info on what happened to Private Galbraith in Afghanistan.’

56

She wondered as she walked whether the others would leave the island without her. If they did, and duly reported for duty, she would be classed as going AWOL.

The alternative would be that he would alert the authorities on Skye that she hadn’t turned up at the meeting point. Then they would begin a search for her.

But he wouldn’t want to do that because of Sugarboy.

Better for those remaining to leave the island without involving the police at all. And to do that, he needed to find her.

Seven imagined him arriving at her campsite in the plantation. She thought of the bag hanging from the roof of the tent, and, as she imagined him going inside, an overwhelming feeling of invasion almost swamped her and she had to turn and spit her nausea into the heather.

She pictured him emptying out its contents and finding the fragment from her blue prison, the black scorpion and Rex’s name tag. He would know why she’d kept them and he would see them as possible evidence of her intention to tell the true story of their imprisonment. Something he did not want.

So, he wouldn’t wait around but come looking for her.

She had left the flat-topped hills of Healabhal Mhor and Healabhal Bheag behind, and now, turning towards the sea, she passed An Dubh Loch. Following the stream that exited its dark waters, she soon left the heather-covered slopes to find herself in a green valley where the stream joined a faster-flowing burn as it made its way to the sea.