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Back Time for the Dead Save as PDF
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

The wind was steadily rising, and snow clouds scurried past the moon. Rhona suddenly registered how cold it had become. How cold she had become, although it seemed the ice-like wind was inside her body, encasing her heart.

73

Alvis had the map spread out between them and directed his head torch on where he thought they were.

‘Okay. There’s the gully. Note the contours. There’s a sharp drop, then it gets more shallow. With ledges, a sure-footed dog like Blaze could manage going down, although getting back up might be more difficult.’

‘So he’s stuck on the foreshore?’

‘Unless he can make his way along to the bay and not be trapped by the tide.’

‘But if he went down there on purpose, it must be because he was tracking Seven,’ Rhona said.

‘I suspect as much,’ Alvis agreed.

‘If we head for the bay, can we come in from that direction?’

‘Possibly, but there’s no guarantee.’

‘For us or the dog,’ Rhona said. ‘So, as soon as we get the light, you help me down.’

Alvis didn’t look enamoured by the prospect of Rhona being the one, but he was the better anchor for the rope.

‘Help could be here by daybreak,’ Alvis said cautiously.

‘We both stressed that we were equipped for an overnight stay, and that there was no reason to worry about us because we were offline.’ Rhona halted there. ‘Besides, this isn’t about finding Seven now. This is about Blaze.’

Alvis, noting her distress, nodded his agreement.

‘Okay, we go as soon as we have enough light. I suggest you try and get some sleep.’

Rhona nodded, not because she imagined she would get any, but because she knew he wouldn’t agree to her taking the first watch.

Rhona lay down, her brain going into overtime. How could she have let this happen? She should never have borrowed Blaze in the first place. He wasn’t a police dog. She should have acknowledged that. She had promised to keep him safe and she hadn’t.

Time ticked past, second by what seemed endless second. The wind hurtled around them, plucking at the tent, which thankfully stayed anchored there in a shallow dip, only, she thought, because of Alvis’s bulk and weight.

If I’d been alone, I would have been plucked off the grass by now and tossed over the cliff to meet Blaze at the bottom.

She shook her head to dispel that thought, not because of her own possible demise, but of what she might encounter at the foot of the gully.

She must have eventually dozed off, because Alvis’s voice woke her.

‘Rhona. Come out here and see this.’

Opening her eyes, Rhona found the tent dancing with light. It was extraordinary. She’d experienced the northern lights before now, but by the brightness in the tent, they must be filling the sky.