Rhona, non-committal, indicated she was heading off now, and would see Chrissy tomorrow.

For once, Chrissy let her have the last word.

The forecast was for settled weather over the next few days. It seemed the gods had decided that Skye needed a respite from the storm, both physical and emotional, that had raged over it for the previous week.

As she headed towards Sligachan, the view of the Cuillin, still snow-topped, its image like something from a fairy tale, brought a gasp of wonder. No matter the number of times Rhona viewed these hills, or from where she caught their outline, each image seemed unique in colour and light.

But now, for a while at least, whenever she saw the Cuillin she would think of the scree slope at An Dorus and the body of Private Pete Galbraith, or Sugarboy as his friend Lexi called him.

They’d talked a great deal during the wait for the helicopter, then later when Lexi had been admitted to Portree hospital, waiting for her transfer to the Queen Elizabeth. Rhona thought she knew most of the story by now and had written a full statement of everything the girl had said during those hours and given it to Lee.

The incident that had started it all, the child with the hidden grenade. Lexi’s failure to search him resulting in the death of two of the team – Mitch and Gordo, she’d called them, breaking down in tears.

A description of their capture had followed. About the conditions of her imprisonment she said very little until, prompted by Rhona, she revealed the truth about Dempsey’s actions during her incarceration. At that point Rhona’s horror must have shown on her face, because Lexi had drawn away from her, retreating into herself again.

One thing that had been obvious was Seven’s tortured mental state. It was as though as Lexi she was one person, but becoming Seven had made her another. Or maybe the connotations of that nickname had an even darker side than Rhona could imagine.

What had been obvious was the power Corporal Dempsey had had, and still had, over Lexi. The hole in the cave had been dug by her to trap him. She’d admitted that she’d planned to kill him.

‘I couldn’t do it. Not directly. Even though I knew his intention was to kill me. So I left it to fate and the tide.’ She’d seemed bemused by that decision. Rhona, on the other hand, wasn’t.

She knew what it felt like to have a life there for the taking. And by taking it, save your own. She believed it was a decision no one should have to take, because she’d experienced it herself.

But Lexi’s biggest regret had been Sugarboy’s death.

‘I didn’t know it was Sugarboy. I thought it was him coming to get me.’