BooksBarbecue
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

Strained by trying not to study them, she closed her eyes, listening as they talked and laughed over their pints, easily pinpointing each of their voices. In that moment she felt a wash of something resembling love, in a way that can only happen when you’ve faced death together.

The sound was innocuous at first. Tucked in the corner seat between the window and the wood stove, she registered it only subconsciously. Then Sugarboy jumped up and shouted in a raucous voice.

‘Fucking chopper, boys. Get ready. It’s the fucking chopper.’

And . . . she was back in the hospital tent with the cloying smell of disinfectant and blood, the relentless beat of an approaching helicopter sending them, like the swirling sand, into a paroxysm of activity and excitement, mixed with the accompanying guilt at their pleasure at that sound.

They had a job to do, but in order to do it, someone had to have been hurt. Shootings, maimings, explosions, roadside devices that shattered bodies. They treated everyone that came their way. The children had affected her most. Blinded, wounded, terrified. Nothing, she knew, had prepared her for the real casualties of war.

All four of them were standing, cheering on the chopper as it flew over the pub, bound no doubt for the hills and some missing climber.

She stayed seated, conscious of all the eyes upon them, especially those of the tall blond man at the bar. Seeing she hadn’t risen, he’d been the one to grab her arm and drag her to her feet. She smelt him then, the beer, the sweat, the heat, his agitation.

As the sound diminished, so too did the mood of excitement.

‘Fuck that,’ Sugarboy said, heading for the bar.

Minutes later he was back with a bottle and five shot glasses.

‘A few of these. And some snow.’ He tapped his trouser pocket. ‘Straight, I should say, from Sand Land. Then we rumble for real,’ he said, throwing her a secret smile.

12

Emerging from the trees, Rhona noted a single-track road below her, which according to the map should be the route that ran past A.C.E Target Sports, albeit a mile at least further west. So, whoever had been in the woods must have left their vehicle somewhere around here. On her nearside was a deep ditch, designed to take the run-off from the hill she’d just descended. On the other side was flat ground.

Crossing the single-track road, she looked both ways. Before she could decide which direction to check first, the dog did it for her, leading her back towards the sports site. Rhona wondered briefly if Blaze was just heading for home, but no, he was definitely following a scent, the source of which she eventually saw for herself.

It would have been difficult for her to spot blood on the muddy grass, but not on a patch of snow.