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Back Time for the Dead
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

Alvis pulled into a good-sized gravelled parking area, just left of a double gate.

‘We’re walking from here?’ he checked.

‘Yes,’ Rhona said, jumping out and opening the back door for Blaze.

The uphill track was mostly clear of snow, although the densely packed trees alongside still wore a mantle from the last fall.

Blaze ran ahead, his nose to the ground.

Rhona held out little hope that the dog might locate the victim’s scent in the vicinity, although the dog had been eager to play that game again. Everything they did at the moment was a longshot, but it was worth a try.

They trudged upwards in silence, the big collie leading the way. The closely packed trees on either side suggested straying from the path wouldn’t be easy, or pleasant. This was further enforced when they reached a wide clearing hosting a small cairn that indicated a forest path to Beinn a’ Ghlinne Bhig off to their right.

Staring at the densely packed branches where the path was supposed to be, Alvis said, ‘I guess the sign went up a decade before this lot of trees matured?’

‘Shall we check, just in case?’ Rhona said.

As they crossed the turning circle, it was obvious one or more vehicles had been there in recent times. A deep set of tracks suggested one at least had sat for a while, its markings deep in the muddy ground.

‘It looks like someone’s had a go at the supposed path,’ Rhona said, indicating the churned-up bank that led down into the trees.

Blaze, realizing their intentions, took the lead again. The going was easier for the collie, as he made his way below the branches.

‘He certainly knows how to blaze a trail,’ Alvis joked. ‘It’s times like this I wish I wasn’t quite as tall.’

Rhona was already ahead, ducking in pursuit of the dog. Someone had definitely been there before them, the lower Sitka branches snapped off in their attempt to force a way through. Underfoot, there was a path of sorts, because she wasn’t stumbling over the ridges and troughs normally found in a planted forest.

Still, an ordinary walker would surely have given up, Rhona thought after only a few yards, and sought an alternative route to the trig point.

The air, she registered, was cold and still and soundless, and the deeper she’d penetrated, the darker the way had become. She halted for a moment and tried to breathe in what little oxygen seemed to linger between the tightly packed branches, increasingly aware of what was about to happen.