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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

‘He’s a suspect, under police protection,’ McNab tried.

‘That doesn’t mean he can’t have a visitor,’ Ellie said firmly.

Something McNab couldn’t disagree with, although he really wanted to.

Perhaps noting McNab’s momentary loss for words, Ellie quickly added, ‘I think Harry should stay with me when he’s discharged, at least until you’re sure he’s not in any danger.’

McNab was aware his mouth was hanging open, and that he had no idea how to react to such a suggestion, apart from with a string of expletives.

‘It’ll be temporary of course, just while we look for somewhere more permanent, because I don’t want him back on the streets.’

McNab bit his tongue before he said something caustic along the lines of playing Mother Teresa, which he knew wouldn’t go down well. He also knew that his own dodgy plan had involved him asking to stay with Ellie, so that he might stash Prince Harry at his own flat in the interim.

‘Well?’ Ellie demanded.

‘It’s too dangerous,’ McNab said.

‘Who would know he was there?’ she immediately countered. ‘And if you’re worried about me being there, I can come stay at yours.’

When he still hesitated, she added, ‘I don’t need your permission to give him a place to stay.’

She didn’t, but McNab had still hoped she might seek it.

A heavy silence descended before McNab eventually said, ‘You don’t want to get mixed up with a drug addict.’

There was another heavy moment of silence, before Ellie said, in a scarily quiet voice, ‘Like my dead brother, you mean?’

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He’d forgotten about her brother.

‘I’m sorry.’ McNab tried to put his hand on her arm, but she quickly shook him off.

When she answered, McNab could hear the tremor in her voice.

‘Harry was an okay guy, until they sent him out there. It screwed with him and this is the result.’

‘You can’t save him, Ellie,’ he tried.

‘Maybe not, but I can try.’

34

So often she’d watched as the dunes, aided by the wind, had advanced, seemingly intent on smothering their camp.

But just sometimes, when the sky was clear and the sand slumbering, she’d caught a view of the distant tree-covered mountains and imagined she could smell pine in the air.

She was surrounded by that scent, sweet and sharp. She’d longed for this, and yet now it tasted like the red dust of the desert.

She’d pushed her way further into the trees, to think. She knew there had to be a group post-mortem after the woman’s visit and she knew who would be in charge of it.

‘Seven! Come. Here. Now.’