Part 4 (1/2)

'There's one here' She indicated the plastic briefcase

'No good I'll use one for less than aa bulky canvas roll and a black holdall The canvas looked ancient, military, but when he unrolled it she saw it contained medical supplies that were modern and clean

'Let's have a look at you, boy' Sebastien rolled back Nate's blanket, selected a pair of scissors froulator 'What's that?'

'Oxygen'

'Wake hiet that back into hisit'

Hannah co past Sebastien to rouse her husband She pressed the regulator back into place Nateat what he saw beneath Gaping wounds, pooling with blood 'Did you clean these?'

'Yes'

'Not properly, you didn't' Shaking his head, loves fro ties of the first, he scowled as fresh blood welled 'Deep Very deep But the lung isn't punctured It's too low for that, and you'd probably see air bubbling up'

Hein his nose as he concentrated 'It's this one that concerns h his intestine I can't tell yet' He selected a shi+ny metal instrument and teased apart the sides Dark blood overflowed and ran down Nate's torso 'I need to stitch this And quickly We're going to have to do it a layer at a time'

'What do you wantup an IV?'

'Yes'

'Get a catheter into him You'll find one in there' He nodded towards the canvas roll 'Saline bags in the holdall And a line'

They worked together for nearly an hour, their only words his instruction and her compliance Hannah inserted a cannula into a vein on the underside of Nate's arravity-fed drip, wondering how an ancient heruessed that he couldn't Realised that her faht be in even er

Hannah watched as Sebastien sutured Nate's wounds layer by layer, hands working with delicate haste His green eyes glittered as he concentrated on his task, and his breathing grewup, he asked her to pass him a swab and when she placed it into his upturned hand she saw a mark, or tattoo, on his wrist: faded, blue and indistinct, but plainly the silhouette of a bird of prey

Moses sat by the fire, tail sweeping the flagstones, eyes fixed on the s Abruptly Sebastien sat back and pulled off his gloves He passed a hand across the top of his skull Massaged his scalp 'It's done'

Hannah studied the neatly seounds on her husband's torso, his shockingly pale skin, the dark, sunken patches around his eyes His blue lips 'Nate?'

Her husband stared at the ceiling, eyes unfocused and dull Corpselike After a moment, he moved his head and looked at her When he opened hishi to be OK

Hannah turned to the oldan arm of the sofa for support, Sebastien pushed himself to his feet He flexed his shoulders 'Now he rests I'd prefer it if we could get him into bed, but it's best that he lies here for now We don't want to risk those opening again'

'Can we let hiet soot to her feet and ar water She held it to Nate's lips He gulped it down Closed his eyes Within seconds he was asleep Hannah found Sebastien's gaze upon her

'I think,' he said, 'it's time for some answers'

'Will he live?'

'That's a question'

'It's the only question right now'

He frowned 'You agreed to be straight with estured to the arhter They're the two most important people in the world toto live'

'If your husband survives the night, he's got a good chance'

'And his chances of surviving the night?'

'Do you believe in God?'

The question a her distress, Sebastien's face softened 'If you do, pray Because that's all either of us can do' He sat down on a wooden chair at the table by theMoses padded across the roo hi's head 'OK,' he said 'I've helped you astrouble to the valley, I want to know about it Question one: who stabbed hi up everything that had transpired She felt her heart begin to thud in her chest Moving to the cooker, she twisted the dial for one of the hobs and heard the hiss of gas She found a box of e Then she filled a kettle ater and placed it over the flaht You deserve answers,' she ad else, let me make some tea'

Sebastien's face relaxed 'That would be most welcome'

'I think there's powdered milk from the last century somewhere around'

She knew she couldn't leave him with Nate for ile he could be Opening the pantry door, heart a staccato dru, she ducked inside Found what she needed

Back in the kitchen, Sebastien had not strayed frolanced up at her as she aiun at his chest and thumbed the safety switch

'I've seen that tattoo before, old '

CHAPTER 4

Oxford

1979

Charles had only a moment to witness Nicole's car flip over before a line of trees blurred past on the left, blocking his view

Hands tight on the steering wheel, teeth clenched in shock, he glanced once into his rear-view 's bonnet dived and its tyres shrieked Charles's seat belt snapped taut against his chest He spun the wheel and turned around on the e?

Then another thought overtook him Far darker than the first

What have you done?