Part 26 (1/2)

Eht conceal someone A tall bookcase in one corner bred impenetrable shadows But the ere closed and locked The board over the smashed pane was nailed in place

She exhaled a shallow breath and turned towards the kitchen just as Sebastien loo off a screaun 'Jesus Christ! Get back!'

The old man hissed in surprise 'Hannah? Thank God You're-'

'What the hell, Seb? Stand back there where I can see you'

She could see his eyes shi+ning in the dark

'Keep your voice down,' he whispered 'He's here'

'Jakab?'

'You have to get Nate and Leah We're leaving Now'

'What's happened?'

'He surprised ot away He's here, Hannah'

Her heart was thundering She wedged the stock of the shotgun into her shoulder 'How did you get in?'

'I have a key'

She felt her lungs burning in her chest Sucked down air Strained to see him in the shadows Strained to see his features 'Where's Moses?'

'He's back at the house'

'You left hio'

'What breed is he?'

'That's good You're thinking He's a Vizsla Come on, wake them up We don't have any ti on it Her shaking was out of control What if she dropped the gun? She fought the urge to wedge herself in the doorway

Focus!

Her voice cracked 'Sebastien, listen to me When you last met Nate Before all this Where was it? And what did he eat?'

The shape in front of her hesitated And then it lunged Away froer The shotgun roared, slaeway as the thunder of the blast rang in her ears

She jumped forwards Cold air rushed at her as the door to the kitchen slaht danced before her eyes Blood pounded in her ears Anie had overtaken her fear The opportunity to end this, here, right noas suddenly a reality She charged at the door and rammed it with her shoulder It bowed open a few inches And then so hit it from the other side

'You don't have to do this, Hannah I want this to end asThe pressure on the door ceased Inside the kitchen, a table overturned with a crash

Hannah stepped back and kicked the door open 'Then let me help you,' she said, and fired into the darkness She hadn't braced herself this tiainst her collarbone The kitchen s exploded

A shout Had she got him? A frantic shape danced by the back door It wrestled with the handle She ran towards it

The shape yanked the door open and fled outside Gravel chippings sprayed across the drive Hannah skidded across the kitchen flagstones The door slanored it Opened the door Ran out into the night

Jakab had reached the side of the house He launched hi with fury She turned the corner Saw hie Saw a line of trees on his left The river on his right

She ca A shooter's stance Lifted the gun Tracked hi, she broke the weapon Heard the spent cartridges juunpowder

She fumbled in her back pocket for her spares Slotted the first into the left-hand barrel The second cartridge wouldn't fit She was shaking too round

Forget it No tiun and raised it to her shoulder Braced properly this tiue shape in the darkness She drew a line to hiun kicked The air cracked Up ahead, she saw only darkness Heard the fading crunch of feet on stones

Hannah lowered the gun She was hyperventilating Sweat streamed from her Stickiness in her left eye She lifted a hand to her face, probed her forehead Blood A long gash, froe of her nose to her hairline

Then, to her left, the undergrowth exploded withleaped froravel, hooves scra towards her, its liquid eyes met hers and it froze Its flanks heaved as it snorted, condensation blasting froe, its rack of antlers like the branches of a tree

Hannah raised the gun Knew that it wasn't loaded Did it anyway

The stagher Then, incredibly, it bent its front legs and knelt Hind legs tucking down behind it, the buck waited, prone

Hannah stared at it, unco

And then, slowly, she realised that the sounds co from behind her, the sounds she had not even noticed until noere the screahter

CHAPTER 17

Oxford 1997