Someone Who Isn't Me, Danuta Kot [good books to read for adults TXT] 📗

she would regret was that she couldn’t see them struggle. Two would have been good, but one would do.

Chapter 46

Spragger Drain sluice

Becca staggered to her feet. She had to stop this before Lewis was locked in the boot. ‘Lewis!’ Her voice barely made a sound. ‘Lewis!’ she tried again. ‘Fight! Get away! Don’t let them…!’

But the man had lifted the struggling Lewis up off the ground – Becca hadn’t noticed before how small Lewis was – and flung him into the open boot. The lid slammed down.

The two figures turned towards her. She’d escaped, she’d got herself out, she’d done all of that, but she couldn’t run away, couldn’t leave an eleven-year-old kid in the car that was close to the edge, with just the handbrake and a broken fence protecting him from the deep, dark waters of the estuary.

She had to get there, get to the car, stop them somehow. But they were between her and Lewis.

Alicia.

And the man. Stoner.

Becca sidestepped, trying to get them to move away. If she had a clear run to the back of the car, she could pull the boot open, get Lewis out and try and get lost in the darkness, but her legs were numb from being tied so tightly and she stumbled as the man came towards her, cutting off her route.

In the harsh light from the headlamps, she saw his face, and knew why he’d sounded so familiar.

Toby.

Toby, who was her mate because they’d worked together behind the bar for months. Toby, who was always on the games machines so he could chat with anyone he wanted to and no one would pay much attention.

Toby who had listened to her, heard her identify Doc, and then vanished.

Toby who was going to watch while Alicia drowned her and a child.

He reached to grab her arms, and she jabbed upwards with the newspaper cudgel, catching him on the side of the jaw. He staggered back, clutching his face, and she spun round to face Alicia, face the crazy woman who was coming towards her with gleam in her eyes that told Becca Alicia wasn’t scared, wasn’t worried. She was enjoying this, and she knew she would win.

Becca kept her eyes focused on Alicia’s arms, so missed Alicia kicking something on the ground. She felt something smack into her leg, and a sharp pain made her gasp and stagger sideways.

Her legs started cramping and she fell.

Then Alicia was there, grabbing her by the hair and hauling her to her feet. Becca jabbed backwards with the newspaper, and heard a grunt. ‘Bitch!’ The grip loosened and Becca rolled away, scrambling to her feet, but her legs still wouldn’t hold her.

Alicia grabbed her hair again and swung her round. Her hand smacked across Becca’s mouth, once, twice. ‘You hurt me, you fucking bitch!’ In the dazzling light of the headlamps, Becca could see her face, the teeth bared, the eyes narrowed in rage.

Becca jabbed again with the cudgel, but this time Alicia was ready, taking it on her arm with a grunt of pain, moving round smoothly and twisting Becca’s arm up her back. ‘Drop it, bitch! Drop it!’ The weapon fell from her hand and she heard Alicia laugh again.

‘Back in the car, baby!’ She forced Becca onto the ground face-down and kneeled on her back. Becca could feel her arms being pulled behind her.

‘Get the fucking tape,’ Alicia shouted. Then she was speaking in Becca’s ear in a low mutter. ‘You know what I’d like to do? I’d like to pour petrol over you and set you alight. I set your cat alight. I didn’t get to hear it scream – but I could hear you scream. Now. I could do that. Becca.’ She spat the name out like a curse. ‘Hear you burn then hear you sizzle when we chuck you in the water.’

Becca saw Toby’s feet approaching. He couldn’t do this. Not Toby. He couldn’t.

‘Come on! Tape her!’ the woman said.

‘Toby!’ Becca tried to call to him but her face was pressed into the dirt.

Toby’s voice sounded muffled. ‘That fucking hurt. I can’t… Jesus. My neck.’

‘Shut the fuck up and do it!’

‘Do you think I carry the fucking stuff around with me? Look, you’re wasting time. Just shove her in the car and get it done with.’

‘OK…’ Becca heard the sound of Alicia breathing hard. ‘Hold her while I—’ She was dragging the belt out of her mac.

‘Toby! You don’t want to do this!’ Becca struggled against his hands as they grabbed her, but she barely had any strength left. ‘Toby!’

‘Shut up.’ He sounded uneasy, and a small glimmer of hope sparked. He’d been OK while she didn’t know he was there, while he couldn’t see her, but now she was in front of him – he didn’t want to do this. But he held her as Alicia grabbed her arms and tied them with the belt. When Becca tried to kick her, she just sidestepped.

‘Now…’ Alicia pulled the back door of the car open, leaned in and pulled something out. Becca could hear Lewis in the boot, crying.

‘Get her in,’ she said.

Toby ignored her. ‘Fuck’s sake, Alicia. What are you doing?’

‘What does it look like? I’m going to torch it. Burn it out.’

The smell of petrol was heavy in the air as Alicia opened the can she had taken from the back of the car and started throwing it over the roof, through the windows, in the boot.

‘What the fuck? We’re dumping them, that’s what we agreed! You want half of Sunk Island here to see what’s burning?’

‘All six of them? Who cares?’

In her head, Becca was screaming, You can’t! You can’t! Toby’s grasp had loosened as he argued, and she managed to pull herself free. Alicia chucked the empty can through the car window and turned as Becca threw herself forwards. Alicia staggered under the impact then steadied herself and kicked Becca’s legs out from under her.

Becca hit the ground hard enough to wind her.