Read Online A Rip in the Veil by Anna Belfrage - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anna Belfrage
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and—”
“Look; I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” She stared him down, eyes never leaving his until he shrugged and went to find some more wood.
*
“Matthew?” Alex got to her feet. “Is that you?” She scanned the outer rim of their weak circle of light, certain she’d heard something. There; a shape grew out of the slope, transforming into a man when he came closer. At his heels tagged another man, and Alex recognised them from before. Shit.
“Where is he?” the older man hissed.
“Who?” Alex backed away from the brandished knife.
“Your man, the one who did this to me.” He pointed at the long, slashing wound down the side of his face.
“Not here.” Alex bit back on an exclamation when she put too much weight on her injured foot. Well, at least she had two good arms, should it come to that. She raised them, hands like blades. The younger man scowled and rubbed at his arm. She’d gotten him good with her previous karate chop, and she’d guess he had a bruise the colour of an aubergine all across his biceps. Still; she’d prefer it if Matthew were to come back A.S.A.P. She shuffled backwards, keeping the little fire between her and the two men.
“Grab her,” the older man said to the younger. “Take her and we’ll be off.”
“Try,” Alex growled.
The man laughed, clearly unimpressed.
“But…” the younger man said, throwing worried looks into the darkness that surrounded them.
“Do as I say. Once we have the lass, he’ll not risk us hurting her, will he?” He leered in the direction of Alex. “And we won’t – not as long as she’s accommodating.”
You wish; she’d poke his eyes out before she let him touch her. With a reluctant mutter the younger man moved towards her, carrying a length of rope. Alex licked her lips.
A stone hit the older man squarely on the back of his head. He staggered and fell to his knees.
“Da?” the other man rushed towards him. Yet another stone came whistling through the night and landed with a dull ‘thonk’ on the father’s head. The man toppled forward, howling when his hands sank into the embers of the fire.
“Da!” the young man said. “Da, your poor, poor hands!” He batted at the smoking sleeves with his hands, yelping when he burnt himself.
“I told you,” Matthew roared from somewhere up the slope. “I told you to get yourselves gone and not bother us.” He strode into the light, loomed over the two ruffians. “Go, and this time don’t come back.”
“No, no,” the younger man stammered. “We won’t, aye?” He helped his father up to stand, and without a backward look disappeared into the August night.
“Bloody hell,” Alex said. “Is life always this exciting round here?”
“Nay, in general not.” He scowled in the direction of where they could still hear the would be robbers’ progress. “Such as them should hang, attacking lonely travellers and women.”
“Well, they picked the wrong guy to mess with this time, didn’t they?” Alex sank down to sit.
“We should get some sleep,” Matthew said. “Do you need help back into the cave?”
She shook her head. She’d buried the leaking phone in a feeble attempt to leave some trace behind should John in the future get her text, and she didn’t want Matthew to see her stark writing on the wall – she’d more or less gouged the letters into the surface. She’d even stolen a holey stocking from his bundle, hoping that the wool would protect the fragile metal casing from the vagaries of time.
“I’d prefer to stay outside. Will that be dangerous?”
Matthew laughed. “No, I don’t think so. They’ll not be back, will they?”
“Not unless they’re very, very stupid,” Alex said.
Alex lay with her back to him, eyes lost in the dark skies above. One day, and it felt like an eternity. How was she to stand a whole life here?
“John,” she whispered to the night. “My John.” No; don’t cry, Alex Lind. She stuffed her hand into
“Look; I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” She stared him down, eyes never leaving his until he shrugged and went to find some more wood.
*
“Matthew?” Alex got to her feet. “Is that you?” She scanned the outer rim of their weak circle of light, certain she’d heard something. There; a shape grew out of the slope, transforming into a man when he came closer. At his heels tagged another man, and Alex recognised them from before. Shit.
“Where is he?” the older man hissed.
“Who?” Alex backed away from the brandished knife.
“Your man, the one who did this to me.” He pointed at the long, slashing wound down the side of his face.
“Not here.” Alex bit back on an exclamation when she put too much weight on her injured foot. Well, at least she had two good arms, should it come to that. She raised them, hands like blades. The younger man scowled and rubbed at his arm. She’d gotten him good with her previous karate chop, and she’d guess he had a bruise the colour of an aubergine all across his biceps. Still; she’d prefer it if Matthew were to come back A.S.A.P. She shuffled backwards, keeping the little fire between her and the two men.
“Grab her,” the older man said to the younger. “Take her and we’ll be off.”
“Try,” Alex growled.
The man laughed, clearly unimpressed.
“But…” the younger man said, throwing worried looks into the darkness that surrounded them.
“Do as I say. Once we have the lass, he’ll not risk us hurting her, will he?” He leered in the direction of Alex. “And we won’t – not as long as she’s accommodating.”
You wish; she’d poke his eyes out before she let him touch her. With a reluctant mutter the younger man moved towards her, carrying a length of rope. Alex licked her lips.
A stone hit the older man squarely on the back of his head. He staggered and fell to his knees.
“Da?” the other man rushed towards him. Yet another stone came whistling through the night and landed with a dull ‘thonk’ on the father’s head. The man toppled forward, howling when his hands sank into the embers of the fire.
“Da!” the young man said. “Da, your poor, poor hands!” He batted at the smoking sleeves with his hands, yelping when he burnt himself.
“I told you,” Matthew roared from somewhere up the slope. “I told you to get yourselves gone and not bother us.” He strode into the light, loomed over the two ruffians. “Go, and this time don’t come back.”
“No, no,” the younger man stammered. “We won’t, aye?” He helped his father up to stand, and without a backward look disappeared into the August night.
“Bloody hell,” Alex said. “Is life always this exciting round here?”
“Nay, in general not.” He scowled in the direction of where they could still hear the would be robbers’ progress. “Such as them should hang, attacking lonely travellers and women.”
“Well, they picked the wrong guy to mess with this time, didn’t they?” Alex sank down to sit.
“We should get some sleep,” Matthew said. “Do you need help back into the cave?”
She shook her head. She’d buried the leaking phone in a feeble attempt to leave some trace behind should John in the future get her text, and she didn’t want Matthew to see her stark writing on the wall – she’d more or less gouged the letters into the surface. She’d even stolen a holey stocking from his bundle, hoping that the wool would protect the fragile metal casing from the vagaries of time.
“I’d prefer to stay outside. Will that be dangerous?”
Matthew laughed. “No, I don’t think so. They’ll not be back, will they?”
“Not unless they’re very, very stupid,” Alex said.
Alex lay with her back to him, eyes lost in the dark skies above. One day, and it felt like an eternity. How was she to stand a whole life here?
“John,” she whispered to the night. “My John.” No; don’t cry, Alex Lind. She stuffed her hand into
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