One by One by Simon Kernick

8
    I still had my knife and I knew that if I moved fast I’d just be in time to stab the crossbowman when he emerged round the corner into the back garden. But that’s the kind of thing that brave, decisive people – or those who aren’t afraid of death – do. I wasn’t one of those people. I was just a scared forty-something woman flung into the middle of a waking nightmare and the fear was crippling me.
    He was coming. Jesus, he was coming.
    And then I heard the back door being unlocked from the inside and saw Crispin’s face in the window.
    â€˜Let me in! Now!’
    He released the final bolt and pulled the door open and I pushed past him to get inside. ‘Lock the door for God’s sake!’ I yelled, stumbling against the washing machine but, as he went to lock it, a shadow appeared through the glass.
    I screamed.
    â€˜Fuck, it’s Luke,’ said Crispin and let him in too before flinging the bolts across and turning the key in the lock.
    Luke looked scared and relieved, which I’m sure was pretty much how I looked. I noticed he didn’t have his knife. Crispin’s was sitting on top of the washing machine – a long paring knife with a good, sharp blade – and he grabbed it now.
    â€˜Did you see anyone behind you?’ I asked Luke. ‘I was being chased by the guy with the crossbow.’
    He shook his head. ‘No, I didn’t see him.’
    I wiped sweat from my brow and walked through the utility room and into the kitchen. The rain was coming down hard now and the back lawn looked forlorn and bedraggled, and thankfully empty. I pulled the curtains shut and switched on the light, before grabbing an empty glass from one of the cupboards and pouring myself a glass of water.
    The other two followed me in.
    â€˜What happened to you and Marla?’ I asked Crispin.
    â€˜We just ran, same as you guys, then doubled back through the woods.’
    â€˜You managed to stick together, then.’ I was conscious of the note of accusation in my voice.
    He nodded, ignoring my tone. ‘Yeah, we did.’
    I pulled my pack of cigarettes and lighter from inside the sleeve of my hoodie and lit one, taking a long, much-needed drag. ‘Sorry, but under the circumstances, I’m not going to smoke outside.’
    Crispin gave me a half-smile. ‘It’s fine. Have you got a spare one?’
    I lit one for him, ignoring Luke’s dirty look. ‘Is this place secure?’
    Crispin nodded slowly and once again I found myself surprised by how calm he was. ‘As secure as it was when we left, but it’s not impregnable. The good thing is there are four of us, and a crossbow’s not going to be much use to him in here.’
    â€˜He’s got all the time in the world,’ said Marla, who’d appeared in the doorway. ‘He can pick us off one by one. I mean, it’s not as if we’re going anywhere, is it? Do you think it’s Charlie? It’s almost impossible to believe it could be him…’
    I took another drag on the cigarette, beginning to get my breath back. ‘It’s not Charlie.’
    â€˜How do you know?’ demanded Marla. There was an accusing tone in her voice too.
    â€˜Because I saw his corpse.’
    That shut everyone up.
    â€˜It was pinned to a tree with crossbow bolts.’ I told them how I’d discovered it.
    Marla put a hand to her mouth. Crispin frowned deeply. Luke, though… he looked sceptical.
    I glared at him. ‘What? Don’t you believe me?’
    â€˜Well, it’s funny that of all the places his body could have been hidden in that wood, you managed to find the exact tree.’
    â€˜What the hell are you insinuating? That I’m making it up? Why the fuck would I do that? I saw him clear as day. He had a bolt through his throat and one through his chest. If you don’t believe me we can go down there and take a look. It’s not very far