Page 76 of Sisters

‘I don’t think we should go to Hernani,’ said Abby. ‘We need to get as far away from here as possible.’

‘You’re acting like nothing’s happened.’

‘Plenty’s happened but we still have to get away.’ She looked at Ellie, indicated out of the windscreen. ‘So?’

‘Oh my God, you’re insane.’

‘Just pick a route, Ellie.’

‘Um...left. Fuck it, left!’ Ellie blurted in exasperation.

Abby put the car in gear and pulled away.

FIFTY-EIGHT

Ellie hunched in her seat, hugging her arms to keep out the cold. Except the cold seemed to be coming from inside her. She would shiver uncontrollably every now and then – it wasn’t the air temperature, it was the aftershock. How close had death been? It was a question that, if she faced it, she got a sense of fear so great it was as if she was on the edge of a black hole, falling, falling, soundless, meaningless, snuffed out into nothing. She’d gasp, realizing she’d been holding her breath, and try to fixate on something else.

Ellie swallowed and in doing so felt again the tenderness; her throat was bruised. She instinctively lowered her chin, closing up the vulnerable gap where her jugular vein was exposed for anyone to slice through.Stop it. It’s over.Except that man was lying near the trees, his blood soaking into the ground. And her sister was the one who’d put the bullet in him.

Ellie glanced across at Abby, seeing her focus on the road ahead. Who exactly was she sitting next to? No, she should be grateful. Goddammit, shewasgrateful. If it hadn’t been for Abby, they’d both be dead.

‘How did you do that?’ Ellie asked quietly.

‘Do what?’

‘You were so brave. So quick. You got the gun.’

Abby gave a small smile.

‘He could have killed you. Both of us. I couldn’t do anything,’ Ellie said.

‘He did have a knife to your throat.’

‘I know, but even so...I was numb. Petrified.’

‘I was pretty scared myself.’

‘Yes, but you still did it. You didn’t give up.’

‘It was chance. I saw your bag in the footwell. I just went for it.’

‘I’d all but given up, Abby,’ insisted Ellie. ‘But you...you fought back.’

Abby pondered. ‘I did, didn’t I?’ She paused for a moment as it sank in. ‘Oh my God, I fought back. I fought back!’

Abby was punching the steering wheel as she spoke, her eyes suddenly alive on adrenaline. ‘I bloody fought him. And I won! I won!’ She let out a whoop, then threw her head back in a victorious laugh. ‘Oh my God, Ellie, you’re right.I fought back.’

Ellie gave a nervous smile. Her sister’s behaviour was a little unnerving. She’d never seen Abby quite so...animated before.

‘You stood up to him,’ she agreed.

Abby grinned. ‘I did. I stood up to you, you nasty bastard!’ she shouted. ‘I didn’t let you beat me!’

Ellie yelped as the car suddenly swerved across to the other side of the empty road, then back again. Abby was driving like a maniac, back and forth, whooping and yelling.

‘Stop,’ said Ellie, gripping the dashboard. ‘Please stop.’

Abby hardly seemed to be listening. ‘I fought back,’ she yelled again and then was suddenly weeping, huge wracking sobs convulsing through her body.