Broken Silence by Liz Mistry

Author:Liz Mistry [Mistry, Liz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2020-04-03T17:00:00+00:00

Chapter 32

As the light began to darken and shadows stretched across the floor, Stefan Marcovici, exhausted by his failure, had collapsed by the side of the barn wall. His bones grated against one another as if they were trying to break through that last gap. Shivering wracked his skinny frame and his vision was distorted. He’d take the pills – all of them. That was the only option left. He rolled onto his side and lay for a moment, as the daylight receded, wondering how long he had left. If he took them now, the pills would take effect before the others got back. That was the best he could hope for – a doped-up end to his life. At least it would be more peaceful and less painful than the last six months had been.

Ready to move towards his mattress where the pills lay beside a water bottle, Stefan opened his eyes. There was a hint of grey light seeping around the door. The more he looked at it, the more Stefan wondered if perhaps he should give it one more shot … for Denis’s sake. Maybe he could prise wood from the door. Maybe he could escape. Dragging himself across the barn floor, Stefan prayed that Bullet wouldn’t return just yet. This was his last opportunity – his very final chance. He owed it to Daria to at least try. She deserved to know what had happened to her husband and daughter. He would try once more. For her. Straining for sounds of the van returning, Stefan edged closer to the door. It looked solid, yet there was a gap round the outside. He reached over and pushed his fingers between the frame and the door, yanking as hard as he could. His upper body protested, and blood seeped from his already wounded hands. Then, just like that a chunk of rotten wood broke off making him fall backwards. He threw it to the side and scrabbled forward, uncaring of the pain in his hands now as he pulled more and more chunks from the door until there was a big enough gap for him to squeeze through.

A slight breeze cooled his face as he lay, catching his breath, bracing himself for the next leg of his escape. Using the door for support, he crawled his way up into a hunched but standing position. Peering out into the overgrown farmyard, he tried to work out a strategy. He couldn’t walk without support and he wasn’t sure when Bullet would return with the men, so the best plan was to skirt around the barn, away from the road, using the walls to keep him upright.

Dragging the door closed behind him, with his back against the wall, he inched sideways, small steps at a time. When he reached the corner, relief spurred him on. He’d soon be out of sight from the farmyard. Peering through the gloom, he spotted a quad bike standing under a lean-to. Often, overnight, he and the other men had heard the sounds of Bullet and co screeching about on some sort of vehicle.

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