Elliot slumped against her as they edged their way up the steps out of the boat, pausing on each step to listen for the second man.

She held her breath as she looked out of the little doorway, straining her eyes in the dark to see as best she could. She looked about them, not even daring to move. The air was ice cold and the wind moaned between the boats and shook the masts. The air was full of the dull groan and creak of boats and the gentle lapping of water against the river wall.

"I can't see him."

She whispered, still looking, searching for something – a noise, a wisp of cigarette smoke...

She adjusted her grip on Elliot and braced herself against the door frame as she helped to haul him over the top step. His body was cold and clammy, his clothes sticky with blood and in between moments of lucidity he would murmur something nonsensical.

The rain hit her back and stung with every ice cold drop. It hit her skin straight through her clothes and made her shiver and her teeth ache.

"We'll find Dylan. We'll find him...it'll be OK..."

Her eyes searched the other boats for a light. Dylan was on his way, but she couldn't see him yet. She was merely following his instructions 'leave the boat if you can. Turn left. Keep going, I'll leave a light on in the boat so that you can see. I'll meet you. I'll find you.'

She repeated his words in her head, turn left...

They staggered tentatively to shore, all the while she was looking for movement, seeking out danger.

They turned left. Still nobody was about. She paused. Elliot was heavy...too heavy to carry far. Her arms ached, every bit of her throbbed and her head ached so much that it made her wretch.

I'll leave the light on...

She squinted into the darkness. She could see the grey bulking shapes of the boats and the dark rain soaked ground beneath their feet. Then she saw the light, only dimly at first; a faint glimmering of gold between the rain drops.

She could see the tiny faint silhouette of Dylan leaving the boat, could feel her heart beating in her throat.

But then there was the sound of a car on gravel, the flare of headlights in the rain that cut out almost as quickly as they had appeared. They stopped, Elliot's head lolling against her shoulder, his breath damp and cold against her chest.

Above the sound of the rain and murmur of the water there was the sound of boots walking quickly, the sound of a boat door opening.

Again she held her breath, wrapping both arms around Elliot and hauling him off the path to stumble along by the gorse bushes that flanked them. A boat door slammed, and the boots were moving more quickly now.

If she glanced back she knew she would see the other man leaving the boat. She drew in a breath, closed her eyes only for a moment, and then looked back.

A shiver ran from the back of her neck down to the tips of her toes as she spied him trampling long grass so that he could peer down into the water. Then he was moving back, standing, looking at the car. The in one fluid motion he threw up both his hands in in anger and began walking stiffly and hurriedly along the path that ran in the opposite direction.

She exhaled all at once and swallowed.

Elliot was cold against her, she couldn't feel the warmth of his breath against her any more. Without any other option she shook him as hard as she could, feeling the sick ache of her throat and tears pricking her eyes.

She couldn't fathom how she was still holding him up. How she could be lugging along this great bloody weight of a man whose breath was now so faint that she barely felt it.

She hugged him closer as she kept walking, keeping close to the bushes, dragging his bare feet through the grass and brambles that nicked and caught on her own, tearing her skin.

She narrowed her eyes against the rain, struggling to see. Was the blurry shape moving towards her Dylan? She couldn't tell, but she walked towards it anyway, legs wobbling, kneecaps trembling.

Behind her she heard a shout, and without thinking she turned to the noise. In the distance a figure was running towards her, an angry black figure shouting filthy words at her.

Then hands were upon her, but these hands were gentle, urging hands and a voice was speaking to her saying her name over and over, telling her that it was OK, to let Elliot go. But she couldn't let him go, it didn't seem real, with those heavy boots coming nearer and nearer

Then the night was ablaze with sirens. The whoop of police cars and the blur of an ambulance wail that spun up into the night and seemed to sing with the stars. Her chest was tight and breathing in felt as though her throat and lungs were burning.

Everything was suddenly very big and then very small, lighter and then darker, darker than she had ever thought possible.

-.-

More soon. Reviews welcome as always xxx