فصل ششم

CHAPTER SIX

The storm closed in around him more quickly than he had expected.

It was now after two and the wind was howling in his ears.

Taking great care to stay on the sheep trail, Angus slowly made his way.

He knew he was nearly there.

At least he hoped so.

Over the wind he was surprised to hear the sound of voices only a short distance ahead.

He stopped to listen and heard them again, a little more clearly.

He couldn’t make out any words but they appeared to be men’s voices and they were shouting.

He hurried towards them and as he came round from behind a slight mound, he could see two figures faintly silhouetted against the sky.

They were holding on to one another - Angus couldn’t tell if they were hugging or fighting.

Angus stopped, unsure whether he should interrupt or not.

The wind seemed to be getting stronger, and Angus had to bend down to stop from being blown over.

Crouching he grabbed onto the heather at his feet.

There was a flash of lightning and at that moment he could see how close the two men were to the edge of the cliff.

Angus called out ‘Be careful’, but the wind muffled the sound.

As he took a breath to try again, he saw the man with his back to the cliff lose his footing and stumble backwards.

His arms waved wildly and without so much as a cry for help he was gone.

Angus was rooted to the spot.

He could just make out the other man still standing there.

Why didn’t he do something?

He closed his eyes as spray from the sea blew across his face.

He opened them just as there was another flash of lightning.

He looked at the spot where the man had been but he was gone.

Angus almost crawled to the place where the two men had stood and, lying flat on the wet ground, peered over the edge.

He couldn’t see anything.

He shouted down, but there was no answer.

Only the roar of the waves echoed in his ears.

He inched back from the cliff and heart racing, tried to work out what to do.

He shouted again but he knew it was hopeless.

He dug in his pocket for his phone, his fingers barely moving in the cold.

He didn’t have a signal.

He tried 999 anyway.

Nothing.

Shaking and with chattering teeth, he pulled himself up and stumbled away from the cliff, towards the road.

He walked two miles along the road before he saw a car.

He flagged it down and it stopped.

“There’s been an accident.

I saw someone fall off the cliff.

I need to get to Tarbert as quickly as possible,” Angus spoke rapidly, rain water running down his face.

The man just gestured for him to get in and set off as fast as the weather conditions would allow in the direction of the village.

As Angus drew out his wet mobile to try again, the man pointed at the glove compartment: “There’ll be no signal in this weather, but the satellite phone should work.”

Angus called 999 and explained what he had seen.

Having done what he could, he pulled his soaking clothes closer to him and stared grimly at the blackness outside.

He felt chilled to the bone.