Despite her fear for Angel and the other kids, Sasha had to remain calm. If they had any chance of getting out of here, it was vital she stayed focused. Feeling the baton press against her forearm beneath her sleeve, she had to get closer to Ian.

‘Two will live, one shall die down here. Come on now, Karin, it’ll be just like old times for you, deciding who should be left behind to die. Which of the youngsters is it going to be?’

Sasha stepped forward. ‘Ian, please…’

Ian put the knife to Angel’s soft throat. ‘Back,’ he barked, ‘now!’

Heart pounding, Sasha stepped backwards, her eyes never leaving her stricken daughter’s tearful face. Whatever happened next, she would be there for her, for all the kids.

‘Make the decision.’ He paced angrily, slapping the blade against the backs of the chairs. The teenagers squeezed their eyes shut. ‘Who dies? Make your choice now or I’ll kill them all.’

Karin planted her hands on the cold flagstones. ‘You can’t ask me to make that decision.’

‘Why not? You sacrificed Becky, you didn’t think twice about it, you just have to do it again.’

‘Please just let them go! I was a stupid little girl,’ she told him, ‘and I’m going to tell the world what I did. I know that’s what you want.’

‘I’ve told you what I want.’

Karin heard Becky’s voice in her head from all those years ago.

You’ll get an opportunity and you must take it.

‘I can’t,’ she muttered dismally.

‘Can’t what?’ said Ian.

I know you can do it.

She lifted her eyes to his.

‘You’re right, I’m responsible for Becky’s death and I’ll never forgive myself, but do you know what else nobody knows?’ She grinned at him. ‘Not even Lydia knew this… I was there when your father came to the doorstep of the Bad Place. I was in the kitchen and I could have ended the whole nightmare right then, I could have walked out in front of him. He would have gone down in the history books as the man who saved us all from the Bad Place. Becky would have lived and everyone would think of him as a hero. But I never did, and do you know why, Ian?’ She climbed to her feet. ‘Because I was too scared.’

‘You’re a liar!’

‘He was drunk and no good for anything. Even from the kitchen I could smell the alcohol fumes coming off him.’

‘That’s a disgusting thing to say,’ Ian cried out. ‘You’re nasty!’

‘I’d rather hide in that kitchen than reveal myself. It made my skin crawl just to see him. He was a mess, he was no better than Jerry. And when I met him afterwards I realized I was right, because he was so unpleasant. My heart goes out to you, Ian.’