The black waters closed over her head. Belle went down deep, unable to breathe, unable to believe that anyone could do this to another human being. Gasping, trying to tread water, she came back to the surface and gulped down a wheezing breath. The water was warm, warm enough for the caimans . . .

The caimans! Her heart hammering, she blinked and saw Harlan standing there, with Nipper and the other one. They were watching her flailing around in the water. Enjoying the spectacle.

Bastards.

Her head whipped around. There were three big caimans in here, she knew that. Two of them she could see right now, out on the far bank. One of those was beginning to edge toward the water, ready to slip in and snap up this new and unexpected meal – her.

Panic overwhelming her, she looked around for the third one, the big one. Even Charlie and his helpers were scared of the damned thing, and she was in the fucking pond and she couldn’t see it. Now one of the other two was sliding into the water, its soulless eyes fixed on her. In terror she started to splash to the edge of the pond, away from it.

Suddenly something gripped her left leg and she was yanked underneath the surface. She didn’t have time to draw in air. Screaming, swallowing mouthfuls of foul water, she struggled, eyes opening, stinging, hurting, but she could see it. It was the big one. It had hold of her leg. She kicked out hard, catching it a solid blow to the head, but it held on. She couldn’t breathe. Scrambling for the surface, she managed to get her mouth out of the water and gulped in air. Instantly she was dragged under again.

The bastard thing had her and now it was shaking her, turning, going into what Charlie Stone had always told her and his kids was the ‘death roll’. It was horrible, like being churned in a washing machine. Belle felt herself spinning helplessly under the water, trying to fight for the surface but unable to get there.

Disorientated, her leg in agony, she felt blackness wash over her and thought, This is it then. This is death.

Then she thought of Mum and Dad. Maybe it was best to just let go. To let this happen. She was spinning, spinning, running out of air, and then something grabbed her head. Bright sparks lit her vision as her lungs were being starved of oxygen. She was suffocating, feeling hard hurtful nubs that were teeth digging into her scalp and her face with such force that she didn’t know how she was bearing it. She would have shrieked if she had any air. Instead, she was trapped and one of these monsters had her leg, the other her head.