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'What's that？' Kirsten's head was suddenly erect； listening。
'What's what？' He didn't want to be in a hurry to go。
Savour every second； you'll remember this night for the rest of your life。
'I heard something。' She was staring into the sandpit darkness； trying to make out shapes and silhouettes that would be gone in a matter of minutes。 'Like something's round the front of the van。'
Probably rats； he thought； but you don't tell emotional girls that。 'A rabbit maybe；' he sighed； 'there are lots of them in here。 The sand is full of their burrows。'
'There it is again。' She was tense； holding on to him。 T can feel it vibrating on the 。。 。 Keith！' A piercing scream； she was clutching at him； almost hysterical。 'There； do you see it？'
He saw it all right； felt his stomach heave up； tasted something sharp and sour at the back of his throat； recalled a TV documentary he had once watched about snake…charming； the way the snake came up out of a wicker basket； a wriggling revolting creature mastering a vertical stance with a body that had no backbone。 And the snake was doing just that now； rising up from somewhere in the region of the radiator grille； uncoiling； going up and up； aware of the two humans inside the vehicle； its tiny eyes fixed on them； scenting their terror and mocking them with open jaws that seemed to laugh。
'It can't get at us；' Keith Doyle whispered hoarsely。 'No way。 We're safe。'
'Let's get away from here；' she pleaded； shuddered and closed her eyes。 'Oh Keith； take me home。'
'No problem。' He laughed but it sounded forced and the fingers that rested on the ignition key trembled。 'No problem at all； we can swing round； drive right back on to the road； and if we don't dislodge this bugger on the way then there are loads of police and soldiers in the village who will be only too delighted to shoot it。'
Seconds later he knew that he did have a problem； a very frightening one。 The starter…motor whirred but did not fire； vibrated hollowly beneath the bonnet。 He tried it again； much slower this time； they felt it groaning； stopping。 A third time； it would not even turn over。
'Keith！' Kirsten was on the verge of panic。 He gripped her wrist hard； was not taking any chances on her opening the door and trying to make a run for it。 He recalled his own flight three days ago。 He had only made it to the garage by the grace of God。 Kirsten certainly would not make it back to the road。
'Don't worry。' He tried to sound convincing。 'She'll go in a minute。' But he knew it wouldn't because it had been reluctant to start even on these hot summer mornings。 It was the battery； sure enough； possibly the same one that was on this S…registered vehicle from new； now old and tired。 Dying； maybe dead already。 There was just a faint chance that if they waited a few minutes it might fire。 A very faint chance； the kind you only relied on when there was nothing else left。 The snake was on the bonnet now； coils of it。 Keith would not even attempt to guess at its length but in the fading daylight he was just able to make out its colouring； a ringed body； red； black and white rings； the fearsome snout jet…black。 Colourful； deadly； its head only inches from the glass of the windscreen； staring inside intently。 'Keith； I don't want to look！' 'You don't have to。 Close your eyes。' 'I can't； it's like I've 'got to look！'
A thought crossed his mind； one that would have been funny in any other situation except this。 You paid a quid or so to go into a reptile house and gawp at snakes through glass but this bugger was getting a close…up of humans in a cage for free！ Jesus； that was rich； it kind of put things in perspective； made you realise that when it came down to the law of the jungle Man counted for nothing。 'Keith； I can't stand it any longer！'
'Hang on； I'll try the battery again。' He knew before he turned the key that it wasn't going to be any good。 This time the starter…motor didn't even turn over。 The engine was as dead as the proverbial dodo； and even if it hadn't been he wondered if there was enough petrol in the tank to get them out of there。 You're a stupid prick； Keith Doyle。 The snake on the bonnet seemed to be laughing in agreement with him。
'We're stuck。' Kirsten was sobbing again。 'There's no way we're going to get out of here。'
'Don't be stupid； we're only yards from the village； the main street。 I've only got to blow the horn and the soldiers will e on the run。'
'Blow it then。'
He pressed the klaxon button； knew even as he did so that it would not even muster up the force of a good fart。 Simply because the horn worked off the battery like everything else on a vehicle…lights； flashers…the battery was the heart of a motor car； determined whether it lived or died。 And Keith Doyle's van right now was very dead。
'I'll think of something。 Don't panic。' He leaned across her and locked the door； as much to prevent her from leaping out as the snake from getting in。 'It can't get to us。'
'It's 。 。 。 horrible。'
'I wonder what species it is。' Talking for the sake of talking。 'It certainly isn't a rattler because I know what they look like。' A joke that did not sound funny。
'I don't care what sort it is；' she snapped。 'I just wish it was dead along with all its mates。'
It was dark now； the two people inside the vehicle could barely see each other's silhouettes。 Even the dashboard lights were too faint to give off so much as a glow。 But there was enough light for them to be able to make out the shape of the snake that held them prisoner。 It had coiled itself up again； settled down on the bonnet； head up against the glass windscreen。 Watching and waiting。
And the coral snake which had so recently witnessed the death of its mate at the hands of Man was in no hurry。 Vengeance was within its grasp and there was no way it was going to allow its prisoners to escape。 After it had killed them it would die because there would be nothing left to live for。 It would wait。
'We can't stop here。'
Keith was relieved to hear Kirsten speak fairly normally； keeping her face turned away from the windscreen； pushing herself back into the seat。
'At the moment we can't do much else。' he answered。 He remembered that the rear doors of the van were not locked but it did not really matter； no snake would be capable of turning the handle； and； in any case； the lock only functioned from the outside。 Don't think about it。 'We'll just have to be patient。 Somebody is bound to find us soon。'
He did not add that it was unlikely to be before morning。 The searchers had called off the hunt for today； it would be seven o'clock before they remenced。 He and Kirsten were almost certainly there for the night。
It was going to be a long one。
Chapter 12
PC KEN AYLOTT stared around the small room that for the past two years had been his office。 It bore little resemblance to the neatly arranged room that had contained only a week ago two filing cabinets； a desk with some wire trays on it； telephone； a notice…board with warnings about such relatively harmless creatures as Colorado beetles pinned on it。 Dull and boring but at least it had been his。 Whatever his resentment about this out…of…the…way posting； he had had the small consolation of knowing that this was his pad and he was the boss。 Now； within the space of a few days； all that had been taken from him。
The office was a shambles； piles of untidily heaped papers that would in all probability never be sorted and filed； a mountain of rubber boots in the corner； discarded clothing。 If he had been in charge of operations the place would never have been allowed to get into this state。 Damn it； he had been relegated to the status of office boy。 Stop here and answer the phone； Aylott； radio us if anything important crops up。 Your job is to hold the fort。 The super made it sound important； like telling a child he was responsible for picking up his scattered toys； do your best and we'll check