Stone seized the wooden stool and wielded it like a sword, to fend off the crocodile.‘Get off.’
The beast hissed, its snout snapping and snarling, as its claws scratched the deck desperate to get its bulky body onboard, with its long scaly tail dangling over the side.
‘Get up, old man.’Stone managed to get past to help Chook, while the barra flapped on the deck, as Stone used the stool to fight back the crocodile.
A crocodile.
A live, nasty, snarling, snapping crocodile with a huge mouthful of teeth.On the boat!
‘GET OFF!’Stone wielded the stool like a sword, forcing the croc back off the deck.With one last lunge, it snapped—and Stone smashed the stool down across its snout.The wooden legs splintered, leaving the crocodile to drag the remnants as it fell back into the water with a colossal splash.The houseboat rocked with the impact.
Romy’s heart hammered in her chest as her mind tried to catch up.Those animals were deadly dangerous.And she’d just seen Stone fight one offwith a wooden stool, to save her.
‘You okay, Romy?’Stone lifted her up, but her legs felt like jelly as she struggled to stand.‘Easy now, I’ve got you.’Stone held her to his chest, his heartbeat surprisingly steady.‘We’ll get you to the back deck.’
‘Land.’She gripped his shirt, burrowing her head into his warm chest to avoid seeing that river.‘I want land.Now.’
‘We can do that.’
‘What about your fish?’Chook scooped up her fish.It had lost its tail fins, leaving a clean outline of a crocodile bite.
‘Give her a moment, Chook.It’s Romy’s first time with a crocodile lunging at her.’
Her eyes widened as her pulse spiked through the roof.She shook her head, still gripping his shirt.‘That was theonlytime that’s ever gonna happen.’
‘Good.So now you understand when I tell you they’re dangerous.’
‘I thought I was safe on the boat!’
‘They jump.’
‘I saw that…’ She gripped his arm.‘Is Chook safe living here?’
Chook winked at her.‘Don’t you worry none, Roman.That snapping handbag was just showing off for you, that’s all.’
‘I’ll be back for that croc, Chook.’Stone’s tone meant business.
‘Nah, leave it.He’ll cop a hiding from the older ones for doing that.There’s a pecking order over who steals my fish with that mob.’
‘You mean it happens all the time?’Her shrill voice was unrecognisable.Who were these people?And what kind of madman lived among man-eating crocodiles?
‘Makes it more of a sport, don’t you think?’Chook winked at her again.
Crazy didn’t quite cut it.
She walked on jelly-like legs across the floating boardwalk that was lined by grass, only now realising it was the same grass that grew in the water.It was croc grass.
She stumbled on the path, trying to race for that large tree.
‘Easy does it.’Again, Stone caught her.His powerful hands were firm, yet gentle on her hips as he righted her, helping her to the shade of that massive tree.
‘I’ve got it.’She shook him off at the trunk of the tree, free from that boardwalk.
‘Are you sure?’
‘I need a moment.’To breathe.
She pushed on, aiming for the strange wooden door in the middle of the paddock, beyond that the helicopter waited in the sun.
