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Daniel’s heart thudded as he watched Alan standing motionless in the cockpit. Why wasn’t he helping him aboard? His head felt like it was splitting, and he felt nauseous, but he cautiously kicked his legs, clinging to the lifebuoy, inching himself towards the boat ladder. Dread sank through him when Alan turned away to the cabin. But the relief he felt when Alan returned to the side of the boat and looked down at him calmly was short-lived. Alan was holding a spear-gun.
“I am sorry, Daniel, for this. But if your beloved Ellie did still exist, I’m afraid she may not anymore. In which case, the way you have wasted your life wallowing in the loss of her, joining her should be a relief. Not to mention permanently separating your daughter from the creature Hunter, who you betrayed to me.”
“Help me on board, Alan,” Daniel tried to sound commanding. He was shaking with cold and fright.
“No. Our goals are incompatible. I can’t have you reporting back to the village what I have done. They ought to give me a medal, but if the existence of these things became widely known, there is always some bleeding heart who would take up the cause of fairy tales over humans.”
He shifted his stance on the boat that still rocked on the choppy, steel-coloured water, and rested the tip of the spear on the gunwale. “You made it clear that rescue and recovery was your bottom line for helping me. And help you did. Without you, I wouldn’t have found them. Even with Ethan’s bizarre warning, I would never have believed enough to look, if you hadn’t told me of Ellie’s past. I thank you.” He levelled the spear-gun at Daniel, a psychotic light burning in his icy stare. Daniel could see the evil that simmered behind the facade of Alan’s social conventions. “You are injured. I could leave you to a slow end, but it might not be pleasant. This is merciful.”
The water beside Daniel erupted as Hunter burst through the surface and took his arm, supporting his weight. Alan faltered, his eyes widening, staring at Hunter. The point of the spear-gun wavered between them.
Daniel turned his head towards Hunter. He felt as if he had never seen him clearly before. This wasn’t a creature. He was no different from him and Ellie. Hunter was a man who loved his daughter, Skye, and his daughter loved him back. Skye and Hunter had had their chance at happiness, and he had ripped it from them. Tears filled his eyes as remorse seared through him like a burning tide. He had led Hunter to his death, and caused the death of his entire race. And here he floated, helpless to fix this for Skye.
Daniel registered the sound of another engine drawing near and realised he had been aware of it for some time, despite his terrified focus on Alan. But Alan was still so intent on him and Hunter that he seemed oblivious to the approach of witnesses. The spear-gun’s barbed tip moved from him to Hunter, from Hunter to him. Then Alan pointed the spear’s prong at Hunter and fired. But Daniel had been watching Alan’s face, and saw the moment of decision an instant before he pulled the trigger. Using Hunter’s grip on his arm as leverage, Daniel half pivoted in the water, thrusting himself across Hunter, putting his back to Alan, between Hunter and Alan’s weapon.
The spear didn’t hurt much as it went through him. He was aware of violent movements in the water all around them. Someone was screaming close by. Daniel looked into Hunter’s face; saw Hunter’s tears mingled with sea water, and hoped what he had done had been enough. But sudden nightfall was making everything dark. He could just make out Hunter’s broken expression as the light faded. “Tell Skye I’m sorry,” Daniel whispered.
