‘Ah dude, more questions? You said you’d bail.’
‘I know what I said.’
‘So fuck off then!’
‘It’s about time you told me where you go all day. These people are scared, and if they find out somewhere down the line that you’re hiding useful information from them, I imagine you’re going to get lynched.’
Sol looked uneasy. ‘I like my alone time, dude, what do you want me to say?’
‘That’s it, alone time?’
‘That’s it.’
Unwittingly interrupting the conversation, Eric came running over to reheat the soldering iron. Breaking eye contact with Sol, James said, ‘How’s the transmitter coming along, Eric?’
‘Erm…’ the big man seemed aware of the tension into which he'd walked. ‘I’m helping Gibson Pilot. He said I’m a good ass…ass…’
‘Assistant?’
‘I like Gibson Pilot. He’s been teaching me all sorts of neat things – Ouch…’ Eric leaned too far into the fire. Sol turned away sniggering.
Following Eric over to the pilot James noticed Teri down by the shore, alone, lit cigarette glowing. Oli had vanished.
The pilot’s damp brow didn’t seem plausible in the evening chill, the inky smudges beneath his eyes sinking away into his dark skin. James said, ‘How’s it going?’
‘It’s going,’ said the pilot.
‘Finished by morning, you think?’
‘You mean will I get it built before I check out?’
‘I didn't say that.’
‘It's coming along fine,’ the pilot assured him. ‘Couple more hours, all being well.’
Keeping his voice steady, James said, ‘You’re clearly some kind of genius, huh?’
‘Not really, I could build one of these things in my sleep. But something tells me by your tone that the transmitter isn’t your primary concern.’
James shrugged.
‘What is it?’ Gibson asked.
James took a seat on the soft sand, slightly agitated with the trees at his back. He waited for Eric to reheat the soldering iron before speaking. ‘When’s the last time you checked under the blanket?’
‘I haven’t,’ the pilot admitted. ‘Couldn’t bring myself to.’
Leaning over the pilot’s leg, James lifted the sheet, careful to keep the wound hidden from its owner. He recoiled at the stench. The flaps of loose grey skin confirmed the spread of infection, the sweating gash oozing a viscousy liquid, neither blood nor mucus. The lips had darkened to the predicted angry maroon, the infected area in the late stages of bacterial build-up.
‘First light, Gibson,’ he said quietly. ‘First light, I’m snorkeling the wreckage.'
‘It’s okay, lad, you don’t need to bullshit me. I’m ready.’
‘Christ,’ James cursed softly.
As the two of them took a trace of solace in a moment of solicitous silence, they noticed a silhouetted figure climbing from one of the tents. Female and slim: Abbey yawning.
‘What on earth are you lot still doing up?’ Her voice was small in an early hours kind of way.
‘Back at you, sister,’ countered Gibson.
‘Can’t sleep,’ she replied. ‘Thought I might go for a walk.’
James forced himself to shy away from Abbey’s bed look; shaggy hair, sleepy eyes. ‘Walk?’ he asked. ‘Walk where?’
‘I won’t go far, boss,’ she smiled. ‘Just want to work off some energy.’
‘I don’t like you walking out there alone.’
‘He’s right, gal,’ the pilot cut in. ‘Think of all them cannibals – canneebaaals – we've seen!’
‘Gibson, not helping,’ James admonished.
Placing a hand on James’s arm, Abbey said, ‘Come on, James, what do you think is going to happen? I’ll be fine.’
He wanted to tell her about the light he'd seen, but panic was nobody’s friend. ‘I would just prefer it if we all stuck together.’
‘I’ll go to the end of the bay,’ she smiled sleepily. ‘No further, I promise.’
‘Just stay attentive, okay? And the first sign of anything amiss, you scream, got it?’
‘What’s got into you tonight?’
‘And stick close to the water,’ he added hastily. ‘Stay away from the trees.’
Frowning, she walked down towards the shore. He watched her until she slipped into the night and out of sight.
‘What’s going on, lad?’ the pilot asked. ‘Gal’s going for a walk on the beach, not downtown Baghdad.’
James scratched his stubble thoughtfully. ‘Can you keep a secret?’
‘To the grave, which by all accounts isn’t going to be too long.’
Sitting back down, he said quietly, ‘Three bays over, I saw a light in the trees. It was only there for a second but I know I saw it. Somebody was out there, watching us.’
‘Anybody else see it?’
‘Just me.’
‘What about Sol, he’s never around?’
‘He was tonight,’ James muttered. ‘Said he’d been here for over an hour.’
‘He had,’ the pilot confirmed.
‘Then it wasn’t him. I’m telling you, Gibson, somebody was there.’
‘I can promise you, lad, I’ve been here all day, but everybody’s been coming and going, it could’ve been any of them.’
‘Shit,’ he grumbled. ‘It’s weird, Gibson. I know what I saw.’
‘Maybe this island is messing with your head.’
‘Yeah, I had all that from Oli. Do I sound insane to you?’
‘No, you do not, which leaves one possibility.’ James met the pilot’s bloodshot eyes. ‘You saw a light.’
Gibson went back to fiddling with the transmitter as Eric came wandering coyly back, the soldering iron held out in front of him at arm's length. ‘Gibson Pilot, is it okay for me to come back now?’
‘Come on, lad,’ the pilot smiled. ‘Let’s get this thing wrapped up.’
‘Are we going to be able to use it tomorrow?’ James asked.
‘The higher the ground the better,’ said Gibson. ‘If you and Oli fancied a trek again, the top of the hill will be the best place for it.’
James grinned. ‘He’ll be thrilled.’
Scanning the opaque sand he could see Abbey nowhere. But it was
