There was a sort of garden on the other side of the house with a bench facing the sea. I sat down wearily and looked out towards the coral reef. Leotta sat beside me in silence and, after a moment, leaned her head against me. I curled my arm behind her shoulders, pulling her in against my chest. The sun was long since down but the air was still stickily warm. Even though the night was dark, I could see the occasional flash of white in the distance as a heavy sea pounded against the coral to send up a fountain of foam. The distant roar was somehow comforting. It was something that had been going on for a long time before that night and would go on when the events of the night, no matter how they turned out, would be forgotten history. The sound would have sent me to sleep had I been in the mood.

Three-quarters of an hour later, the sound changed fractionally. It was interspersed with a thrumming noise that had a hint of a burble in it, and there was a blacker patch against the darkness of the lagoon. Then there was a splashing and I disentangled myself from a somnolent Leotta, stood up and walked to the low wall. I shone the flashlamp into the lagoon.

It illuminated a small boat being rowed towards the house and there was a grimly smiling face that I recognised. Hanna said, ‘Put out that light, Kemp.’

I flicked it off and waited until the boat came up to the wall. The first man ashore was carrying a large bag. ‘I’m Dr Baines.’

‘You’re needed,’ I said. ‘This way, doctor.’

‘Hold on,’ said Hanna from the boat. ‘I’m coming, too.’ As I helped him ashore he said, ‘All quiet?’

‘The Boeing arrived three-quarters of an hour ago. How did you get here so fast?’

‘We had a boat coming in. The doctor and I flew by helicopter and transferred at sea. Not something I ever want to do again.’ He turned around and bent over the wall. ‘Captain, get your men ashore as fast as you can.’

I gathered up Leotta then led the doctor and Hanna to the other side of the house. I showed the doctor where Jill was lying and bent down beside her. ‘Jill,’ I said. ‘The cavalry’s arrived.’

When I flashed the light on her she was in the same position as when I had last seen her. ‘Jill,’ I said. ‘We’ve been rescued.’ She still didn’t move, and I said to the doctor in a low voice, ‘I think she’s in shock.’

Hanna moved forwards from the door and stumbled over something. ‘What the …?’ I flashed my light on the body of Steve at his feet.

‘That’s the one I shot.’

The doctor said, ‘I must have light. I can’t do anything without light.’