“Let’s take him to Lee.He’ll know what to do,” Andrew said.
“Do you know where to find him?”Kristy asked.
“He’ll find us.He always does.”Again that nonchalance from Andrew.
Kristy nodded, determination crossing her face.She waved the spear gun at Oliver.“This way.Andrew, tie up the boat.”
Oliver’s body flushed with heat.“Stop pointing that at me.I’ll go with you.”He’d read about too many spear fishing accidents to be comfortable with her lack of respect for the weapon she held.
Kristy lowered it as Andrew said, “I don’t know how to tie up a boat.”
It happened in slow motion.“Can you do anything?”Kristy complained.She raised her arm in annoyance, the spear gun pointing at Oliver again.The spear released, hurtling straight through Oliver’s chest.
The jolt of the impact made him stumble back and warm, metallic blood filled his mouth.The air left his lungs, and he spat out blood, gasping, trying to breathe.Sharp stabbing pain with every inhale.He stared at Kristy and then looked down at the spear protruding through his chest.
Kristy paled and dropped the weapon.
“Shit, Kristy.What did you do that for?”Andrew asked.
“I didn’t mean to!”She took a couple of steps back, panting in shock.
Oliver clutched the spear, trying to breathe gently through the pain.Warm blood ran over his hands.
“Are you…” Kristy swallowed hard.“all right?”
What a stupid question.He shook his head.His head spun and his throat tightened as his stomach threatened to lose its contents from the pain.He needed to sit.He stumbled to the jetty pylon and leaned against it, and then jerked back as the spear shifted.It must have gone all the way through.“Hospital,” he gasped.
Kristy shook her head, her hands trembling.“No.I can’t go back to town.We’ll pull it out and patch it.”She stepped towards him.
Was she completely insane?He held up a hand, fear coursing through him.“No!”
Kristy blinked and tied up the boat, moving automatically.“Andrew, help him to the car.”She jumped on board to get some towels and a first aid kit.
No way was he getting in the car unless they took him to the hospital.The spear was about sixty centimetres long and protruded a decent way out of his chest.He pressed firmly against the wound and retched at the pain.
“This way.”Andrew’s hand shook as he gestured Oliver to follow.
“I… need… medical help.”
A flicker of concern crossed Andrew’s face.He nodded, a little hesitant.“Then you need to get into the car.”
Oliver blinked, trying to clear a path through the pain in order to think.
Andrew was lying.They wouldn’t take him to the hospital, which meant he had to delay.Dot would have been notified he was missing by now.Sam and Sherlock would have called her immediately with everything that had been going on.
She might have a plane mobilising, or boats, or have her people searching boat ramps.
Someone might be on the way right now.
He wasn’t certain how far out of town they were, but it couldn’t be more than about thirty minutes.
Kristy threw him a towel for him to mop up the blood.The tight wetsuit would hopefully help to slow the blood flow.
“First… aid… kit.”He held out his hand, his head spinning.
She passed it to him, not looking him in the face, and then strode to the white Range Rover to unhitch the boat trailer.She’d made up her mind, but what she’d decided, he had no clue.
Andrew stood by watching, his face pale, as Oliver fumbled with the zip.
