"He's dead, Doctor."

"Ah."

Alan Quigley stared at the sky, frowning in death at his attacker, presumably. The remains of his torso suggested a straightforward kill, thought Leela.

"That makes six deaths, then. There are only five other people here. We're going to have to move quickly, Leela, or we might be making up the numbers."

Leaving Quigley to rot, the Doctor walked back to the mansion, and Leela soon followed in his wake.

Behind them, greedy eyes watched for a chance to take the body.

***

"I think this is all just a farce. I shall be making a claim when I return to England, James. The board will hear of this."

James Winstanley looked at his old nemesis, and cursed inviting him in the first place. It had seemed like a good chance to gloat, to finally prove he was superior.

But that was then.

"They're coming back!"

"Are you sure?"

Cardew peered through the window into the fading light. "Yes, that Doctor chappy, and his servant. Just the two of them, though."

"Perhaps they didn't find anyone?"

"By the look on his face, I think the Doctor didn't like what he did find."

***

Alan Quigley remained blissfully ignorant as his corpse was picked up, and carried away to a cave further along the beach.

When it was thrown to the floor, an excited burst of burbling, gurgling noises erupted with delight, and Alan's body was soon torn apart.

***

The Doctor walked straight into the Drawing Room, having told Leela to wait in their room.

"Gentlemen, Ladies. Alan Quigley is dead."

Susannah fainted, although this was becoming par for the course.

"Dead? Are you sure?"

"Oh yes, all the evidence pointed to the same diagnosis. The question is, how do we catch his killer?"

"Killer? He was murdered, then."

"That's right. The signs are unmistakable, I'm afraid."

James looked at the others in the room. One of them was a murderer. Which begged the next question...

"So, would you think all the deaths were murders after all?"

The Doctor half-sighed. "Yes, it would fit the facts. I also think we should act quickly, before any more of us are attacked."

"You think that this is a deliberate series of attacks, Doctor?"

"Well, the average murderer doesn't discriminate when it comes to his victims. But I think we are dealing with something unusual here. I suggest we stay in this room tonight. If any of us leave, they should do so in groups of three. In the morning, we can make a thorough search of the island."

"So you think we should all hang together?"

The Doctor gave him a smile that allayed no reassurance whatsoever. "Well, you might prefer to hang on your own, but I don't think any else of us wants that."

"Doctor, what if we are attacked in here during the darkness?"

"Well, Leela, we'll have to take turns at remaining on watch. Watches will need to be done in groups of two, around two hours at a time. There is no sense in taking unnecessary risks at a time as serious as this."

"I'll take the first watch." Cardew seemed to act as if this was a foregone conclusion.

"Good, Leela will join you. Then Paul and I, James and Kathryn, Susanna and I, by which time it should be dawn. Are we all agreed about that? Good." Without any further word, the Doctor sat down in a chair, turning his head toward the back of the chair, and was snoring within a minute.

***

Down on the beach, the noises of contentment slowly turned to inquisitive burbles, and indignant gurgles.

A form of discussion proceeded, with the need for more food topping the agenda. Having been starved of meat for so long, the recent surge in supply was becoming too tempting to forego. The hunger swelled. The certain knowledge that further supply existed was becoming dominant. A gathering mission would be needed.

Some of the younger and more demanding present were selected to form the mission. Happier noises followed.

***

The Doctor was woken up by Cardew on schedule, with Paul shaken from his slumber by Leela.

"Alright, alright, I'm awake!" hissed Paul. "Hardly had time to nod off. Too much to think about."

"Everything alright, Leela?" asked the Doctor, in what Paul seemed to think was a loud bark, but seemed not to rouse anyone.

"All quiet, Doctor. WIll you be alright without protection?"

The Time Lord smiled. "You must rest, Leela. We will need you fresh and ready for the hunt tomorrow."

Pleased at the thought of the hunt, Leela settled down into a contented dreamless sleep.

Paul marvelled at Cardew's rapid descent into sleep. "Are you sure about that, Doctor? Will we be hunting tomorrow?"

The Doctor looked at him, and Paul was bewildered to see that the Doctor seemed to be alert, as if he had not slept at all. "I think the time for treading softly has passed. Alan's death was too focussed, too deliberate. Besides, a hunt will take minds off the horror going on."

***

The large building was still lit, and the beach-dwellers crept towards it with fierce determination. It would take a time to reach, but they were not afraid. Their prey would be easy to catch.

***

The Doctor found himself shaken awake by Susannah, and within ten seconds, he could see that the best-laid plans had been for nothing.

James and Kathryn were gone. A window was wide open, and a savage wind was blowing in.

The first thing was to close the window. As he looked out, he heard voices, and he tried to decipher what was being said.

It didn't take long.

"Susannah, wake up Leela! Tell her I've gone after James. She must take my place on watch, it might now be vital!"

Susannah could only watch desperately as he closed the windows behind him. Then she turned her attention to rousing Leela.

***

"James, come back!"

"Leave me, woman! This has all gone too far for any of us."

Kathryn looked at her husband, and wondered why she hadn't noticed his change of mood. The confident host of the previous week now seemed to be a craven coward.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, my dear Kathryn, how I wish I had never brought you to this place. My own foolish pride has brought a great wrath upon us all."

He didn't seem to be babbling, and that made him all the more frightening. Whatever was on his mind, it was no jape. It had all gone too far for japes.

"There's no need for an act of foolishness, we should get back to the house!"

"Yes, Kathryn! Go back to the house, it may be your only chance for salvation! There is only blackness ahead for me now..."

Suddenly she seemed to lose track of him. The wind was howling, and the night was as fearsome as ever it could be.

She stopped. And felt a hand tap her shoulder. She shrieked.

"Sssh. It's alright. I'm glad I've caught one of you. Where's James?"

Kathryn had not particularly taken to the Doctor. His manner was brusque and he tended to act as if he was talking to children. But right now, she couldn't have been gladder to see any other person. She threw herself into his arms, and sobbed into his shoulder.

"There there, Kathryn. It'll be alright soon." He patted her back for a moment, then pulled her away. "Is James still out here somewhere?"

"Yes - oh, Doctor, I'm so scared - he was full of despair, I think he's going to do something silly."

"Yes, I think that, too. Listen to me, Kathyrn - you must get back to the house. You will only be safe in the house. Leela will make sure none of you come to harm. Tell her I sent you back, and that she is to be ready for the fight. Have you got that?"

"Yes, yes, I think so."

"Good. Now, good luck. And I promise I will find James."

Then he too was gone.

Trying to find her bearings again, Kathryn could now see the lights on in the house, and she gratefully started scrambling to reach it.

***

Leela had not been happy when she was woken.

"The Doctor should know better than to take risks. Why does he not trust me to help him?"

Susannah was less than sure. She had thought Leela odd as soon as they had met, but now she started to wonder whether the girl was possibly deranged.

"Look, the Doctor insisted you stay. I think he trusts you to protect us. Perhaps he doesn't trust us."

"Is there more honour in this task?"

"I would think so."

This seemed good enough. "Then I shall be vigilant. You can sleep if you wish. Rest is of great value."

Susannah was about to argue when she saw a shape at the window. A figure hammering to get in...

"It is Kathryn!" Leela moved to open the windows, but seemed at a loss. Susannah moved forward, checking the latches. The doors swung open, Kathryn gratefully entered, then they closed the doors again, Susannah replacing the latches.

"Leela! The Doctor sent me back with a message for you! You must be ready for the fight!" Kathryn seemed rather distraught, clutching Leela's arms.

"I understand! I am to stand guard." Leela shook off the embrace, and checked her knife.

Susannah helped Kathryn to a chair. "What happened?"

"It was James. He seemed overcome... he said he was going to atone for his sins... I had to follow him, he sounded like he was going to..." She seemed to shake herself into a frenzied slumber.

Susannah held onto Kathryn's hand, and stared at where Leela stood near the window, staring at the night.

***

James looked about him, and suspected that all his nightmares were about to come true.

There was a circle of lights, but that was the only cultural reference point he could make. They were creatures... creatures unlike any he had heard of, on Earth. They made strange little gurgle-burble noises, and they were sending shivers up his spine.

If only he could know that there was a leader... someone he could try and reason with. But they all looked the same to him.

He remembered all the tales he had been told about this island. He had the most worrying suspicion that they were all going to be true.

Suddenly, a light shone done on them, and the noises they made changed tone, almost to agitation.

"Ah-ha! There you all are!"

"Doctor?" James could see from the moonlight that it was indeed the mysterious man who had arrived out of the blue a week ago.

"And you, too. You're a very foolish man, James."

"Doctor, I had no idea these creatures were here."

"No. But they seem to have brought you here for something. I suspect that our murderers are staring us in the face."

"You think... these have been killing Alan, and the others?"

"Well, now I have a suspect, all the evidence backs it up. The question is... what can I do about it?"

The creatures seemed to have redoubled their voices, and were trying to surround the Doctor. But he merely moved out of their way.

"I wonder what we can do about you all..." The light jerked about, as the Doctor rummaged in his pockets, perhaps hoping that something in there would provide a solution to his quandary.

"Doctor, what are they?"

"No idea, I'm afraid. It would help if I did... ah-ha!" He brandished a small matchbox, giving it a little shake, which showed it was not empty.

"Now, James, what do you remember of the deaths? When did all the murders happen?"

"Well... we only found the bodies first thing in the morning. And by the next morning, they were gone!"

"Which suggests they only operate at night. The rate of attacks increased exponentially, which suggests that they were seeking food sources. They're growing... and will be trying to consume you and all your people here."

"Ugh!" James recoiled, kicking one of the creatures through impulse.

The Doctor struck a match, and threw it at the melee of creatures. The noises were, if anything, higher in pitch. To James' ear, it sounded like pain.

"James... I think we have a solution. Give me your hand."

James felt himself hauled out of his spot with all the force of a man pulling up a dandelion. This Doctor kept his strength well hidden.

"I think we have two options, James. Either we leave, and come back in daylight. Or we attack now."

"Now? Just the two of us?"

"Not keen, James?"

"No, Doctor."

"Ah. Well, it's getting light now. Perhaps we will be able to find them again tomorrow. It will be a shame if we can't, you know."

James looked into the Doctor's face. He knew that his heart wouldn't let him go that easily.

"Come on, then. You propose a fire, I take it?"

***

Leela was the only person awake. She had been trained in the importance of remaining alert, and was not going to give in now. The skies were beginning to lighten, and soon everyone would be awake.

As she looked into the distance, she thought she could see a fire... two shapes were throwing things at the fire. She wondered what it was. The Doctor, she felt, was likely... perhaps James was the other?

She wished she was there. But she had been told to stand guard... and she would not let the Doctor down.

***

Two hours later, Cardew, Susannah, Kathryn and Paul had all awoken, to find Leela still on guard. She had said she believed that the Doctor and James would return safely. They seemed less than sure, but decided it was best to breakfast anyway.

Finally, the doors opened, and the Doctor and James walked in. Both had their heads down, and the burns on their clothes were unmistakable.

"Ladies, gentlemen. James and I have solved the mystery of the murders of the last few days. We have also solved the mystery of why people have periodically gone missing here for hundreds of years. There will be no more murders here. At least, none with those perpetrators."

Kathryn was hugging James with a ferocity that unnerved him. But he was looking straight at Paul.

"I think we have a lot to discuss. This island should be declared a danger."

Paul seemed bemused by his rival's idea. "Well, that is a surprise, James. I thought you were behind this place 100%."

"The only thing I am 100% now is to keep this place private. You can do what you want with my company, but this island stays with me!"

"Now that is an offer I can't refuse." Paul shook James' hand, to the surprise of Kathryn and Susannah.

"James, what happened out there?"

He sighed. "You'd really have to ask the Doctor, but... hey, where has he gone?"

They all looked around, but he was gone, and so was Leela.

***

"You mean you stayed on guard all that time?"

"You asked me to!"

The Doctor smiled. "Thank you, Leela. I knew I could trust you."

And Leela smiled at his compliment.