“I’m not with Mary. She’s gone. You can’t get to her now.” Shark informed him. Howard Trenton frowned.

“What do you mean, she’s gone? Gone where?” He wanted to know. Now it was Sharks turn to smile.

“As if I’m going to tell you.” Came her response. Howard took a step forward.

“Oh, you’ll tell me alright.” He said, and with that, Howard moved towards Shark a little more.

Howard gazed at the mobile phone in Shark’s hand.

“So, who was the text message from, Shark?” He asked. The young woman didn’t reply. “Did you hear what I just asked? Who was the text message from?” Howard demanded to know.

“What the fuck has it got to do with you, you silly looking twat?” Spat Shark. She shoved the mobile phone in her pocket, and then pulled the backpack from off her shoulders. “Come on then.” She challenged Howard. “Come on. I thought that you were done toying around… so let’s do it. Let’s finish this, once and for all.” Said Shark. She gripped her backpack with both hands, and slowly started swinging it around in an arc in front of her.

“Not until you tell me where Mary is.” Replied Howard.

“That’s never gonna happen.” Stated Shark Mako. “You fucking nob-head.” She added, trying to goad Howard. He watched as the backpack swung in front of him.

“Is that your make-shift shield?” He asked. “Do you think a bloody backpack is gonna protect you?” Laughed Howard.

“Let’s find out. Come on, you skinny, short-arsed little fucker.” Sneered Shark.

Howard Trenton lunged at Shark Mako. Immediately, the young woman swung her backpack around, as hard as she could. It caught Howard in the side of the head, and he stumbled backwards a few steps. Shark struck him with the backpack again, this time bringing it down hard onto the top of his head. The blow forced Howard down, towards the ground, and he found himself crawling around on all fours, looking for the knife that he’d just dropped. He didn’t have much of a chance to search for it; Shark Mako pulled Howard back up to his feet, before delivering two rapid, vicious, karate-style jab punches to his face. Howard felt his lips split open again, as he crashed down to the floor. He landed awkwardly, on his broken arm and shoulder, and let out a low, animal growl of pain. Meanwhile, Shark spotted Howard’s knife, lying close to her feet. She knelt down and picked it up, then moved in towards Howard, for the kill…

Shark Mako crouched down, next to Howard Trenton, the knife raised in the air.

"Go on," gasped Howard, "do it. Kill me. Go on, just do it." Shark tried to thrust the knife downwards, into the soft flesh of Howard's throat, but it was almost as if an unseeable force was preventing her from doing so; Shark's own morality was holding her back. She stared into Howard's strange, dirty yellow eyes.

“When we were in the river, Mary told me everything about you. How you think you were conceived…” Said Shark.

"It's got fuck-all to do with you…" spat Howard, through angry, gritted teeth.

“Maybe not… but for what it's worth, I actually think that your mother was telling you the truth." Confided Shark.

"No you don't." Replied Howard, with blood oozing out of his mouth.

"Sorry, but I do. I've seen for myself how strong you are, Howard. A guy your size… how the hell would you be able to carry two fully-grown women over each shoulder, with one of those shoulders broken at that, and then just walk around as if…"

"Maybe I work-out.” Said Howard, in a sarcastic voice.

"We both know that you don't, Howard. No, there's something inhuman about you, alright." Nodded Shark. slowly.

"You believe me. So what?" Asked Howard. “Are you after a medal, or something? Or do you think that I’m just gonna let you off, now that you’re on ‘Team Howard’.

"No. I'm just trying to understand you." Shark responded, whilst still staring into Howard Trenton's yellow eyes.

Howard made a feeble attempt to get himself from up off the ground, but Shark pushed the youth back to the floor, the knife still raised above his throat.

"Oh no you don't Howard. You're not going anywhere." Said Shark.

"You can't really stop me. It's not like you're going to use that thing on me, is it?" Grinned Howard, referring to the knife. "What are we gonna do? Just sit around here all night, chatting, because you’re too chicken to…"

"So, your mom… that thing, the creature that attacked her, whatever it was… alien… inhuman…"

"It was an alien." Growled Howard.

"Okay, the alien. It raped your mom, impregnated her. That must have been a fucking awful experience for the poor woman." Observed Shark. Howard's eyes narrowed.

"Not that it's any of your business, but she never got over it." Replied Howard.

"Well, you wouldn't." Commented Shark. "It'd destroy your whole life."

"Yeah…" said Howard, "it did that alright."

"Which is what I don't understand." Said Shark.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Howard snapped. "There's nothing to understand. It was just something really bad that happened."

"Oh, I know all of that. What I mean is, why would you want to inflict the same damage on Mary? A member of your own family? Your cousin's sister-in-law? That's the part that doesn't make any sense to me, Howard." Queried Shark. Howard stared back at her, unable to answer Shark’s question straight away.

Howard Trenton wriggled uncomfortably on the floor.

"We can stay here chatting all night, but I'm warning you now, if you don't use that knife on me, and I get the chance, I WILL kill you, Shark." He threatened.

"Oh, I know you will, Howard, and I get that completely. I mean, let's face it, we're never gonna be the best of friends, are we? Just like you said.” Pointed out Shark. Howard didn't reply. "But Mary. What you want to do to her. I just don't get that bit. Why put her through the same misery that your mom experienced?"

"Because she deserves it." Replied Howard, angered. "She's a nasty little whore…"

"No, she's not, Howard. She's no such thing, and you fucking well know it. She was your friend. She's still a part of your family. Mary was straight with you when she found out that you were interested in her. She never led you on…"

"Yeah, she did." Interrupted Howard.

"No, she didn’t. This isn’t really about Mary at all. This is all about you. This is all about you wanting to satisfy some sick and twisted fantasty…"

"It's not a fantasty. It's what I do. Just like my father did!" Protested Howard.

"And that makes it alright?" Asked Shark.

"I don't care if it's right or not. It's what I do, and you can go on, trying to lay the guilt trip down on me, but it's not going to work. Do you hear me, Shark? Do you get what I'm saying? It’s not going to work.” Howard argued.

"I hear everything that you're saying, Howard. I understand your resistance…but I don't think that you're beyond redemption." Shark said, softly, and at this, Howard began to laugh.

Howard rolled onto his side. He had his back to Shark, and was chuckling to himself.

"What's so funny, Howard?" Shark wanted to know.

"You are… you’re what’s funny… ’I don’t think that you’re beyond redemption’… what the fuck’s all that about then? I know what you're trying to do, but like I said before, it's never going to work. If you think that I'm suddenly going to change…"

"Mary's in serious trouble, Howard." Shark suddenly confided. At this revelation, Howard rolled onto his back and stared up at her.