Daniel assumed Edward had some kind of special weapon stashed away there, and went after him. Instead Edward scooped up the body of his dead secretary, spun around, and threw her right into Daniel’s face. His arms came up automatically to catch the secretary, cradling her in his arms. He never doubted she was dead, but he couldn’t help feeling she deserved to be treated properly, after everything Edward had done to her.
And while Daniel was preoccupied with that, Edward went after Tina. She’d only just got her sight back, but even as she raised her fists to defend herself, Edward thrust his arms past hers and locked his huge hands around her throat. She grabbed his wrists with both hands and fought to break his hold, only to find that she couldn’t. Edward’s arms were thick with great cables of muscles, and her hands couldn’t make any impression on them. She let go and punched him hard in the face, but he didn’t flinch. She slammed a vicious blow into his side, and was sure she felt ribs crack and break, but he didn’t react. He just piled on the pressure, forcing Tina’s throat shut while he grinned fiercely. She fought for air, and started to panic when she found there wasn’t any. Edward moved in close, pushing his face right into hers, so he could savor her growing fear . . . and watch the life go out of her.
Daniel forgot about treating the dead secretary respectfully. He threw her to one side, and rushed to help Tina. He slammed a punch into Edward’s back, so hard he felt he must have destroyed one of the man’s kidneys, but Edward didn’t flinch or look back. Daniel hit him again and again, bruising his hands against the heavy muscles, but Edward just ignored him. Daniel saw Tina struggling helplessly, her face flushed crimson and her eyes bulging, as she fought for breath that wouldn’t come. And Daniel knew that if he didn’t do something quickly, she was going to die.
He lowered his fists, and thought furiously. There had to be a way to stop Edward. And then he smiled coldly as he realized it wasn’t how hard you hit your enemy, but where. Everyone, no matter how strong, had the same weak spots. Daniel stepped forward and punched Edward on the back of his neck.
Daniel could feel the vertebrae break and shatter, and Edward’s hands leapt open in a reflex action. For a moment Edward was helpless as the broken neck repaired itself, and Tina planted a foot against his massive chest and shoved him away with all her strength. Edward went stumbling backward to where Daniel was waiting. He rabbit-punched Edward again, putting all his strength into the blow, and drove him to his knees.
Daniel and Tina took a moment to look at each other over Edward’s bent back. They knew they had to kill Edward while they had the chance. But Edward was a Hyde, just like them, and they had already survived everything the monster Clans could throw at them. What could they do to Edward that the Frankensteins, the vampires, the mummies, and the werewolves hadn’t already tried?
And then Daniel realized he was looking at Tina as she stood behind Edward, just as she’d stood behind Nigel in the alleyway.
“Grab him, Tina!” Daniel yelled. “Hold him in place, like you did Nigel!”
Tina lunged forward, air still rasping painfully in her crushed throat. Her face twisted with the need for revenge, but her gaze was steady as she thrust an arm around Edward’s throat. She pulled back hard and hauled him upright, holding him in place with his chest thrust out. Edward threw all his strength against her, struggling to break Tina’s hold and throw her away, but he couldn’t. Tina held him firmly, and glared at Daniel over Edward’s shoulder.
“Do it!” she said, the harsh words only just understandable.
Daniel drew his silver knife, and stabbed Edward in the heart. Slamming the blade home with all his strength, until the hilt jarred against Edward’s chest. But Edward didn’t die. Even with his heart cut in two, Dr. Jekyll’s Elixir wouldn’t let Edward die. Daniel jerked the knife out. No blood spurted, and the gaping wound in Edward’s chest healed in a moment. Edward snarled at Daniel mockingly as he struggled to break Tina’s grip. She clung on determinedly, raking at Edward’s face with her free hand. Blood ran down his cheeks, but he didn’t care.
“Do something!” Tina yelled to Daniel, her words clearer now her throat was healing. “I can’t hold him much longer!”
Daniel knew he had to think of something. He looked quickly round the office, searching for inspiration, for something he could use. His gaze fell on the two sepia photographs in their silver frames, still standing on the desk. They’d been pushed right to the back by the secretary’s body, but now that was gone they both stood revealed again. Ancient images of Dr. Henry Jekyll and his old friend, the lawyer Utterson—who was now Edward Hyde. And a sudden cold certainty rushed through Daniel as the answer came to him. It was all about the Elixir. It had always been all about the Elixir. Why didn’t Edward drink all of it once he’d turned? Why save it for decades?
Was the poison also the antidote?
Daniel wondered where could he get more of it.
He set the edge of the silver knife against his opposite wrist, gritted his teeth and pressed down hard, shearing through the great veins with one swift motion. Blood started to spurt, but before the wound could heal itself, Daniel surged forward and pressed it against Edward’s open mouth. Caught off guard, Edward didn’t have time to react before the pressure of the jetting blood forced itself down his throat. He swallowed despite himself, and then bent suddenly forward with such force that he threw Tina over his shoulder. She tucked and rolled and was quickly back on her feet, ready to grab Edward again, but stopped as Daniel shook his head. He pressed his hand over his cut wrist, and felt the wound heal. Edward straightened up, shaking and shuddering, his eyes full of a terrible foreshadowing.
Tina moved over to Daniel, and put an arm round his shoulders. They watched silently as Edward dropped to his knees, and then fell over onto his side. His convulsions were so powerful now they shook his whole body like a dog shakes a rat. He began to shrink on himself, in sudden fits and starts, his massive frame disappearing as though consumed by some inner fire, until at last he looked once again like the man in the sepia photograph. But the change didn’t stop there. His face grew steadily older, shrinking back to reveal the skull beneath, as the years he’d defied for so long finally caught up with him. And when he finally stopped breathing and lay still, the withered thing curled up on the floor had nothing of Edward Hyde left in him.
Tina made sure Daniel could stand on his own, and then she went over to the body and looked down at it, her face completely unreadable.
“What did you do to him?”
“Our blood contains the Elixir,” he said steadily. “The one thing that could turn Edward back into who he used to be.”
“Good thinking,” said Tina.
She turned to look back at him, and they stared at each other for a long moment.
“So,” said Tina. “What do we do now?”
“We’re Hydes,” said Daniel. “The only ones left. Which makes us heirs to Jekyll & Hyde Inc., and all it controls.”
“And what do you think we should do with all of that?” said Tina.
“Make the organization something to be proud of,” said Daniel. “Turn it loose on all the monsters that are still out there.”
“Typical policeman,” said Tina. “We could own this city! Make everyone in it do what we want!”
“And become monsters, just like Edward.”
“Are we going to have to fight over who takes charge?” said Tina.
“That would have to be a fight to the death,” said Daniel.
“Yes,” said Tina. “It would.”
They stepped forward and put their hands on each other, and then they slow danced around Edward’s office. They looked into each other’s eyes, and smiled.