Caroline Gibbs

Chapter 2: Hung Out to Dry

Caroline's POV

Dad and I were in our basement sanding the boat as we listen to the game in the background. "Don't you lock the door." Tony asks as he leans down so that he can see dad and I.

"Nope." Dad and I say in unison

"I got a call. Quantico. Marine got killed in an exercise." Tony says as he comes down the stairs

"How?" Dad asks

"Night training jump. Guys chute didn't open." Tony says as he finally makes it down the stairs. He comes over to stand next to me as he looks at dad and I weirdly. "Is this a boat?" He asks

Dad and I both stop sanding and give Tony a 'seriously' look. "No it's a spaceship." I say sarcastically before dad and I go back to sanding

"His reserve chute fail too?" Dad asks

"I don't know." Tony says as he leans down next to my waist to see dad's cell sitting in a glass bottle of paint thinner. "Ah, I tried your cell." He says to dad. "Tried you're hard line too." He says as he stands up and points at the wall phone that was ripped out of the wall.

"Don't ask." Dad and I both say.

"I tried calling you too." Tony says as he turns to look at me

I pull my cell out of my back pocket and look at it. "Oh it's on silent sorry." I say. I usually don't ignore his calls and we usually talk every night I just was waiting to call him until I was ready for bed

"It's fine." Tony says with a shrug. "You know, my dad gave me a power sander for my birthday. I don't really power sand much. You're welcome to it." He says to dad as he walks around me and over to the side of the boat dad is on.

"Aside from that bare bulb there, and a plug going to that idiot box, you see a power cord around here anywhere?" Dad asks him as he puts away his sander and walks over to me to grab mine. I hand it to him and we start taking our tool belts off.

"You use hand tools huh?" Tony asks

"No we use our bare hands." I say sarcastically. Tony just gives me a look

"Did you call Ducky?" Dad asks him

"Not yet." Tony says as he touches the wood.

"Care, give me your cell." Dad says as I start to follow him up the stairs

I hand it to dad as we head up the stairs. "Are you coming Tony?" I ask once we make it to the top.

"He's a weirdo." We hear Tony mumble. "Yeah." He yells dad and I look at each other and smirk as we both get the same idea. "I got the li..." before he can finish dad flips out the light and I chuckle as I see the basement become pitch black. "Light." Tony finishes with a sigh

~~~~~

Dad, Tony and I all walk up to the crime scene carrying our bags. "He impaled an SUV?" Tony questions as he walks between dad and I

"That's a new one." I say

"Like He was laser guided, sir." One of the men on duty say to Tony

"Where are the other jumpers?" I ask

"Over there ma'am they landed in the drop zone 400 meters north of the road." The guy says

"Just one stick?" Dad asks

"Yes sir, I guess the jump master held the others back when the victim's chute didn't open." The guy says

"Did you secure the paraloft and the aircraft?" Dad asks