"So, you want me on the beach or with Matt?" I asked Martin as we looked at a map he had layed out on his coffee table.
"I want you with me, Matt will have plenty of help with the other boats." Martin said. "You said you've got a gun right?"
"Yeah."
"Beautiful, you're going to need it."
"Isn't that a little disconcerting, a deputy walking around with a shotgun on her back?" I asked and Martin nodded. "I think I'd rather give it to Matt..."
"Better safe than sorry." he muttered.
"What if it doesn't come around tomorrow?" Ellen asked.
"It will." we all say as we looked at the map. I looked up at her, and realized Michael was standing with her. He turned and quickly went to his room. I looked at her guiltily and she sighed before she turned to follow her son.
"Martin," I said to him and he looked at me. "Matt and I are going to go catch a few hours. You should do the same." He sighed and Matt looked over at me. I nodded and he stood up.
"Yeah, um, Caroline's right. Get some sleep. Tomorrow's a big day."
"I'll see you guys in a few hours." Martin said and we nodded. We walked out and got into my car, I drove us back to the house and let us in through the kitchen where I fed Gus and opened the fridge.
"Matt, honey, you hungry?" I asked as he sat at the counter.
"Famished." he said and I pulled some food from the cabinet. I turned on the stove and started to boil a pot of water before I started slicing vegetables, and throwing them into a smaller pot. When the water boiled I added dried pasta and turned down the heat, then added pre canned tomato sauce to the vegetables and let it simmer for a bit while I went downstairs. I brought back up a bottle of red wine and finished cooking before handing him a plate.
We took our food to the living room and turned on the TV. Matt sat on the couch, and I sat with my back against his chest, between his knees. He sighed when he set down the plate I had given him on the coffee table and wrapped his arms around, me. I smiled, and looked back at him before I leaned up and lightly kissed him. He responded by catching my lips in a longer kiss. I sighed and lay back against his chest.
"Let's go to bed." I said and he nodded. I stood up and turned off the TV, and the lights then took his hand and followed him upstairs. I stripped down to my underwear and tank top and got into bed, he followed in his boxers and t-shirt. I moved up next to him, he lifted his arm up allowing me to rest my head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around me, he held me like that until I fell asleep, dreaming of the nightmare of the day to follow.
"Caroline," I jolted awake what felt like a minute after I closed my eyes, but judging by the fact that it was getting light, I knew I had slept the entire night through. I looked at Matt who had already showered, and was half dressed. "I'll go make some coffee." he said and I nodded as I threw the blankets back. I went to the bathroom, showered, brushed my teeth and hair and put on some sun block. I got dressed and was pulling on some shoes when Matt came upstairs with a strong cup of coffee. "Feeling better?" he asked as I took a long drink of it.
"I won't feel better until the shark is taken care of." I said as I went to my closet. I pulled down a box and opened it up. Inside was the gun I had bought as protection years ago. I checked my ammunition, and then pulled down the gun bag, I slid the gun into it and zipped up the end, before putting extra ammo into the side pocket. I slid it over my shoulder and nodded. "Ready?" Matt nodded and took my hand as we walked downstairs. Gus watched us from his spot on the couch. I made sure to scratch his head quickly before we walked out.
An hour later Matt was out in the water on his boat with a few other boats, two of them holding men belonging to the National Guard, some of the other boats had a few guys from the university. I was walking with Brody along the beach. We had just finished dispersing the volunteers, and giving them jobs. "Brody to Gotcha, come in." he listened as one of the volunteers followed behind us.
"The guys from the TV station on the mainland are here." he informed us.
"Oh, all right, I'll get to them later. Brody to Scutbucket, please come in." he listened to them. "Okay. Brody to Daisy, what've you got?" he listened to them speak. "Fascinating Rhythm do you read me? Come in Hooper, what do you see?"
"Nothing here Martin- and nothing on Sonar." Matt added quickly. I smiled lightly and looked at the tv cameraman that Brody was avoiding. I had given Matt my gun since he was going on the water. Besides, we had decided with the helicopter and TV people around it would be best for me not to have a gun around on the beach.
"Caroline, you think you can step up as a representative of the Amity police department?" Martin asked and I looked at him.
"You're kidding, right?" I asked and he shook his head.
"Look, you'd be doing me a huge favor, I've got to go talk to Mikey." he said, his eyes resting on he figure of his son and Mickey's friends who were carrying the small boat to the water.
"You owe me." I joked making Martin smile. I walked over to the reporter.
"Hi, are you a local?" he asked, sticking his microphone in my face.
"Actually I am. My name is Caroline Quint, I'm the representative from the Amity Island Police Department, I was told you wanted to talk to me." I said and he nodded eagerly.
I stepped to the side when I finished my interview; Mayor Vaughn stepped over to me. "Miss Quint," he said softly to me. "If this is some way to make us hire your father, you can tell him I said-"
"Whatever you have to say to my father you can do just that. Say it to him." I said sternly.
"Excuse me, Mayor Vaughn?" the reporter asked. I looked away from the mayor and walked towards Martin, just as there was a scream from the water. I looked at him, and then heard a whistle, people started screaming and the two of us took off towards the beach, not that it was easy. Someone elbowed me in the stomach as they ran away from the water. I winced, but did the only thing I could think of to do, I started pulling people from the water.
A woman held her child to her chest, screaming, but not moving. I grabbed her by the arm, making her flail out her arm, smacking me in the face, her ring clipping my chin as she did. I grabbed her and pulled her from the water, ignoring the blood dribbling down my chin, a few people were falling, being trampled into the water, I hoisted a few children up, and got them out of the water, the last of the people rushing out, a few people dragging an old man who seemed to have suffered a heart attack. I watched as someone who claimed to be a nurse knelt down in front of the old gentlemen.
"Please, please, move back. Let's move back, please. Give these people some air. Please move back, move back." Martin said to everyone, making them move back, giving the paramedics who had come over some room.
"Excuse me, ma'am?" one of the paramedics said to me.
"Yeah?" I asked, my hand was over my chin, but blood was seeping out between my fingers.
"You should come over here so I can look at this cut." he said and I shook my head.
"No, no, I'm fine." I said, earning myself a stern glare.
"Ma'am, really, it's best to make sure everything is okay, it'll just take a minute." he promised. I sighed and looked at Ellen who was walking over.
"Tell Martin they took me by force." I said. She nodded and I followed the paramedic to a first aid tent.
"Let's take a look," he said as I moved my hand. "Well I bet that smarts huh?" he asked.
"I don't know, a little." I shrugged, my eyes staying on the water.
"What happened?"
"Some woman flipped out and punched me when I tried to drag her out of the water."
"Panic makes people do crazy things." he said and I nodded. "What's your name?"
"Caroline Quint." I responded. People were starting to move down the beach. I frowned, watching as they all moved, going towards the pond.
"Well Caroline, seems like you need stitches." he said.
"What? No, it's just a cut." I shook my head. "Just slap a band aid on it and let me-" I stopped talking when I sat Martin running down to the pond. "Michael." I whispered.
"What was that?" he asked his back to me. I looked at him, then back to the pond before I got up and took off running. I ignored him as he yelled at me to come back, adrenaline pumping in my veins; I stopped short seeing Martin pulling an unconscious looking Michael from his two friends who had pulled him from the water. I instantly grabbed two towels I saw on the sand and rushed forward with them.
"Michael!" Ellen shouted in horror. "He's dead!"
"No he's not." Martin said as he wrapped his elder son in towels. "He's in shock." Ellen dropped to her knees and pulled her son onto her lap. I could see Sean crying heavily, no one paying him any attention, I moved to him and picked him up, and he threw his arms around my neck and sobbed onto my shoulder.
"Shhh." I whispered to Sean as Brad the paramedic ran over. "Please, help him." I looked at Michael.
"You need stitches." he said to me, then ran over to Michael. I held Sean, letting him cry, and looked at Ellen and Martin. Martin was looking out to the open water, and Ellen was trying to talk Michael out of his shock. Another paramedic came over with a stretcher and they put Michael on it before carrying him to a waiting ambulance.
"Sean!?" Ellen asked suddenly.
"I've got him!" I shouted wearily. I could taste blood and my head was spinning. Ellen ran over to us and pulled Sean from my arms as Martin knelt down next to me.
"Caroline, are you feeling alright?"
"Fine." I said quickly. "I'm fine, go with Michael." I insisted. He looked at Ellen who was going to her car to follow the ambulance to the hospital.
"I'll ride with Michael!" he called and she turned around and ran to the car, holding Sean. He helped me up and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me along to the first aid tent.
"Caroline," Brad said as Martin sat me down.
"Go, go with Michael." I insisted. He went and got into the ambulance they were loading his son into.
"How much water have you had to drink today?"
"Not enough." I mumbled, Brad nodded, and inspected my chin before he spoke to one of his co-workers.
"Caroline, you're dehydrated, not to mention you've probably got heat stroke." he said.
"Not the first time, won't be the last." I mumbled. He pressed a cup of water into my hand, and then gestured to a stretcher that was being wheeled over. "No, no no." I said shaking my head.
"You need to go to the hospital."
"This is payback for me running out on you." I muttered as another paramedic helped me onto the stretcher. "Watch those hands mister." I grumbled.
"Caroline!" it was a friend of Matt's whose name I didn't remember. "Caroline, are you alright?" he asked as they started to put me into the ambulance.
"Tell Matt they're taking me to the hospital!" I called, wincing as my chin started to hurt. I guess the adrenaline had worn off because I was suddenly feeling weak and in pain. He nodded as they closed the doors to the ambulance, and drove off.