For a moment, neither of them moved. The weight of it settled in. Out here— falling off a boat didn’t give you many chances. Jack looked back at the empty deck. “How long ago?” Andrew didn’t answer. Instead, he reached for the GPS unit mounted near the wheel. “If we’re lucky… it’ll tell us.” The screen flickered on. A trail appeared. A thin line cutting across the open water.
Jack leaned in closer. At first, it looked normal. Wide turns. Slow arcs. Fishing patterns. Then— it changed. The line straightened suddenly. Then veered sharply. An unnatural shift. Like something had pulled the boat off course. Jack pointed. “That’s not right.” Andrew nodded slowly. “No… it’s not.” They followed the path further. More erratic movement.
Then— a long, steady line. Heading straight. Andrew’s jaw tightened. “That’s when it kept going… without him.” Jack swallowed. “…So where did he fall?”
Andrew tapped the screen. Right at the start of that shift. A single point. He looked at Jack. “This is it.”