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said. “We’re going to be just fine.”
    The tears shed felt bittersweet. Our journey cost lives. People, friends really, that won’t ever be forgotten. Ever. “Thank you, Dave, for everything.”
    Cash latched onto my leg. I’m sure my flood of emotions confused him. I knelt down.
    “Where are they going to take us?” he said.
    I shook my head. “I don’t know, yet, but somewhere safe, you can be sure of that. We’re going to someplace away from all of these monsters.”
    He bit his lower lip as if he was digesting my words. When he nodded and smiled, I realized it had finally sunk in for him, too.
    When I stood up, Charlene took my hand. I loved it. I was surrounded by the people who meant the most to me.
    “Come here,” I said to Allison. She was not to be left out. She was family.
    Sues was silent, though, and looking past me.
    I turned to see what held her attention. The three other civilians were huddled close, whispering. Maybe having a similar conversation. The two guys sat on either side of the female. They all sat bent forward with elbows on their knees.
    The talking stopped when a female with the Coast Guard knelt between them. She set a medical bag down and opened it up. One of the guys, the white one, rolled up his sleeve. He did it slowly. The black guy in the group watched me.
    I saw a bloody forearm and raw meat from a gaping, jagged gash.
    The black guy and I locked eyes. He nodded. It was slight. Looked like a way to say, thank you for your concern, but we’re good here. Move along. There’s nothing more to see .
    I turned away. Wasn’t my business.
    Carrying blankets, Marfione walked past us. He handed them out. The black guy wrapped one around the woman’s shoulders, the white guy’s shoulders, and then did the same with the third for himself.
    “You guys want some?” Marfione said. He talked to me. I noticed what was happening. I was addressed, because I was assumed to be in charge of my group of people. I hoped I was wrong, because I didn’t want it to be that way. Shouldn’t be that way. Just like with Dave and Josh--we’d all bond. Eventually.
    We all declined. The air was cold. Crisp. It felt invigorating.
    I saw the Coast Guard station. It had to be about a mile from the O’Rourke Bridge. We were close. Dare I think it, sanctuary ?
    “What happened to the Border Patrol people, the ones in the helicopter? Are they coming with us?” I said.
    Marfione crossed his arms. I expected attitude, the way Spencer first treated us on the Humvee. Need to know basis and all of that. “They’re not coming with us. They’ve got a different assignment. More to do. They may meet up later. It’s been days. We’re still trying to assess everything,” he said.
    “I can’t tell you how good it felt seeing them. When they spotted us,” I said.
    Marfione just nodded. He understood. “You guys were lucky. We’re really not finding many people left. This whole thing, it’s kind of out of control. I don’t know how we’re supposed to fix it.”
    Fix it. Hadn’t given it that much thought. Was there a way to come back from this? As a society?
    “So, what’s the deal? I mean, where are we headed? We can’t be staying at the Coast Guard station. I’m guessing we’re going on a trip or something.”
    “We are. Evacuating the area.”
    “To somewhere safer?” Allison said. She laced her fingers with mine.
    “For the most part. There’s an internment camp set up just outside of Fort Drum. State Park. Military occupied it. Secured the area,” he said.
    “Internment camp?” Allison said.
    “Relocation war camps,” he said. “Popular in World War II. Mostly along the opposite coast. We took Japanese-Americans, and locked them away,” he said. “Pretty much, they were guilty based on heritage. Couldn’t be trusted. Some were set up here. In New York and some down south.” It was said matter-of-fact. No prejudice in his tone of voice.
    “Were they dangerous?”
    “Doubt it,”