The boat captain looked toward the bridge, then back at us. “You’ll never make it in time. Good thing you spotted me when you did and sent up that flare, or I never woulda seen ya. I’ll pull up down there, and you can hop on.”
We went over to the ladder he indicated and boarded his boat. “We appreciate this,” Emery said.
“Don’t thank me yet, we’re still in the hot zone. Everyone, hold on!” Two teens moved so Emery’s parents could sit while the rest of us hunkered down on the boat’s floor. The captain gunned it, and the boat took off again. I glanced at Mr. Higgins’ watch on Emery’s wrist, and my stomach flopped. There was only a minute or so left until Operation Night Night.
We passed under the bridge and didn’t stop until the Captain must have felt we were a safe enough distance away. He killed the engine, and the roar of the approaching jets filled the early morning sky. Emery took my hand and squeezed it as they flew overhead. Several flew past the George Washington Bridge without dropping any bombs, but as the last jet passed over, explosions could be heard and seen as they all hit their assigned targets.
We all gasped, and Camila cried out as the GWB was blown up. It was unnerving to watch. New York City was officially cut off from the rest of the world, and no one knew what the environmental impact would be. The city that never slept would never wake up. In silence, we continued to witness a moment in history that might never make the history books if the world kept falling.
Chapter nineteen
Emery
“Ijust can’t believe it,” I murmured. “We knew it was happening, but I still just can’t believe it.” I let go of Miguel’s hand and went to my parents, kneeling in front of them. They both put their arms around me as we watched the columns of smoke rise into the air, each one marking a bridge or tunnel into New York City. Now, the only way into the city was by boat or swimming, not that there was any reason to go back. The city belonged to the dead now.
“My name is Geoff,” the Captain said to us after a few more minutes of silence. “This is my wife, Barb. We’re dropping these folks off in Nyack. We’d be happy to take you as far as Stony Point.”
“My name is Felix,” Papi said, standing to shake the man’s hand. “This is my wife Camila, my daughter Emery, and her men, Nico, Luis, and Miguel. I appreciate what you’ve done for my family. You saved our lives.”
“Any decent human would have done the same, but I appreciate your gratitude. So far, the infection hasn’t spread as badly to the mainland, but it’s coming. I suggest that when youget off, you head as far away from densely populated areas as you can. I’m not sure we can recover from this, but everyone deserves a chance to try.” Geoff started the boat and continued down the river at a more reasonable speed. We learned that they had a boat slip in Stony Point and were heading to their son’s house in Upstate New York. After a short debate, we decided to get off at Stony Point with them and make our way into the mountains from there.
I curled up in Luis’s lap for the ride. Now that my adrenaline was waning, my body had the chance to realize it was on a boat, and it wasn’t happy. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing to keep from getting sick as everyone talked.
“No matter how many times I shot them, they wouldn’t go down,” the father of the other group said. We barely made it to the evacuation point, but by the time we did, the last boat had left. We begged the Army to take us with them, but they wouldn’t.”
“Hardly even spared us a glance,” his wife spat.
“If Geoff hadn’t come along when he had, well, he will always be in my prayers,” the man added, looking toward the boat captain.
“You have to shoot or stab them in the head,” Nico replied. “Killing the brain is the only thing that brings them down.”
“I’ll remember that for next time, thank you,” the man replied.
“Is she ok?” the wife asked. I didn’t have to look to know she was talking about me.
“Emery gets seasick,” Mami replied. “She’ll be ok once we get back to land.”
“I really don’t know why anyone would ever leave it,” I complained. Luis stroked my back, and I concentrated on his soothing touch. All the shit we’d already been through, and a stupid boat was my downfall.
When we stopped in Nyack, I got off the boat while the other family stepped ashore for a bit of relief. I almost suggested we get off here, too, so I didn’t have to get back on the boat, but going all the way to Stony Point was the smarter plan, so reluctantly, I got back on board. When we finally reached Stony Point, I almost kissed the ground.
“Thank you for everything,” Nico said to Geoff as we parted ways. We walked into town, and the difference between here and the city was almost jarring. We were back in civilization, and people on the streets were watching us nervously.
“We’re quite a sight, aren’t we?” Mami asked.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Maybe we should check into a hotel and clean up before we get breakfast.”
“A hot shower would be wonderful,” Miguel replied. I groaned at the thought of a hot shower as we located the nearest hotel. Luckily, we’d all brought our personal belongings and managed not to lose them, including our wallets.
“You guys stay here, and I’ll book the rooms,” I said as we walked into the hotel lobby. “Hi, I’d like three rooms for the night. If possible, can two of them be connecting rooms?”
The front desk clerk eyed me suspiciously, but didn’t comment as I set my credit card down on the counter. We may look rough, but my money was good. When she looked at my driver’s license, her eyes widened. “You’re from New York?!” she whispered.
“I am.”
She looked past me to where my parents and the guys were sitting. “I saw the news. You’re lucky to have made it out. Was it as bad as they said it was?”
“Worse,” I replied. “And if I were you, I’d start packing and look for somewhere safe because it can’t be stopped. The Army tried and failed. That’s why they blew the bridges and tunnels.” She nodded, but I could see the doubt in her eyes. “Listen,everyone thinks it won’t happen to them until it does. Trust me, this will happen to everyone.”
