Takumi and I grinned. “It was Nick’s idea.”

  “And a good one,” Nick murmured before saying again. “Whistler. Come in. This is Boots on the Ground. Over.”

  This time there was a break in the static, then a voice we recognized as Angelina’s said, “Boots, this is Whistler. Nick, is that you? Over.”

  Nick excitedly answered. “Angelina. Where are you? How are you? Sorry we didn’t call.”

  “You have to say ‘over’ and let up on the button if you want to hear her answers,” Sassy whispered.

  “Oh, yeah. Right. Over.” Nick took his finger off the button.

  Angelina was laughing when she came back on. “We’re fine. Are Toni and Takumi with you? What happened at the border? Dylan got a text from his dad. We thought you’d come straight back. Over.”

  Nick looked at me.

  “Tell her…” I started to say.

  “You tell her.” Nick held the mic as close to me as he could.

  “Hi, Angelina.” I spoke loudly. “We’ve been helping the military. It’s a long story, but we’ll be heading back soon. Where are you?”

  “We returned to San Diego Harbor, and anchored not far from where we were before. It was too rough out on the ocean. We’ve been worried about you. Over.”

  “I’m so sorry. We lost our radio for a couple of days. I texted Dylan, but it must not have gone through. We’re headed for Imperial Beach. We’ll hike to the harbor as soon as we can and contact you. Over.”

  “Sounds good. Any idea when that might be? Over.”

  “The day after tomorrow, if not sooner. We promised to help the refugees set up camp, then we’ll take off. We aren’t too far from you. Do you have enough provisions? Over.”

  “The crew has been busy scavenging. We’re good. But I’m ready to get away from the smelly oil spill. Wait, Makala wants to talk to you.”

  “Toni, guess what we did to the sailboat? You won’t believe how pretty it looks.” Makala paused and then said, “Over.”

  “What did you do to the sailboat? Over.” I glanced worriedly at Takumi.

  There was static for a moment, then Makala came back on. “Jervis says it’s a surprise. Over.”

  “I hate surprises,” I mumbled, then pushed the talk button. “Can’t you give me a hint, Makala? Over.”

  “This is Angelina. What time to you want to talk again? Over.”

  Nick grabbed the mic back. “How about tomorrow morning. Around ten? Does that work? I can’t wait to see you. Over.”

  “I’ve missed you, too. I’ll be listening at ten. Be safe. Over.”

  “This is Boots on the Ground. Over and out.”

  “What did they do to the sailboat?” I whined.

  Takumi and Nick chuckled.

  “I’m sure it’s okay. Dylan wouldn’t let them do anything bad, right?” Takumi wrapped his arm tighter around me.

  “No, he wouldn’t. You’re right.” I pushed images of the girls decorating the boat with Zoë’s nail polish out of my mind.

  “Are we there yet?” I imitated Makala’s little girl voice, and rested my head on Takumi’s shoulder. The truck jerked to a stop and the guys jumped out to help clear the way for the ten thousandth time. I was too exhausted to help. I sprawled across the empty seat and closed my eyes. The feeling that something was going on with Kevin and Sassy still nagged me, but I was so tired it didn’t trouble me for long.

  ****

  “Toni. We’re here,” Takumi said softly.

  “How long was I asleep?” I was curled up in the back seat of the truck. My head was on Takumi’s leg, and my feet pushed against Nick’s side.

  I bolted upright and peeked out the front window. Between destroyed buildings, I could see glimpses of a beach and ocean waves. We were back to the Pacific Ocean. If we headed north on the beach, we’d end up in San Diego Harbor and see the Whistler.

  “A little over an hour.” Nick checked his cell.

  “What?” I yawned.

  “That’s how long you’ve been asleep.” Nick put his phone away.

  “Oh. Right.” I checked the rear window. “Where’s the river they were talking about?”

  Kevin passed us a paper map. “The mouth of the river is a short way down the beach. Between here and there is a huge swamp. With all the rain we’ve been having, the swamp has become a murky lake.”

  I scanned the windows. “I thought they wanted to set up camp close to the mouth of the river.”

  “Sailors are exploring the area right now. They’re looking for high ground near the main river. There are a number of tributaries that crisscross the marshlands. The main river would have the cleanest drinking water.”

  “So, what’s our assignment?” I asked.

  “Um, the major didn’t say, exactly.” Nick handed us the map.

  We were close to San Diego Harbor. I pointed at where Whistler was anchored. It was only a few miles away.

  I folded the map and handed it back. “Okay, Kevin. Something’s not right. If you don’t have a specific job, why are we here? Between the Marines, the Navy, and the experienced refugees, you have lots of good people who know how to set up a camp better than we do.”

  Kevin and Sassy eyed one another. Sassy turned away and stared out the window. Kevin cleared his throat. “Major Conrad wanted to make sure you got to the coast in one piece. He really does care about you. But, we were also told to escort you to your boat and check it out.”

  “He told you to check out our boat?” I stared wide-eyed at Takumi. “That’s it. I knew there was more going on here than we were being told. Major Conrad wants our boat!”

  “No!” Kevin insisted. “Well, maybe. But you have to understand. Most of the U.S. Navy ships in the Pacific were destroyed. Coastal roads are a mess and oil production is at a standstill. There’s not much gas or diesel left. An intact sailboat is a valuable resource.”

  Nick bit his lip.

  Sassy laid her head back and closed her eyes.

  I grabbed my backpack and snarled. “Unbelievable! Our boat. That’s been Major Conrad’s plan all along.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The sounds of squealing brakes and truck engines grew close. The convoy had caught up with us. If we were going to get away, we had to go now. I had the truck door open in a flash.

  Kevin grabbed my arm. “You can’t just take off.”

  “Let go of her!” Takumi jumped out of his side of the truck and hurried towards us.

  Kevin glared, but released me. Takumi and Nick stood at my side, fists clenched.

  “Everyone, calm down,” Sassy cried as she slammed the truck door.

  “And let you steal our boat?” I shouted. “No way. We’re outta here. And, you’re not following us.”

  Kevin reached for his gun.

  “Really?” I held my ground. Takumi moved in front of me. I tried to push him out of the way.

  Sassy put her hand on Kevin’s arm. “We have our orders. We have to escort you.”

  “You’ll have to shoot us first.” I grabbed Takumi and slowly backed away from the gun Kevin now held.

  “Lieutenant Kevin Wilson, put that gun away.” Sassy ordered and then turned to us. “Look guys. We were told to check out your boat. We were never ordered to confiscate it.”

  I took another step back. “All that means is that when you report to Major Conrad and describe the boat, he’ll tell you to take it. For the good of the United States Military Services.”

  “Maybe. But he has no way of knowing when we will be done checking out the boat.” Sassy made air quotes. “What if we wait until you are sailing out of the harbor to report back? We want to see how well it sails, right? Or maybe we’ll have bad reception?” She glanced at Kevin. “It happens.”

  He huffed, then slammed the gun in the holster.

  I grabbed the rail. “You’d do that for us?”

  Kevin folded his arms. “We have ships out in the Pacific that have run out of fuel. We don’t have enough diesel to send rescue boats. We’ve been dropping care packages from planes to keep the sailors alive, but I have friends on some of those ships, Toni.”

  “Are you saying you won’t help us?” Nick clenched his fists.

  Kevin thought for a moment. “I’ll go along with Sassy’s plan. I know your boat is all you have left. And my uncle and I owe you. But once you’ve sailed away, my debt to you will be paid. If I receive orders to seize your boat, I’ll do everything in my power to do just that.”

  I glanced at Takumi and Nick. “I guess that’s better than nothing.”

  More trucks arrived and Kevin and Sassy left to confer with the heads of the set-up teams.

  Nick and Takumi paced the area near us. I leaned on the truck, making sure I was visible to Sassy and Kevin. I saw them check back on me often.

  The map we had seen in the truck showed that we had about four miles to go to get to the harbor. To the north of us, there was a massive marsh. We decided it would be faster to walk on what was left of the beach.

  After a long twenty minutes of meetings, Kevin and Sassy came back.

  Sassy was all smiles. “We decided to build the camp right here. We didn’t expect the ground in this area to be so wet and swampy. Close to the river, the land has become one big lake. The engineers felt it would be easier to build an aqueduct, and bring water to the camp, than it would be to build on soggy ground.”

  When we didn’t comment on the plan, Sassy’s smile faded.

  “The beach looks like the easiest way to hike,” Takumi took my hand and we headed for the shoreline.

  “Okay, let’s go.” Kevin hoisted his pack on his shoulders. Nick and Sassy followed.

  The once sandy beach was now rocky. The tide had washed away the debris that had probably covered the beach after the tsunami. We still had to maneuver around washed up fishing and pleasure boats and the foundations of large family beach homes. It was incredible how the tsunami had simply wiped the homes away. I imagined an area somewhere in the swamps where the homes had been deposited, but I knew the wave had broken up the buildings so badly, they wouldn’t be recognizable as homes anymore.

  As we continued our journey, I tried to picture my life without Whistler. I was surprised at how important it had become. Growing up, my father was the one who had always loved sailing. Our summer trips were a fun family time, but I was always ready to be home and see my friends.

  Now, the thought of losing the boat brought tears to my eyes. Maybe it was because I didn’t have a home to go to. I knew I was being selfish. Sailors were dying and Whistler could save at least some of them. But I didn’t know how I could let it go.

  And for now, Whistler still had a job to do. It had to get Angelina and Makala to their grandparents in Mexico and then take Dylan and me to our parents.

  We climbed over a mound of rocks and cement blocks. A horrible smell I’d learned was decaying bodies, wafted over us. We stopped to cover our noses. Spread across the beach was a broken cruise ship. It appeared as if it had been picked up at sea, carried on the tsunami, and then dropped onto the beach. Any thought of scavenging food or water from the ship left our minds as we realized a thousand or more bodies might still be onboard.

  Nick and Takumi decided to hike on land, around the ship. I pulled up my collar to cover my mouth and nose and waded with our group through the marsh. The ship was over a block long and wading slowed us down. Our shoes and pants were soaked, muddy, and cold when we made it past the ship and back to the beach.

  When we began to find large numbers of dead, oil-soaked birds and seals on the beach, I knew we were close to the harbor.

  I pointed at a dead seal pup.

  “This is horrific.” Sassy stared at the carnage. “I haven’t been off the base for a long time. I didn’t know. So many unburied corpses. People, animals, birds...”

  Kevin put his arm around her. We took a break on the footprint of a waterfront hotel. Now that we were talking a little, we discussed our options of going around or through the wreckage before us. Kevin and Takumi examined the foundation and decided it was safe enough to climb across. Through the steel girders, I glimpsed the bay. It was a huge body of water, but somewhere on it, Whistler was waiting. It was hard for me not to break into a sprint.

  And then we were there. On what was left of San Diego Harbor. The partially submerged ships and boats still cluttered the water way. I couldn’t wait to be with everyone, even Zoë.

  Sassy and Kevin stood back, but close enough they could hear us.

  “Do you see it?” I whispered to Takumi as we scanned the bay.

  “Not yet,” he replied.

  “I don’t see Whistler either.” Nick checked his phone. “It’s after six. Let’s try the radio. We said we’d contact them in the morning, but Angelina knew we were on the way.”

  Takumi put his arm around me.

  “I don’t know why I had been so sure we’d step around the wreckage and Whistler would be there waiting.” I rested my head against Takumi’s shoulder.

  “We’ll find them,” Takumi assured me.

  I knew my voice would crack if I tried to speak again. I glanced over at Nick. He pulled out the portable radio, set it for Whistler’s frequency, and called Angelina.

  The waters of San Diego Harbor were calm and silent. So, quiet, it was almost eerie. If Nick couldn’t get Whistler on the radio, I felt certain if we started yelling, they’d hear us.

  Radio static broke the stillness. Nick cried out, over and over, for Angelina to come in.

  But it was Makala who finally did. “Nick, is that you?” she asked.

  Nick tried to answer, but Makala kept holding down the talk button.

  “Where are you guys? Naomi and Rebecca are reading a book. Naomi says she can really read.” In the background, we heard Boots yipping. “Quiet, Boots!” Makala yelled. “Nick, guess what? Zoë thinks she can feel the baby move. We all got to feel her tummy, and…”

  “Makala, what are you doing?” Angelina’s voice boomed over the radio. Before Makala could answer, Angelina said, “This is the Whistler, come in. Over.”

  Nick sighed with relief. “This is Nick. Glad you showed up, Angelina. Over.”

  “I’m so sorry. I was up top helping to get the gear stowed for sailing. I told Makala to come and get me if you radioed in. I thought you were contacting us in the morning. What’s going on? Over.”

  Nick explained that our plans had changed and described as best he could that we were on the southernmost shore of the bay opening. The water looked to be deep enough to anchor, but there could be anything submerged in the depths. Dylan came back on the radio and said they’d sail as close as they could. Jervis offered to row ashore and pick us up in the dinghy.

  “Umm,” Nick glanced at Sassy and Kevin. “We have two extra passengers. Over.”

  “What?” Dylan bellowed. “You’re kidding me. Where are we going to put two more people? Over.”

  I grinned at my brother’s lack of tact.

  Nick carefully explained to Dylan who Kevin and Sassy were, and that they were just coming to visit.

  Before Dylan had a chance to ask another question, Angelina took over the radio. “We’ll be there in about twenty minutes. We need to pull up the anchor and set the sails. There’s a light wind. Look for us. We were preparing dinner. Your friends are welcome to join us. Over.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  When the sails appeared from behind a wrecked tanker, I leapt for joy. I could see Makala and Angelina bouncing and waving at us from Whistler’s deck. I loved these people.

  Takumi, Nick, and I pointed out everyone on the boat and explained to Kevin and Sassy who they were. It seemed to take forever for Jervis to row to us.

  It was tight getting us all on the dinghy, but soon we were climbing aboard Whistler. Dylan had tears in his eyes as he helped me onboard and hugged me tight. “I didn’t know how I could face Mom and Dad if…” His voice broke.

  “I’m fine, Dylan. We’re okay.” I gestured at the number of windmills that were attached to the stern rail. “What’s all this?”

  “Aren’t they beautiful?” Makala squealed. “See how they spin. I told you you’d be surprised.”

  I pulled her into my arms. “I love them, Makala.”

  Takumi climbed out of the dinghy and stood behind me. “Thanks for coming to get us, Jervis! Good to be back. Makala, where’s my hug?”

  She spun and threw her arms around his neck, and giggled as he twirled her. I noticed a look of pain when he sat her down. His injury was still tender.

  Naomi and Rebecca clung to their brother. I stepped forward with out-stretched arms toward the girls. “Group hug!”

  Makala abandoned Takumi and joined us as we threw ourselves at Jervis. His laugh echoed out across the bay. He stood like a rock in the middle of our group with one arm around me, and little girls hanging off his limbs. Boots barked and leapt with the excitement, anxious to find a place to fit in.

  And then, Jervis’s laughter came to a halt. He set the girls down. I followed his gaze to the far stern. Angelina and Nick were in a passionate embrace. Their fight was over.

  I needed a diversion. “Okay, whose idea was it to put windmills all over my boat?” I placed my hands on my hips and tried to look angry. The girls pointed at Jervis.

  “Traitors.” Jervis forced a smile and tickled Naomi. She squirmed free and scurried below deck.

  “I’m going to get you,” Jervis roared. Makala and Rebecca ran laughing to the bow of the ship.

  “Jervis! Can’t catch us!” Makala taunted.

  “Let’s go below.” I motioned to Jervis. “I want to hear what all those pretty windmills can do.”

  Jervis glanced toward Angelina and Nick, scowled, and followed me below.

  When my eyes adjusted to the dim light in the main cabin, I noticed that long fish-netting hammocks were strung-up above the sofas. New food supplies were stuffed in the netting. I moved to the net on the port side. An enormous bag of flour, two large bags of rice, and plastic sacks of dried cereal swayed back and forth. On the other side of the cabin the netting held packets of toilet paper rolls, cans of tomatoes, and three boxes of orange juice and at least ten cans of tuna.