Then we all had to go over and stare down at the dead girl. She was just brown skin and bones under her camo tee and ripped sweats, hair so dull you couldn’t tell its real color from the dark blood pooling behind her wrong-angled neck. If the shot hadn’t finished her, the fall sure did. My throat caught when Breakers reached down and gently closed her eyes.

“Jeez. Really young,” said Jenn.

The Smiths were coolly matter-of-fact, and considering the horror done to their den a few days back, you could see why. One dead squatter was child’s play by comparison, and after all, she had fired first. But I couldn’t take it so easy. A knot of outrage swelled up in my chest. I hated that we’d been forced to do this terrible thing. But who could I yell at? Where could I lay the blame?

“Still a child.” Rivera wiped away tears. “I wish . . . we could’ve . . .”

Grace nudged her. “We couldn’t. C’mon. There’s work to do.”

Jenn had gone silent, her arms wrapped tight around her chest.

“There’s getting home to do,” I said.

We dragged the boats to the river’s edge and stood considering the wade ahead to water deep enough to float them. The river was smooth and dark despite the day, as if it sucked down every ray of brightness that came its way.

Jenn stared at the water. “We’re really going in?”

“Got to,” I said. “Didn’t tox me too bad getting caught in the surge.”

She nodded dubiously. But the water looked surprisingly clean, storm-fresh, and the tide was heading out. If we were going to get our feet wet, now was the time for it.

“We’ll go down Second, stick close to the buildings.” Grace was business brisk, testing her leadership skills. “Who’s handled a boat before?”

Poppy and Breakers raised their hands. At Ladysmith’s, I saw, women got to do things.

“No, I need you two to ride shotgun. That means hands free.”

Rivera said, “Kayak. When I was a kid.”

Breakers smirked. “Aren’t you still?”

I’d already gone to work on the dinghy, my fingers knowing how to swivel the salt-crusted oar locks into place, how to set the oars and lay the long ends back on the center seat. Better to get on with it than mope about, feeling sorry for a stranger who tried to kill me. “I can row.”

Gracie’s brow arched. “Since when?”

“Don’t know that, but I do know how.”

Rivera pointed at my neatly shipped oars. “Best believe her.”

Gracie gave me a look like I’d claimed superpowers. “Wonders never cease.”

Ended up me and Breakers in the dinghy, Rivera in the kayak making do with one of the short paddles from the raft, Gracie, Jenn, and Poppy in the raft, with the canoes in tow. Not enough paddles to go around.