Morning came to the Whitesun Hotel, but it did not feel like the beginning of a new day.
After leaving the State Marina the night before, nobody had known what to say. They had brought Mei, Keith, Tommy, and Emily out of Brigantine. They had accomplished what they had gone there to do.
But Ryan had not come back with them.
The journey to the hotel had passed in near silence. Keith needed help walking. Tommy carried Emily. Mei kept Ryan's jacket wrapped tightly around herself and did not speak to anyone, even when they reached the sixth floor where the group had been staying.
Most of the hotel was asleep by then. The few people they passed could see that something had gone wrong, but nobody stopped them with questions. Christopher was grateful for that. He did not think any of them could have explained what had happened without falling apart.
Mei took a room alone. She went inside, closed the door, and did not come out again.
