Read Online The Dead And The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer - Free Book Online

were still closed, their steel gates locked and protecting whatever had survived the days and nights of looting. The farther downtown he got, the more police officers he saw. They looked aimless and bored, as if they were uncertain what they were protecting.
    It was a pleasant day, but no one smiled as they walked by. Alex realized he heard almost no conversation. People walked because there was no other way to get to their destination. Eyes were downcast, as though no one wanted to acknowledge what other people might be feeling.
    He could see the Umpire State Building in the distance, and it reassured him to know it was still there. Alex had heard the Statue of Liberty was gone. He’d been there once on a class trip. Never gone to the Empire State Building, though. He was glad he’d still have the chance.
    He hadn’t felt like eating breakfast, and although there was still plenty of food left, he’d started to get nervous about when it would run out and what they’d do when it did. But the walk made him hungry, and it was then he realized there weren’t any street vendors selling pretzels or hot dogs, roasted nuts or souvlaki. Strange to see a New York where you couldn’t get a complete meal on the street.
    When he got to the Port Authority, he saw a vendor on the street corner, selling bags of nuts. The line had to be fifty people long. Not worth it, he decided, noticing the shoving and the shouting. He’d find something after he got back.
    The vendor’s line only added to the chaos. It seemed like all the people left in Manhattan were fighting to get into the bus terminal. They dragged small children with them, or dogs, or cats in carriers. They carried suitcases, backpacks, duffel bags, all crammed to the point of bursting. Maybe some of them were going to friends or families who lived more inland. Maybe some of them were simply going wherever a bus might take them.
    There were plenty of cops there, and Alex went to one to ask where the buses to Yankee Stadium left from.
    “Around the corner,” the cop said. “You got a reservation?”
    Alex nodded.
    “You ready for it?” the cop asked. “It’s hell up there.”
    “I don’t know,” Alex admitted. “I’m looking for my mother. We haven’t heard from her since it happened.”
    “Good luck, kid,” the cop said. “Hey, you over there! Watch it!”
    Alex walked around the corner. There were several cops there telling people where to stand and giving them flyers. Alex walked over to one and said he had a reservation for the 11:30 bus.
    “That line over there,” the cop said, and gave him a handout.
    Even though Alex was early, the line for his bus was already thirty people long. People stood there, shuffling their feet, reading the handout, going through their bags. A few had something to eat. Most look terrified, or angry, or simply miserable.
    Alex looked at the sheet of paper he’d been handed.
     
    YOU MUST FOLLOW THESE RULES
     
    1. *Do not attempt to get on any bus other than the one for which you have a reservation. *Note its number when you board.
    2. You will be given a numbered ticket when you board the bus. You must show your ticket to be admitted to Yankee Stadium.
    3. At no time may you leave to go off by yourself.
    4. Once inside the stadium, walk in single file up and down every row.
    5. Look carefully at every body. Pay particular attention to jewelry, as that may be the best way to identify the person for whom you’re searching.
    6. *If you find the person you are seeking, keep walking until you see a Police Identification Booth. *Go there and inform an officer of the approximate location of the identified body. You may only return to the body you’ve identified if you are accompanied by an official. Any attempt to return on your own will result in ejection from Yankee Stadium.
    7. If you see a person in need of physical assistance, keep your place in line, and notify a police officer at the first opportunity. Do not stop to help