Hang joined her and Ngoc Bích said, “Good to look. Learn English.”

Hang found herself watching a show called CSI. It was about the American police. It was a show she found engrossing. They are the police and they are scientists. Very smart these American police ...

The fisherman came downstairs to tell them that because the ship was early, they would have to stay in the house for another three days before continuing on.

Hang smiled. She was anxious to meet her new family, but after what she had been through in the last six weeks, this was like being told she would have to stay in a palace.

The fisherman produced the list of paper that Hang had seen prepared by the bald ape and the vulture in Hanoi. The names were called out and everyone was divided into two groups, except for Hang, who remained standing alone.

Then came the bad news. Only half the women were being smuggled into the United States. The other half, including Ngoc Bích, would be staying to work in hotels in Canada.

Hang pushed through the group and grabbed her friend by the arm. “Say something! Come to America with me!”

Ngoc Bích took the fisherman aside and talked to him quietly. Hang saw him shake his head and she felt a lump in her throat. She wished that her father had sent Linh with her. Now the loneliness crept into her body like the morning fog that swirled past the doors of Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum.

Ngoc Bích returned and said, “It is not all bad. I must work in Canada for only a few months. Then I will be sent to America. I have been selected to work at hotels owned by three men. They are Vietnamese. The Tran brothers. I am told that one of them is taking you to your home in America. He will know where you are. We will see each other in a few months.”

Hang looked at Ngoc Bích and said, “You will not forget me?”

“You would forget your sister?” asked Ngoc Bích.

“No. I wish she was here now,” grumbled Hang.

“In Hanoi I told you I would be your sister as well. I will not forget you any more than I would forget my other brothers and sisters in Nha Trang.”

Hang looked solemnly at Ngoc Bích before hugging her.

The next couple of days went by quickly for Hang. She spent much of her time watching back-to-back episodes of CSI. A cube van arrived one morning and the women who had been selected to go to the United States were called.

Hang collected her clothes and turned to hug Ngoc Bích, but the fisherman touched her shoulder and said, “Not yet. You must stay here with these other women until more arrangements are made.”

Hang felt happy. The longer she was with Ngoc Bích, the better.

Later that night, another cube van arrived and the fisherman came downstairs with a young Vietnamese man. The fisherman pointed to Hang and the young man immediately approached her.

“You speak English?” he asked.

“Yes,” replied Hang.

“My name is Tommy. I was born in Canada. My Vietnamese is not so good. Explain to the others that we must leave here at midnight tonight. We have to catch a ferry at quarter after five in the morning.”

“Another boat?” asked Hang.

“Not long. Only two hours. Everyone will ride in the back of the truck. Tell them to be quiet. I do not want anyone to know there are other people in the truck.”

“And after this ferry ride I go to United States?” asked Hang.

“I do not know. I work for Dúc. He told me and Cuóng to bring everyone, so you’re coming to.”

“Cuóng?” asked Hang.

“He is driving the truck. He works for my boss, too.”

“Mister Dúc is one of three brothers?” asked Hang.

“Yes, Dúc has two brothers in business with him.”

“Now I understand,” said Hang. “Mine is a special situation. I will not be working in the hotel business. Your boss is going to take me to live with a family in the United States.”

“Lucky for you.”

Hang gestured at the CSI show on the television and said, “Lucky—only if I do not get caught by the police. The American police are very smart. They are scientists.”

Hang believed her worry was justified and was startled when Tommy started laughing.

“You laugh that I may get caught? After what I have been through!” she said angrily.

“No ... this is just television,” Tommy said with a smile. “You need not be afraid. What you are watching ... that is not all the police in the States. CSI are a special type. They only work on dead people. Believe me, if my boss is looking after you, you will not have to worry about the police.”

“You are certain?”

“Yes. My boss does not take chances.”

Their midnight truck ride, followed by the trip on the ferry, went without incident.

It was eight o’clock in the morning when Hang accepted Ngoc Bích’s helping hand as she climbed out of the truck. The truck had been backed up to a garage where a man ushered everyone to the rear of the garage. The overhead door was shut as the truck drove away.

The man inside the garage said his name was Giang. He said they would only have to wait a few minutes and would be on their way once more.

As they waited, Hang saw Giang leering at the women. His eyes settled on Ngoc Bích and he stared brazenly, with a thin smile on his lips. Hang knew Ngoc Bích was perhaps the prettiest, but to be so bold as to stare ...

“I do not like that man,” whispered Hang, while clutching Ngoc Bích by the hand.

“If he were an animal,” said Ngoc Bích, “he would be a pig.”

Hang smiled and said, “You think of people as animals or birds?”

“Sometimes.”

“On our voyage, did you see a bald ape and a long-billed vulture?”

Ngoc Bích paused for a moment, and smiled. “Yes. The two foreigners in the apartment in Hanoi!”

They both giggled but Giang cut them short by stepping closer. “What are you saying about me?” he snarled.

Hang stepped back, fearfully tugging on Ngoc Bích’s hand but she remained firm and looked Giang in the eye and said, “Who are you that we should talk about you? We were talking about Hanoi.”

“That ...” Giang’s response was interrupted by a doorbell and another Vietnamese man hollered to him from inside the house. Giang immediately disappeared, only to return moments later with two more Vietnamese men.

These two men repeated the pattern that Hang had seen in the apartment in Hanoi. The remaining women were once more divided into two groups, while she was left standing alone.

Minutes later, one of the Vietnamese men backed a van inside the garage and the first group of women were driven away.

The second Vietnamese man pointed a finger at Hang and said, “You will wait here. My brother will be along soon.” He looked at the remaining women and said, “Wait until I back my van up to the garage and then get in.”

Hang realized that Ngoc Bích would be gone within a minute. She felt Ngoc Bích’s fingers on her arm and they looked at each other and tried to smile. Ngoc Bích fondly massaged Hang’s arm and said, “Only a couple of months. It will go fast.”

“You are my first friend in America,” said Hang.

“No,” chided Ngoc Bích. “We are sisters.”

Hang heard the harsh command telling the women to hurry as they climbed into the second van. The overhead garage door closed again and Ngoc Bích was gone.

Hang was now in the garage alone with Giang and she fearfully glanced in his direction.

“Sit on the floor and wait,” he said, and turned and went into the house.

Hang was glad to be alone.

Half an hour passed before Giang returned. “Mister Dúc is here,” he said, opening the garage door. Dúc drove a car into the garage and Giang closed the door behind him.

The man got out of the car and smiled at Hang. “I am here to take you to your new family.”

Hang saw that Dúc was a small man, with skinny arms and legs. If he were an animal, he would be a spider monkey. She nodded respectfully and asked, “Mister Dúc, may I ask if the journey will be long?”