“That’s it, buddy,” Marcus said as Matty held his baby sister to his chest and peered over her shoulder, looking for safe places to step.

The opening to reach the kids was too narrow for Marcus, so he directed them from above. Rainwater continued running through the gap and into the small space that imprisoned his two youngest children. Isabella clung to her brother’s neck, legs wrapped around his slender middle. She stayed still and quiet, sensing Matty’s tension.

Marcus reached his arm through the menacing mouth of crumpled metal and concrete, reaching for Bella, who couldn’t see him with her face tucked into her brother’s shoulder.

“Bella, look! It’s Daddy!”

Bella only clung tighter to Matty, whimpering.

“Bella? Can I hold you?” Marcus said.

At the sound of her father’s voice, the baby girl pulled away from her embrace and whipped her head back and forth.

“Up here, baby.”

Bella’s eyes moved upward and found him beaming down at her.

“Dada!” she shrieked and wriggled to get closer.

“Hang on, Bells,” the little boy grunted, struggling not to drop her.

Marcus leaned forward, reaching. Almost…

Matty gasped and stumbled as the baby tried to fling herself toward Marcus.

“Bella,” Marcus crooned. “Be still, honey.”

“What’s wrong?” asked Esme, blind to the action.

“I’m handling it,” Marcus said through clenched teeth, keeping his eyes fixed on his daughter.

Bella chose not to follow his suggestion and embarked on a full toddler meltdown. She thrashed in Matty’s arms and fired off percussive high-pitched screams in rhythm with her movements.

Matty yelled as he lost his balance and fell. The six-year-old landed hard on his tailbone, and Isabella tumbled out of Marcus’s line of sight. After holding it together for hours, Matty finally burst into tears and curled into a ball below his father. Bella wailed with him, her cries echoing around the chamber.

Marcus sat back on his haunches and rubbed his face.

“What is it? What happened? Why are they crying?” Esme’s questions hit him in rapid succession, each driving a painful shard of criticism into his chest. He ignored her and examined the crevice more closely. Can I shift some debris?

“I’m sorry I can’t reach them,” said Mike.

“Thanks, but it’s not your fault. How’s Carol?” Marcus asked. José hadn’t spoken in several hours, and Marcus wasn’t hopeful he was still conscious.

“Did you hear that?” Esme asked.

Marcus looked up, frowning. Was that a voice? A name. Simon.

“Simon!”

A woman. Getting louder–and closer. Marcus sat back and stayed still, listening.

“SIIII-mon!”

“Hello?” Marcus yelled out.

“Who’s there?”

“My name’s Marcus. Can you get to us?”

The woman grunted and swore as she moved.

“Is anyone with you?” she asked.

“My wife, two kids, another kid, and an older couple.”

“What other kid?” she shouted, still closer.

“His name is Simon,” Esme called.

The woman sobbed.

A few loose stones fell into Marcus’s hair, and he moved to the side as he looked up. A young woman’s face peered down at him, covered in streaks of dust and grime. Her pale, wet hair stuck to her face and neck.

Her face disappeared as she moved to drop her feet through the opening. Marcus moved further aside, and she landed in a crouch and fell to her side.

“Ooomph,” she grunted, grimacing as she sat up.

“Where is he?” she demanded.

“Simon?”

She nodded.

“Down there,” Marcus said pointing to the space that emitted sobs.

“Is he hurt?”

“I don’t think so. He’s nonverbal, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m Marcus, and this is my… this is Esme,” he gestured awkwardly toward his wife.

Esme’s jaw clenched, but she stayed quiet.

“Lexi,” she said and crawled toward the outlet leading down. She scanned the space and noticed Matty, but could not see the crying baby or Simon.

“Those are your kids?” she asked.

“Yes, Marcus said.”

“I’m sorry,” she murmured.

“Not your fault,” Marcus repeated.

Lexi met his gaze with haunted eyes for a moment. Then, she wriggled through the fissure and dropped to the space below. She crouched beside Matty and put a gentle hand on his back.

“Where’s Simon?”

Matty’s cries slowed, and he looked up at the unfamiliar face.

“Are you his mama?”

Lexi’s eyes glistened, and she tipped her chin down.

“He’s down there,” Matty said, gesturing towards another slim hole in the floor of the debris section.

She crab-walked over the damp ruins and peered over the edge. Simon sat in at least three inches of water. He rocked forward and back, hugging his knees to his chest and moaning.

She called his name once again, but this time he heard it. Simon froze. He lifted his head slowly until he looked straight up at his mother.

“Simon,” Lexi said. “I’m coming. Hang on.”

She turned back to Matty. “Let me help you out of here,” she said.

“What about Bella?” he asked, pointing.

Lexi followed his gaze and found the bewildered toddler crying off to the side. She shuffled over to her and gathered her in her arms. Bella didn’t appreciate being handled by a stranger and fought with all her strength. But Lexi was stronger than Matty, and she held on tight.

“Marcus?” Lexi yelled upwards.

His face appeared above her. “Yeah? You find him?”

“Yes. Found this one, too.” She raised the hysterical baby girl straight over her head. Marcus curled his fingers under her armpits and pulled her up and into his arms.

“Bella, Bella…” Marcus said her name repeatedly, squeezing her until a sharp screech signaled she was done with this display of affection.

“Ready for the next one?” Lexi called up.

“One sec,” Marcus croaked. He scooted over to Esme, who began weeping the moment she saw her baby emerge from below. “Are you okay to hold her up by your chest?” he asked. “I don’t want to risk her falling.”

Esme nodded. She held her arms out, and Marcus laid the baby gently into her embrace. “My girl,” she murmured into Bella’s hair, rubbing her back like she did at bedtime every night.

Marcus shuffled back to the crevice. Matty stood next to Lexi, quiet and expectant.

“Okay, ready.”

Lexi looked at Matty, “I’m going to lift you, okay? Just stay still and stiff.”

Matty nodded with solemn sincerity. He held his arms over his head as Lexi gripped his waist and lifted him high.

Marcus clamped his hands around Matty’s, but his hands were wet, and he started to slip.

“Daddy!” Matt squealed as he felt himself falling out of Marcus’s grasp.

“Stand on my shoulders!” Lexi yelled and grasped Matty’s flailing feet.

Matty found his footing on Lexi and pushed up. Marcus adjusted his grip, grabbed his shirt, and hoisted him up and into his arms.

“Thank you, Lexi,” Marcus called out. “Thank you!”

“Don’t thank me,” Lexi muttered.

“You got ‘em?” yelled Mike.

“We got them!” Marcus answered with joyful exuberance.

“Hot damn! We might still find a way out of this.”

Marcus wiped tears away and pulled Matty back. “I’ve got to help Lexi and Simon, buddy, okay? Can you sit with your mama?”

Matty nodded and crawled towards Esme, who eagerly reached for him.

Marcus watched Lexi disappear into the next chamber. “Lexi!” he yelled but got no answer.

Lexi landed with a splash and almost fell on her unmoving son, who still stared at her. She moved next to him and threw her arms around his slight frame. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Simon,” she repeated as she squeezed him to her.

Simon accepted the embrace with confusion. He had no memories of his mother holding him…ever. He frowned and didn’t move.

“Listen,” Lexi said, pulling away to face him. She stroked his hair off his forehead. “I know I’ve been a bad mama,” she choked. “I’ve been so mean—I let all my sadness and anger spill out onto you, which wasn’t fair.”

Simon’s frown deepened. He glanced over at her and quickly looked away.

“I know I’ve gotta earn your trust, but I will be different now. I wish I could redo so many things. Are you listening to me, baby?”

Her boy unfolded his arms and reached around Lexi’s waist. She gasped and returned the hug. I will fix this. I will. 

A few levels above them, Marcus climbed. He needed help. Alone, he would never get Esme through the labyrinth above them. Matty stood guard over Esme and Bella below him.

The complex tangle of the broken building swallowed him as he climbed, finding handholds and new pathways.

“–around that beam!”

Marcus whipped his head up as the voice filtered down to him.

“Hey! Down here!” He yelled. “HEEEEEELP!”

“Not that beam, darn it! This one. This one!”

It’s too loud out there. Marcus looked around frantically for a loose stone or piece of metal. He scraped his fingernails against the surfaces around him and yelped in triumph as a large piece of concrete fell into his hand. He hit it hard into the metal pipe next to his head and grinned when a loud ping reverberated through the pipe. Smacking it again, Marcus tapped out the only morse code he knew: “SOS.”

“I’ve got something here, Fitz!” a voice yelled above him.

“What?”

“I think it’s a survivor.”

Marcus continued his rhythmic barrage on the metal.

“Hey, down there–can you hear me?”

“Yes! We need help!” Marcus answered.

“Can you move? Are you injured?”

“I’m fine, but I’ve got a few injured below.”

“Stay put–we’re lifting this building off you. And we’ve gotta hurry–the storm’s whippin’ out here and only gonna get worse.”

A grinding shriek of rent metal vibrated through the crumpled Paradise as the first pieces of rubble were pulled away. Marcus blinked against the sudden beam of light from a work lamp.

“Hey there, fella. We’ll get you out in a jiff.”

“I’m going back down to wait with my family,” Marcus said.

“No,  sir, you’re coming up with us–”

But before the firefighter finished his sentence, Marcus dropped out of sight.