Content Warning: violent assault

“We’re getting reports the storm surge has begun,” crackled an old radio near the center of the arena. Groups of evacuees nearby quieted to listen.

“All civilian areas have been vacated, and no more rescue crews are entering the area near the beach–.”

The radio spit rough static and Molly’s forehead crinkled in dismay.

“What about The Paradise?” someone called out. “Do we know anything?”

The nurse swiveled to find the speaker. “We have no news on that.”

Seemingly in response, the radio sputtered back to life. “-escue efforts at the Paradise condominium complex have been suspended until after the storm.”

Hoarse cries shattered the silence, and a ripple of whispers spread the news through the stadium. A woman sobbed, and the noise of muffled conversation rose again.

These people need something to do. Molly peered around the vicinity, looking for her young helper, Sofia. Her frown returned as she realized she hadn’t seen the girl for a while.

Marcus breathed a deep sigh of relief as he stepped off a bent I-beam and onto solid ground. Firefighters carried Esme ten feet in front of him and he could barely see them through the heavy downpour.

Isabella continued to wail and cling to his neck. Matty gripped his other side, frozen and silent.

“This way!” shouted Fitz as he waved them ahead.

Red and blue lights flashed through the rain and reflected from a thousand droplets. Marcus squinted and spied EMTs pushing a stretcher into the back of the ambulance. “Carol!” he called out.

By the ambulance door, a small woman cradled her injured arm. She turned to the sound of her name.

“Marcus! Y’all okay, hon?”

“We will be. Mike okay?”

“He will be.”

Marcus smiled and nodded, unable to wave with both arms full of his children. He watched Carol climb up and the ambulance pull away, siren blaring. As if there’s anyone around to hear it.

“Let’s get inside,” said Fitz, who had come alongside him.

Debris covered the neighboring building’s parking lot. He glanced up at The Sundial, another high-rise condo, and gulped. After hesitating a moment, he walked toward the doors. It was the only shelter nearby.

Fitz ran forward to hold the door for his crew. They carried Esme in and set her down on the tiles near an information desk.

The dark silence of the lobby seemed eerie and…wrong.

“When is our ambulance coming?” Marcus asked.

Fitz shrugged. “ASAP. Don’t know exactly.”

With no power, the air inside felt close and smothering. Marcus realized they were all drenched and had no way to dry off. He looked for any towels or cloth nearby but didn’t notice any.

He set Matty down near his mother. “Stay here, bud, ok?” Bella reached for Esme, too, so he let her down as well. He walked through the cavernous lobby and saw a wall of windows facing the beach. Marcus approached them with a growing knot in his belly. But he had to know.

Raindrops lashed the glass; their paths crisscrossed in chaotic patterns. Marcus squinted and looked toward The Paradise. At first, he couldn’t see anything. And then he realized. Foaming, choppy sea water had swallowed the ruins whole.

Sofia slammed into the wall. Her shoulder blades ached and her ears rang from the impact. Before she could get her bearings, hands circled her hips, moved around to the small of her back, and pulled her forward into a rough embrace, where unfamiliar lips met her neck.

“Stop!” she yelped, and pushed against the form that pinned her.

Laughter rumbled through the lips on her skin. “Oh, come on. You’ve been begging for this…”

“Jax?” Sofia gasped.

“Yeah, baby, it’s me.” Jax pushed her back into the wall again and bent down to take her mouth in his.

“Stop it!” Sofia shouted and shoved his face away.

“Yeah, right,” he scoffed. “No one’s around, princess. It’s fine.” He moved forward again and gripped her upper arms in a painful squeeze.

“That hurts! Stop, NOW!”

“Quit playing hard to get. Let’s just do this before someone comes.”

He reached for the hem of her shirt, but Sofia slapped him across the face.

“I said NO you bastard!”

Jax slapped her back, and the force flung her to the ground. Sofia screamed as he wove his fingers through her hair and yanked her back up.

He shoved her head against the unyielding concrete and stars danced in her vision. With his other hand, he lifted the hem of her shirt and moved his palm across her skin: it rested on her back and pulled her in.

She brought her knee up to his groin, hard, and Jax screamed in pain and rage. He released her hair and threw a punch straight into her abdomen.

Sofia crumpled to the ground and gasped for breath. Jax released frenzied fury on her small form, landing blows on her ribs, head, and legs.

Once she lay still, he stretched out beside her. His fingers brushed her hair back and stroked her cheek.

“You just gotta chill, babe.”

Sofia groaned. Her ribs felt like broken glass and her vision blurred.

Jax’s breath fell hot on her face as his hand moved downward and nudged under the drawstring waist of her pants.

She blinked and focused on his face, now calm, but with violence shimmering behind his eyes.

“You like that?” Jax crooned.

In response, Sophia rammed her forehead straight into his nose.

Jax howled and rolled to his back as blood poured from his nostrils. Sofia lept up and gasped in agony.

“You BITCH!” he yelled, and grabbed for her ankles.

Sofia jumped away from him, turned, and stumbled into the darkness.

Marcus sat down heavily next to his wife. Matty crawled into his lap and stuck a thumb in his mouth. Geez, when did he last do that?

Esme groaned. Her face looked tight and pale.

“The ambulance is coming,” Marcus said.

She nodded once, eyes shut.

“What can I do for you?”

“Nothing,” she said, voice taut with pain. “Where are Carol and Mike? Simon?”

Lead weight settled into Marcus’s chest. “Carol and Mike got the ambulance before us. Simon and his mom…” He hesitated. “They weren’t behind us. And now the whole thing’s covered in water.”

A quiet sob escaped Esme’s lips, and she nodded again.

Marcus’s head lifted as he heard a rising argument from the front doors.

“You guys gotta go,” Fitz said firmly.

“We’re not leaving you here, boss,” Nyugen said with firm determination.

“The ambulance is on its way, but it can’t carry all of us,” Fitz argued.

“Come with us,” said Davidson.

Fitz shook his head. “I’m not leaving these people. It’s my responsibility as captain to keep them—and you—safe. Get outta here, guys.”

When no one moved, he said, “That’s an order, folks. Go. Now.” He gave the nearest firefighter a gentle push towards the door.

“Dammit, Fitz.”

Fitz’s mouth quirked. “It’s okay. Go.”

The line of sodden firefighters exited the lobby one by one, each shaking their captain’s hand as they passed.

He watched them wade through six inches of water across the parking lot to their rig. Their bus had a snorkel—the engine wouldn’t flood. They’d get back just fine.

Fitz stood at the door for several long minutes as he scanned the road for an approaching ambulance. He saw nothing but darkness and wind-whipped rain.

Moments later, water trickled under the door. The lobby was flooding.