Chapter 1
When the earthquake struck, I was trapped under a concrete slab, a steel rod piercing my thigh.
My husband, Quincy Gray, was the captain of the rescue team.
As he walked by above me with his rescue dog, I desperately screamed for help.
He heard me, but stopped about three meters away, and called out to me through the debris, "Mia, you've had professional training. Your vitals are stable. Just hold on a little longer.
"Serena has claustrophobia. She's crying. I need to get her out first."
At that moment, an aftershock hit, and the rubble collapsed again.
I could only watch as Quincy carried Serena Perry in his arms, completely unharmed, and ran off, while I was swallowed by endless darkness.
Seventy-two hours later, I was rescued after my right leg was amputated.
Quincy stood outside the ICU holding a bouquet. He frowned at me and said, "Mia, stop sulking. Serena was just terrified. You're still alive, aren't you?"
*****
Darkness.
Suffocating darkness.
The pain from the steel rod stabbing through my thigh was so bad, I couldn't feel anything below my waist anymore. My blood was thick and sticky, smeared all over the rubble, filling the air with the sharp tang of iron.
Above me, I heard the familiar sound of heavy boots—the rescue team stomping over the debris.
And then I heard Quincy's voice—worried, and even a little shaky.
"Serena! Serena! Where are you? Don't be scared, I'm here!"
My heart tightened.
That was my husband, Quincy Gray, commander of the Meridia earthquake rescue team.
And I was his wife, and used to be the team's doctor.
"Quincy Gray." I managed to squeeze out a faint sound from my parched throat, grabbed a chunk of rubble, and started knocking it against the concrete slab beside me.
Three long knocks, three short ones.
That was the SOS signal.
The footsteps above me came to an abrupt halt.
A beam of light pierced through the cracks, so bright I couldn't keep my eyes open.
"Mia?" Quincy's voice was startled at first, but then he quickly switched to calm, with a hint of professional detachment.
"Report your location and injuries."
I gasped, greedily sucking in the air that seeped through the cracks. "Under the load-bearing wall in Zone B. Steel rod through my right thigh. Artery might be damaged. Pressure isn't stopping the bleeding. Quincy, please, save me. It hurts so much."
We'd been married for three years.
This was the first time I ever told him I was hurting.
There was a two-second silence from above.
Then, I heard the answer that made my blood run cold.
"Mia, you're a professional."
Quincy's voice came through the rubble, so rational it was almost frightening. "If you can give such a clear report of your injuries, it means you're conscious and not in danger for now."
"But Serena's not like you."
His voice suddenly got urgent. "She's trapped in the space right next to you. She's screaming her head off. Her claustrophobia is really bad—if I don't get her out right now, she might literally die from fear."
I was stunned.
Blood gushed from my wound even faster, stealing away the last bit of warmth in my body.
"Quincy," I asked, my voice shaking, "my artery's damaged—I could go into shock any second. Serena's just scared. Are you seriously going to save her first?"
"Mia! Since when did you become so selfish?"
Quincy snapped, his voice harsh. "Serena lost her parents in the line of duty. She's like a little sister to me, I've watched her grow up.
"And you're still jealous of her at a time like this? You've been trained for this. You can survive under the rubble for seventy-two hours, but Serena wouldn't last a single minute."
"This isn't about jealousy—this is life or death."
"Enough! he cut me off, sounding impatient. "The rescue protocol is to save those who are easiest to reach and anyone on the verge of a breakdown first.
"As my wife, you need to think about the big picture. Stay put and conserve your energy. Once I get Serena to the medical station, I'll come back for you."
His footsteps started moving away.
He was walking away.
"Quincy!" I screamed with every ounce of strength I had left. "What if there's another aftershock? I'll die!"
"Why worry about all those what-ifs? Don't say stuff like that!"
His voice grew distant, blending with Serena's weak, sobbing cries. "Quincy, I'm so scared. There are rats, I'm really scared."
"Don't be scared, I'm here. I'll carry you out myself."
Quincy's gentle words felt like a knife, cutting deeper than the steel rod ever could.
The ground started shaking like crazy.
The aftershock struck.
The concrete slab above me split with a bone-chilling crack.
Right before everything went black, the last thing I heard was Quincy's scream, tearing through the chaos.
It wasn't for me.
It was for Serena.
"Cover your head! Serena! Hold on to me!"