3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

K rull

I grew up in L.A. and have been through earthquakes before, but this was the biggest I’ve experienced. Mara’s formerly glossy brown hair is now caked with dust, but I’m sure she doesn’t want any help brushing herself off. She’s probably regretting the way our bodies were pressed together a moment ago. I imagine she’s scandalized by how intimate it was when I sheltered her from falling debris.

As we’re getting our bearings, our phones ping at the same time. Assuming it’s a warning about the earthquake—too little, too late—I don’t even glance at the screen. Mara does, though, and the terrified expression on her face tells me she didn’t just receive stale news.

“Tsunami.”

Her voice was so shaken, so soft, I only heard it because my orc hearing is ten times more acute than a human .

“I thought they only happened…” I cut myself off. It doesn’t matter what I thought. We need to prepare. “That’s a tidal wave, right?”

“Yeah, coming quick. The emergency announcement says to shelter in place.” She looks terrified as she glances around her gallery. Shaking her head as though she’s coming out of a dream, she says, “I have metal shutters that the previous owners put in to protect from riots because this is such a shady part of town. Not sure what they’ll do to keep water out, but…”

She hurries into the back hallway and a moment later, squeaking shutters shimmy down outside the front windows, shutting out the sunlight and slamming into place with a clang.

I glance at my phone to see if there’s more information, but it doesn’t say when the water will reach land. Never having been through anything like this before, I’m not sure what to do, but one thing is certain. We have to act fast.

After running to my truck, I retrieve the tool kit we keep in the back. The delivery I just brought is the largest piece in her gallery and must be worth a lot of money. I get to work prying it out of its wooden container.

“I’ll hang this as high as I can. Keep it out of the water… if it’s possible.”

“Oh? Thanks.” She sounds lost, but soon pulls it together as she says, “Can you hang everything else as high as you can? There’s a ladder in the back hall. I’ll use the pry bar to get this piece out of its container while you do that.”

The sound of sirens provides a surreal backdrop as Mara and I work at breakneck speed. I have no idea if we have minutes or hours. All I know is that time is of the essence. Although she still might lose everything, the artwork might escape the water if we hang it high enough.

Using her ladder and my tools, I methodically place nails close to the ceiling. Soon, every piece of art in her gallery is hanging as high as possible, including the big piece I carried in.

“Need anything else before I leave?”

It’s only now I realize that with a tidal wave coming, I should have left the moment I got the message about the tsunami even though it said to shelter in place. When the government shoved us Others into the worst ghetto in the area, they put us as far from the high-dollar real estate as possible. That means the Zone is farther from the coast than Mara’s gallery. For my own safety, I shouldn’t have spent valuable minutes helping her.

“Do you have anyone coming, Mara? Are you here alone?”

Her eyes fly wide and terror flies all over her face. She looks more alarmed than during the earthquake. It only takes me a second to realize that her wide eyes and trembling lips aren’t about the earthquake or a wall of water rushing to possibly kill her. They’re about me . I just reminded her she’s all alone with a big, bad, green orc.

“No worries.” I turn toward the back door and call over my shoulder. “I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”

“Wait! Sorry—”

I think she was about to apologize, but hey, I understand the autonomic nervous system. It’s hard to override years of fear and prejudice. I’m about to tell her she doesn’t need to apologize when the lights go out .

With the metal shutters covering the front windows, it’s pitch black in here. Although I hadn’t noticed the background noise of the air conditioner as it was running, the silence when it kicks off is deafening.

Despite her fear of being alone with me, I imagine if I offer her a means of escape, she’ll take me up on it.

“Come with me. The water’s not here yet. Maybe the emergency warning was wrong when it said to shelter in place. I’ll take you to higher ground in the truck. There might be time.”

Orcs not only have enhanced hearing, but we have decent night vision. Although she probably can’t see me, I reach for her wrist and ask, “Coming with me?”

“Higher ground? Yeah. We probably should. Uh, thanks.”