Safe.For the moment.
How quickly would the next wave come?
The fear forced her to her feet.She leaned against another tree to get her breath and then turned back towards the town.
Devastation.
Her raised vantage point up the sloped road revealed few buildings remained standing.Her little apartment was no longer there and the market square was full of rubble.
The scent of refuse, dirt and saltwater hit her, along with the screech and bang of buildings as the wave forced its way back to the ocean.
It would be a miracle if anyone survived.
She gasped.The soldier.
She had to find him.His team would be back for him and there might not be a lot of time before the next wave.“Can anyone hear me?”Her voice was raspy and she cleared her throat as she limped across the road and into the jungle.“Hello?Soldier man?”
Her whole body ached, and each step required her entire focus.
“Anyone?”
A moan and then a gurgling cough sounded nearby.
She moved further into the jungle.“Where are you?”
She followed pain-filled moans as if he was trying to be quiet but couldn’t stop himself.She almost stood on the soldier, whose head was the only thing visible.The rest of him was covered in debris.Quickly she lifted and turned his head as he vomited a stomach full of tsunami water.When his retches stopped bringing up water, she lowered his head and shifted the leaves and branches from him.“Are you OK?What’s your name?”His dark hair was knotted under her fingers.He was one of the men who’d helped her rescue Fajar’s family.
“Ethan.”He stuffed his fist into his mouth and groaned.
Her heart raced.He sounded as if he was in agony.He was hurt, badly.“Nice to meet you, Ethan.”She kept her tone low and friendly.“I’m Mila.I’m sure your friends will be back pretty soon, so we need to get you out of here.”
“Can’t move.”
Oh hell.Nothing covered his body.She hoped that didn’t mean he was paralysed.
“We’ll figure it out.Can you move your feet?”
“Pelvis,” he gasped.
Shit.She knew nothing about broken pelvises.She reached for his hips and he pushed her away.“Go.The next wave won’t be far away.”
Fear gripped her and she glanced towards the ocean.“I’m not leaving you.”He’d caught her, told her what to do when the wave turned.He’d given her hope.“What do you need?”
“Stretcher.”The word ended on a wail and he shoved his hand back into his mouth.
There wasn’t anyone around to hear… unless Agus was nearby.She dug into the bag still around her neck.She always kept a bucket hat inside in case she went into the sun.
She squeezed out the excess water and handed it to him.“Use this.”
He stuffed it into his mouth and moaned around it, the pain striking her deeply.
“I’ll find a stretcher.”She wasn’t strong enough to carry him, but she might be able to drag him.
Housing debris was littered around her; a piece of ceiling, a window frame… surely there had to be a door somewhere.“I’ll be right back.”
She marked a straight path from Ethan to the road so she could find him again and jogged down the cleared path before finally finding what she was searching for.
A wooden door lodged between two palm trees.
