Tim's eyes bulged. The building had begun to heave and his head was sticking out of a forty-third floor window, "Jenna pull!" The south side of the Winningham Blue sharply rose, the middle humped and the north side dipped in such rapid succession the top floors wildly bounced. The ground once more rumbled, metal and concrete screeched and the rubbish on the floor shifted.

Caught in her own terror, Jenna struggled just to hold on to Tim's leg. But the sharp jolts were inching her closer to the outside edge of the building as well. Two ceiling tiles sailed past her head and a heavy black cable abruptly snapped free of its lodging, then hurled downward. Just in time, she jerked out of the way.

Tim's body scooted farther over the edge. He shoved his hands behind him in search of something solid to grab. There was nothing. Then he felt a sudden weight on his leg.

Behind him, Jenna was sitting on it. Her hands free, she pulled the cable taught, then repeatedly looped it around his other leg. Quickly, she tied a knot, grabbed hold of the cable and waited.

A little more than two blocks from the church, Sam heard the rumble and watched the wave beneath the pavement shoot toward him. He quickly glanced around, but the trees were too far away. So he simply sat down in the middle of the street. Parked cars tipped up and back, threatening to roll toward him. Wood framed houses creaked and popped in agony. Telephone poles with dangling lines, leaned closer together, then stretched farther apart. And frightened people flew out of doors.