Chapter 5

FIVE

J ulio inhaled, the air a mix of dust and ash. He coughed it out, feeling the burn in his throat and lungs. They weren't going to last much longer down here.

"We aren't going to last much longer down here."

He grinned at the kid who'd said that, a rookie firefighter. Martin. The same guy who'd told him Greyson wanted to see him earlier. Now the guy had blood running down his face and a likely-broken ankle. Julio had found him struggling to help out the other guy, currently across from them, toward the front door.

A rumble had sent them tumbling down.

"Don't think there's anything funny about this," the guy across from them said.

"Sorry." Julio wanted to shift his seat but didn't dare move. "I was just thinking the same thing right when he said it."

Julio palmed his flashlight and flicked it on, trying to conserve the battery. No one wanted to sit trapped in near darkness beneath a fire for too long. Even he was starting to dislike it enough he was antsy. "We need a way out of here."

"You heard the chief, Cap. They'll find us."

He was glad the rookie had that kind of faith in his colleagues. Except they had no way to tell anyone where they were. As soon as the call came over the radio, it started to crackle. Then it died before he could respond. Their phones had no signal.

The room around them creaked.

Julio looked at the debris over them. Then he eased away from the wall and got on his knees.

"What are you doing, Cap?"

"We can't push on the ceiling pieces above us," Julio said. "That will dislodge everything down on top of us."

"Great," the muttered voice came from behind him. "Better to put us out of our misery."

He turned to the civilian. "Why don't you tell me what your name is?"

The guy was certainly having a bad day at work, but they needed hope right now. Not the kind of pessimism that meant a slow death to their strength of will. Their need to live through this would help them survive rather than succumb to what he considered inevitable.

He scrunched up his nose. "It's Paul."

Julio said, "We aren't going to die down here, Paul."

The guy made a face but said nothing. He had blood in his hair, the wound back behind his ear. Dislocated shoulder, though he hadn't let Julio take a look at it. He just held the arm close to his front and said, "Worst shift ever." And things like, "This job was never worth it."

"What's behind this?" Julio went to the side, where he could see concrete that angled up. He'd made sure no one was under it, but could they get above it? The whole thing was a hazard if it came down. Still, there was a chance that if it held, they could use the obstruction to get higher.

Up to where the flames were.

"Maybe stairs," Paul said. "We're on the west side of the building."

Julio shifted a piece of debris. To his right, something creaked and groaned. I don't want to wait around to die. He would much rather go out trying to get free.

Water sloshed under his feet.

Exposed pipes in the wall, who knew what they were for. Maybe carbon monoxide pumping into the room to silently kill them.

Yeah, Paul was probably rubbing off on him.

He didn't want to consider this to have been intentional. No one wanted that, even if an accident was senseless and there was often no justice for lives lost. Just because there was a fire didn't mean there was someone to blame for it. Fingers got pointed anyway, whether anyone investigated the origin or not.

People believed whatever they wanted.

Martin moved into the spot beside him. "I'll help." He grabbed a bigger piece of drywall and started to pull it back. "You think we can get out this way?"

"Better than the alternative. At least create an opening so they can hear us call out."

The rookie nodded. "Nearly got it." He shifted the piece a little more, standing with one boot lifted off the floor. The entire room groaned as the pieces around them shuddered and smoke filtered in through the opening,

Julio coughed, more a reflex than anything else, as hot wisps of air made his throat want to close.

He was going to get these guys out. Right, God? But he had no standing to ask for help. He'd spent the last two years angry and determined to ignore the fact God even existed. How was he supposed to beg when he had no right?

It would be far easier if he could dismiss the whole thing. Pretend God didn't exist, or even convince himself of it. But he couldn't. He knew the truth too intimately to ever believe otherwise.

So they were at an impasse.

"It's gonna come down!" Paul put his good arm over his head.

"Anyone down there?" The call came from high above Julio, through the opening they'd made.

"We're here!" Martin said. "Burks, Coda, and one civilian!"

"On our way!"

Julio let out a breath. "Let's go, Paul. Time to leave, unless you wanna stay." He went over and got his arm around Paul's middle, on his good side. "Up we go."

Over at the opening, Martin eased out. "Down here." He hopped a couple of steps.

The room shuddered.

Paul whimpered, but Julio just moved him to the gap and said, "Squeeze through."

Firefighters in full gear waited on the other side. Helmets and air tanks—which Julio had slid off when they fell. They grabbed Martin and passed him off up the stairs.

"Gotta move fast," his lieutenant said. "It's pretty unstable."

Julio tried to talk, but no sound came out. He just nodded.

"We were pulling out two others when we heard you. So you can thank the Lord Almighty we did."

Julio handed off Paul to another guy, and the lieutenant said, "Need my air?"

All he could do was shake his head, his throat raw and nearly shut. His head swam. The guy grabbed him around the waist. Julio didn't do much to get himself out, and he was going to get this guy a gift card to his favorite burger place when they were out of here. The lieutenant took his weight and walked him out, lowering Julio to the ground outside.

He blinked. Red and blue flashing lights. There was something immensely comforting to him seeing firefighters move around, and listening to the sound of water spraying on a fire.

"Here." She crouched beside him and held out a water bottle.

Samantha. He stared at her.

"Drink."

Julio took two sips, then poured the rest on his head. The water practically sizzled against the heat of his skin.

"I'm getting an EMT. You don't look good." She started to straighten out of her crouch. Blonde hair longer than the last time he'd seen it, curled down around her shoulders.

He reached up and snagged her hand. Still had his gloves on. Julio left a dark streak on her skin he didn't like.

"What?"

He tried to speak. No words came out.

So frustrating. There were plenty of things he wanted to say to her, but their personal stuff aside, he also wanted an update on what was going on. At least his brain was getting oxygen, or he'd have a problem right now.

Namely, he'd be passed out and headed for the hospital.

No doubt he was going there anyway, but that wasn't the point right now.

Greyson came over, standing a couple feet back from Julio's boots. "How are you doin'?"

Uh-oh . Julio didn't like that expression. He was going to be in trouble for going in, leaving his command post and pitching in when his guys—and innocent victims—were in trouble. As soon as Greyson knew everyone was all right, reports would be filed.

Julio would get written up. Maybe even suspended.

He tried to say, Is everyone out? No sound out of his throat. He lifted his hand and bit down on the edge of his glove, tugging it off.

"He hasn't said anything," Samantha replied for him.

A couple other guys crowded around.

Julio got the other glove off and lifted his hands. He signed to Samantha, Is everyone out?

"What's he saying?" Greyson asked her.

His mind slipped back to the times, so many times, he'd interpreted for his parents. Every school activity, doctor appointment, every dinner at a restaurant. Everything. Everywhere. He'd been their connection to the hearing world.

She relayed what he'd said, and the chief turned to the firefighters nearby. "Who is still unaccounted for?"

"No one, now Coda is out." The firefighter motioned to him, then said, "You know sign language?"

Samantha frowned. "What do you think CODA means?"

The guy just shrugged.

"Child of a deaf adult." Samantha folded her arms. "His parents are both deaf."

Julio needed to get them back on track. Samantha —he used his sign for her. Their sign. What caused the building collapse?

That doesn't matter right now , she signed back. "He needs to go to the hospital."

"That's what he's saying?" Greyson asked.

Julio shook his head. Do any of the employees know what happened?

Samantha sighed. "He wants to know what caused this."

Julio looked around just in case there was someone nearby who had created this devastation. Arsonists often hung at the scene and watched the response unfold. A person who did that was sick in the head as far as he was concerned.

But was the concept just fresh in his mind, or was this just a tragedy?

Was this an accident? He patted her leg. Sam.

Greyson said, "Why don't you worry about you and I'll worry about the scene, yeah?" The chief walked away.

Julio signed, I'm in trouble.

"You think?" Samantha put her hand on her hip. "The EMTs are busy with the other victims."

He wasn't a victim.

Julio tried to talk. All that came out was air, and he dissolved into a coughing fit.

"We need to get you looked at." She glanced around, spotted the person she was looking for and yelled, "Romeo! Get the car!"

Julio frowned. He spotted Romeo Alvarez, a cop he knew and respected. A guy he'd have said was pretty close to being a friend. But Julio knew exactly the kind of guy he was. Cop or not, he always had a girlfriend. Always looking for something, and he never seemed to find it.

The guy jogged away, keys in one hand.

Julio had found what every man was looking for in eighth grade, when he'd spotted three bullies pushing around a sixth grade girl whose family had just moved to Benson. All arms and legs, and blonde braids. They'd tugged on her hair, hassling her while she could only make noises in response. He'd pegged her as deaf right away.

A second before he shoved the first guy, this older girl his age had stormed over and knocked two kids together. Wading in to fight on her sister's behalf.

He'd been suspended for what he did, but it had been worth it. Those guys backed off hassling Sam's little sister, and he and Samantha were inseparable for the next ten years.

She was with Romeo?

Together?

Julio held out his hand, and the firefighter closest to him hauled him up. He swayed, but there was no way he'd do this not on his own two feet.

She turned to him. "You look terrible, but you'll be the doctor's problem."

While chaos swirled around them he signed, Romeo? letter by letter. Then, Really? Samantha's expression shifted, and he saw exasperation plain as day.

She said, "You have no idea what?—"

He cut her off, dragging her up against him. Julio saw the surprise—but also not—on her face. She knew what he was doing, and why. Because she knew him better than anyone else. The way he knew her…even if it had been two years.

He saw it all there in her eyes.

A second before he touched his lips to hers.