Page 14 of Inferno

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.

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