Page 12 of Inferno
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?
