Silence

CHAPTER 16

SCOTT’S MODE OF TRANSPORTATION WAS A 1971 Dodge Charger, not the quietest of cars for a guy who insisted we keep a low profile. Add on the fact that the tailpipe sounded like it had developed a crack, and I was pretty sure we could be heard rocketing around from several blocks away. Even though I thought we were only piling on the suspicion by thundering through town with our hoods up, Scott was adamant.

“The Black Hand has spies everywhere,” he informed me yet again. As if to punctuate his point, his eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. “If he catches us together …” He let the sentence dangle.

“I get it,” I said. Brave words, considering they sent a shudder right through me. I preferred not to think about what Hank would do if he suspected Scott and I were spying on him.

“I shouldn’t have taken you to the cave,” Scott said. “He’d do just about anything to find me. I wasn’t thinking about how this would impact you.”

“It’s okay,” I said, but that ominous chill hadn’t vanished. “You were surprised to see me. You weren’t thinking. Neither was I. I’m still not thinking,” I added with a shaky laugh. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be snooping around one of his warehouses. Is the building under video surveillance?”

“No. My guess is the Black Hand doesn’t want any extra evidence proving what goes on there. Video can leak,” he added meaningfully.

Scott parked the Charger by the Wentworth River, under the low-hanging branches of a tree, and we swung out. By the time we’d walked a block, I couldn’t see the car when I glanced over my shoulder. I supposed that was what Scott had been going for. We crept alongside the river, the moon too thin to cast our shadows.

We crossed Front Street, weaving between old brick warehouses, slender and tall, built one right after another. The original architect clearly hadn’t wanted to waste space. The buildings’ windows were greased over, barred with iron, or covered from the inside with newsprint. Trash and tumbleweeds crammed the foundations.

“That’s the Black Hand’s warehouse,” Scott whispered. He pointed in the direction of a four-story brick structure with a rickety fire escape and arched windows. “He’s gone inside it five times in the past week. He always comes just before dawn, when the rest of town is sleeping. He parks several blocks away and walks the rest of the way on foot. Sometimes he’ll circle a block twice just to make sure he’s not being followed. You still think he’s storing cars?”

I had to admit, the chances of Hank taking that kind of precaution over Toyota inventory was pretty low. If anything, it sounded like he was using the building as a chop shop, but I didn’t really believe that, either. Hank was one of the wealthiest and most influential men in town. He wasn’t desperate to make a little cash on the side. No, something else was going on. And by the way the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, I predicted it wasn’t good.

“Are we going to be able to see inside?” I asked, wondering if the windows on Hank’s building were blacked out like the others. We were still too far away to tell.

“Let’s move up another block and find out.”

We hugged each building along the way so closely the bricks snagged my hoodie. At the end of the block, we were close enough to Hank’s building to see that while the windows on the bottom two floors were covered in newspaper, those on the top two floors had been left unobstructed.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Scott asked with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

“Climb the fire escape and have a look inside?”

“We could draw lots. Loser goes up.”

“No way. This was your idea. You should go up.”

“Chicken.” He grinned, but sweat glistened on his forehead. He pulled out a cheap disposable camera. “It’s dark, but I’ll try to get a few clean pictures.”

Without another word, we ran in a crouch across the street. We hurried down the alley behind Hank’s building and didn’t stop until we were hidden behind a Dumpster splashed with graffiti. I braced my hands on my knees and swallowed air. I couldn’t tell if my shortness of breath was due to the running or anxiety. Now that we’d come this far, I suddenly wished I’d stayed behind in the Charger. Or stayed home, period. My greatest fear at this point was being discovered by Hank. How certain was Scott that we weren’t being caught on surveillance tape at this very moment?

“Are you going up?” I asked, secretly hoping he’d developed cold feet too and would make an executive decision to retreat to the car.

“Or in. What are the chances the Black Hand forgot to lock up?” he asked, jerking his head in the direction of a row of truck bay doors.

I hadn’t noticed the bay doors until Scott pointed them out. They were raised off the ground and set back in an alcove. Perfect for loading and unloading cargo privately. There were three in a row, and something clicked in my head when I saw them. They looked a lot like the bay doors I’d pictured during my hallucination in the school bathroom. The warehouse also had a creepy resemblance to the other hallucination I’d had with Jev by the side of the road. I found the coincidences eerie, but wasn’t sure how to raise the issue with Scott. Telling him, I think I saw this place during one of my hallucinations wasn’t going to earn me a lot of credibility.

While I was still pondering the spooky connection, Scott leaped up on the cement ledge and tried the first bay door. “Locked.” He moved to the keypad. “What do you think the code is? Hank’s birthday?”

“Too obvious.”

“His daughter’s birthday?”

“Doubtful.” Hank didn’t strike me as stupid.

“Back to plan A, then.” Scott sighed.

He jumped, catching the bottom rung of the fire escape. A layer of rust sprinkled down and the metal gave a low groan of protest, but the pulley worked, the chain fed through it, and the ladder lowered.

“Catch me if I fall,” was all he said before going up. He tested the first couple of rungs, bouncing his weight against them. When they didn’t give, he continued up, one cautious step at a time to minimize the creaking metal. I watched him all the way to the first landing.

Figuring I should keep watch while Scott climbed, I poked my head around the side of the building. Ahead, at the adjacent corner, a long, knifelike shadow spread across the sidewalk, and a man stepped into view. I pulled back.

“Scott,” I whispered up, my voice the barest sound.

He was too high to hear.

I glanced around the edge of the building a second time. The man stood on the corner with his back to me. Between his fingers burned the orange glow of a cigarette. He leaned into the street, glancing both ways down it. I didn’t think he was waiting for a ride, and I didn’t think he’d stepped out of work for a smoke. Most of the warehouses in this district had been retired years ago, and it was past midnight. Nobody was working at this hour. If I had to bet, the man was guarding Hank’s building.

Further proof that whatever Hank was hiding had value.

The man ground his cigarette beneath his boot, glanced at his watch, and started a bored amble toward the alley.

“Scott!” I hissed, cupping my mouth. “We have a problem.”

Scott was well past the second level, only a few steps away from the third-story landing. The camera was in his hand, ready to take pictures the minute he had a clear shot.

Realizing he wasn’t going to hear me, I grabbed a piece of gravel and threw it at him. Instead of hitting him, however, the rock hit the fire escape, ringing out with a clang, clang, clang as it bounced back down.

I covered my mouth, paralyzed by fear.

Scott looked down and froze. I jabbed my finger urgently at the side of the building.

Then I ran to the Dumpster, crouching behind it. Through the crack between the Dumpster and the building, I watched Hank’s guard jog into view. He must have heard the pebble I’d thrown, because his eyes immediately traveled up, trying to pinpoint the sound.

“Hey!” he yelled at Scott, jumping onto the bottom rung of the fire escape and hauling himself up with a speed and agility that very few humans could match. He was tall, too, one of the easiest ways Scott had taught me I could spot a Nephil.

Scott clambered up the fire escape, taking the rungs two at a time. In his hurry, the camera slipped from his hand, sailing down to the alley, where it shattered. He gave it one brief glance of disbelief before resuming his rushed ascent. At the fourth-story landing, he hauled himself up the ladder that hooked onto the rooftop and disappeared above.

I ran down my options in a hurry. The Nephil guard was only a flight behind Scott, moments away from cornering him on the roof. Would he rough up Scott? Haul him back down for questioning? My stomach lurched. Would he call Hank here, to deal with Scott directly?

I hustled out to the front of the building and craned my neck, trying to locate Scott. As I did, a shadow streaked overhead. Not along the edge of the rooftop, but in the air between this building and the one across the street. I blinked, clearing my vision just in time to see a second comet race across the sky, arms and legs pinwheeling athletically.

My jaw dropped. Scott and the Nephil were jumping buildings. I didn’t know how they were doing it, and there wasn’t time to dwell on the impossibility of what I was seeing. I sprinted toward the Charger, trying to anticipate Scott’s mind. If we could both beat the Nephil to the car, we stood a chance of getting away. Pumping my arms harder, I followed the sound of their shoes ringing and scuffing far overhead.

Halfway to the car, Scott veered suddenly to the right, and the Nephil followed. I heard the last of their impossibly fast footsteps sprint into the darkness. As they did, a metallic chime rang out on the sidewalk just ahead. I scooped up the car key. I knew what Scott was doing: diverting the Nephil long enough to give me a chance to get to the car before they did. They were faster — much faster — and without an extra few minutes, I’d never make it. Still, Scott couldn’t take the Nephil on a wild-goose chase forever. I had to hurry.

At Front Street, I put on one final burst of speed and sprinted the last block to the Charger. I was light-headed, blackness crowding my vision. Clutching my side, I leaned against the car, catching my breath. I scanned the rooftops intently, hunting for any sign of Scott or the Nephil.

A figure streaked off the side of the building straight ahead, legs and arms revolving through air as he dead-dropped. At the bottom of four stories, Scott hit the ground, stumbled, and rolled. The Nephil was right on his tail, but nailed the landing. He yanked Scott off the ground and delivered a fierce blow to the side of his head. Scott staggered, but remained conscious. I wasn’t sure he’d be able to manage as much with a second well-aimed punch.

With no time to think, I threw myself into the Charger. I shoved Scott’s key into the ignition. Flipping on the headlights, I floored it straight for Scott and the Nephil. My hands gripped the steering wheel, bloodless. Please let this work.

Both Scott and the Nephil spun to face me, their complexions washed out in the headlights. Scott shouted at me, but I couldn’t make out the words. The Nephil shouted too. At the last moment, he released Scott and dodged away from the car’s bumper. Scott wasn’t as lucky; he flew up and over the hood. I didn’t have time to wonder if he’d been injured before he hurled himself into the seat beside me.

“Go!”

I stomped the gas. “What was that back there?” I shrieked. “You were jumping buildings like they were hurdles!”

“I told you I’m stronger than your average guy.”

“Yeah, well, you didn’t mention flying! And you told me you didn’t like using those strengths!”

“Maybe you changed my outlook.” A cocky smile. “So you were impressed?”

“That Nephil back there nearly captured you and that’s all you care about?”

“Thought so.” He sounded self-satisfied, clenching and unclenching his hand, where the Black Hand’s ring fit snugly around his middle finger. I didn’t think now was the time to press for an explanation. Especially given the relief I felt over his decision to start wearing it again. With it, Scott stood a chance against Hank. And I did as well, by association.

“Thought what?” I said, frazzled.

“You’re blushing.”

“I’m sweating.” When I realized what he was getting at, I rushed on, “I am not impressed! What you did back there — What could have happened—” I shoved some stray hairs off my face and collected myself. “I think you’re reckless and careless, and you’ve got some nerve making this all sound like a big joke!”

His smile turned into a full-on grin. “No further questions. I have my answer.”