Chapter 6 - The Silent Symphony
The docks were a labyrinth of rusted shipping containers, flickering halogen lights, and the overwhelming smell of salt and diesel. Salvatore had been wounded in the battle at the rowhome, and Tessa could see the effort it took for him to stay upright. His hands, usually so fluid and graceful in their signing, were now trembling.
You need a doctor, Tessa signed, her gray eyes filled with anguish.
I need a distraction, Salvatore signed back, his gaze scanning the perimeter. They are surrounding the pier. We are caught between the ship and the warehouse.
Tessa looked around. She saw the shipping containers—towering monoliths of metal—and she saw the heavy crane that operated the loading bay.
Get to the crane, she signed. It’s the only high ground.
And you?
I know how to drive a forklift, she signed, her mouth quirking into a grim smile. I worked in the storage room at Bellamy’s. It’s not that different.
Salvatore hesitated, but he knew she was right. He disappeared into the shadows, his movements silent despite his injury.
Tessa scrambled into the cab of a nearby forklift. The controls were stiff, rusted with age, but they responded when she pushed the ignition. The machine roared to life, a low, mechanical growl that echoed off the metal walls of the containers.
The men were closing in now. She saw the flash of laser sights cutting through the darkness.
She revved the engine and drove the forklift straight into the middle of the aisle, right between the two groups of enforcers. She spun the steering wheel, causing the machine to fishtail, kicking up a wall of snow and grit.
The enforcers didn't expect a waitress to come charging at them. They hesitated, their fire scattered and unfocused.
That was all the opening Salvatore needed.
From the crane above, the crane’s spotlight suddenly clicked on, bathing the pier in a blinding, white glare. Salvatore had overridden the system. The sudden light stunned the enforcers, their eyes adjusting to the darkness rendered useless by the glare.
Tessa didn't stop. She saw a container filled with industrial supplies sitting on the platform above the enforcers. She hit the release lever, and the container swung free, crashing down into the middle of the group.
Chaos erupted.
The enforcers panicked, their coordination shattered. Salvatore emerged from the shadows like an avenging specter, his movements precise and lethal. He didn't use a gun. He used the environment—the steel pipes, the chains, the heavy hooks of the shipping equipment.
Tessa watched as the man she had served soup to in a quiet, wood-paneled room became a force of nature. He moved with a speed that defied his wounds, his hands darting through the air as he directed his own hidden reinforcements—men who had been waiting in the shadows all along.
The battle lasted less than five minutes, but it felt like hours.
When the last of the board’s enforcers was neutralized, the pier fell silent again.
Salvatore stood in the center of the debris, his chest heaving. He looked toward the crane, then toward the forklift. Tessa climbed down, her knees shaking as she walked toward him.
He was leaning against a stack of crates, blood dripping from his side. He didn't have the strength to sign. He just reached out, his hand clutching the fabric of her coat, pulling her close.
It’s over, he signed, his fingers barely moving.
Tessa rested her forehead against his. It’s over.
She could hear sirens in the distance—the police responding to the chaos—but she didn't care. She turned to the shadows where Salvatore’s men were waiting.
Take him, she signed, her voice clear. Take him to a place where they can't find him.
"What about you?" one of the men asked, stepping out of the dark.
"I have something to do," Tessa said.
She walked back to the forklift, climbed into the cab, and drove it toward the water. She didn't stop until the front wheels were hanging over the edge of the pier.
May you like
She climbed out and dropped the key into the dark, churning water of the harbor.
She turned back to the warehouse, toward the city that had tried to bury her, and she realized that she was no longer afraid of the silence. She was the one who had finally spoken.
