Tell No Tales (Silence Jones Action Thrillers Series Book 12) by Erik Carter

Author:Erik Carter [Carter, Erik]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-03-30T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Gray’s Machine Shop was silent and still in the afternoon light that filtered in through the grimy windows. It was Saturday; the place was closed. Having bested the ludicrously simple lock a few moments earlier with a few swipes of a rake pick, Silence was inside, moving quickly but stealthily through the dormant equipment. Even though it appeared Daniel Gray had a prehistoric set of security measures, Silence would never put it over a gruff guy like him to have some hired muscle sitting around.

Or, perhaps more fittingly, maybe Gray’s murderers had a man installed at the shop.

In the police report, Gray’s death had been ruled an accident—crushed by machinery while working alone after hours.

But there was no way in hell that was true.

Matt Jennings had also died in a supposed accident two weeks earlier.

Silence didn’t believe in coincidences.

He came to the industrial lathe identified as the fatal device. It was circled by plastic police tape, which Silence lifted and ducked under. Squatting down, Silence inspected the machine’s heavy chuck, still flecked with traces of dried blood. He slid open the access panel, examining the drive gears and belts. All appeared to be in order.

Yet some nagging sense told him to keep looking. Rising, he circled the lathe, searching for anything amiss. As he reached the back, he spotted it—a safety guard unbolted and lying on the floor nearby.

Stooping to examine it, Silence saw the screw holes showed no signs of being forcibly removed. They had been carefully extracted to appear undisturbed.

Accident, indeed.

He felt a tingle at the base of his neck, signaling that intuition of his that C.C. had been so proud of.

Whoever took off this safety guard wanted this “accident” to happen. They’d wanted it to look like Gray had been working on something—a massive turbine, perhaps—and put too much of his weight against the machine, falling into the works.

But this safety guard had not failed.

Which meant Gray’s death was likely premeditated murder.

Of course.

Silence was replacing the panel when he caught a faint scuff behind him. He spun just as a steel rod arced toward his skull. Ducking reflexively, he drove forward and slammed into his attacker’s midsection. They crashed to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

So…

Here was the bit of hired muscle Silence had halfheartedly prepared for.

The man was powerfully built, with prison tattoos snaking down his thick arms. But his size made him slow. Silence delivered a precise elbow strike to his temple as they grappled. The man’s grip loosened enough for Silence to wrench away the steel rod and fling it clattering across the shop floor.

Both Silence and the other man scrambled to their feet.

With a wicked grin, the man lurched forward, attempting to pin Silence with his bulk. But Silence was ready. He stepped into the charge, using the man’s momentum to pivot him face-first into the grating.

Before the thug could react, Silence had his arm brutally torqued behind his back. He dropped to one knee, inches from dislocating it. Keeping the thug’s wrist locked, he quickly rifled through the man’s pockets until he found a wallet.

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