Chapter 8 - The Night the Meridian Went Dark
The Meridian had been built over a forgotten network of service tunnels dating back to the casino that occupied the property in the 1970s.
Nero knew they existed.
He didn't know Salvatore had been using them.
Crane explained everything.
Contraband.
Cash.
Illegal shipments.
Private entrances allowing people to enter and leave without appearing on security cameras.
For years, Salvatore had used shell companies to hide the operation beneath legitimate hotel expenses.
The employee trust wasn't merely stolen money.
It was camouflage.
And that night, Salvatore planned to move records and cash before disappearing.
Nero called federal investigators.
Not local police.
At 9:17 p.m., agents surrounded the Meridian.
But Salvatore knew they were coming.
The casino lights went out.
Thousands of people screamed.
Emergency lights activated.
Then failed.
“That's not possible,” Dominic said.
“It is if security has been compromised,” Lark answered.
Guests surged toward exits.
Nero immediately took command.
“Dominic, evacuation.”
“What about you?”
“I'm going downstairs.”
“So am I,” Lark said.
“No.”
She stared at him.
He exhaled.
“Fine.”
They descended through employee corridors.
Lark knew them better than Nero did.
That became the difference.
A locked service elevator blocked the main route.
Lark led them through laundry.
Down a maintenance staircase.
Behind industrial dryers.
To an old door most executives didn't know existed.
“How do you know this?” Nero asked.
“I cleaned here for three years.”
He almost smiled.
“The invisible woman.”
“Useful now, isn't it?”
“More than you know.”
They reached the tunnel entrance.
Gunfire echoed below.
Nero pushed Lark behind him.
“Stay here.”
This time she didn't argue.
Dominic and federal agents advanced.
Minutes later, they secured the first corridor.
But Salvatore was gone.
Then Lark heard something.
A child crying.
She turned.
“Did you hear that?”
Nero did.
They followed the sound to a locked storage room.
Inside were six hotel employees and a little boy.
One woman was bleeding from the forehead.
“Salvatore's men locked us in,” she said.
Nero broke the lock.
Lark helped them out.
The little boy clung to her.
“Where's my mom?”
“We'll find her.”
A sudden explosion shook the tunnel.
Dust fell.
Nero grabbed Lark.
“Everybody out!”
They moved toward the stairs.
Then the ceiling partially collapsed.
Nero shoved Lark and the child clear.
A steel beam crashed down.
“Nero!”
He was trapped beneath it.
Lark handed the child to an employee and ran back.
“Go!” Nero shouted.
“No.”
“Lark!”
She tried lifting the beam.
Impossible.
Dominic appeared.
Together, they moved it enough for Nero to crawl free.
His leg was injured.
He couldn't stand.
“Leave me.”
Lark stared at him.
“Are you stupid?”
“Occasionally.”
She put his arm around her shoulders.
“Then be stupid upstairs.”
They moved.
Slowly.
Smoke thickened behind them.
Nero's weight nearly crushed her.
“I'm too heavy.”
“You're also dramatic.”
“Lark.”
“Walk.”
He laughed despite the pain.
“You're terrifying.”
“Good.”
They reached the stairwell seconds before another section collapsed.
Outside, paramedics took Nero.
He refused the stretcher until every employee was accounted for.
Lark stood beside him covered in dust.
Then Salvatore emerged from the crowd.
Gun in hand.
Nobody saw him immediately.
Lark did.
“Nero!”
Salvatore grabbed her.
The gun pressed against her ribs.
Everything stopped.
Nero's face transformed.
“Let her go.”
Salvatore smiled.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“Your weakness.”
Lark remained still.
Nero took one step.
Salvatore pushed the gun harder against her.
“Another step and she dies.”
Nero stopped.
Agents surrounded them but couldn't get a clean shot.
Salvatore whispered beside Lark's ear.
“Your mother was braver than you.”
Lark's blood froze.
“You remember her?”
“She begged too.”
Nero saw Lark's expression change.
“Don't listen to him.”
Salvatore smiled.
“She thought evidence would protect her.”
Lark's hands curled.
“Did you kill her?”
“I ordered a problem removed.”
The sentence was enough.
Multiple federal body cameras recorded it.
Salvatore realized too late.
His smile vanished.
Lark moved.
She slammed her heel onto his foot and drove her elbow backward.
The gun fired.
Nero lunged.
Agents tackled Salvatore.
Lark hit the ground.
For one terrible second, Nero couldn't see where she'd been shot.
“Lark!”
She rolled over.
“I’m okay.”
The bullet had missed.
Nero dropped beside her.
His hands shook as he touched her face.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
He pulled her against him.
Hard.
She could feel his heart pounding.
Around them, agents handcuffed Salvatore.
The old man looked toward Nero.
“You'll destroy everything your father built.”
Nero stood.
“No.”
He looked at the employees gathering outside the casino.
“My father tried to destroy what you built.”
Salvatore was taken away.
At sunrise, the Meridian remained closed.
Nero sat on the front steps with his injured leg bandaged.
Lark sat beside him.
Neither spoke for a while.
Finally, Nero said, “You almost died.”
“So did you.”
“You came back for me.”
“You would've come back for me.”
“Yes.”
“Then stop complaining.”
He looked at her.
Something had changed between them.
Maybe it had changed long ago.
“Lark.”
She turned.
He leaned toward her.
Then stopped.
Not because he didn't want to kiss her.
Because he wanted her to choose.
Lark closed the distance.
The kiss was gentle.
Almost painfully so.
When they separated, Nero rested his forehead against hers.
“I've wanted to do that for an unreasonable amount of time.”
“How unreasonable?”
“Since the laundromat.”
She laughed.
Then Dominic approached.
His expression ruined everything.
“Nero.”
“What?”
“We found Julian.”
Nero stood carefully.
“Where?”
“In your father's old office.”
“Why?”
Dominic handed him a photograph.
Julian was standing beside the open hidden compartment.
And in his hand was Alessandro's missing cassette.
The undamaged one.
“He's been waiting for you.”
Nero looked at Lark.
Salvatore had confessed.
May you like
The conspiracy should have been over.
Apparently, it wasn't.
