Chapter 9 - The Room Beneath the BallroomThe abandoned ballroom sat beneath the city.
Officially, it belonged to a luxury redevelopment company.
Unofficially, it had been sealed for years.
Julian stood outside the basement door.
Genevieve entered the access code.
The lock clicked.
Meredith looked at her.
“How do you know this?”
Genevieve swallowed.
“My father taught me.”
The door opened.
The smell of damp concrete filled the corridor.
They walked through several rooms.
Then stopped.
A monitor flickered on.
Frank Vance appeared on-screen.
Older.
Pale.
But alive.
“Genevieve.”
She stepped forward.
“Dad.”
His face crumpled.
“I knew they would come.”
Julian stared at the screen.
“Where are you?”
Frank looked directly into the camera.
“Not here.”
“What does that mean?”
“This room is a decoy.”
Genevieve looked around.
Her father continued.
“They want you to believe I am imprisoned.”
Meredith’s stomach tightened.
“Then where are you?”
Frank smiled sadly.
“With the only person I ever trusted.”
Richard appeared in the doorway.
Everyone turned.
Julian raised his weapon.
Richard lifted his hands.
“I came alone.”
“You knew where he was.”
Richard looked at Meredith.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Because if I had, you would have died.”
Meredith stepped closer.
“You betrayed us.”
Richard shook his head.
“I betrayed Meridian.”
Julian lowered his weapon slightly.
“Then where is Frank?”
Richard answered:
“On a ship.”
“What ship?”
“The Aurelia.”
Meredith recognized the name.
“That was Father’s yacht.”
Richard nodded.
“The yacht was never sold.”
Julian stared.
“The records said it sank.”
“It disappeared.”
“Where?”
Richard looked toward Genevieve.
“Ask her.”
Genevieve’s face went white.
“My father sent it there.”
“Where?”
She whispered:
“The Atlantic.”
Meredith looked confused.
Richard explained.
“The Aurelia contains the original archive.”
“Everything?”
“Yes.”
“Names?”
“Yes.”
“Payments?”
“Yes.”
“Proof of the senator’s murder?”
Richard nodded.
“And proof of who ordered it.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
Richard looked at Meredith.
“Your mother.”
Silence.
Meredith stepped backward.
“That’s impossible.”
“She made the deal.”
“My mother loved my father.”
“She did.”
Richard's voice softened.
“That was the tragedy.”
Suddenly every phone in the room rang.
Genevieve answered hers.
A voice spoke.
“Your family has twenty-four hours.”
She froze.
The voice continued:
“Bring the archive.”
“Or Meredith dies.”
The call ended.
Genevieve looked at Meredith.
“I’m sorry.”
Meredith stared.
“No.”
She slowly reached for the metal case.
“No more running.”
Julian looked at her.
“What are you doing?”
Meredith opened the case.
Inside was a handwritten map.
She spread it across the table.
“We’re going to the Aurelia.”
Richard looked shocked.
“You can’t.”
May you like
Meredith looked at him.
“Watch me.”
