Chapter 12 - When Lantern Went Dark, the Bodies Started Appearing
The first missing person was a federal informant in Newark.
Second was a judge's former aide.
Third, a retired accountant who had testified against organized-crime figures.
Then two undercover identities were compromised.
Mercer was proving his argument.
Without Lantern's hidden protection network, vulnerable people were exposed.
He wanted me to panic.
Take control.
Become custodian.
I nearly did.
Then Matteo stopped me.
Interesting reversal.
“You told me not to chase sparks.”
“These aren't sparks. People are disappearing.”
“And Mercer created the outage.”
“Yes.”
“So find his load.”
I stared.
He smiled slightly.
“I'm learning.”
Annoying.
Attractive.
Useful.
We analyzed which protections failed first.
Pattern.
All compromised individuals had been moved through one specific Lantern branch.
Mercer's.
He wasn't demonstrating chaos.
He was creating it.
My mother traced older infrastructure.
Matteo provided logistics.
Grant coordinated legal protection teams.
For three days we barely slept.
We recovered fourteen people.
Lost one.
Her name was Dana Whitcomb.
Fifty-eight.
Former municipal clerk.
She had supplied evidence in a corruption case.
Found dead in her home.
Mercer sent me a message afterward.
CONTROL HAS A COST. SO DOES REFUSAL.
I stared at it for a long time.
Matteo found me on the roof of the secure office building.
“You didn't kill her.”
“I know.”
“You don't look like you know.”
“She died because he wanted to teach me something.”
“Yes.”
“If I just took Lantern—”
“He'd teach you something else tomorrow.”
I looked at him.
“How do you live with decisions that affect other people?”
His answer surprised me.
“Badly.”
I laughed weakly.
“I thought you'd say something profound.”
“No.”
He leaned against the railing.
“You make the best decision you can. Then you carry whoever got hurt.”
“That's terrible.”
“Yes.”
“Yet accurate.”
“Yes.”
I looked at the city.
“Why are you here?”
“On the roof?”
“In this.”
“You mean besides my father, empire and reputation all being involved?”
“Yes.”
He was quiet.
Then:
“Because of you.”
I turned.
He did not look away.
“That's a bad idea.”
“Probably.”
I smiled despite myself.
“Electrical statistics.”
He moved closer.
Nothing rushed.
No dramatic kiss.
Just distance slowly disappearing.
“Erin.”
“What?”
“If I kiss you, will you assume it's trauma bonding?”
“Yes.”
“Should I not?”
“I didn't say that.”
He smiled.
Then kissed me.
Soft.
Controlled.
Nothing like his dangerous reputation.
For ten seconds, Lantern disappeared.
Then Grant opened the rooftop door.
“Terrible timing?”
“Yes,” we both said.
He looked pleased with himself.
“We found Mercer.”
Wonderful.
Daniel Mercer lived under a different name in Washington, D.C.
Not hiding.
Consulting.
Private intelligence.
Government contracts.
The irony nearly killed me.
His company operated secure data centers worldwide.
Perfect infrastructure for Lantern's oldest node.
Federal warrants were complicated.
Mercer had spent decades building legal insulation.
So we needed evidence.
He invited me again.
This time I accepted.
Public hotel.
Lobby.
Agents nearby.
Matteo hated it.
My mother hated it more.
Good.
I went.
Daniel Mercer looked ordinary.
That disturbed me.
Gray hair.
Glasses.
Navy suit.
He stood when I approached.
“Erin.”
I sat.
“Daniel.”
His expression flickered.
Not Dad.
Never.
He ordered coffee.
I didn't touch mine.
“You have your mother's hands.”
“You have a surveillance problem.”
He smiled.
“You always were direct.”
“You don't know me.”
“I know nearly everything about you.”
“That's not knowing someone.”
That landed.
Good.
“Why Lantern?”
“Because information prevents chaos.”
“You caused chaos last week.”
“To demonstrate what happens without structure.”
“You killed Dana.”
“I didn't.”
“Someone did because you removed her protection.”
“Consequences—”
“No.”
I leaned forward.
“You don't get to hide behind systems. A person made choices.”
His eyes hardened.
“You think Matteo is different?”
“Yes.”
That surprised both of us.
“He's a criminal.”
“He's been one.”
“He's killed.”
I knew.
Matteo never lied about his past.
“He's changing.”
Mercer laughed.
“Men like Rinaldi don't change.”
“Then you've learned nothing while watching him.”
His expression cooled.
He slid a key across the table.
“Lantern's master archive.”
I stared.
“Take it.”
“No.”
“Everything ends if you do.”
“You mean everything becomes mine.”
“Yes.”
There it was.
The temptation.
Control.
Power to expose criminals.
Protect witnesses.
Prevent corruption.
Save people.
All I had to do was become exactly what my parents, Salvatore and Vincent had built.
I pushed the key back.
“No.”
Mercer's face changed.
“You're making a mistake.”
“Probably.”
I stood.
He grabbed my wrist.
First physical contact between us.
I looked down.
“Remove it.”
History repeating.
He let go.
Then whispered:
“If you walk out without that key, someone you love will die.”
I stared at him.
“Is that a threat?”
“A prediction.”
My phone rang.
Grant.
I answered.
His voice was urgent.
“Erin, Matteo's convoy was hit.”
My entire body went cold.
“Is he alive?”
Silence.
“Grant!”
“We don't know.”
I looked at Mercer.
He didn't smile.
That would have been easier.
May you like
He simply looked sad.
As if he had already proven his point.
