This was his packing station. Or one of them.
Alexander’s eyes watered with shock. When he reached the opposite wall, he found a metal box filled to the brim with cash. It had to be hundreds of thousands worth of it and certainly not all that Tio Angelo had made over the years, especially considering the tourists and all they’d sold at the sailing events and through Lodge guests and so on. Alexander could hardly stand. It was overwhelming. He considered what to do next and who to tell, and wondered whether he was better suited tocontacting authorities off the island. Then again, he didn’t want to get anyone in his family in trouble. His thoughts raced.
Suddenly, there was a shadow in the doorway. Alexander yanked around to find Tio Angelo, glowering with that awful smile on his face.
“Have you finally decided to join us?” Tio Angelo spat in Italian.
Alexander turned and glared at him. With Tio Angelo blocking his exit, Alexander was trapped down here, even more so than when he was lost.
“You finally recognize how little your parents respect you,” Tio Angelo said. “You finally realize that this is the only path forward. I mean, you must know how your parents have struggled over the years. You must know how often the Lodge nearly had to close because of their greed or negligence. Or because their relationship probably should have fallen apart years ago.” Tio Angelo giggled.
Alexander didn’t want to give his uncle the honor of talking to him. He wasn’t the kind of person you could reason with or who recognized logic. He lived beyond the rules and did whatever he pleased.
“Get out of my way,” Alexander said.
Tio Angelo laughed again. Alexander felt he’d never hated anyone more.
“Why should I? You know all my secrets, Alexander,” Tio Angelo said. “But you know, I’m happy to spin this. I’m happy to tell the authorities that it was your little operation down here. Look.” Tio Angelo removed a camera from his back pocket and took a photograph of Alexander beside the cash and the drugs.
Alexander shuddered. “They won’t believe you.”
“You don’t think so?” Tio Angelo sang. “I think you’re wrong about that!”
Suddenly, Alexander remembered something: the long grill lighter he still had in his pocket from making burgers earlier. He removed it and pressed the button to unfurl the fire. Tio Angelo’s eyes lit up.
“What are you going to do with that?” Tio Angelo asked.
Alexander reached for a stack of bills—what had to be a thousand dollars in his hands—and flashed it by the fire. Tio Angelo looked momentarily miffed.
“You wouldn’t,” he said.
Alexander kept the flame going and brought the bills closer. But this left Tio Angelo plenty of time to take an additional photograph of Alexander, with the flame, the money, and the drugs around him. He probably looked insane.
This photograph would one day be iconic: false proof of something. But Alexander wasn’t thinking about that now. He needed to get out of these tunnels and away from his family. He kept the flame going, held the bills in his outstretched hand, and walked toward the doorway. As Alexander neared his uncle, he realized that Tio Angelo was much smaller than he was, and that Alexander had grown over six feet, leaving his uncle inches below him. Tio Angelo side-stepped toward the wall and gasped, “Throw me the money. You can run off and play with your little girlfriend. Just don’t do what you want to do right now.”
Alexander glowered at him. The flame continued to flicker in the air over the mouth of the lighter. A part of him thought he should keep the money for himself, but another knew he didn’t want Tio Angelo’s drug money. Who knew who else he’d hurt en route to making his fortune? Alexander spat on the ground and threw the money to the left of Tio Angelo, just barely out of reach, so that Tio Angelo had to hustle to get to it.
The money was separated from its pile and spread throughout the room. It was almost beautiful, like a green paper firework.
Before Tio Angelo could grab the bills, Alexander was gone, speeding down the tunnel and turning left this time to discover the staircase miraculously. Finally, he would be free. He clomped up the stairs, his heart screaming, his lungs searching for oxygen. When he reached the doorway, he leaped into the hallway and nearly smashed heads with a familiar face.
It was Jack, headed for the tunnels.
Overwhelmed, Alexander grabbed Jack’s shoulder and lugged him outside and into the moonlight. The fireworks continued to explode overhead. Alexander had no concept of how long he’d been in the tunnels, spying on his father and threatening his uncle. But he wouldn’t let Jack go down there. He couldn’t.
“Jack, you can’t do this to yourself,” Alexander cried. “Please, listen to me.”
Jack’s face was as white as cream. “I’m tired of everyone trying to tell me what to do!” he screamed, so loud that Alexander was momentarily frozen with shock.
Before Alexander could say anything else, Jack turned on his heels and rushed for the tunnels. Alexander staggered after him, but fell to his knees, pulsating with adrenaline. Maybe there was nothing he could do, not tonight. But he’d find a way through this. He’d make a plan.
It couldn’t be too late.
Suddenly, a hand was on his shoulder, and a soft voice was in his ear. “Alexander?”
It was Janie, coming out of the darkness to take care of him. Alexander got back to his feet and hugged her, surprised to feel how close to tears he was. He kissed her neck, her ear.
“Let’s go,” she whispered. “Let’s get away from the Lodge. I don’t even want to see it.”
