Chapter 67

We arrived a bit early, a decision I was not sure was wise as it meant hanging around in the street where we might be seen. We now knew that casino security was looking for us, but we had no way of knowing whether they had involved law enforcement yet. I hoped not. As it was the summer tourist season, the street was already full of both tourists and locals out for morning coffee, breakfast or just for a walk as we were quite close to Notre Dame Cathedral. Arielle thought this would work to our advantage, making us more likely to be invisible in a crowd.

Suddenly we heard—and felt—a loud explosion. The ground shook beneath us. “What was that?” Rabi asked me.

“I don’t know. Look!”

Smoke was pouring out of the stairs leading down to the subway. A few people were staggering out, coughing and covered in dust. Then, no one else was coming out.