The
wind blew warm across Sellers� face as he stood in front of an office
building. He was looking at a pass
card that was sent to him at the general delivery room of the Las Vegas Main
Post Office. He walked past the guards in the lobby and went up to the 23rd
floor. His throat went dry as he got closer to his floor. The images of someone
shooting him in the back of his head flashed through his mind. The elevator
doors opened and Sellers carefully stepped out into the hallway noting the
absence of people. The door marked on the pass card was right in front of him.
He slid the card through the reader and heard the lock undo itself. He opened
the door and walked in.
Inside
was just another office like so many others. A desk, two chairs not much else
except for the camera perched by the window. �Sit down Dr. Sellers.� Came a
voice from the speakerphone. Sellers took his seat in front of the camera.
�Now
Dr. Sellers, could you explain to us why we shouldn�t scratch your project and
yourself.�
Sellers
squirmed at what was just said. He thought for a second. �Because you�ve
invested too much in this project: The costs, the time, the lives lost. Remember
that this wasn�t my brainchild. All this was Dr. Barton�s fancy.� Sellers
got up from his chair and paced around it. The camera panned itself, keeping
track of Sellers.
�Gentlemen.�
A voice from the speakerphone cleared its throat. �And ladies. I�ve taken
this project as if it was my own and I�m telling you that this project has
evolved far beyond its initial scope.�
�Explain.�
Said a female voice from the speakerphone.
�This
project was started to develop alternate energy sources that would be patented,
but through some experimentation, I have found a process that can take the
energy generated so that it could be developed into a weapon. Imagine a type of
munitions that isn�t nuclear in nature but has the concussive properties of
one without the radioactive fallout.� Sellers paused for effect.
�Continue.�
�Imagine
this destructive force in a container no bigger than a pack of cigarettes. You
have the reports on the reactions that have been generated, and the gravimetric
side effects in the immediate area of the reaction plus you do have in your
possession all five of the fuel rods used to generate this reaction. If that
doesn�t convince all of you, consider this. There are no standard means of
detection and tracking for this type of energy. They are completely useless and
futile. I can do this and I wouldn�t require any further assistance.�
There
was no immediate reaction from the speaker. Sellers waited anxiously by his
chair, ready to bolt if he needed to.
�Very
well, Dr. Sellers, you may continue development of this, but be forewarned; you
will succeed. Considering some of your research material was confiscated, how
long do you believe it will take for the first working test model?�
�All
the research material I required was handed over with the fuel rods and cargo
van. If I can continue at the alternate site with all that material.� He
paused to give the illusion of calculating. �Three weeks, that�s all the
time I�ll need.
Madeline
Bryne stretched out shaking away her drowsiness. She looked in her steno-pad
going over some notes she had written down.
�
Unexplained disappearances
(one kidnapped twice, medically examined, and attempted murder, close relations
kidnapped)
�
Federal Energy Department
confiscation of materials from Bone Dry (including detainment of the only
survivor from there under questionable authority)
�
Beth�s wounding and
miraculous first-aid bandage
�
Gonzalez sneaking in the trunk
and leaving the vehicle unobserved in the middle of a firefight
�
Finding Gonzalez in the main
building when he shouldn't have been there
�
The incident at the Santa-Fe
Mall with the female patrons.
�
The abandonment of Paradise
and the unexplained incidents there
Madeline's
partner Elizabeth DeWitt arrived with lunch in hand "What you got there,
Maddy?"
"Just
going over the notes on Bone Dry."
Beth
looked cautiously around. "You know that case is not in our jurisdiction
anymore. What's bugging you?"
"Something
isn't right. C'mon you know what I mean. Your bandage, those gunmen disarmed and
stripped like those women in the mall. It's all connected somehow, I know
it."
"Yeah
but we were debriefed and told not to discuss it."
"I
know, I know. I'll forget about it."
Madeline
put the pad away and helped her partner eat her lunch, but she knew she would
not let go of it
I
stand atop a spiral stair
An
oracle confronts me there
He
leads me on light-years away
Through
astral nights, galactic days
I
see the works of gifted hands
That
grace this strange and wondrous land
"Ah
ha." Joel switched his 2112 CD for another one and cranked up the volume.
Janice slept in the passenger seat as the car turned onto Las Vegas Blvd. The
sounds of The King singing Viva Las Vegas screamed from the speaker jarring
Janice awake.
She
stretched her small body, yawning silently as she rubbed some feeling back in
her legs. "We're here?"
"You
bet, so where will it be? Excalibur, New York New York, Caesar's Palace?"
"There,
Treasure Island."
Snarling
at his bride to be. "Arrr me darlin', there ya be."
After
dropping off Janice's Sebring with valet parking, the two walked in and marveled
at the shear excess that lay before them. Janice hugged Joel's arm as they
walked through the gaming floor. She giggled with delight at all the lights and
sounds of all the slot machines.
Joel
looked around scoping the table action. "Why don't you find out if they
have a room available, here you go." He handed Janice five hundred dollars.
She
was shocked to see him give away that much money. "Where did you get
this?"
"I
cashed the insurance check for the car. Now just go have some fun. You know
where I'll be."
"Okay,
but don't lose it all. We're supposed to be here for three days and my folks
will be here tomorrow."
Janice
left Joel standing in front of the main cashier cage. "Hi, I would like
five hundred dollars chips please." Handing the attendant a thick ream of
hundred-dollar bills.
She
placed the money in a counter. "$25,000 dollars." She handed Joel a
coin holder and placed fifty decorative gold coins. "Good luck sir."
"Thanks,
I'm gonna need it."
Joel
held on to the holder. He was sweating. He'd never held this much money at one
time. He walked by the gaming tables, looking them over one by one, seeing the
play action. He spotted the table he wanted.
He sat down, alone at the $100 minimum Blackjack table. The dealer was a
beauty. 5' 6", nice medium build, her round porcelain face was painted
nicely and topped with a short thick wavy bob of black hair with red highlights.
Her name badge said.
MIRA
PHILIPPINES
"Hello
Mira, how about a round?"
Mira
smiled and collected the six decks of cards that were spread across the
table�s felt. She shuffled the card thoroughly as Joel placed ten coins in the
betting circle. "Max bet on table, five thousand." She said quietly to
the pit boss standing nearby.
The
pit boss looked at the bet. "Are you a card member sir?"
"Excuse
me?"
"If
you wish, I can enroll you in our player�s rewards program. Can I have your
driver's license?" The pit boss said.
"Sure."
Joel handed him his license.
Mira
gave Joel the red cut card and he cut the deck in half. "I take full
responsibility for this cut." He said in a half prayer and placed his hands
squarely on the leather covering on the edge of the table as she placed the
cards in the shoe.
"Face
up please."
"Yes
sir." Mira smiled back.
She
slid the first card face down across the felt into the dead cardholder and dealt
Joel's cards face up, eight.
Dealer's
card face down, Joel got another eight, and Mira flipped over an Ace for
herself.
"Insurance?"
She dragged her well-manicured fingers across the felt on the insurance arc.
"You
don't have it." Joel said.
Mira
slid her cards to the reader and presses a button. A little green light came on.
�All
right, lets split them.�
Mira
flipped a jack on top of the first eight. �Eighteen, stay?�
�Stay,
next one.�
Mira
flipped another eight on the second eight.
�Can
I split again?�
�Yes
sir.� Mira said politely.
�All
right, lets split again.�
Mira
flipped a queen on the second eight. �Eighteen again, stay sir?�
�Yes,
stay. Next one.�
Mira
flipped a three on top of the third eight. �Eleven.�
�Can
I double down, one card blind?�
Mira
looked over to the pit boss, who watched over everything carefully. The pit boss
looked at the cards. �Yes sir, the max. bet is five thousand, but that�s for
the initial bet. You can double down, let it play Mira.�
�I
don�t want to see it.� Joel slid another stack of ten gold coins.
Janice
returned from the front desk of the hotel. �Honey, why are people standing
arou�.� Janice saw the piles of gold coins on the blackjack table and just
Joel sitting there alone. Her jaw just dropped open. A watcher told her that
Joel had just betted twenty thousand dollars. Janice placed her hand on Joel�s
shoulder. That made him wince in pain as Janice dug her small but full, thick
rounded edged fingernails into his shoulder.
Mira
slid a corner of the drawn face down card under the eight and three.
Mira
flipped over her unseen card, five. �Six or soft sixteen, dealer draws.�
Mira
drew a king. �Sixteen, dealer draws.�
Mira
dragged the card out of the shoe and flipped it over. �Ace, dealer has
seventeen.�
The
crowd cheered. Joel had two eighteen�s.
Mira
reached out and flipped the blind card over. �Ten, you have twenty-one sir.�
The
crowd applauded loudly as Mira reached into the till and started piling out
Joel�s winnings.
Joel
yelled in pain because Janice dug in her nails harder as Mira piled gold coins
upon gold coins.
�Congratulations
sir.� The pit boss extended his hand; shaking Joel�s firmly. �I�m Jeff
Anderson, are you and your friend here staying tonight at our hotel?�
�I
don�t know? Are we?� Joel looked at Janice
Janice
tore her eyes away from the pile of gold coins that Mira had now placed in the
coin holder plus an assortment of other coins and chips. �That�s what I
wanted to tell you, they say they�re booked for tonight. We have to find
something else before my parents get here and book a chapel.�
�You
two are getting married?� The pit boss smiled. �Not to worry. How many are
in your parent�s party?
�Just
my mom and dad.�
�Could
you give one moment please. Cheryl, could you get our guests some drinks
please?�
Cheryl
walked over and took their order. She quickly returned with their drinks as Jeff
came back smiling. �I have the two of you booked here in a suite for the next
three nights, if that�s sufficient, and I have a deluxe room for your parents,
Miss, for three days also.� He gave Joel his business card. �Call this
number tomorrow, I�ll leave them a message tonight to accommodate you and your
lovely bride. Would you like me to extend your winnings into a line of
credit?�
�Yes,
please. Thank you.� Without Janice�s knowledge, Joel slid a gold coin over
to Mira and took five hundred in hundred and twenty-five dollar chips. Mira
beamed back an inviting warm smile, winking just once at him.
�My
pleasure sir. Would you like to go to your room? I�ll have the porter bring
your luggage up there right away.�
Janice
and Joel went up to their room. Mira handed Jeff the coins after they were
counted. She rubbed her hand after she saw a damp spot on the top of her hand as
if someone had kissed it.
Janice
stretched again in the elevator. �After that car ride, I�m aching for a hot
bath.�
The
porter escorted them up to their room, a spacious three-room suite complete with
a sunken Jacuzzi hot tub. Janice stood there in shock as the porter showed them
the other amenities the suite had to offer. Joel popped a twenty-five-dollar
chip in the young man�s hand and the porter welcomed them again and left.
Smiling
warmly, Janice turned to Joel and punched him hard in the chest. �Where did
you get all that money?!�
Rubbing
his chest. �I told you. It was the insurance check for my car, and what I had
in savings.�
�Are
you crazy for betting like that? What would�ve happened if you lost?�
Looking
her square in the eye. �Then I would�ve lived on your love.� He squished
his face into a large wet pucker.�
She
pushed his face away as he fell on his ass rather hard. Janice ran away to the
bathroom laughing aloud. Joel caught up with his little Chinese imp, bear
hugging her into submission. Janice drew a bath and fired up the jets. The
water�s steam drifted upward as the water bubbled to frenzy. They both
stripped down. Joel plopped right on in but Janice stood in front of the mirror.
She grabbed a towel as she looked at her chest and started to cry.
�Hey,
what�s wrong?�
�This
is too sudden.� She said meekly.
�What,
the wedding.�
�No.�
She turned around facing her future husband. She lowered the towel, showing him
the large scar on her chest. �I almost died and now look, we�re here
partying like it never happened; you�re betting like a maniac.�
Joel
got up from the tub and hugged her gently from behind. He kissed her on the
cheek. �Look, we�ve both been through a lot. But what better way to
celebrate the fact that we went through all that and survived?�
Janice
turned and looked him in the eyes as hers welled up in joy.
Joel
looked back. �I�ll never leave you, and I swear I�ll always be there to
catch you if you fall.�
The
two kissed and spent the rest of the night in their room.
�Run
the videotape again.� Jeff Anderson sat by the casino security chief going
over the footage at the blackjack table behind closed doors.
�What
do you think Ron?�
The
security chief ran the tape, rewound it, and played it again. �He didn�t
touch anything, just his chips. Look; see how he keeps his hands on the leather.
Once he placed his bet, his hands went right back there. Did you see anything
unusual?�
Jeff
pondered for a moment. �No, in fact his girlfriend was a little upset when she
saw how much he betted. What about Cheryl, did she find anything?�
Ron
had a pack of Marlboro�s with two electrical leads from inside it plugged into
the control board. He flipped a switch making the screen look like an EKG
display. �No, she walked by him twice. See that line? No power spike. If he
had anything running off of a battery, then the line would've spiked, plus there
was no infrared signal detected.
Ron
played back the tape one more time. �It�s on the up and up. He played
fair.�
The
next day went along fine for Janice and Joel. The two lounged around the pool
until Janice�s parents arrived. The hotel was kind enough, since Joel was now
well ahead in his winnings, to send a limousine for them. They greeted them at
the front of the hotel and showed them a wonderful time Las Vegas style. Fine
dining, tickets to see Lance Burton, and a late night show for just Joel and Mr.
Chen to see Dr. Naughty the X-rated hypnotist plus a couple of time-stop
gambling sessions in the High Wages Room.
The
day after started off strange for Janice. She woke up at 6:30am only to find
herself sleeping alone. She knew Joel went to bed with her the night before and
that he was tired after yesterday. She got dressed and went downstairs. There
wasn�t much activity going on the gaming floor. She went outside and asked the
valet if he had seen him.�
�Yes
ma�am. I got the car for him, he had a fresh bouquet of flowers with him.�
Janice�s
eyes softened a little. �Could you get me a taxi please?�
�Yes
ma�am.� The valet called up a waiting taxi and it sped off after she got in.
It headed north on Las Vegas Blvd. for a few miles and pulled up beside her
Sebring parked outside Woodlawn Cemetery. She paid the fare and asked if he
would wait. She walked past the wrought iron gates and found the directory.
Janice found the name and headed quietly over there. She saw Joel kneeling
beside a grave pulling out some weeds. The flowers were in an urn by the
tombstone. She looked at him there for only a minute before she walked away back
to the taxi.
"I'm
sorry for not visiting, mama. I moved to Santa Fe about three years ago. I had a
good job offer, and it panned out good. I also met a girl, a nice one. You
would've liked her. She's good; she's a doctor. That's why I'm here this
morning. I�m getting married today, mama. I know you�ll be there today, but
I miss you. I wish you could be here to hold your grandchildren when they
come.� He brushed his hands on the worn tombstone. �I�ve ordered a new
stone for you. I know you picked this one out because you wanted a simple one
but you deserved better. You�ve always deserved better.�
He
pulled out the last weed and stood up. �Rest well.� He got back into the car
and went back to the hotel. Janice waited outside for him. She hugged him by the
waist-side. She felt bad for not trusting him and for her intrusion. They all
breakfasted together then Janice and her mom went off to get ready for the big
moment. Joel and Mr. Chen spent the day getting fitted. The rest of the morning
was just a blur until he heard the sounds of the wedding march. There she was,
standing in her wedding gown. A heavenly veiled vision in silk and lace. The
next few moments came and went. They both did and kissed each other and then
they turned around facing her teary-eyed mom and dad.
"It
is with great honor that I introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Joel and Janice
Gonzalez."