come out of the deck. Then you can assume that the next few cards will probably be high value. ”
“ I get it, ” Jake said. “ Seems simple enough. ”
“ Yeah … it ’ s not. That was the most basic description I could possibly give you. When you ’ re surrounded by distractions in the casino, it ’ s much harder. Also, the plus one, minus one system leaves a lot of room for error. My system ’ s different. It has a different value for every single card, and then from the number in my head I can work out the probability of exactly what the next card will be. I sort out the chances in my head. ”
“ Are you some kind of genius? ”
“ I don ’ t like to brag, but yes. ”
Jake laughed. “ So how much money is in this? It ’ s not like anyone who counts cards can become a millionaire. ”
“ You ’ re right. Only people who are gifted can make serious money. ”
“ Do you make serious money? ”
“ Last weekend I took a plane to Sydney with fifty grand, and came back with one and a half million. ”
“ Jesus Christ. ”
“ Like I said, I don ’ t like to brag, but yes, I make serious money from this. That ’ s how this whole operation is financed. ”
“ I can ’ t believe what I ’ m hearing. A group of millionaire ex-soldiers who hunt monsters and live in a place like this. That ’ s like … a video game scenario. ”
Link managed a smile. “ It ’ s pretty strange, huh? ”
“ So what do you know about my training? ” Jake asked, searching for information. “ All I know is that it starts tomorrow. ”
Link stared at him for a long time, almost sizing him up.
“ I know you ’ re going to want to quit, ” he finally said. “ There ’ s going to be long, hard days. No breaks. Physical training like you ’ ve never experienced. Actually, it ’ s probably a good thing that there ’ s a national manhunt for you right now. ”
“ A national … ? ”
A hint of a smile danced across Link ’ s lips. “ You haven ’ t turned the television on today, have you? ”
“ I ’ ve been asleep. ”
“ Your face has been on every station all day. ”
Jake gulped. He wondered what his dad was thinking, what Liam was thinking, what everyone who had ever known him thought of him right now. He was a new person.
Link brought him back to reality. “ At least you have some serious incentive not to leave the house now. No matter how hard Wolfe pushes you. ”
Jake searched his face for any hint of sarcasm. There was none.
“ It can ’ t be that bad, can it? ” he said. “ I can handle pain. ”
Link shook his head. “ It ’ s not just pain, my friend. You need to be conditioned, and that means for the next few weeks, at least, your life is going to be miserable. You ’ re probably going to hate us. But it ’ s necessary. We need to push you to your limits. I went through all that. When I joined, I couldn ’ t believe how deadly the other five were. ”
Jake recalled Wolfe saying that Link had been recruited later on. “ Those other five are the Delta Force squad? The one that was ambushed? ”
“ Yes. Wolfe, Felix, Crank, Thorn and Sam. When you see them in action … it ’ s breathtaking. They knew they needed to lift their game when they left the Delta Force. They ’ d entered a whole new ballpark. And so they did – they applied themselves and moulded themselves into slayer hunters. It takes devotion. But I got there, and you can get there too.
“ Trust me, you need a different mindset to how you usually train. This isn ’ t to give you the perfect beach body. It ’ s for survival. You need to remember that. If you don ’ t reach our level, you ’ ll be outmatched by slayers, and you ’ ll die.
“ That ’ s what you need to repeat in your head over and over again to get through the next few weeks. Just keep telling yourself that, Jake.
“ You adapt, or you die. ”
CHAPTER TEN
Wolfe had him up at five the next day.
The sun was yet
“ I get it, ” Jake said. “ Seems simple enough. ”
“ Yeah … it ’ s not. That was the most basic description I could possibly give you. When you ’ re surrounded by distractions in the casino, it ’ s much harder. Also, the plus one, minus one system leaves a lot of room for error. My system ’ s different. It has a different value for every single card, and then from the number in my head I can work out the probability of exactly what the next card will be. I sort out the chances in my head. ”
“ Are you some kind of genius? ”
“ I don ’ t like to brag, but yes. ”
Jake laughed. “ So how much money is in this? It ’ s not like anyone who counts cards can become a millionaire. ”
“ You ’ re right. Only people who are gifted can make serious money. ”
“ Do you make serious money? ”
“ Last weekend I took a plane to Sydney with fifty grand, and came back with one and a half million. ”
“ Jesus Christ. ”
“ Like I said, I don ’ t like to brag, but yes, I make serious money from this. That ’ s how this whole operation is financed. ”
“ I can ’ t believe what I ’ m hearing. A group of millionaire ex-soldiers who hunt monsters and live in a place like this. That ’ s like … a video game scenario. ”
Link managed a smile. “ It ’ s pretty strange, huh? ”
“ So what do you know about my training? ” Jake asked, searching for information. “ All I know is that it starts tomorrow. ”
Link stared at him for a long time, almost sizing him up.
“ I know you ’ re going to want to quit, ” he finally said. “ There ’ s going to be long, hard days. No breaks. Physical training like you ’ ve never experienced. Actually, it ’ s probably a good thing that there ’ s a national manhunt for you right now. ”
“ A national … ? ”
A hint of a smile danced across Link ’ s lips. “ You haven ’ t turned the television on today, have you? ”
“ I ’ ve been asleep. ”
“ Your face has been on every station all day. ”
Jake gulped. He wondered what his dad was thinking, what Liam was thinking, what everyone who had ever known him thought of him right now. He was a new person.
Link brought him back to reality. “ At least you have some serious incentive not to leave the house now. No matter how hard Wolfe pushes you. ”
Jake searched his face for any hint of sarcasm. There was none.
“ It can ’ t be that bad, can it? ” he said. “ I can handle pain. ”
Link shook his head. “ It ’ s not just pain, my friend. You need to be conditioned, and that means for the next few weeks, at least, your life is going to be miserable. You ’ re probably going to hate us. But it ’ s necessary. We need to push you to your limits. I went through all that. When I joined, I couldn ’ t believe how deadly the other five were. ”
Jake recalled Wolfe saying that Link had been recruited later on. “ Those other five are the Delta Force squad? The one that was ambushed? ”
“ Yes. Wolfe, Felix, Crank, Thorn and Sam. When you see them in action … it ’ s breathtaking. They knew they needed to lift their game when they left the Delta Force. They ’ d entered a whole new ballpark. And so they did – they applied themselves and moulded themselves into slayer hunters. It takes devotion. But I got there, and you can get there too.
“ Trust me, you need a different mindset to how you usually train. This isn ’ t to give you the perfect beach body. It ’ s for survival. You need to remember that. If you don ’ t reach our level, you ’ ll be outmatched by slayers, and you ’ ll die.
“ That ’ s what you need to repeat in your head over and over again to get through the next few weeks. Just keep telling yourself that, Jake.
“ You adapt, or you die. ”
CHAPTER TEN
Wolfe had him up at five the next day.
The sun was yet
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