machine. Pulled the lever. Lights flashed and the dials spun. They died with a sad beep. A bust.
“Security’s all packing,” Eddie said. “And the pit bosses are on alert.”
“So don’t try to cheat any games.”
“Too late,” he said. “Where do you think all those chips came from?”
She couldn’t tell if he was joking. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
“Elevator’s over there,” she said, pointing with her eyes. One of the guards on duty beside the elevator doors pulled out his tab and answered a call. The other yawned.
“Seen anyone go through yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Well, we’ve only got one of these here fancy silver chips,” Eddie said. “I’m guessing that means only one of us is getting upstairs. And since you two are dressed like a couple of bums at a job interview, it’s probably going to have to be me.”
“I resent that,” Knox said.
Eddie shrugged. “Resent it all you like, Jack. Who wants to spot me half a million vin?”
“I can tell you exactly where you can stick your head to go looking for it,” Dom said.
“Come on. I’m dressed the part to get up there, but I need the cash. They’re not going to let me gamble in the high rollers room with my pocket lint.”
“Take this, then.” Dom shoved the sack of chips back into his hand.
“Are you kidding? That wouldn’t even buy me a martini up there. Look, anything I bet, I’ll make back.”
“By cheating,” she said flatly.
“Not if I get lucky.”
She sighed. “You’re going to get us both killed one day. It won’t even be exciting. Some pit boss is just going to walk up behind us and put one in each of our heads.”
She dug her cash card out of her wallet and held it out. He grabbed it, but she didn’t let go.
“Two hundred thousand,” she said carefully. “Not a single vin more. Not if you want us to have enough left to pay for fuel off this damn station.”
He grinned. “Whatever you say, Boss.”
She reluctantly released the card and he strolled over to a chip exchange desk on the wall behind them. With a scowl on her face, she watched him swipe the card across the desk. The woman behind the counter slid a stack of chips to him.
“That’s a lot more than two hundred thousand,” Knox observed.
“I know,” she said.
“Does that make you mad?”
“Would you like me to show you how mad it makes me?”
“I don’t know.” He gave her a leer. “Maybe I would. You might be sexy when you’re angry. It can’t make you any worse, anyway.”
She regretted not shooting him in the chapel.
Eddie returned with his sack of chips, took one look at her face, and smiled at her.
“Sorry. Couldn’t resist.” He shook the sack and closed his eyes in bliss. “But would you listen to that clink. Sounds like heaven, doesn’t it?”
She snapped her fingers and he handed her back the cash card.
“I saw a security station down on the ground floor when I was walking around,” he said. “If you want to make yourself busy while I’m upstairs living it up.”
“I might be able to access the building plans on their systems,” Knox said. He smiled like he was thinking of something.
“What?” she said.
“What?”
“Why are you smiling?” she said.
The smile vanished and he shrugged. “I was just thinking we might be able to find their central servers that way. Maybe even find us a way in that doesn’t involve gambling away all our money in the high rollers room.”
“ My money,” Dom said. “Not ours. Mine. You get your share of whatever’s on Williams when we find him.” She directed a glare at Eddie. “No cheating.” She looked at Knox. “And no hacking the casinos computers to steal their money.”
The augment frowned. “Were you reading my mind? What sexual position am I thinking of right now?”
“I’ve spent plenty of time around criminals. I’m familiar with the stupid things they think of. I don’t want us to come to Feleti Leone’s attention. We stay
“Security’s all packing,” Eddie said. “And the pit bosses are on alert.”
“So don’t try to cheat any games.”
“Too late,” he said. “Where do you think all those chips came from?”
She couldn’t tell if he was joking. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
“Elevator’s over there,” she said, pointing with her eyes. One of the guards on duty beside the elevator doors pulled out his tab and answered a call. The other yawned.
“Seen anyone go through yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Well, we’ve only got one of these here fancy silver chips,” Eddie said. “I’m guessing that means only one of us is getting upstairs. And since you two are dressed like a couple of bums at a job interview, it’s probably going to have to be me.”
“I resent that,” Knox said.
Eddie shrugged. “Resent it all you like, Jack. Who wants to spot me half a million vin?”
“I can tell you exactly where you can stick your head to go looking for it,” Dom said.
“Come on. I’m dressed the part to get up there, but I need the cash. They’re not going to let me gamble in the high rollers room with my pocket lint.”
“Take this, then.” Dom shoved the sack of chips back into his hand.
“Are you kidding? That wouldn’t even buy me a martini up there. Look, anything I bet, I’ll make back.”
“By cheating,” she said flatly.
“Not if I get lucky.”
She sighed. “You’re going to get us both killed one day. It won’t even be exciting. Some pit boss is just going to walk up behind us and put one in each of our heads.”
She dug her cash card out of her wallet and held it out. He grabbed it, but she didn’t let go.
“Two hundred thousand,” she said carefully. “Not a single vin more. Not if you want us to have enough left to pay for fuel off this damn station.”
He grinned. “Whatever you say, Boss.”
She reluctantly released the card and he strolled over to a chip exchange desk on the wall behind them. With a scowl on her face, she watched him swipe the card across the desk. The woman behind the counter slid a stack of chips to him.
“That’s a lot more than two hundred thousand,” Knox observed.
“I know,” she said.
“Does that make you mad?”
“Would you like me to show you how mad it makes me?”
“I don’t know.” He gave her a leer. “Maybe I would. You might be sexy when you’re angry. It can’t make you any worse, anyway.”
She regretted not shooting him in the chapel.
Eddie returned with his sack of chips, took one look at her face, and smiled at her.
“Sorry. Couldn’t resist.” He shook the sack and closed his eyes in bliss. “But would you listen to that clink. Sounds like heaven, doesn’t it?”
She snapped her fingers and he handed her back the cash card.
“I saw a security station down on the ground floor when I was walking around,” he said. “If you want to make yourself busy while I’m upstairs living it up.”
“I might be able to access the building plans on their systems,” Knox said. He smiled like he was thinking of something.
“What?” she said.
“What?”
“Why are you smiling?” she said.
The smile vanished and he shrugged. “I was just thinking we might be able to find their central servers that way. Maybe even find us a way in that doesn’t involve gambling away all our money in the high rollers room.”
“ My money,” Dom said. “Not ours. Mine. You get your share of whatever’s on Williams when we find him.” She directed a glare at Eddie. “No cheating.” She looked at Knox. “And no hacking the casinos computers to steal their money.”
The augment frowned. “Were you reading my mind? What sexual position am I thinking of right now?”
“I’ve spent plenty of time around criminals. I’m familiar with the stupid things they think of. I don’t want us to come to Feleti Leone’s attention. We stay
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