A Games Unlike Any Other
Chapter 11 The Tenors
The Hunger Games were not the only game in town, though the Tenors' games were related. When gamblers first started betting on the Hunger Games, Tom Tenor's uncle went into business helping them hedge their bets. For a hefty fee, Tenor Enterprises would smuggle food and weapons to the favored tributes. The fee would cover both the supplies and the risk. If the tribute won, the client would pay Tenor Enterprises out of his or her winnings. Of course if the tribute lost, Tenor Enterprises still expected to be paid. The client would have to pay out of their own assets; if they failed or were unable to do so, Tom's uncle would transfer the debt to his Loan Shark Department.
The Gamesmasters ignored the smuggling for a while, but a series of scandals forced them to take action, even though Tenor Enterprises was never officially implicated. The Gamesmasters increased security, penalized tributes who were seen to have illegitimate supplies, and finally decided that if you can't beat them, join them. The sponsor system was sent up, with the Games personnel handling the delivery of the supplies themselves. Prices were still high, because the Gamesmasters needed the money to fund ever more elaborate arenas, but the sponsors preferred the legal form rather than risk getting caught using Tenor Enterprise's services.
After that Tom Tenor's uncle shut down Tenor Enterprises and retired. Some subsidiaries, such as the Loan Shark Department, were sold off. The family was left with lots of money, and experience in circumvented the laws, and the names of a few contacts who might be useful in the future.
By the time of the 25th Hunger Games, Tom's main source of income was betting on the Games. He didn't bet blindly, however, nor did he let himself get swayed by the interviews with the tributes. He had sources of information that could tell him which tributes had secret advantages. This particular year, he learnt that an unscrupulous Gamesmaker had sold Districts 1 and 2 a description of the arena, plus a diagram of how the tributes would be deployed around the Cornucopia. With that information, they could plan strategy both at the bloodbath and during the subsequent Games, while the other tributes would be fighting blind. He therefore entered a four-way bet that one of the quartet from 1 and 2 would be the Victor, having borrowed considerable funds for the purpose. He didn't have to resort to the Loan Shark Department, because his credit as a Tenor was good.
A few days later, the 3 favorites who were still alive were killed by a swarm of boa constrictor mutts, and Tom's assets were wiped out. Thanks to a Gamesmaker named Coriolanus Snow.
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The man called himself Jack Ken Hagar. Tom wondered if that was short for John Kenneth; more likely the whole name was an alias. The important thing was that he was an enforcer for the Loan Shark Department, and also did some business on the side.
"The target is named Cornelius Snow, an employee of the Gamesmasters," said Tom Tenor, "and I want him terminated with extreme prejudice."
"I've heard of him," said Jack Ken, "but he seems to be hidden away. He's rather unpopular at the moment."
"I know. I was able to pay a tipster to give me his location. He spends his nights in Room 666 at the Gamesmaster Headquarters, during the Games."
"Very well. He will be dead within twenty-four hours, and untraceable to you. That will be 1000 sesterces, in cash."
Tom took the bills out of his pocket. Ideally, he should be holding on to them to pay his debts. But his funds would be insufficient either way, so he might as well expend the money this way and take Snow down with him, in revenge for changing the odds so that they were no longer in his favor.
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Jack Ken stood in the hallway of the sixth floor of the Gamesmaster Headquarters, disguised as a guard. He had gotten into room 666 and spread the poison as a thin film on the surfaces of the furniture. Snow would breathe it over an hour. By the time he actually began feeling its effects, it would be too late. Jack Ken knew that a lesser assassin would have fled the area and tried to establish an alibi. But he was determined to hang around and make sure that the job was done.
He wouldn't have done this for a mere 1000 sesterces, of course. But there were dozens of people who wanted Snow dead, for ruining the Games odds and their bets. He had collected the same amount from each, and it added up to a hefty sum.
Now. The door of 666 was wrenched open from the inside, The occupant staggered out into the hallway, grasping at his throat. He collapsed after only a few steps.
The victim did not fit the description of Coriolanus Snow. In fact Jack Ken recognized him perfectly well. It was the current President of Panem!
As people gathered around the autocrat trying to administer medical attention, Jack Ken reassessed his position. He had no idea what the President was doing in Mr. Snow's room, but that was in the past. He had to worry about his future.
He would be able to escape after a normal assassination, but not the death of a President. The Peacekeepers would go all out to catch the killer, maybe even torturing citizens of the Capital with the same cruelty that they used on people of the Districts. They would trace it to Jack Ken, and make sure that he died horribly. Unless Jack Ken was already dead.
Jack Ken had brought along a gun to fit his disguise as a guard. There was at least one bullet in it. He pointed the gun at the side of his head, and pulled the trigger.
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The real Coriolanus Snow stood at the back of the crowd surrounding the dead President, looking as shocked and grieved as he could. By impersonating a seedy tipster and giving Tom Tenor the President's secret room number, pretending that it belonged to the mysterious Mr. Snow, he had gotten the President assassinated. He didn't think the Peacekeepers would track him down. To find him they would have to track through Jack Ken Hagar ( now dead with his brains blown out, a few meters away) then Tom Tenor (probably hiding from his creditors), then his tipster, and figure out that the tipster was the real Snow. Four degrees of separation. Not bloody likely. And Snow was one step closer to the Presidency of Panem.
TO BE CONTINUED
(NOTE: The name Jack Ken Hagar is a pun on Jaqen H'ghar, the professional assassin in GAME OF THRONES.)
(NOTE: I would like to praise fanfiction writer Oisin55. Chapter 45 of his story VICTOR PROJECT, focusing on the sleazy gambling culture generated by the Hunger Games, gave me the idea for this chapter.)