Sorry the second chapter didn't make very much forward progress. In all actuality, it was really more like a continuation of the first chapter, anyway, here's chapter three, I promise the pace picks back up again.
Living Memories
The night was dead save the click of her heel as it struck the cracked pavement... click... click... click...She walked alone down the lifeless alleyways of what had once been a Mecca for the dedicated gambler. Now it was just a pile of rubble.
She'd been here once, many years ago, she'd seen these streets teeming with life, and the city lit up like a Christmas tree. Now the city was black as coal. And yet... some how, this city seemed to remember what it had once been, in a far off, distant way. Perhaps all that luck, good and bad, all the fortunes won and lost, had left a permanent scar on the soil beneath her feet.
She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. She could almost smell tang of the sweat that you only get when the pot has grown to at least 10 million Wulongs, and you're sitting on a straight flush.
This one-time shrine to the god of fate was now nothing more than a ghost town.
"It's fitting that they saw him here..." She said, to no one in particular. A breeze stirred the dust behind her, before brushing her neck with its ethereal fingers. She shivered, and picked up her pace, anxious to reach the meeting point. Suddenly, this place so full of living memories, made her very nervous.
It was hard to believe that a mere hundred feet under the dirt was New Vegas, a subterranean mock-up of the original, where the glimmer of the lights shone on into the eternal night. It was to these sub-levels that she was headed, she was meeting with an old friend of hers in casino security... she almost laughed at the thought of having a friend in casino security, perhaps the term 'uneasy ally' would be better.
She reached an escalator in the old town square, the only sign that there was life above or below ground, and descended to the depths below.
New Vegas was like a smaller, but somehow gaudier version of the original, managing to pack all of the gleam and desperation of Las Vegas into a less glamorous package. But gambling was gambling, and to an addict, it didn't much matter if you were playing in an alley, or in a penthouse suite, so long as the stakes were high.
She went into a place called Paragon; it was probably the most well known casino in New Vegas. Her friend was head of house security... the enemy of the card shark. She had a favor to ask him.
As she stood in the foyer, she closed her eyes, and listened. The sound of tears, and of laughter, the *ching of the slot machines, the comforting rattle of the roulette wheel... no music composed by a Beethoven or Brahms was sweeter to her ears. She hadn't listened to this symphony in a long time.
For some reason, the casino sounds made her think of another casino, and a fateful night, over four years ago...
"Faye, I can't say it's good to see you, not in here anyway."
"Nate," she said, recognizing the voice. Her eyes snapped open to find a tall man, in his early thirties, wearing a black suit and tie, and not to cleverly concealed earpiece. He nodded to a similarly dressed man as he walked by, who promptly raised his wrist to his mouth... it was times like these Faye wished she'd learned how to read lips. "My, my... you certainly run a nice little operation here." She said after a minute.
"I just want to make sure you remember our deal."
"Not to worry, if you help me out, I won't play... not this visit, anyway," she said, surveying the room now with open eyes, taking in the sources of all those delicious sounds.
He gave her a suspicious look, but said nothing.
"Now, let's get down to business... where's the bar?"
He lead her through the archway and across the casino floor, all the while, keeping one eye in front of them, and one on her, as if he were afraid she would disappear into the crowd, and get lost among the other gamblers. Faye had to smile at her notoriety.
On the other side of the gambling floor, was an arched doorway, which led to a dimly lit lounge. Faye broke away from her escort and headed to the bar, where the bartender was busying himself wiping glasses. He didn't notice her when she strolled up to the bar. Pulling out a cigarette, she rapped on the counter to get his attention. He turned around, and smiled at her.
"Matches?" She said.
He sent a book sailing in her direction, and she caught it with a grateful wink. "Thanks, now if you could just bring me a scotch on the rocks, I'll have found my dream man."
His smile broadened, as he set a glass on the counter and began filling it. "I haven't seen you here before," he said.
"And you won't ever again," said Nate, catching up to her.
"In that case," Faye paused, taking a sip, "you can put this on his tab."
The bartender chuckled, and turned back to his glasses.
"So, are you going to tell me what this is about?" Nate asked.
"How long do you big casino's keep security film?"
"After the disk is full, we archive it for three months." His brows knit together, "why?"
"Nate, you know those security cameras catch everything, that's why you've always been such a big help to me in the past... you've given me the heads-up on quite a few bounties, but you've always handled yourself in a manner that was just and ethical." "So?"
"Well, what I'm going to ask you to, um... suspend you ethics temporarily."
"I'm not sure..."
"Let me speak plainly, how much is it going to cost to get you and every other major casino to sell me all of the security disks from last weekend?"
"Three million," he said, not even bothering to feign outrage at the proposition.
Faye smiled... this certainly fell under the category of 'expenses.' "Done, just make sure I get the tapes, not just from here, but every major casino in New Vegas, I'm staying at the Carlton," yet another expense, "I'll expect you there by noon tomorrow, and don't be late, other wise, the deal is off."
Nate watched her retreating figure, sighing in relief. "Watch her until she walks out the door," he said into his wrist-com, then tapped the counter, "whiskey... double." Damn. She made him nervous.
Faye grinned as she left the casino. She loved it when she made people uncomfortable. She walked to the curb, and signaled a taxi.
"The Carlton," She said, sliding into the back seat with a sigh.
The drive was an eerily silent one, none of the usual cab-chat, or destination suggestions. The car pulled up to her hotel, and Faye got out. She walked over to the driver's window, reaching into her purse for cash.
"I've already been paid miss," he said, waving away her money. "You're employer left instructions that I was to take you anywhere you needed to go." He smiled, coldly... probably a little pissed at being reduced to cab service for her.
"In that case," Faye shoved the money back into her purse, "I'll no longer be requiring your services. Tell your 'employer' I can handle my own cases." She walked briskly into the hotel, leaving the cabbie stunned in the car.
There was a knock at her door at exactly 12:00 pm the next day. She smiled, opening the door to find Nate, and a large box.
Nate glanced in either direction, then entered her room. "Where can I set this," he said, nodding to the box in his arms.
"Just set it on the bed."
He complied and then turned to face her, "Well, I've followed through with my end, what about yours?"
Faye walked casually over to the bed, and peeked into the box... It was full of videodisks. She selected one labeled 'Friday, June 9th' and popped it into her laptop. The video showed a casino gambling floor, the card games and the craps tables. She smiled, and walked to the head of the bed, opening her nightstand drawer.
She pulled out a manila envelope, and tossed it in his direction. "That's all three million," she sat down on the edge of the bed, "you can count it, if you like, but I assure you that it isn't necessary."
He smiled, "I'll take your word for it," he said, backing for the door. He turned as his hand brushed oak, and left. With the door closed behind him, he broke the seal on the envelope, and counted the money. One could never be too careful when dealing with Faye.
Faye smiled, and glanced once more into the box of video disks... The Spike double had been spotted just outside old Las Vegas, but no one goes to Las Vegas unless they're going to New Vegas, with any luck, he'd be on one of these security disks.
She loaded and image of spike into her computer from public records, and inserted the first disk. The images flashed by, too quickly for her to process, but the computer had no trouble with it. It took ten minutes for the computer to sift through the images, and decide that the subject wasn't found. Faye shrugged; she hadn't really expected to find anything on the first one she tried, and popped in the next disk.
She was finally making progress.
12 hours later, her bed was piled high with searched disks, and the number of ones to be gone through was dwindling. She bit her lip in frustration as yet another disk came up empty, and inserted the next one. She saw the letters pop up on the screen, and winced out of habit, smiled, she began to laugh as she looked at her screen. SUBJECT FOUND.
John stared at the phone... he wasn't really expecting it to ring now, at least not with her on the other end of the line. He should really be getting to bed, he told himself, he had to work in the morning, and anyway, it was obvious Faye wasn't going to call. He stood up; then sat back down again with a sigh, and continued his vigil.
Living Memories
The night was dead save the click of her heel as it struck the cracked pavement... click... click... click...She walked alone down the lifeless alleyways of what had once been a Mecca for the dedicated gambler. Now it was just a pile of rubble.
She'd been here once, many years ago, she'd seen these streets teeming with life, and the city lit up like a Christmas tree. Now the city was black as coal. And yet... some how, this city seemed to remember what it had once been, in a far off, distant way. Perhaps all that luck, good and bad, all the fortunes won and lost, had left a permanent scar on the soil beneath her feet.
She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. She could almost smell tang of the sweat that you only get when the pot has grown to at least 10 million Wulongs, and you're sitting on a straight flush.
This one-time shrine to the god of fate was now nothing more than a ghost town.
"It's fitting that they saw him here..." She said, to no one in particular. A breeze stirred the dust behind her, before brushing her neck with its ethereal fingers. She shivered, and picked up her pace, anxious to reach the meeting point. Suddenly, this place so full of living memories, made her very nervous.
It was hard to believe that a mere hundred feet under the dirt was New Vegas, a subterranean mock-up of the original, where the glimmer of the lights shone on into the eternal night. It was to these sub-levels that she was headed, she was meeting with an old friend of hers in casino security... she almost laughed at the thought of having a friend in casino security, perhaps the term 'uneasy ally' would be better.
She reached an escalator in the old town square, the only sign that there was life above or below ground, and descended to the depths below.
New Vegas was like a smaller, but somehow gaudier version of the original, managing to pack all of the gleam and desperation of Las Vegas into a less glamorous package. But gambling was gambling, and to an addict, it didn't much matter if you were playing in an alley, or in a penthouse suite, so long as the stakes were high.
She went into a place called Paragon; it was probably the most well known casino in New Vegas. Her friend was head of house security... the enemy of the card shark. She had a favor to ask him.
As she stood in the foyer, she closed her eyes, and listened. The sound of tears, and of laughter, the *ching of the slot machines, the comforting rattle of the roulette wheel... no music composed by a Beethoven or Brahms was sweeter to her ears. She hadn't listened to this symphony in a long time.
For some reason, the casino sounds made her think of another casino, and a fateful night, over four years ago...
"Faye, I can't say it's good to see you, not in here anyway."
"Nate," she said, recognizing the voice. Her eyes snapped open to find a tall man, in his early thirties, wearing a black suit and tie, and not to cleverly concealed earpiece. He nodded to a similarly dressed man as he walked by, who promptly raised his wrist to his mouth... it was times like these Faye wished she'd learned how to read lips. "My, my... you certainly run a nice little operation here." She said after a minute.
"I just want to make sure you remember our deal."
"Not to worry, if you help me out, I won't play... not this visit, anyway," she said, surveying the room now with open eyes, taking in the sources of all those delicious sounds.
He gave her a suspicious look, but said nothing.
"Now, let's get down to business... where's the bar?"
He lead her through the archway and across the casino floor, all the while, keeping one eye in front of them, and one on her, as if he were afraid she would disappear into the crowd, and get lost among the other gamblers. Faye had to smile at her notoriety.
On the other side of the gambling floor, was an arched doorway, which led to a dimly lit lounge. Faye broke away from her escort and headed to the bar, where the bartender was busying himself wiping glasses. He didn't notice her when she strolled up to the bar. Pulling out a cigarette, she rapped on the counter to get his attention. He turned around, and smiled at her.
"Matches?" She said.
He sent a book sailing in her direction, and she caught it with a grateful wink. "Thanks, now if you could just bring me a scotch on the rocks, I'll have found my dream man."
His smile broadened, as he set a glass on the counter and began filling it. "I haven't seen you here before," he said.
"And you won't ever again," said Nate, catching up to her.
"In that case," Faye paused, taking a sip, "you can put this on his tab."
The bartender chuckled, and turned back to his glasses.
"So, are you going to tell me what this is about?" Nate asked.
"How long do you big casino's keep security film?"
"After the disk is full, we archive it for three months." His brows knit together, "why?"
"Nate, you know those security cameras catch everything, that's why you've always been such a big help to me in the past... you've given me the heads-up on quite a few bounties, but you've always handled yourself in a manner that was just and ethical." "So?"
"Well, what I'm going to ask you to, um... suspend you ethics temporarily."
"I'm not sure..."
"Let me speak plainly, how much is it going to cost to get you and every other major casino to sell me all of the security disks from last weekend?"
"Three million," he said, not even bothering to feign outrage at the proposition.
Faye smiled... this certainly fell under the category of 'expenses.' "Done, just make sure I get the tapes, not just from here, but every major casino in New Vegas, I'm staying at the Carlton," yet another expense, "I'll expect you there by noon tomorrow, and don't be late, other wise, the deal is off."
Nate watched her retreating figure, sighing in relief. "Watch her until she walks out the door," he said into his wrist-com, then tapped the counter, "whiskey... double." Damn. She made him nervous.
Faye grinned as she left the casino. She loved it when she made people uncomfortable. She walked to the curb, and signaled a taxi.
"The Carlton," She said, sliding into the back seat with a sigh.
The drive was an eerily silent one, none of the usual cab-chat, or destination suggestions. The car pulled up to her hotel, and Faye got out. She walked over to the driver's window, reaching into her purse for cash.
"I've already been paid miss," he said, waving away her money. "You're employer left instructions that I was to take you anywhere you needed to go." He smiled, coldly... probably a little pissed at being reduced to cab service for her.
"In that case," Faye shoved the money back into her purse, "I'll no longer be requiring your services. Tell your 'employer' I can handle my own cases." She walked briskly into the hotel, leaving the cabbie stunned in the car.
There was a knock at her door at exactly 12:00 pm the next day. She smiled, opening the door to find Nate, and a large box.
Nate glanced in either direction, then entered her room. "Where can I set this," he said, nodding to the box in his arms.
"Just set it on the bed."
He complied and then turned to face her, "Well, I've followed through with my end, what about yours?"
Faye walked casually over to the bed, and peeked into the box... It was full of videodisks. She selected one labeled 'Friday, June 9th' and popped it into her laptop. The video showed a casino gambling floor, the card games and the craps tables. She smiled, and walked to the head of the bed, opening her nightstand drawer.
She pulled out a manila envelope, and tossed it in his direction. "That's all three million," she sat down on the edge of the bed, "you can count it, if you like, but I assure you that it isn't necessary."
He smiled, "I'll take your word for it," he said, backing for the door. He turned as his hand brushed oak, and left. With the door closed behind him, he broke the seal on the envelope, and counted the money. One could never be too careful when dealing with Faye.
Faye smiled, and glanced once more into the box of video disks... The Spike double had been spotted just outside old Las Vegas, but no one goes to Las Vegas unless they're going to New Vegas, with any luck, he'd be on one of these security disks.
She loaded and image of spike into her computer from public records, and inserted the first disk. The images flashed by, too quickly for her to process, but the computer had no trouble with it. It took ten minutes for the computer to sift through the images, and decide that the subject wasn't found. Faye shrugged; she hadn't really expected to find anything on the first one she tried, and popped in the next disk.
She was finally making progress.
12 hours later, her bed was piled high with searched disks, and the number of ones to be gone through was dwindling. She bit her lip in frustration as yet another disk came up empty, and inserted the next one. She saw the letters pop up on the screen, and winced out of habit, smiled, she began to laugh as she looked at her screen. SUBJECT FOUND.
John stared at the phone... he wasn't really expecting it to ring now, at least not with her on the other end of the line. He should really be getting to bed, he told himself, he had to work in the morning, and anyway, it was obvious Faye wasn't going to call. He stood up; then sat back down again with a sigh, and continued his vigil.