Chapter 18: Poker Face

—

Okay, let's get to going. Sly Cooper belongs to OWMYFACE!

Sorry about that… Ow… I just got Sucker Punched…

Anyways, let's get this going. I think I need to go to the doctor…

—

"Say, where's Rick?"

Abby wasn't even surprised by the voice out of nowhere; she was perfectly aware of just how good List was at remaining undetected, and merely chuckled. "Fast asleep. Poor guy, he was so excited… Must've been riding an adrenaline high since we crossed the border. He collapsed into one of the beds not two minutes after you stepped out."

"Wow. He was so excited to see Macau after dark, too. We gonna be alright without the muscle on this job?"

"For now. Let him get his sleep - we'll need him for the heist. In the meantime, I have our prep missions ready to go."

"Let's hear it, then."

"First up. We're going to need to figure out a way to divert all attention from the main game room while the heist is on. I think I have a way to do that, but it's gonna need some work. That's your assignment for now."

"Just point me in the right direction."

"Not yet. I need to take care of something too, and we need to work this place carefully. If we don't do this in sync… Well, I don't like our odds too much. And against someone who's renowned for being lucky, I say we want to stack the deck as much as we can."

"Whatever makes you feel better. Just tell me the plan."

"You asked for it. We need to change their event schedule."

"…What?"

"It's simple, really. Miss Fortune is well-known for ad-libbing events like the one we need. What we need to do is give her a reason to appear in person… But to do so later. I've figured out a way to do so, but it's risky. You're going to have to wear another disguise."

"…I am both excited and horrified."

"You should be. Look, Miss Fortune is no fool, but she's apparently extremely vain. Here."

List caught the small object thrown to him, and examined it. It was tiny, but he knew what it was almost instinctually.

"Lemme guess. You want me to put this fake token into one of the slot machines." he grinned, flipping the shiny coin as he spoke and snatching it out of midair.

"Got it in one. I call it a Jackpot Coin. Drop it into the slot, and it'll… Well, the technical explanation is long and convoluted. Suffice it to say that the machine is sure to come up triple-seven."

"It's identical to the tokens they use there… They won't catch me even if they see it. Nice touch."

"Just stay clear of the Inspector. She can't afford to blow her cover, but if she sees you, the risk of our mission goes way, way up."

"And what do I do when the jackpot is hit?"

"Simple. The slots are rigged so that the chances of a jackpot are nearly one-in-a-million. Get that jackpot, and Miss Fortune herself will come down to congratulate you. All you need to do is sweet-talk her into a little celebration later this evening."

"…You know, that could be taken a very different way than you probably mean."

"Ugh, you know what I meant. Convince her to throw a party in the game rooms at some point, I don't care how. Just distract them for long enough that I can get into the interior server room."

"I see what you're getting at here. We prep for the heist while you take over their security systems!"

"The Inspector will know we're here when you get congratulated by the head honcho. Keep clear of her - no telling what she'll do. Anyways, after you've gotten clear of the casino, I need you to climb to the roof and attach a groundwire."

"Groundwire?"

"When we're on the heist, you're going to need a quick way up. The groundwire is this."

Abby handed the half-coon a small tube, a hook attached to the end. As he examined it, she continued to explain.

"I fitted it with a remote trigger. Just mount it on the roof. When the time comes, I'll give you a wire straight to the roof - you'll need it."

"Got the whole operation planned, I see. Then let's get to work. Where's my suit…?"

—

A curt nod to the bouncer as he walked through the opulently decorated doors. Just enough to give acknowledgement, without seeming to care that the huge guard was there; the same attitude all of the patrons shared towards the guards.

Making his way through the crowd, he scanned his surrounds surreptitiously so as to suppress suspicion. The thief sighed silently in solace, seeing no sign of the Inspector as he made his way to the slots.

Taking a seat, he knew far better than to put the Jackpot in first. Instead,he slid in a normal token - one he had 'acquired' from a careless patron of the casino. The slots came up junk - not unexpected, considering that they were rigged. Suppressing a smile, he faked disappointment before dropping in the Jackpot.

Watching the slots, he grinned widely. Seven. Seven…

Seven.

The jingle went off. Jingle, of course, meaning 'every alarm built into the machine'. It was a confused, but triumphant little melody, played far louder than could be really considered reasonable, trumpeted from several speakers on the slot machine. Tokens began to spill into the tray as the people around him stared in shock.

As he batted a hand away from his prize, List noticed a pair of guards approaching. Grinning, he indicated the mess of tokens. "Guess I got lucky, huh?"

"Indeed, sir. The owner would like to personally congratulate you on your good fortune."

"That''s nice and all, but would you mind giving me a hand with this? I don't think I can carry all of these myself."

"No need. I will gather the tokens and return them. The owner would like to present you with your winnings in a more… Compact form."

"How considerate."

Getting up from the stool in front of the slot, List followed one of the guards away, as the second began to pick up the tokens. He noted in amusement that the guard was having a hard time keeping all of the surrounding patrons from snatching the tokens.

It wasn't a long walk, though that might've been because the guard knew the quickest path to their destination. Stepping through a small but lavishly decorated door, he found himself in a tiny but opulently arranged room, and looking at a slight but richly dressed woman.

—

"I'm tracking you in the side room now. And yes, this is enough distraction. I just needed the guards to be paying less attention."

No rain or wind. Clear skies, dark enough to hide her… And she had brought the fire escape up after her. No trace, no mess.

Abby grinned, lining up her shot. It was a tough one, to be sure, but one she knew she could make. Her BB gun let out a muffled bang as she squeezed the trigger, sending a very special round flying through the open window.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she ran, headed back towards the safehouse. Inside, her special round - one she had named the Hacker Bullet - found its way perfectly into the USB port of the exchange terminal, clicking into place with the help of a little bit of magnetism.

"Okay, I have my part in place. I'll have it cracked when you get back - and don't forget the grounding!" she reported, before switching off the call.

—

Only half-listening to the jackal, List offered a charming smile to the woman standing in front of him. She half-smiled in return, before getting up from the dainty armchair she had been sitting in.

"So, you are the lucky one? I congratulate you. Not many have your kind of luck." she remarked, looking curious. List simply smiled again. "Luck? Luck is finding that the owner happens to be such a lovely young woman."

"And a sweet talker, too. I suppose I haven't quite made it public enough that I own this place…" the rabbit mused, looking thoughtful. "Then why not make it public? Take an hour or two to yourself, then make a public appearance. Perhaps somewhere close to the entrance?" the thief suggested, taking his chance while he saw it. "After all, it'd be a shame for the grand opening to not feature the grandest part of the casino."

"…You know something? You're right. Walk with me." she nodded, beginning to walk towards the door. A split second of hesitation, then the half-coon followed, feeling a bit apprehensive; this wasn't really part of the plan.

"You're a sharp one. More clever than the average man, though that's not saying much. Assume for just a moment that I've been unable to find intelligent conversation here for weeks now."

"Then you're looking for someone to talk to, someone capable of listening and offering a fresh perspective. Someone who can challenge your ideas before you become too complacent."

"Precisely. Assume again not everything I've been up to is… Completely legal."

"Then you're taking an enormous risk, but one that may pay off immensely. Two of them, in fact. One in doing these… Questionable things. The other in tipping your hand, hoping for an intelligent ally."

"I've been a lucky, lucky woman from birth. The risks I take often pay off."

"No risk, no reward. Unfortunately, I'm happy with my occupation at the moment. I respect the trust you placed in me, but I shouldn't dig myself too deep."

"It's your choice. My door is open. Here - my card and yours."

List accepted both cards, inspecting both the business card and the huge jackpot check before pocketing them.

"My apologies. I don't carry cards myself - never had a reason to." he told her. "I suppose this is goodbye. I'll think it over."

"Do that. As I said…"

"Your door is open. Right now though, the only one I'm sure of is over there."

The ringtail took his leave with a parting nod, headed for the front door. Safely out of sight of the guards and patrons at last, he retrieved his cane from the alley he'd hidden it in and headed for the top.

—

"Groundwire's in place, and we've got a whole lot of money already, so I guess it's time for phase three." reported the thief, walking in with a grin.

"Good. Rick's still out, but I've got the exchange computer cracked open… Let's get to work."

—

Bit of a short chapter, but eh.

Also, eh.

And did I mention… eh.

Well, whatever. Kinda wanting to rush to the end of this mission, but eh. Pacing is key.

Also, please don't expect a new one in the next two days. Family matters, you know? Sorry, everyone.

With a strange little link on the inside, the Cooper Gang is now ready to really start cracking down on their next objectives. What has become of the Inspector, however? And when the heck is Rick going to wake up? Find out next time in Chapter 19: Card Sharks!

KeyFire, wishing that I didn't have to deal with family matters. See you next time!