Kelly & Jennifer's suite

Two minutes later

"Let me save you the time and trouble of asking the obvious questions 'how' and 'why'," Trixie began without preamble as she sat between them on the couch, "we haven't got long - when play resumes, there'll be no more buy-ins. Like everyone playing this game - except, apparently, you and gospazha Ivánovna - I came primarily to have a good time, although I've realised now that I enjoy watching poker more than playing it...and I'm doing what I believe is called 'bleeding chips'," she noted ruefully.

"Seems an expensive good time, even though you can afford it," Jennifer doubted.

Trixie only chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about that; events such as this one are not only fun, they're ideal networking opportunities, a chance to meet people and make deals - which in fact I already have, and I'm far from being the only one. Even if I lose the lot I'm still going to make a healthy profit from this event, I promise you."

"Oh, I see - it's both fun and an investment," Jennifer comprehended. "So that's why you're all willing to spend so much on just having a good time. That's partly why Holt started this in the first place," she further reasoned, "fun, fantasy fulfilment and making money, all rolled into one."

"Quite right, dear, and you've summed Nicholas up beautifully there, by the way," she grinned, "he and I are good friends; he invited me personally, bless him. I started with a billion; I still have $280million in chips on the table, with another half-billion immediately to hand." She took a breath. "I am willing to drop out and transfer my entire remaining stake money, $780million total, to your account. That's how I can help; now we come to the far more interesting question...why?"

"That's a crazily generous offer for you to make, so you must have a compelling reason," Kelly surmised.

"I do. I want to know, or more accurately confirm, the truth."

"About what?" he asked neutrally, though he had a feeling...

"My company's business is the transshipping and refining of ores, and I have a habit of...well, playing, to be honest," she chuckled in an impish way reminiscent of Jennifer or Sophie. "I take small random samples of ores from our warehouses and use a mass spectrometer to try to determine where they came from, just for fun."

"That's fun?" Jennifer frowned.

Trixie shrugged. "I was a science geek as a girl - so sue me. Recently we handled a small shipment of gold ore, and I was especially curious as I'd never seen any before; we don't deal much in precious ores, we mainly handle industrial metal ores - iron, copper, magnesium and the like. For one thing it's more profitable, and for another," she looked rueful, "the extra security needed when we handle precious ores is a major pain in the ass.

"But when I analysed it...I discovered something impossible. I found a small but substantial amount of iron-60 in the ore - I don't know if that means anything to you?" she ventured.

Kelly and Jennifer shared a significant glance. Diamonds & Gold, they both recalled. "Oh, yes," Kelly nodded grimly, "iron-60 is an extinct radionuclide. Except in the tiniest traces, it doesn't exist on Earth."

"Exactly," Trixie also nodded, "but that fact ties in with something my father told me in strictest confidence, something truly incredible...and terrifying. He's -"

"- Johann Laplâce, I know," Kelly interrupted sharply, realising only too well what she meant and where she was going, and for Jennifer's benefit he expanded, "he's the primary UN Security Council liaison to the World Bank, appointed in late 2019. That position makes him privy to certain information...none of which he had any business sharing with you or anyone else, madam!"

"He had to," Trixie cried in anguish, "it was tearing him apart! Such a terrible burden of knowledge, he couldn't stand it any more! He had to tell someone!"

"No, he didn't," Kelly coldly disagreed. "How does he - or you - think we cope? We have to face Jennifer's daughter every day - and tell her nothing! I have to lie to my mother every time I visit, the woman who always taught me it's best to tell the truth! We hate it, but it has to be done! If he's told you that much, then he's also told you why the whole thing's kept under wraps!"

"He did," she murmured, "but he trusts me. I haven't told anyone else," she insisted. "I destroyed all records of my analysis, just in case."

"Just as well on both counts, or I'd be tempted to shoot you," Kelly muttered sourly.

"With what?" she retorted derisively. "We were all searched and scanned on entry, so you can't...oh, you can, can't you? Something undetectable, I take it - or even implanted?" she suggested shrewdly. "I've heard rumours about things that can be implanted into fingers and the like."

(Kelly made a mental note to interrogate her later as to where, when and from whom she'd heard those rumours. The Mark II Organic Finger-Implanted Flechètte Projector was still very firmly on the secret list!)

"Wait, we are talking about the same thing, aren't we?" Jennifer asked. "About - oh, let's put our," she smiled ironically, "cards on the table, shall we? - about SHADO, UFOs, Aliens and the like?" As Kelly shot her a disapproving glare she snapped irritably, "Oh, you can always jab her with that bloody drug, can't you!"

"True," he contritely admitted, "fair point. So is Jennifer right?" he sharply addressed Trixie now.

"Yes, she is," Trixie agreed soberly, "but I could barely believe what Father told me...until I analysed that ore and realised there was only one possible explanation for what I'd found."

"Just out of curiosity," Kelly inquired, "and I hope this doesn't breach any rules you might have regarding client confidentiality, exactly where and to whom was that gold ore going?"

"It's no secret," she shrugged, "the lading order I looked up specified Russia, for Arkady Industrial Concerns, Ltd."

That came as no surprise to Kelly, as it confirmed Shostakovich's connection to the Aliens - AIC was owned by him through a front, as a key part of the industrial empire he was slowly, gradually (and quietly; the Russian authorities apparently hadn't noticed) building. Thus one part of their mission for SHADO was now complete:

Shostakovich had dealt with the Aliens...and was still dealing with them.

They'd shipped the ore through entirely legal, ordinary channels, via a handling company (Trixie's) which knew nothing, as a cover. Such a routine transaction would pass unnoticed by SHADO unless the iron-60 had somehow been detected (since that would naturally raise a red flag to SHADO Security, as per standing orders inaugurated as a direct consequence of the Klein affair).

Of course the Aliens had had decades of practice in the art of subtlety. As they knew perfectly well, not even SHADO could watch everything going on in the world. There was generally no reason to monitor gold ore shipments purely on the off chance that they might contain iron-60...quite simply, SHADO had better things to do. Besides, such monitoring might well draw unwanted attention.

"Supposedly it's a state-owned firm bought from a Russian conglomerate in 2012, but I believe I know exactly who really owns AIC: one Ivan Shostakovich, who just happens to be the father of our lovely little blonde poker player."

Kelly nodded. "He does. No, it's no surprise, believe me." He cleared his throat. "Returning to our business: what are you offering, and what do you want in return?"

Trixie squared her shoulders. "Here's the deal: I will stake you, Commander." Another disapproving glare, which didn't faze her. "Yes, I do know who you are, and that you command the UN-chartered organisation known as SHADO. I recognised you from Father's description...your eyes, especially, he described them vividly - 'ice-cold at times, diamond-hard and intense as hell', he told me.

"Look, I don't know what you're doing here, or why - nor do I much care, to be honest, it's none of my concern," she shrugged nonchalantly, "and besides, I have to confess that the sheer scale of what you people are dealing with, if it's true...well, I simply can't think that big, it's beyond me," Trixie freely admitted with a rueful shake of her head. "I'm no Elon Musk, I'm just a businesswoman, not someone setting out to change or save the world."

"Fair enough," Kelly nodded, inclining his head in respect for her candour.

"It's clear, though, that winning this game is vital to your objective, whatever it is, and I'm willing to help. But the price for my aid is for me to know whether my father told me the truth...and more importantly, I want to be allowed to remember! I gather your people do routinely erase the memories of those who learn too much, as Jennifer just implied you can - but I want to be an exception to that rule! In fact I insist on it!" She emptied the flute. "Take it or leave it, but remember: you're running out of time." Now she smiled. "Frankly, I don't believe you have much of a choice."

She was right, Kelly saw resignedly; he knew too well there was no chance, none whatsoever, of securing a further UN loan - the Secretary General would have a fit if he even asked. Hell, she hadn't been too keen on authorising the loan of the half-billion opening stake (and he'd have preferred twice as much, at that). Yet what Trixie was asking him to do ran completely contrary to SHADO security protocol - as she probably knew. In fact, according to standard procedure he really should brain her here and now, dammit, and call Penelope to have her taken to HQ for interrogation - and her father as well!

If he didn't agree to her proposal, though, they would lose the only, slim chance still remaining to accomplish the mission - with the major threat to SHADO's long-term future implied by said failure. But it would mean permitting an uncleared civilian to know too much when she had no direct connection to SHADO (unlike Jennifer), and even as the Commander he didn't have the authority, strictly speaking, to make that call even by virtue of Commander's Discretion - so he needed to talk to someone who did.

There was one person, and only one, on the entire planet who fit the bill.

Thus he tapped the left side of his jaw just under his earlobe to activate the implanted transceiver and intoned, "Penny Red."

This was a codephrase, meaningless to anyone who might overhear it (doubtless they'd think he was discussing philately), to put Penelope - who was stationed near the hotel with her Assault & Rescue Team in Mobile 1 - on alert; she responded, "Yes, sir?" Her response went through a noise-cancelling earbug and hence directly to his eardrum, so no-one else could hear her...he wouldn't want to repeat Bond's mistake in Casino Royale, when Steven Obanno's bodyguard overheard Valenka's sobbing relayed via the bug placed on Le Chiffre (an odd faux pas for Q to make, he'd always thought, allowing such a thing to occur...).

"Put me through to Henderson," he ordered.

"Sir, last reports place him in consultation with the Secretary General -"

"I don't care where he is or what he's doing, Penelope! Get him now, that's an order! Hurry!"

With gratifying speed came the gruff words: "Okay, McAllister, what's gone wrong?"

Of course there were several possible replies to that, ranging from frivolous to sarcastic, but Kelly considered each one for only the briefest moment before deciding Oh, the hell with it and tiredly answering, "What do you think went wrong?"

"Overconfidence, huh? I seem to remember warning you about that."

"No," Kelly denied quietly, "I wasn't overconfident, she...well, I don't know what she did, but it was something a kid her apparent age shouldn't have been able to do. I was right about Natalia: she's the key. In fact she's a Construct, and a bloody good one!"

"So that's how she stayed hidden for eighteen years - she didn't," Henderson drew the obvious conclusion. "I wonder whose DNA they used?"

"At this point I've no idea and I'm not sure it matters much. But Shostakovich himself has dealt and is dealing with the Aliens - that's now confirmed, repeat confirmed. I'll explain that further in my report. Plus...I think there's something else going on, something we've missed..." Now he sighed. "But the immediate problem, General, is that I'm cleaned out -"

"Yeah, I'd figured that out already! Hell's bells, McAllister, you know I can't get you any more, so you'd better -"

"- but," Kelly interrupted before Henderson could order him to abort the mission and pull out, "there may be a solution...though I don't believe I have the authority to implement it. You, however, do."

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that - but...go on."

Kelly took a breath. "Johann Laplâce told his daughter Trixie about SHADO et al."

"WHAAAT?!"

"Ouch," Kelly winced, though he'd braced himself for it. "And now she wants to be allowed to remember - in return for which she'll stake me," he added quickly to forestall the angry protest he knew Henderson would make. "She's offering $780 million, which is even more than I came in with - and I'm still sure I can figure out that Russian floozy and beat her!" An idea occurred to him. "Also...well, since we're looking for investors, why not invite Trixie to become one of them?"

Trixie looked surprised, then pleased, on hearing that.

"Mmm...possible. What's her line of business?"

"Her company deals in raw materials, specifically metal ores, and we could certainly use her resources and connections...and it occurs to me that it might just be advantageous to have at least one investor on board who knows the truth - as insurance, so to speak," Kelly proposed thoughtfully.

Henderson didn't reply immediately, a good sign; it meant he was seriously considering the idea rather than just going By The Book and demanding that this potential catastrophic security leak be plugged immediately by any means necessary. But Henderson knew as well as Kelly did - and Straker had - that going By The Book all the time could be a disastrous error, as SHADO's eventful history had repeatedly proved. Finally the general rumbled pensively, "You may have a point there, Kelly. I gotta admit that's not a bad idea."

"Um, not to rush you or anything, but the break will be over soon - after which there'll be no more buy-ins," Kelly informed him. "So I need a decision now, General."

"It's pretty much contrary to regs, and it's a helluva risk...but I guess we don't have much choice. Alright," he pronounced briskly, "proceed on the assumption that you do have the authority - I'll get started on the clearances for her and," he growled, "I'll see about our World Bank blabbermouth!"

"Thanks, General. McAllister out. Clear, Penelope; resume standby status. Penny Green."

"Yes, sir," Penelope returned, and the earbug went silent.

Kelly turned to Trixie. "It's a deal. Let's move!"

"Monsieur Renoir?" Trixie called merrily to the game director, who was chatting amiably to Hirohito and Ranjit at the bar. "Pardonnez-moi, s'il vous plaît?"

"Excusez-moi, messieurs. Oui, Madame?" Claude Renoir responded courteously as he turned to face her.

"I'm afraid I have to drop out -"

"Oh, quelle dommage," Claude lamented. He enjoyed his job and was genuinely distressed at the prospect of losing a player for any reason other than through the normal playing of the game. "I am so sorry, Madame. I do hope it is nothing untoward -"

"Thank you, but it's no bother, really, and it's certainly nothing you've done - oh, you've been most courteous," she smiled, cheering him. "It's just that I've discovered I'm really more of a kibitzer than a player. However, I would like to transfer the entire balance of my game account to Mr. McAllister, including the half-billion reserve. We've made a deal of sorts, and he really needs to buy back in, so..."

"Indeed?" Claude smiled back. "It has been most rewarding and edifying to bear witness to la bataille royale between him and Mademoiselle Ivánovna - and now to see that battle resume...oh, enchanté!" he enthused, clapping. "But of course you may transfer, there is still time...Monsieur Müller?" he called to the Swiss financier handling electronic fund transactions for the game. A polite greeting, some quick tapping on the encryption unit's keyboard by Müller, Trixie and Kelly, and it was done.

"Welcome back to the game, Monsieur McAllister, et bon chance," Claude told him pleasantly, handing him a stack of chips to the value of $730million - bringing his total stake to $760million (the $50million re-buy amount being automatically deducted, of course).

"Merci très beaucoup, Monsieur Renoir," Kelly returned warmly. He looked at Jennifer and Trixie, then across the room at Natalia, and pronounced grimly:

"Game on, bitch."

As the players drifted back to the table and resumed their seats a few minutes later, the director announced, "Mesdames et messieurs, we now enter the final phase of the game, which means there are no more buy-ins. Just before the deadline expired, however, there were two changes in the lineup of players: Madame Laplâce has voluntarily dropped out..."

Now it was Kelly's turn to make an entrance - and he did.

He'd changed into the tuxedo he'd been saving for the final phase (a Versace original but every bit as bulletproof as Jennifer's little number) - and even with his unhandsome visage, he looked every bit as sharp and deadly as Daniel Craig had in Casino Royale. He coolly adjusted a cufflink purely for effect, sat and placed the stack of chips before him with equal nonchalance...but he'd very deliberately taken the empty seat directly facing Natalia.

"...and Monsieur McAllister exercised his right of re-buy, as you see," Claude finished expansively. "May you all enjoy the game."

There were one or two sounds of applause...and Natalia's sotto voce curse of "Buliatch!"

Kelly heard it, and only grinned. His unexpected if melodramatic reappearance had, as he'd hoped, thrown her to such an extent that even with her incredible and utterly opaque self-control she couldn't conceal her feelings about it.

It wasn't much in terms of cracking her defences, but it sure as hell was a start.

And now he had a plan.

They played another hand, Kelly betting carefully while watching Natalia with equal care. She was gradually becoming flustered and trying to hide it; clearly her strategy had been to remove him from contention as her greatest danger and then clean out the others, who would be easy prey for her once Kelly was out of it, and she was now unsettled. Good. He wasn't surprised when she folded and headed for the Ladies' Room - doubtless she needed a break to compose herself.

In other words, his plan - to faze her as much as possible, maybe even push her into making mistakes - was working. He'd revised his strategy by taking into account the girl's true age (something which, he admitted to himself and would state in his report, he should've done as soon as her true nature had been revealed - but then he wasn't expected to be perfect and, dammit, he'd never claimed or tried to be!) and the fact that she couldn't possibly possess much emotional maturity, given her accelerated growth and development. She might have the body of an eighteen-year-old woman, but in real human terms she was still a child - a baby, really.

Unusually, the Aliens had apparently made a mistake. So had he, at first, but now his error had been corrected - and he had no intention of giving them, or Natalia, any further opportunity to get the better of him. Once was once too often.

His eyes flicked to Jennifer and he was pleased to see she'd immediately picked up the telegraphed message:

Follow her.

Casino Royale, Ladies' Room

Jennifer entered on Natalia's stylish heels (Gucci, she noted, and could practically hear Kelly awarding her points for observation, as he surely would when she told him) and caught a stream of invective in Russian and another language she correctly guessed was Hungarian - a client had once mentioned it as a good language in which to swear. "Are you all right, love?" she gently asked, keeping it friendly. For all that Natalia was a Construct, Jennifer was having a very hard time seeing her as the enemy...even while knowing that may well have been the very reason They had made her so appealing.

Do They understand such things?

Then again, we can't afford to assume otherwise, can we? That'd be underestimating them, which is obviously a really bad idea. But, God, she's so cute...

"Why has he bought back in?" Natalia demanded angrily. "I thought I had dealt with him!"

"Darling, you're not the first person to be gunning for Kelly, believe me," Jennifer soothed her, coming up behind her and stroking the girl's pert breasts, nuzzling her long, elegant neck. "He's not so easy to get rid of."

"Is so important to him to win?" Natalia wondered plaintively, responding to Jennifer's touch even while still agitated. "Is ego, perhaps?"

"No," Jennifer shook her head, "he's not like that at all. If he were I wouldn't bother with him; I can't stand egomaniacs."

"Then why?"

Jennifer chuckled ruefully. "To be honest, it's really just about the money. SHADO needs it to impress potential investors, you see."

"They do not need this money as I do," she muttered darkly. "To me, is independence. Is freedom."

"Surely, though," Jennifer essayed, "when you inherit your father's -"

"Nyet," Natalia shook her head, "I am not heir. Like good son of Mother Russia," she went on bitterly, "he is leaving everything to state."

Startled, Jennifer managed, "You're not his heir?"

"Nyet."

"But - why?!"

Kelly, who was listening via the pickup Jennifer thought she'd turned off (he was all too well aware he'd catch hell for that later, but dammit, it was necessary), knew why.

Natalia would never live to inherit.

"I do not know," Natalia murmured. "Perhaps I am not good enough for him."

"I can't believe that," Jennifer demurred, stroking the girl's beautiful hair. "How could any man not be proud of such a smart, beautiful daughter, even in these circumstances? No, there must be another reason," she entreated. "You should ask him. You've a right to know - in every way that matters, you're his daughter - well, near as dammit. Ask him," she gently urged.

"I will, " Natalia resolved, then smiled sexily. "You did not come here just to placate me," she breathed.

I was right, she's interested. Such a lovely little thing. "Well, I did, but we can...talk about something else."

"We can do more than just talk," Natalia murmured boldly, her hand resting on Jennifer's breast. The nipple went hard.

"I've no underwear on," she confided, "because it'd look terrible."

"Not only reason," Natalia quipped.

"No, it saves time," Jennifer returned.

"You are trying to distract me," Natalia observed mildly. "In one sense...is working." She looked serious. "But...I must win. I cannot allow distractions." She kissed Jennifer. "Even beautiful ones."

"Let's fuck," Jennifer offered.

But Natalia shook her head. "Nyet. Final phase is about to start. I must go." For a moment she looked genuinely sad. "I am sorry."

Bets were seriously up in this final phase, the more so when two Queens were dealt. Kelly raised the stakes to eight figures - Natalia countered with nine.

The Ten and Jack of Spades, Queen of Diamonds and Queen of Clubs were already in the communal hand as the dealer drew the final card to be dealt in the game. But for a brief moment he hesitated, taken aback and eyes wide, as he saw what it was, and then he placed it:

The Queen of Spades.

Players and audience alike gasped as the implications sank in. This third Queen - especially that Queen - both opened up possibilities and eliminated several more; every player now had three of a kind and could make four, a full house, a straight flush...or even the highest hand of all, a Royal Flush - if s/he held the King and Ace of Spades.

Does he? Jennifer couldn't help but wonder. Kelly hadn't reacted at all.

Nor, she realised, had Natalia.

Some sort of fever had apparently set in; no-one was checking, and every player was raising by eight-figure amounts.

Except Kelly and Natalia, who were raising by nine-figure amounts.

The pot had swelled to an incredible $1.5billion. Claude was sweating with excitement, and it wasn't as if he had any stake in the outcome. Or perhaps he did, in a way; this event would surely attract a great deal of attention, and thus serve as good advertising - which would in turn mean more visitors and hence increased profit for the Hotel Splendid. Given the unsteady state of European tourism in these troubled mid-Brexit times, plus all the grief with Covid-19, there was hardly an hotel or resort in Europe which wouldn't welcome increased custom.

Things got to the point where players had to fold or lose their stake, and three did in quick succession, leaving five - including Nicholas Holt, the egotist who'd started all this. He was certainly sweating. "Jesus Christ," he gulped, "I never thought it'd go this far!"

To the surprise of all players but one, Natalia quietly commented, "You have no idea what is truly at stake, gospodin. No-one here has...except one." Her gaze shifted and focused on Jennifer; she smiled sexily and amended, "Or perhaps...two."

It was then that Jennifer realised (or worked out, utilising her analytical skills) what was happening:

Three of the remaining players were bluffing; most likely they held the relatively low-value hand of three of a kind, having no Ten or Jack to pair with the communal cards. Hirohito, though, struck her as seeming more confident, so perhaps he had a full house, Queens full of Tens or Jacks - or, if he had the Nine of Spades with either the Eight or the King, he could make a straight flush, Eight through to the Queen or Nine through to the King. He, Nicholas and Ranjit were, she knew, attempting to convince each other - and, more importantly, the only two players who really mattered - that they held better hands than they in fact did.

But those two players knew that, and were ignoring them.

Both were confident in the value of their hands, though in Natalia's case Jennifer wasn't quite sure how she knew that - the girl still wasn't giving anything away.

Or was she?

He's got her! Jennifer suddenly, exultantly comprehended. He's figured her out! Go Kelly!

Soon Ranjit and even Nicholas had to fold, cleaned out; the pot had now grown to $2.8billion. That left only three players: Kelly, Natalia and Hirohito. But as the final, winner-take-all round of betting began, Kelly and Natalia were pulling out all the stops...they were now raising by $1billion or more at a time.

Hirohito could no longer match their bets; he sighed, threw in his cards, stood and bowed to them both. "My compliments - indeed, respects - to most worthy opponents in a fiercely-fought game. I have not enjoyed myself so much, I think, since I first took my wife to bed," he chuckled mildly. There was a ripple of amusement at this risqué admission; his dainty wife, Tomiko, didn't take offence, but only bowed and smiled.

But neither remaining player did more than return a respectful nod.

God, Jennifer fretted, when's she going to back down? He must have the Royal Flush, I can't believe he's bluffing - not with that amount on the table!

Finally Kelly spoke. "I'd fold if I were you."

"Nyet," Natalia retorted defiantly, "you fold!"

"I don't need to. You see, I've figured out your tell -"

"I have none!" she spat proudly.

"- and that is your tell," Kelly contradicted, shaking his head. "It just took me a while to realise it. When you get a good hand, you show no reaction at all - but that in itself is a reaction. So I know, gospazha, I know, that you are not bluffing. You have the Queen of Hearts, I know it." He stared hard at her, bringing the full intensity of his laser-like gaze to bear on the girl, and she quailed, as well she might. "Unfortunately for you, I'm not bluffing, either...all in. $6.4billion."

With that, he pushed his entire huge stack into the middle of the table.

Jennifer gasped in shock, as did Trixie. He'd committed himself utterly now - there was no turning back, there would be no third chance if he lost. This was the proverbial it.

For the first time, Natalia totally lost her cool. "NYET!" she cried in fury. "You do not have Royal Flush! You have King or Ace of Spades, perhaps, but not both!"

"It'll cost you $6.4billion to find out," he shot back coldly.

"Mes amis, please!" Claude pleaded in an attempt to placate them, upset at this breach of etiquette. Even with such a truly incroyable amount of money at stake, the civilised niceties should still be observed, surely. Unfortunately neither player was overly concerned with such (though had he known what was really happening and what this conflict truly represented, he might have forgiven them).

"Buliatch!" Natalia swore again, to Claude's distress. "What is decadent Western capitalist saying? - 'have it your own way'? With redundant syntactic particle, too? SO BE IT! ALL IN, BULIATCH!" She too thrust her entire stack ($7.1billion) into the pot and glared defiantly at Kelly, looking more magnificent in her obdurate anger than any girl of her apparent age or with her diminutive stature - or those sweet, innocent looks - should've been capable of.

For her part Jennifer was sopping wet on witnessing this display, her nipples painfully hard. There were few traits that turned her on more than supreme feminine confidence; it was one reason she'd always admired her best school friend Stephanie Brand, always so certain of herself yet without being cocky. God, she's gorgeous like that, Stephanie would've adored her...as Kelly said, I would just love to rip her clothes off and do her here and now, right on that fucking table!

"Sh - showdown," the dealer pronounced shakily - understandable, since the total pot now stood at a stupendous $19.6billion. "Show m - me, s'il - s'il vous p - plaît..."

"You can still fold," Kelly told her, too softly for the others to hear (knowing as he did that as an Alien Construct, her hearing was exceptional), "and if you do, I can and will help you."

Jennifer, who'd been leaning over Kelly's shoulder (but very definitely not trying to look at his cards) and also heard him, hurried to Natalia's side of the table, placed her hands comfortingly on the girl's small, slim (and quivering) shoulders and urged her gently, "He can, Natalia, you know he can..."

Natalia hesitated, though the look in her tear-filled eyes told Jennifer the girl was seriously considering it. But if there was one human quality she possessed, it was stubbornness; clearly she was still insisting on her independence, not that Jennifer could blame her. She shook her head, slowly reached for her cards and took them between thumb and her first two fingers.

With that, everything changed.

To everyone's shock Kelly suddenly rapped, in full command mode:

"STOP!"

Apparently by reflex, Natalia froze. "What do you -?" Then she saw it:

The cards were smoking slightly.

She was paralysed with fear as she too understood,

In a voice of deadly calm Commander McAllister intoned quietly, "Whatever you do, Natalia...do not turn those cards...and do not exert any more pressure on them than you currently are...but do not let go of them. Just...don't...move. No-one at this table is to move," he ordered in a hard tone. He tapped the left side of his jaw and said what sounded to everyone else (as of course was his intent) like "Penny ready."

In fact, he'd said:

"Penny Red - E."