Chapter 10
"Five fingers"
The Tower of Babel Casino, the most popular place to be for a thousand miles. They've got everything and more, something for literally any taste. There's the expansive gambling hall with lavish sections for the high rollers and cozy tavern-like areas for the average Joe. There are the restaurants that draw crowds with pre-war themes and promising an authentic historical experience with real meat in every meal – they're a no-rat establishment. There's a shopping section to the Tower that is unsurpassed in selection, quality, and price – you can literally buy anything, and the real perk is that the law won't touch you.
And last but not least is the hotel section; it has rooms so comfortable some people have to be thrown out! But their motto here at the Tower Hotel is: "a bed for every head." The special feature of this hotel is the "order in" menu; it's an unspoken favorite with a menu of the most beautiful women, and men, anywhere. It is a bordaux masquerading as a hotel, which is not uncommon, but to hear the employees of the Order In menu talk about it you'd think the Tower was a slice of heaven. "Here we're employees, not just meat" they'll commonly say.
That's something you'll always hear about Mr. Daulgheste: he takes care of his people. He's a demanding employer, only the best effort with obedience and loyalty will do, but if you give that to him he'll make sure you live well.
Very few of his employees and none but the most distinguished of his customers have ever spoken to Mr. Daulgheste directly, but everyone knows his Finger-Men, his people at the top. Embur, Hyde, Vorrin, Parr, and Marshall. Each is in charge of a particular function of the business, and all are utterly devoted to Mr. Daulgheste and the Tower. Their devotion is so complete, its practically passionate, and every Tower employee knows a word from a Finger is law… and sometimes even above it. Some of that inherent respect naturally flows down to each Finger's "crew", their top people. Avek and Quake are two such people. As you've surely deduced they work under Embur, head of security.
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The three men approach the Tower, Embur, Avek, and Quake, their shadows are long as the evening light plays its daily tricks. As they near the Tower front entrance Quake moves subtly behind his fellows. Before they reach the door Avek turns to Quake their fists meet in a casual gesture of friendship, Embur doesn't stop and Avek continues following him along the building. The blue haired Quake changes direction walking away from Embur and Avek toward the dark alley to the left of the building.
Once in the alley Quake lights up another cigarette illuminating his placid face.
"Citypar..." he whispers around the cancer-stick between his lips. Never thought I'd hear of you again... His shiny lighter closes with a click plunging the alley again into heavy shade.
He takes a deep drag letting the smoke out slowly. He turns toward the wall dropping the unfinished cigarette and rubbing it into the concrete. Quake walks to the dumpster farthest from the street and in a single motion pulls it away from the wall. There is a hatch underneath it, being careful of the metal cable running from the dumpster into the wall, Quake lifts the hatch and in a casual movement drops down the hole and out of sight. The hatch slowly closes over the opening as the cable retracts pulling the dumpster back against the wall.