Page 14 of Ride Forever
Chapter 5
Chaser
Isquinted at the cell phone screen, angling the map in different directions.
The Halcyon Casino and Resort was the ultimate in Las Vegas luxury, a five-star hotel sitting above a bustling casino, and home to theatres packaging run-of-the-mill strip shows into tastefully erotic stripteases and live sex into titillating fantasies come to life. I could imagine the massage services at the day spa.
On the surface, it looked just like any other casino on the Strip, which it was to the foot traffic that wandered in off the street, but the adult-only vibe resonated the deeper into the building people went. It had the families running in the opposite direction. Fast.
Sloane rolled over on the bed behind me and sighed. I felt the same way. All the talking over the past couple of days had me emotionally exhausted. At least my black eye was fading. My rugged good looks were coming back with a vengeance.
“What are you doing?” she asked, sitting beside me, naked as the day she came into this messed-up world.
“We need to get to work,” I replied. “We can’t wait for Gasket. It’s not realistic.”
“Now who’s getting impatient.”
“Fortitude could be dealing with the renegades for years,” I went on. “They could have joined a rival club or be devising a strike on the compound. We can’t bank on their help with the Hollow Men. Besides, there are still things we can do while waiting for the heat to die down.”
“I know,” Sloane said in agreement. “What do you have in mind?”
“It’s been a long time since I was undercover. Things would have changed. The best place to start is contacting some old informants from my FBI days.”
Her brow creased. “Is that smart?”
“It’s a risk, but the Hollow Men know our faces. We can’t just walk into that casino and expect not to be picked up on the security feeds. They’ll have facial recognition.”
She nodded, realizing our predicament. “So we need another way in.”
“I know a guy. It’s a long shot, but he might have some actionable information.”
“An informant?”
“Yeah. I kept in touch with him for a while after Madison died,” I explained. “I’d planned to go back in and finish off King, but other things got in the way. It’s been a few years, but I think it’s worth the risk. He wanted to see the Hollow Men dismantled as much as we do.”
“Common enemy…” she mused. “Who is this guy? Is he FBI?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Guys like him are usually criminals looking for a deal. They’ll turn for anyone who’s got something they want. A get out of jail free card, money…”
Sloane grimaced and reached for one of my T-shirts I’d flung over the back of a chair. Pulling it over her head, she muttered, “Somehow, I don’t think we’ve got anything he wants.”
“Like I said… It’s a long shot. The guy was flaky back then, and when he realized I wasn’t going to do anything about King, he split.”
“So now that we’re on the hunt, he might want back in?”
I shrugged. “Assuming he’s still around.”
“Okay, so when are we going?”
I glanced at her and narrowed my eyes. There was no way in hell I was putting Sloane in a vulnerable position. She didn’t need to be there, getting her face more known than it already was.
“No,” I said. “You’ll stay here.”
“What did I say about wrapping me in cotton wool?” she exclaimed. “I want to go. I need to be a part of this, Chaser.”
“And I don’t need you spooking the informant,” I replied, keeping a lid on my anger. I admired her strength, but there was this thing she had with letting it snowball into stubbornness. “Besides, I don’t trust him. There’s a chance he’ll pull a double cross the moment I show my face. Like I said, allegiance can be bought.”
She hissed and leaned back in the chair, resting her foot in front of her. Hugging her knee, she eyed me warily. “I don’t like it.”
