Page 55 of The Gambler

“Nothing, but, there’s a game there tonight.”

“Game, what kind of game?”

“Well, while you were asleep I put out some feelers and found out that there’s some kind of high stakes game going on there tonight. Lotta the big boys are gonna be there.”

“How does this help me? I can’t just walk in there can I? you usually have to buy into those things.” When the old man didn’t answer but just gave him a look, he still hadn’t caught on. It was Garrett’s ‘oh shit’ that did it.

“JENNA.” HE took the stairs two at a time with his heart already at the bottom of his feet. He heard water running in the tub and bent to hold his knees in relief. He was breathing like a runaway train. Walking over to the door he pushed it open and felt his blood run cold.

He searched the room but he knew she wasn’t there. He turned off the water before running back downstairs. “She’s gone, let’s go.” He wasn’t sure what he should feel. Beyond the fear was anger, anger that she would do this even after he’d told her not to. Anger that she was in danger and there was nothing he could do about it. He wasn’t prepared to storm the fucking presidential palace of Cuba for fuck sake.

JENNA

The men scattered around the room were very appreciative of the beautiful blonde as she made her way around the room. She was almost the perfect woman; beautiful smile, amazing body, and she barely spoke. The other women here would talk your ear off, but this one knew her place.

When the private doors leading down to the wine cellar were opened and the nod was given, they knew it was time for the fun to begin. “Who do you have there Pierre?” The man in charge posed the question in his heavy accent, as the others wondered the same.

The women didn’t usually play, they were just here for window dressing, butat one seat, it seemed the roles had been reversed. Though no one would ever mistake Pierre Gaston for window dressing. The man was an over enthusiastic blowhard with nose hair and a bulbous nose that took up half his face.

Hisgout-ridden body left much to be desired as well, and everyone came to the same conclusion; the young beauty had to be with the old fool for his money, of which he had plenty. Pierre wasn’t interested in what they thought, he had a pretty good idea what was going through their heads but the joke was on them.

This particular young beauty had skinned him out of millions a few months ago. It wasn’t the money that bothered him, he had more than enough for one lifetime, but his pride had taken a licking and he needed to get some of his own back. What better way, than to have some of the world’s foremost billionaires suffer the same fate?

When she’d contacted him with the idea he hadn’t bat a lash, though the location was a bit odd.He’d played here before, everyone knew the dictator loved to gamble, and those in the know knew all about the little secret games held in his dungeon. It had been no trouble at all getting an invite and paying the entrance fee, and so here he was getting some of his own back. Only tonight he wasn’t planning on playing.

“This gentlemen, is my protégé.” They’d come up with that little story together to make it more acceptable to the others.

The smiling coquette was gone, and in her place was a very serious woman who studied her hand like she meant business. The men didn’t make a fuss about playing with a woman, they’d done it before, but she didn’t look the type. The room started out with friendly ribaldry and good joshing as the hands were dealt and the money pile grew. It didn’t take long for the atmosphere to change as they watched the very serious and very quiet young woman win hand after hand.

“Pierre, what’s going on here? where did you find her?” the old man just smiled and shrugged his shoulders as the men tightened their belts and got down to serious playing. They weren’t about to let this newcomer best them, and not a woman at that.

She let them win the next two hands, not giving away too much, just enough to make these men less suspicious. She handily trounced them the next two hands before she beckoned the older man down so she could whisper one word in his ear. “Restroom.”

No one thought anything of it when the request was made, least of all the dictator who was getting hot under the collar at being bested at his own table. He knew most of them let him win, he didn’t care about that; he only cared about winning, however that was achieved.

The kindly assistant showed her the way down the long hallway before returning back to the room downstairs, after ascertaining that she knew her way back. He hoped she’d take her time though; the way things were going he was in for a long night. He’s the one who was in charge of setting up the games. His boss hadn’t been too thrilled about this one to begin with since he had a delegation of very important men arriving soon, and the game had been set up last minute.

He’d had a time of it convincing the man that this would be a good way to relax and unwind, while they waited to handle the other matter concerning the man that was being held even now in another part of the palace. When he’d been contacted and offered a cool half a million to set up the game, he’d jumped at the chance. He had been in a bit of trouble lately and the money would go a long way to easing his burden.

Chapter 31

She knew she didn’t have a lot of time as she threw the dress and the wig into her purse. She got hurriedly dressed in the skintight Kevlar body suit before putting her hair up and shoving it under the cap which she pulled down low over her eyes. Taking the pieces of the gun that Andros had forgotten to take from her backpack, she put it together in less time than it would’ve taken one of the army’s elite.

Each move was precise and calculated. She listened carefully at the door before easing it open and making her way as carefully as she could down the winding hallway heading in the opposite direction from where she’d come. With her keen senses on high alert, she made her way to the other end of the palace where she had deduced that her father was being held captive.

It hadn’t been easy since she’d never been there before, but after studying the blue prints on file, she’d chosen this one by process of elimination. There was no room for mistakes, she would only get one shot at this, and though she’d practiced she knew that this was the real deal and anything could go wrong.

She saw the lone figure sitting outside the door and breathed a sigh of relief. This must be it after all. Staying to the shadows, she made her way stealthily towards the man who seemed to be nodding off at his post. That worked in her favor, she was expecting to use the element of surprise to disarm him before he raised the alarm, but this way was much easier.

She made short work of putting him to sleep with her hand around his neck in the way she’d seen on the tapes she’d been studying since she was a teenager, fascinated by the stuff. When his body slumped she positioned him just in case someone happened along. She’d learned that trick from watching one of her shows too.

She put her ear against the door as she turned the knob and opened it into the darkened room. Her dad sat up as soon as she entered. He looked haggard and scared but and she wanted to cry out, but there was no time. Her heart beat erratically in her chest as she approached him. “Jenna?”

“Come.” It was all she said as she took his arm and pulled him up from the bed. He wasn’t wearing shoes and was barely dressed, but it would have to do. She pulled him along behind her, totally focused on where they were going. Each time he tried to question her presence she shushed him with a finger to the lips.

It was late and no one was about, as she made her way to the back of the palace. She could hear the drone of men’s voices as they patrolled the grounds outside with attack dogs and semi automatic rifles. She found the trap door that led down to the tunnel leading underground, the dictator’s escape hatch.

It was only then that she felt the fear set in. She was hoping that Angel had discovered her gone by now, she’d left the water running for just that reason, so that she could have a head start but that he’d be waiting there for her at the other end. She hoped he understood the plans she’d shown him earlier.

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