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up early. We can show Cindy the strip in all its glory.” A sly smile crept across his face despite his best efforts to suppress it. It appeared quite obvious to him that Cindy was ready for bed, but not actual sleep.
    “No problem, b ud. See you in the morning.” Michael pretended to ignore his friend’s look. He could feel his girlfriend’s eyes boring into the back of his head. Taking her hand, they headed in for the night. Alex quickly turned his attention back to the table and selected two of the six dice the dealer offered him. The dealer was miffed at the game being held up for a few seconds, and Alex apologized immediately. He understood the importance of a smooth, flowing game.
    The rattling of dice in his hands brought back fond memories of when he first learned the intricacies of the game of craps. It had been during spring break of his junior year in college.  It had been his first trip to Vegas, and he just turned twenty-one the month before. A long night of drinking at a nightclub for the young twenty’s crowd in Vegas ended in a failure to pick up any women. Unable to find a cab, he walked back to his hotel in a drunken haze. His friends, including, Michael had given up a long time ago and gone to bed, but Alex was stubborn. He never felt as tired in his life as when he pushed through the casino doors after two hours of walking.
                  “Eleven is a winner.” The monotone voice of the dealer brought Alex out of his happy excursion down memory lane. It looked like it could be a very profitable weekend as the dealer dropped fifty more dollars worth of chips in front of him.
    “Same dice, please,” Alex said sternly, not wanting to jinx the streak of luck he was having. He promised himself he would go to bed as soon as he crapped out. The jet lag was catching up with him as the excitement of the arrival began to wear off. Besides, I’ve got all tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday to continue this. Grabbing the offered dice, he rattled them in his fist and sent them hurtling across the table. The dice showed a total of three. Alex kept his promise to himself, accepted the loss, picked up his winnings, and headed off to bed. He did not notice the obese man in the brown suit hurriedly cashing in his own stack of chips for larger denominations.

Chapter 6
     
     
    The door’s dead bolt lock silently slid into its housing, and the two men peered inside the tiny office before entering. The small , darkened room was a mess. Rows of miniature televisions lined every available space on the walls, and boxes of VHS tapes were scattered across the floor. They were at the airport, underneath it to be more precise, thanks to triple the usual fee. They left the night watchman standing outside in the cool desert air, nervously chain smoking cigarettes, and counting the wad of hundred dollar bills they gave him. It was just after three a.m., and they were in a hurry to complete their self-appointed task. The two men, both with grim looks on their faces, each grabbed a box, and began flipping through the tapes.
                  “Somebody hit it big,” Gregor commented as he glanced at one of the television screens showing various parts of the airport. The slot machines in the airport, like any other gaming area in Las Vegas, were constantly under surveillance. The lady on the screen appeared to be in her mid-fifties, and while there was no sound coming from the television, both men could clearly see the steady stream of coins cascading out of the bin and onto the floor. The lady was in hysterics, not quite sure what to do as strangers began to stop and gawk as if they were looking at the aftermath of a wreck on the freeway.
     
    Paying three thousand dollars to get in tonight was exorbitant, but they had no choice in the matter. They rarely made an unannounced appearance, but when they did, they knew the greedy prick would really stick it to their pocketbooks.
    At least it’s not my money