HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN⎪OCEANS ELEVEN

preparations and revelations

Danny, Iris, Reuben were sat in a tailor's shop, watching Sauk get fitted for the suit he was going to use.

"This is very nice material." Saul said, as the tailors continued fitting the suit for him.

"It's imported silk, Saul." Iris told the older gentleman.

"Yeah. Very nice." Danny looked at the tailors, then at Reuben and Iris.

"Gentlemen," Danny said as he turned to the tailors, "would you excuse, just for a second. Thanks." Danny stood as they left the room, and walked towards where Saul was standing, clapping his hands as he did so. Iris leant back into her chair watching with interest.

"Saul, you sure you're ready to do this?" Both men stood in silence for a moment before Saul turned towards him.

"If you ever ask me that question again, Daniel," Saul threatened, "You will not wake up the following morning." Danny stared at Saul with eyes wider than usual, staying quiet for a moment and processing what was said, before turning back to Iris and Reuben who had identical expressions of amusement on their faces.

"He's ready." Danny whispered, before walking back to the couch to sit down again. Saul turned back to the mirror and slumps into his usual self.

"My name is Lyman." Saul started, "Zerga. My name is Lyman Zerga. My name is Lyman Zerga."

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Saul walked into the entrance of the hotel and looked as if something unpleasant had gone up his nose. He walked from the lobby towards the check-in desk flanked by the Molloy twins dressed as his bodyguards who were hired by his 'granddaughter'.

Once they had Saul's room, the three gentlemen walked further into the casino and past Linus, Iris, and Rusty who were sat around a table.

"Okay, tell us about Benedict." Rusty said, as they all watched Saul and his bodyguards disappear into the crowd.

"That guy is a machine." Linus started, "He arrives at the Bellagio every day at two p.m. Same car, same driver. He remembers every valet's name on the way in. Not bad for a guy worth three quarters of a billion. Offices are upstairs. He works hard, hits the lobby floor at seven on the nose. Spends three minutes on the floor with his casino manager."

"What do they talk about?" Iris asked.

"All business." Linus said, "Benedict likes to know what's going on in his casinos. Likes to be in control. There's rarely an incident he doesn't know about or handle personally. Spends a few minutes gladhanding the hight rollers. He's fluent in Spanish, German, and Italian, he's taking Japanese lessons, he's getting' pretty good at it. He's out by seven thirty, when an assistant hands him a black portfolio. Contents: the day's take and new security details. Then he heads to the restaurant. Like I said, a machine."

"And that portfolio contains the codes to all the cage doors?" Rusty confirmed.

"Mm-hmm. And two minutes after they've been changed, he's got 'em in his hand." Linus replied, "I tell you, you guys really can pick 'em. This guy is as smart as he is ruthless. The last guy they caught cheating in here, he not only sent him up for ten years, but he had the bank seize his house, and then he bankrupted-"

"His brother-in-law's tractor dealership, we heard." Iris interrupted, glancing at Linus as she did so.

"He doesn't just take out your knees." Linus started again, "The guy goes after your livelihood and the livelihood of anybody you ever met."

"You scared?" Rusty asked.

"You suicidal?"

"Only in the morning." Rusty and Iris said together with a smile.

"Now, what?" Rusty asked, looking back at Linus.

"Now comes the girl." Linus smiled, "She comes down after him if they're in a snit."

"Where's she come from?" Iris asked.

"Museum up there." Linus continued, "She's the curator. Oh. Here she is. This is just the best part of my day." Both Iris and Rusty pick their heads up to look at the stairs, causing both their mouths to drop and Iris to look at Rusty's suit and wipe away crumbs that fell of the roll he was eating earlier. As the woman walked past them, Rusty pulled Iris into a hug and turned his back to her, causing both to be unseeable. As soon as she walked past, Linus continued once more as Iris and Rusty, still hugging, turned to watch the woman walk away. They closed their eyes and Iris leant her head against Rusty's chest feeling a headache coming on as Rusty put his hand on her head to comfort her.

"I still don't know if we can use her yet." Linus said, "Actually, I haven't even caught her name."

"Tess." Rusty gritted out.

"Huh?" Linus said, looking at the two of them.

"Her name is Tess." Iris finished, equally as put out by this.

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As soon as Rusty parked the car, Iris stormed out of it and into the warehouse, face like thunder and the sound of her heels following her. She headed straight towards her brother, who was watching the others put the fake vault together, with Rusty marching behind her.

"We have to talk." She said, already pulling his arm to go back outside, Danny looked at her and then the vault.

"Okay."

"Now." She interrupted, Danny glanced up in surprise at her tone and looked at Rusty who had a similar expression as Iris on his face. Iris led Danny and Rusty away from the vault and back towards the parking lot, so the rest of the crew wouldn't hear them.

"Tell me this is not about her." Rusty said, pointing at Danny as the three of them came to a stop. "Or we are walking. We are walking off this job right now."

"Who?"

"Tess." Iris snapped back, "Terry Benedict." Rusty continued for her, "Tell me this is not about screwing the guy that's screwing your wife."

"Ex-wife."

"Tell me." She said.

"It's not about that." Danny reassured Rusty and Iris, then he stopped in front of them and pointed, "It's not entirely about that." Iris started to shake her head as Rusty looked out onto the parking lot.

"Russ, do you remember when we first got into this business?" Danny started, "We said we were gonna play the game like-"

"We had nothing to lose." Rusty joined in.

"Well, I lost something. I lost someone. I lost time with my sister and that's why I'm here. To get time back." Iris looked up towards her brother, as Rusty pointed at the guys in the warehouse.

"Okay. Here's the problem." Rusty stated, "Now we're stealing two things. And when push comes to shove, if you can't have both, which are you gonna choose? And remember Tess does not split eleven ways." Iris heavily sighed as she watched her brother and Rusty talk.

"If everything goes to plan," Danny started, looking at Iris, "Then I won't be the one that has to make that choice."

Iris stared at her brother before saying, "I hope you know what you're doing because if push comes to shove, I know just what I'll be doing." She turned around, her back to the boys as she looked at the view.

"How'd she look?" Danny asked, looking at Rusty.

"She looked good." Rusty answered, looking back at Danny before glancing at Iris.

"Thanks." Danny replied with a deadpan look, causing Iris to turn and walk back into the warehouse, with the boys following her.