HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN⎪OCEANS ELEVEN

mr. zerga and tess

"Weak stomach, Mr. Zerga?" asked a man sitting next to Saul, after watching him pop a Rolaid into his mouth.

"I don't believe in weakness." Saul started, "It costs too much. I don't believe in questions, either." The man sitting next to him shuts up quickly, looking embarrassed. Glancing up from the table, Saul saw Terry Benedict talk to the Pit Boss on his way in.

"Eddie." Mr. Benedict said, "Anything for me?"

"Mr. Zerga, sir, Lyman Zerga." Eddie pointed out, "In the third position, wants to speak with you privately."

"Who is he?"

"Businessman of some kind, working mostly in Europe." Eddie started, "He's very vague, but I asked around. Word is he deals primarily in arms. One of the biggest. His granddaughter and her husband are set to take over his company in a few years, so he set up this vacation, to get used to relaxing I'd guess."

"Zerga?" Benedict asked, "Never heard of him."

"Yes, sir." Eddie answered, "That's why I don't doubt it."

"He's staying here?"

"Checked in two nights ago. He's in the Mirador suite with two bodyguards hired by his granddaughter, sir." Eddie said, before pointing at Turk, who was on the phone to Iris to get updates on the plan, "Apparently his health is failing, and she wants to have daily updates on him before her and her husband join him next weekend."

"How's he doing?"

"Up." Eddie started, "Almost two hundred."

"Good for him."
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Tess was sat at their usual table in the restaurant, sipping her glass of wine as she waited for Terry to come join her. She glanced at her watch, surprised as Terry Benedict was late, or almost late and he was never late. A hand slips over her shoulder and starts to caress her shoulder.

"You're thirty seconds late." Tess started as she turned to look at the man behind her, "I was about to send a search-" She jumped as she recognised the hands and looked up to see the face of her ex-husband. Danny smiled down at her, as he continued to stroke her skin.

"Hello, Tess." Danny smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm out." He said.

"You're out?"

"Of prison." He said, "You remember the day that I went for cigarettes and didn't come back? You must have noticed." He finished as he went round the table to go sit down.

"I don't smoke." Tess snapped, "Don't sit." She said as he sat down.

"Ahh, now." He started, "They tell me I've paid my debt to society."

'Funny, I never got a check." Tess said as she stared daggers at Danny. Hs smiled lightly, before pointing at her left hand.

"You're not wearing your ring." Tess looked down at her hand as well, licking her lip, before looking up at Danny again.

"I sold it." She said, "I don't have a husband, or didn't you get the papers?"

"My last day inside."

"I told you I'd write." Danny and Tess sat in silence, a small smile on his face as he looked at the woman he was in love with.

"Danny." Tess stated, "Go. Now, before."

"What?" Danny asked, "Benedict?" He turned to the waiter and asked for two whiskeys as Tess continued to glare at him from across the table.

"Danny."