The December Hunt (Work in Progress)

Part 3: Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner (v 1.6)

"Here we are," the taxi driver said as he pulled up to the front of the Red Star Casino. "Fifteen bucks."

Rick handed the driver a twenty and stepped out of the taxi onto the wet pavement. A light rain was falling, and Rick hobbled over to the casino entrance, trying not to step in any puddles with his injured foot. The taxi drove off down the street and around the corner. Men and women were strolling in and out of the casino through the glass double-doors, and nobody was interested in looking at Rick. They had money on their minds.

Rick had a system for casino gambling. 

Step 1: walk in only with the amount that you are willing to lose. For example, say someone came into a bonus at the end of the year and had $5,000 to throw away. That person could walk into a casino willing to lose up to $5,000, but no more, and they would walk in with $5,000 on their person, but no more. 

Step 2: Gamble only with the money that you walk in with, not your earnings. Say that person put $2,500 on red at the roulette table and won another $2,500, bringing his or her total up to $7,500. Despite the heavier wallet, that person would only bet with $5,000 at most during that night, because anything else was earnings. 

Step 3: if you break even, go big or go home. Say this person managed to somehow win $5,000 with the $5,000 he or she walked in with, bringing the total cash up to $10,000. Now, since he or she is only gambling with $5,000 at most each time, no money can be lost. At the very least, that person will lose the initial $5,000 and still walk out with the remaining $5,000. As such, there's no point in holding back anymore. Go all in, every gamble.

Rick took out his wallet and counted his money. Thirty eight dollars and ninety seven cents. He decided to walk around the block in search of an ATM.

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Upstairs, Nicholas was talking on the phone with the sheriff who had handed Rick the business card.

"Sheriff, don't tell me how Rick benefits from a deal like this. Tell me how I benefit from a deal like this. Win-win, my friend," Nicholas said to the sheriff. He pulled a tissue from a box on his desk and spat his gum into it. The sheriff said something about back-scratching and what goes around, comes around.

"Sheriff, let's cut to the cheese. I know Rick. He loved his daughter more than anything in the world. Definitely more than that Corvette of his. Am I right?"

The sheriff said nothing. Nicholas continued.

"I think I would look good in a Corvette, don't you? We'll see how much he really wants my help." Nicholas wrapped up the gum and tossed it into the trash bin across the room, and he hung up the phone.

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Downstairs, Rick had concluded his search: he found an ATM inside of the casino, in the front lobby. The lobby had several fancy couches and two elegant chaise lounges, all of which were occupied by patrons. The ATMS were on the wall opposite the front doors, slightly to the left of the entrance further into the casino. Rick waited behind an elderly man as the man collected a stack of bills from the machine. The man stepped over to his right and walked through the casino doors further into the building, but before Rick could step up to the machine, he felt a cold hand on his shoulder and a sharp object pressed against his back.

"Don't make a scene" the voice behind him said. "I'm holding a knife, and it's rather sharp."

Rick sighed and looked down at his shoes. I wonder if I should've worn my tan dress-shoes today instead, he thought to himself. He brushed the hand off his shoulder and turned around slowly.