The December Hunt (Work in Progress)

Part 5. (Placeholder Title) (v.1.1)

Rick, Philip, Christmas sweater, and Orange coat all booked it in different directions. As soon as people started running, several other patrons of the casino also jumped up on the blackjack tables and called out to Denim Jacket. Rick presumed they were her accomplices, because they were also holding the same type of SMG. One of them, a big, brawny guy wearing a leather jacket, addressed her by name.

"Carla! Where's Armando?", Rick heard him yell over the noise of the crowd. People were screaming and running past him without looking up. Rick ducked his head down and ran south towards the foyer.

Carla called out to the guy in the leather jacket. "He got taken out by someone, maybe the guard that he went to kill!", she yelled back at him.

We're gonna need more cops, Rick thought to himself.

He looked around for Philip, but couldn't see him amidst all the bright, colorful lights of the machines and the other patrons heading for the exits. Rick made a mental note that there was a gun in the men's bathroom, pulled during his earlier confrontation. He wished he'd kept the gun.

In a high-rise located a few blocks down the street from the casino, Nicholas Bransk received a phone call. He took the call at his desk.

"Bransk," he said.

"Am I speaking with Nicholas Bransk?", a male voice answered.

"The one and only."

"Mr. Bransk, this is the Las Vegas police department calling to inform you that there's been an incident at one of your properties, the Red Star Casino," the man informed him.

"Ah. And you're calling me because...?"

"The precinct is placing you under house arrest for the next 72 hours until we find out what's going on and get things resolved. If you leave town, you will be subpoenaed and brought to court," the man continued.

Nicholas shot up onto his feet and slammed his fist on the desk. "I finished my probation four months ago!", he bellowed into the phone. "You have nothing to link me to whatever is going on in my casino tonight!"

Nicholas hung up the phone, grabbed his jacket and keys, and went downstairs to grab a coffee from the lobby. While in the elevator, he called the head of security to tell him to lockdown the entire casino until he could get there. The elevator doors opened up, and Nicholas, still holding his phone to his ear, was shocked to see the head of security appear face-to-face with him.

"Albert!", Nicholas exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Nicholas!" Albert, the head of security, likewise exclaimed. "Thank you so much, sir!" 

Nicholas stood there, visibly confused. The elevator doors started to close again, so Nicholas put his hand out to stop them from closing.

"Thank you for what?", he asked. 

"For the time off!" Albert exclaimed. "I know Thanksgiving was last week, but it feels nice to be able to get drinks with the guys on a --"

"Wait, wait, wait," Nicholas interrupted, stepping out of the elevator into the lobby. "I just got off the phone with the police, and they told me that there was an incident at the casino."

"A what? What kind of incid --" 

"Did you say time off?", Nicholas interrupted again. "I don't remember giving you guys today off."

They both stared at each other in silence.

"We've been duped," Albert said.