Project Starfall (Completed)

Chapter 16

A man flanked by beefy security guards confronted Pierce and Grey the moment they walked through the front doors of the casino. He wore a navy suit, and despite having a head of thinning white hair, a vitality that spoke of a man decades younger shone in his dark blue eyes. "Grey!" he spoke with warm charisma. "I never expected to see you again. You look just like your old man did when he was younger. My deepest condolences about his passing."

"Thank you," Grey said stiffly.

"And who is this lovely lady?" he asked, turning to look at Pierce.

"Pierce," she introduced herself before Grey could.

"Ah, it's a pleasure meeting you. My name is Arthur West." The man extended a hand, and Pierce shook it. His skin was like ice. "Come with me. We can discuss things somewhere more private. Can I offer you anything to drink?"

Pierce shook her head. "Water would be great, if you don't mind," Grey replied. Arthur signaled a woman wearing a black cocktail dress, and she nodded and hurried off.

They were led to a private room dominated by a green-felt table. Knox was already there, and he grinned when they walked in. "Sorry, Grey. I lost all of your money," he said.

"How much did you take?" Grey sighed.

"Just a couple hundred. I'll pay you back," Knox promised. "It might be a while, though."

"Don't worry about it." Grey said.

As they sat down, the woman in the black cocktail dress entered the room with a glass of water and set it in front of Grey before stepping off to the side. Then Arthur addressed them, hands steepled. "I know why you're here. Let's discuss cost. Is it just the three of you?"

"Us and two others," Pierce answered.

Arthur ignored her and stared expectantly at Grey. "Oh, yeah, there are five of us," Grey stammered. Pierce bristled. She didn't appreciate being ignored.

"For five of you it will be a hundred grand," Arthur said. Knox muffled a cough.

"Okay." Grey nodded. "I have a storage unit in Chicago with contents worth more than enough to cover the fee. I can pay what I have on me now for someone to retrieve it."

"Hold on." Arthur held his hands up. "You don't have the money with you?"

"No," Grey replied.

Arthur frowned. "Then I can't offer you my services."

"There must be some way-" Pierce began, but Arthur held up a hand for her to stop.

"My answer is final. Come back when you have the money," he told Grey.

Grey looked thoughtful. "What if I can earn the money right now?"

Arthur's wrinkled face broke into a wide smile. "I take it you mean gambling?"

Grey nodded. "You pick the game. I'll play you."

"Deal." Arthur and Grey shook hands. "I will be back in a moment," the old man announced, then left the room with his security guards.

"Are you sure about this?" Pierce asked Grey. "You said this man can't be trusted. Won't he cheat?"

"Undoubtedly." Grey laughed. "But we can't risk the time it would take to retrieve and pawn what I have stored away. This is our best bet. Also, I know a few tricks from when my dad and I used to play card games. Trust me, I can win this."

"I don't know," Knox commented. "Maybe I should be the one to play him."

"You just lost several hundred dollars," Grey pointed out, and Knox smiled sheepishly.