The Persona Protocol - By Andy McDermott Page 0,66

would have become more cautious: there was a chance she was not bluffing.

But Adam knew she was. ‘Okay,’ he said, with a laconic smile. ‘Let’s see how this plays out.’

Fifth street: the last card. Bianca’s was the four of clubs. Adam got the five of diamonds. Two kings beat two jacks; he had won. Part of him felt an immense surge of cruel pleasure. Crushed the bitch! That’ll teach her not to put out.

He pushed the feeling down, both because he didn’t want to give anything away, and out of distaste for his own – no, Vanwall’s – thoughts. Instead, he waited for Zykov to be dealt his final card. Four of hearts. One pair at most, and the minuscule sag of the Russian’s shoulders confirmed it.

Since Bianca had gone all in, Adam now had the bet. ‘Well, looks like you might have three of a kind there,’ he said to Bianca. Her only answer was a sly smile. ‘But you know what? I don’t think you do. Another fifty.’

Zykov mucked his cards. ‘Fold,’ he growled.

There was nothing else Bianca could do but go to the showdown. Adam turned over his hole card. ‘One pair, kings,’ he announced. He broadened his smirk to the widest, most arrogant extent it could go. ‘So, let’s see that trey.’

Breathing heavily, she slapped her hands down on the table. ‘You bloody cheat,’ she said. ‘You bloody cheat!’

‘Oh, now don’t be a sore loser, Bianca,’ he said as he raked in his winnings.

‘No, no, you cheated!’ she cried, jumping to her feet. ‘There’s no possible way you could have thought you were going to win, unless you already knew what my first card was. You must have cheated!’

‘Hey, now settle down, little lady,’ Adam said in the most patronising tone he could muster. ‘You’d better not throw accusations like that around unless you’re prepared to back them up.’

‘I am accusing you of cheating! You did it in London, and now you’ve done it again. You’ve got something on you – a computer, or an earpiece or something.’ She turned to the dealer. ‘He’s cheating, I know it! Can’t you search him?’

The dealer looked most unhappy at the prospect, but Adam simply held out his arms in a broad shrug. ‘I’ve got nothing to hide. If she wants to make a fool of herself, that’s fine by me.’

Zykov regarded Adam with a calculating expression. ‘Somehow, I do not think they will find anything, but . . . if he is willing, I can wait.’

The dealer reluctantly spoke to another member of the casino staff, who trotted out of the room, returning soon afterwards with the man who had been running the metal detector. The wand was in his hand. Still smirking, Adam stood and allowed the device to be run over his body. It trilled several times, but each time Adam removed the cause – his watch, a phone, a set of keys – and the second pass was negative. The wand finally came down to Adam’s waist, warbling as it hovered over his belt buckle. ‘Now, I’ve been hoping all evening that you’d ask me to take off my pants,’ he said to Bianca with a lecherous grin.

‘There is nothing else on him, madam,’ said the dealer. ‘I think it would be best if you were to leave now. Quietly.’

‘All right, I’m going,’ she snapped. The attendant raised a hand as if about to take her by the arm, but she jerked away. ‘You are cheating, I know you are,’ she told Adam as she walked out.

Making sure that Zykov could see, Adam silently mouthed a reply: you’ll never know how. The intense stare he found locked on to him when he looked back at his sole remaining opponent told him that the Russian had some ability to lip-read.

Insouciant smirk returning, he sat back down. ‘Okay, my little comrade,’ he said to the affronted Zykov. ‘Let’s play some real cards.’

17

All In

Bianca emerged into the slot-machine clamour of the main casino, feeling exhilarated . . . but also exhausted. Even though losing all her money was part of the plan, she had felt outraged at seeing her last chips swept away – and the smugness of Adam’s persona as he took them provoked a spark of actual anger.

Now, though, her part in the little play was done. ‘Okay, Holly Jo?’ she whispered. ‘I’m out of the room. What do I do now?’

‘Tony’s coming to meet you,’ came the reply.

She spotted him approaching. ‘Well?’ she said when