The Persona Protocol - By Andy McDermott Page 0,69
Even if Zykov was bluffing, he would need a four, a queen or an ace to beat the two kings. The odds of that were now less than one chance in five. And that was without even considering Zykov’s last card, which might be a second three, or match his hole card . . .
I’m a gambler. So gamble.
He grinned at the dealer, affecting nonchalance. ‘Okay, then. Deal.’
Risk big, win big . . .
The dealer turned over Adam’s last card.
The queen of diamonds.
Ho-lee shit! Vanwall cried inside him. The gamble had paid off. Two pair, queens and fours. He still had a chance.
If he had been right about Zykov’s bluff.
The final card. Adam held his breath. The dealer turned it over.
Nine of diamonds.
He looked up from the card at Zykov. The Russian was, for once, completely stone-faced. Adam didn’t know if he had won or not.
Showdown.
Technically Zykov should have turned over his hole card first, but at this stage of the game it no longer mattered. Adam flipped his to reveal the queen of spades. ‘Two pair. Let’s see what you got.’
Even without a third king, Zykov could still win. If he had a three or a nine, his two pair – kings high – would beat Adam’s queens. The Russian reached for his hole card . . .
Even before he touched it, Adam knew he had won. Zykov’s hand shook. Not with nerves, or dismay at losing. With fury. The volcanic temper he had been fighting to hold inside all evening was about to erupt.
He slapped the card down. The six of spades.
Useless. ‘Mudilo!’
Twist the knife. Make him mad.
Adam began to laugh, slowly and mockingly. ‘Two. Million. Dollars,’ he said, beaming at Zykov. ‘Thank you very much, little comrade.’
The Russian seethed like a pressure cooker. ‘If you call me that again . . .’
‘Oh, don’t you be another bad loser like Bianca! Just face it, I beat you.’ He let the smugness return. ‘And you’ll never know how.’
Zykov reacted as if stung. ‘I will find out,’ he said in a low, threatening voice.
‘No. You won’t.’ Still smirking, Adam turned to the dealer. ‘Can you swap me those for something bigger?’ he asked, gesturing at his winnings. ‘I don’t want to drop any.’
The dealer raked in the loose chips, in return sliding him two larger plaques worth one million dollars each. ‘Thank you so much,’ said Adam. He clacked the plaques together. ‘Hey, my friend, do you hear that? That’s the sound of money. Your money – or, whoops, it was. Now it’s aaaall mine.’
‘Spend it fast,’ said Zykov, standing. ‘You never know when your luck will run out. It could be very, very soon.’
‘Not tonight, comrade. Not tonight.’ Adam got up, noticing in his peripheral vision that one of Zykov’s bodyguards was talking on his phone. To the other two goons, most likely – he was summoning the troops.
Time to get moving.
Adam left the VIP room and entered the main casino floor. He spotted Tony and Bianca not far away, but didn’t acknowledge them. Instead, he pretended to get his bearings, glimpsing Zykov and the two bodyguards steaming out of the room behind him, then slipped the plaques into his jacket and headed for the exit.
‘There goes Adam,’ said Bianca. Holly Jo had already told her he had won. She stood, about to follow him.
‘Not yet,’ said Tony sharply. He was several feet away, idly feeding coins into a slot machine. ‘Wait until Zykov’s gone.’
The Russian and his bodyguards emerged from the VIP area. Another two hulks joined them. ‘There are more of them! What if they catch Adam?’
‘They won’t.’
The group started after the American. Zykov, inside the human cordon, was barely visible behind his much larger companions. His gaze was fixed on the man disappearing with two million dollars . . .
Then something made him look to one side. His eyes met Bianca’s. He stopped.
‘Oh God,’ she whispered.
Tony gave her a sidelong glance. ‘What?’
‘Zykov’s seen me! What do I do?’
‘Stay calm. Do nothing.’
The Russian briefly spoke to his men, then changed direction. ‘He’s coming this way!’
Tony pretended to fumble money from a pocket, turning slightly to see Zykov and two of his bodyguards approaching. The others were back on Adam’s tail. ‘Ignore me, you don’t know me. Just stay in character. Holly Jo, patch Bianca’s earwig through to me so I can hear them.’ He walked away.
‘Ah, Bianca!’ said Zykov as he reached her, now all smiles and pushy charm. ‘What are you doing here?’