seaempty

The Charming Monkey, Part 15

Puchenko swung his fist at my head. Without thinking I kicked my foot out under the table, pushing back on the nearest of the four legs supporting the sturdy piece of furniture. My chair rocked on its hind legs, and I began to fall backward. Puchenko's punch sailed pass my face as I moved back. My foot latched onto the underside of the table, stopping me from hitting the ground, just as the force of Punchenko's missed punch made him stumble onto the green beige. He was stunned and looked up at me, getting ready to lift himself up for another attack.

I saw the monkey in my hand and quickly swung it at Puchenko, hitting him on the side of his face. The force of the blow twisted his head toward the centre of the table. He spat out a mixture of blood and saliva, together with a couple of teeth that tumbled across the beige like dice. He slumped on the table, out cold.

Vadas hesitated, and then made a move toward me. I saw a glint out of the corner of my eye, and looked down at the figure lying in a heap in front of me. Puchenko's jacket had opened slightly, revealing a pistol hanging in a holster. I tossed the monkey into my left hand, grabbing the pistol with my right. I pointed it at Vadas, who stopped dead in his tracks.

"Think about what you are doing, Mister Cane", he said in a sombre tone. "This will not end well for you".

He was right. By trying to save some schmuck I didn't even know, I had now put myself in a situation which would haunt me for the rest of my life, however long that was. As I stood there pointing a gun and one of the most vicious and powerful men in town, I kept on thinking about the office and Madison, and how I'd kill to be back there with a cup of her coffee. I snapped back to reality and pulled back the hammer of the gun.

"Fortis and I are going to walk out of here", I said, hoping Vadas wouldn't pick up on the fact that every part of my body was shaking, "and then I'll get the monkey to you".

Vadas chuckled.

"You know that I cannot allow that, and I know that you will not shoot me. If you give me the monkey now, I may let you live".

I looked over at Fortis, who was still being restrained by Vadas' men. Images flashed in my mind of the fate that awaited him. The poor fool couldn't even start to imagine what Vadas had planned. Could I let that happen? It might teach the arrogant prick a lesson. I looked back at Vadas and lowered the gun. A look of horror passed over Fortis' face, his last hope fading away. He began to let out a scream, but his cries of mercy were drowned out by the alarm bells echoing around the room.

The Charming Monkey, Part 13

Vadas signalled to Puchenko, and whispered something in his ear. Punchenko's expression clearly showed that he didn't like what he heard, but he nodded and abruptly turned, leaving the room. I looked at Fortis, who appeared as though he was about to cry. Whether they would be tears of joy or sadness was another question. He was obviously excited about the stakes of this hand, and with his record in the game so far, you couldn't blame him. Puchenko returned and handed some papers to Vadas. He stood up, and moved toward the table.

"To show your trust is not misplaced, Mister Fortis", he said, placing the documents on the pile of chips in the centre of the table, "these are the deeds to the The Artemis".

Fortis peered at them over the rims of his glasses.

"Obviously, I trust you'll be able to match our bet", I said to Fortis, making my move. "But of course, Mister Cane", he replied, snapping out of his thoughts of riches, "This casino has been very good to me".

He gave a small smile, much to Vadas' obvious disgust.

"But I do not have the funds on my person", he continued, starting to look slightly uneasy. "I do not think they will be needed, however".

"That may be the case", I said, looking at Vadas, "but I'm sure Mister Vadas would like some sort of security... a sign of good faith, perhaps?" Vadas nodded in approval.

"Perhaps that monkey of yours would be more comfortable sitting in with the pot until the hand is over?" As the words left my lips, a wave of horror washed over Fortis. He turned a distinctly lighter shade of pale, and clutched the monkey tightly.

"I... I couldn't possibly...", he stammered.

"I insist", said Vadas through gritted teeth. Fortis began to sweat for probably the first time in a while. You could see him weighing up the situation in his head, his eyes flitting furiously. It was either greed or arrogance that tipped the balance, but he reluctantly began to push the statue toward the centre of the table.

Once the monkey had made friends with he chips, the dealer signalled for us to turn our cards over. Fortis's concerned face eased, as he saw that his pair of kings were more than a match for my cards. With the pool of cards in the centre, Fortis already had three-of-a-kind. Three kings laughing at my pair. Vadas, however, was not laughing.

I nodded to the dealer to draw the last card. My heart was beating fast. I had as much to lose as Fortis, if not more. The dealer pushed the card face down and placed it next to the other four on the beige. Fortis's gazed was fixed on the card, as dealer began to turn it over. I pushed my chair back, reaching toward the centre of the table. In a swift move, my hand touched the monkey as the card revealed itself to the world.

The Charming Monkey, Part 12

Fortis sat with a satisfied grin on his face. The cards hadn't even been dealt, and yet you would have thought he'd already won.

"Texas Hold 'em, house rules", said the dealer who started slide the cards across the green beige of the table. I liked poker. I relished in the chance to read people's faces; to try and play them. I was usually confident of taking the pot, but this monkey business had me spooked. I needed to play a few hands and try to get to know my opponent.

"Let's keep this civil", I said to Fortis, checking the two cards dealt to me. "Limit the bets for now".

"Not scared, are we Mr Cane?", he replied with a smirk.

"Well if you're as good as they say you are, I don't want the evening to end too early", I replied, faking a laugh. Fortis chuckled. It seems he also had perfected the skill.

The first hand was over quickly. I had nothing, but didn't fold. I needed to watch Fortis very closely. He won, but it was expected. As the hands played out, I kept losing. It was never a question of skill. I bluffed as good as I could, but Fortis always called it, even when he didn't have a right to. It was the strangest game of cards I had ever played. If we weren't playing with the casino's money, I would have sworn blind that it was fixed.

The game went on, and my pile of chips was decreasing rapidly. Vadas was looking uneasy in the corner of the room, and shot me the occasional glare. Two more cards lay in front of me: the Two of Spades and the Four of Diamonds. It looks like I was in for another miserable hand. I looked across at Fortis, who hadn't even looked at his cards. He was grinning. I chucked in a few chips, and Fortis followed. The three cards of the flop were laid out. The King of Spades was the first card out, followed by the Two of Clubs and the Five of Spades. A pair of deuces is all I had, Fortis checked his cards and I could tell from his expression that he had a lot more. I threw in some more chips, and again Fortis followed, raising the bet as well. A called it and motioned to the dealer, who dealt the next card. The Queen of Spades greeted the table. I had four spades, almost a flush.

It all rested on the final card, and I made my move. I calmly pushed my remaining chips into the post in the middle of the table. Fortis peered cautiously at me, and then smiled.

"All in, Mr Cane?", he said, "I took you to be a much less foolish man".

"Are you in, or out?", I replied curtly.

"Oh, most definitely in", he said, pushing his chips into the pile, "but I fear your confidence is misplaced".

"Is that so? Well how about raising the stakes?". Fortis looked stunned. Then looked at the bare space in front of me.

"You don't appear to have anything left to bet...", he said. I looked at Vadas.

"He'll raise you everything in the casino vault", Vadas said, sternly. I almost choked. Fortis's eyes lit up for a second, but then became wary.

"There's no way I'll be allowed to walk out of here with all that money when I win. You're just playing me. I'm not a fool, Vadas".

"You have my word, Mr Fortis", Vadas growled. "I trust Mr Cane's judgment, and if you do win, I will not only give you the money in the vault, but you can have the casino itself".

The Charming Monkey, Part 11

"I don’t think I quite understand", said Fortis, "You want to play me at cards? For money?" The guy genuinely looked put-out by the prospect. Vadas had an equally bemused expression on his face.

"Sure, why not", I replied trying to look as cool as I possibly could.

"Well I’m very flattered", snorted Fortis, "but I really don’t think you could afford the stakes". He was right.

"That’s okay, I won’t be playing with my money", I said, shooting a look over to Vadas, "I’ll be playing with his". Fortis’s eyes lit up, but before he could utter a word, Vadas had grabbed my arm, and was pulling me to one side.

"What do you think you are doing!", he hissed, "Are you trying to bankrupt me? If this is a game to you.."

"If you want that monkey", I said abruptly, cutting him off in mid sentence. I could tell that didn’t happen to him very often, "then you must trust me. I want your full co-operation, not questions asked". Vadas looked unsure.

"Very well", he conceded, and I could tell he was intrigued, "but know this Mister Cane: any loss that I suffer will pale in comparison to the losses you will encounter if you fail". I didn’t gulp, but I wanted to.

I turned back to Fortis, who had clearly been trying to listen to the conversation.

"So how about it?", I asked, "Texas Hold’em, no limits. I believe that’ll make a pleasant change to the restrictions imposed on you in this joint".

"Indeed it does, Mister…Cane", he replied almost drooling at the prospect, "Very well. You do realise that I never loose?"

"So I have been told", I said, breaking into a smile, "but then you’ve never played me, and I am very good at poker". He seemed spooked a little, and he began to grip that golden monkey a little tighter.

"Gentleman!", boomed Vadas, "I believe that we should make this game a little more private. If you would please come with me, we’ll to one of the executive game rooms". He clicked his fingers, and a croupier began gathering Fortis’s chips up and made toward a big red door to one side of the hall. Fortis looked uneasy. I couldn’t blame him. Vadas has probably wanted to get him in a room with a bunch of his goons for some time now. I wasn’t too thrilled about the idea either. We began to follow the chips to the room.

"Nice monkey", I said, trying to lighten the mood. I think I made it worse.

"What of it?", he snapped back, shielding the monkey inside his suit pocket.

"Just an observation, pal. Meant nothing by it". I could see Vadas was paying a great deal of attention to us. This guying really wanted that monkey.

We reached the door, and went inside the room. It was lavishly decorated, and yet simplistic; just a card table in the middle of the room, and not much else. The croupier ushered us to our seats. I took off my jacket and sat down, facing Fortis.

"You best get me a drink", I signalled to Vadas, "we’re going to be here a while".

The Charming Monkey, Part 9

"Mister Puchenko!", a voice boomed from across the hallway. The nasally guy had my head trapped facing away from the voice, but I recognised it immediately.

"That is no way to treat our guests", said Vadas. I heard his footsteps as he walked down the steps, that lead to the double doors. Nasally guy didn't loosen his grip.

"What kind of a guest brings a piece to the party?", he said. Vadas was close. I could hear him breathing. It was heavy. He was out of shape. I was trying to turn my head, keeping my eyes on Puchenko when I saw a hand move swiftly into view. The grip that held me down was suddenly released, as the back of Vadas's hand struck Puchenko across the face. The arms that were holding me down were now heading to his face, in preparation for another attack. The second attack never came. The force of the first threw Puchenko forward over the counter, and he began to cower away from Vadas. The lobby was silent.

"Come, Mister Cane", said Vadas, in a calm voice, "please accept my apologies for Mister Puchenko". I slowly got to my feet, and looked at Puchenko who was nursing his jaw.

"Not a problem", I replied, dusting myself off. My knee was hurting, but not as much as Puchenko's face. "Not the nicest of welcome for a guy that's helping you out".

"No, but there was really no need to bring weapons into my establishment", replied Vadas, "It does show a certain lack of... respect".

"I respect my safety".

"And you are quite safe here".

"Tell that to my knee", I snorted. Vadas smiled.

"You may collect your gun from the reception when you leave Mister Cane. Mister Puchenko will take care of it for you, won't you?" Vadas turned to Puchenko.

"Yes", he hissed, still rubbing his cheek, which was turning an impressive shade of red.

"Come, Mister Cane", chirped Vadas, opening his palm, and stretching his arm towards the double doors at the top of the staircase. "The excitement has already started inside. Fortis is drawing quite the crowd". I looked at Vadas and attempted a smile. I was liking this situation less and less. I began to walk, feeling a stabbing pain in my knee whenever I place weight on it. Once I had gone past Vadas he turned and began to follow me. I began to walk up the stairs, and I looked back at Puchenko who shot me a look of disdain. I don't think I had made a new friend there.

I reached the double doors, and two silhouettes behind them began to move. Hands made for the handles and the doors were opened from the inside by two girls dressed in short skirts and glitter. I stepped inside and was met with the most remarkable sight I had ever seen.

The Charming Monkey, Part 7

I walked through the double-doors and entered the Five Aces. I made my way past the pool tables that made a corridor leading you to the bar, feeling the gauze with my fingers as I walked. The joint was empty, apart from me, Al, and a young woman who was busily dusting some of the ornaments on display. She didn't seem to be affected by the events that just happened outside. Al went behind the bar, and I sat down on one of the stools laid out in front of it.

"That's Agnieszka", smiled Al, gesturing towards the woman, "She's my new barmaid". Al's face was beaming. Agnieszka was certainly easy on the eye. Choosing attractive staff is one of the perks of being manager I guess. I nodded a hello to her, and she looked, smiled, and went back to her dusting.

"She don't speak a lot of English yet, but she's a good worker", said Al

"Oh I'm sure she is", I replied with a smirk, "and I'm sure you've been a very accommodating employer". Al laughed, and gave Agnieszka a wink. She smiled in an I-don't-really-understand-but-I'll-smile-because-you're-my-boss way.

"So, what can I getcha, Danny boy?", Al asked, proudly displaying his vast collection of liquor that was stacked behind the bar, "the usual?"

"Sure thing, Al. Whiskey and ginger on the rocks", I replied. Yeah it was early, but I think clearly with alcohol in me. Al poured the drink and sat it down on a napkin in front of me. Al fixed himself a drink, and grabbed a stool from behind the bar. He sat down opposite me, and took a sip.

"You said something about information?", he asked. Al Jameson (or Albert Ernest Jameson to give him his full name) knew things. He had contacts throughout the city, and was well respected. What he didn't know wasn't worth knowing. I don't know what he did before he opened the Five Aces. I've asked on several occasions, but he's never told me, and he wasn't the type of man to push. I didn't care either. He's useful to know, and a good friend. I've lost count of how many times he's given me help on cases, and has never asked for anything in return, apart from my friendship. It was a bit of a one-sided deal if you asked me, but it worked, and I wasn't going to complain.

We met when I opened up my office just around the corner from him. I came in here for a celebratory drink, and Al obliged. He knew all about me before I even walked in. He even knew what drink I liked. If he wasn't so damn agreeable I would have been more concerned. Since then this has been my second home, although I haven't been in as often as I should have recently.

"Guess who paid me a visit this morning", I said.

"By the look of your face, it wasn't a razor", replied Al. I stroked my chin and shrugged.

"So I didn't feel like shaving. Madison likes the rugged look anyway", I said with a grin. At the mention of her name, Al perked up. He had always had a soft spot for my Madison.

"So what did the Fat Hungarian want?", asked Al, with a look of satisfaction on his face. I shouldn't have been surprised that he already knew.

"How do you do that?", I said, "One step ahead once again, Albert". He hated to be called that, but not as much as I liked calling him it.

"I saw his car go past earlier", he said, not reacting to my jibe, "and I figure that you'd only mention the visit if it was someone as impressive as that".

"Very true. And I guess you also know what it was about?"

"Hey, I'm observant, not a fracking psychic". I laughed and took a sip of my drink. The whiskey felt good as it hit the back of my throat.

"What do you know about a Mister Jonathan Fortis?"

"The guy with all the luck? I hear he shits four-leafed clovers and has rabbit's feet. What about him?".

"You have such a way with words, Al", I said sarcastically.

"Is Vadas getting a little annoyed about losing all that money?", Al said with a laugh, "It's about time someone fleeced him for a change".

"So you think Fortis is playing Vadas?"

"No doubt. The guys got a system, that's for sure. And a good system at that. Vadas would have dealt with him by now if he had figured it out".

"What if it wasn't a system. What if it was...something else?"

"Like what? Superpowers? C'mon Dan - this ain't a comic strip"

"I know, I know...but Vadas is convinced that the guy's got something that makes him lucky."

"And let me guess...he wants you to get it for him. Typical Vadas. That fool will believe anything."

"Fool or not..I got to do something..and by tonight"

"I wish I could more help Danny boy, but there's not a lot to tell. I tell you what, I'll start poking in some holes for you. If I find anything out, I'll let you know".

"Thanks, Al, I appreciate it. I'll see you around". I downed the rest of my drink and throw a note on the bar. I got up and made for the exit.

"Anytime, pal," he replied, and got up from his stool. I smiled at Agnieszka, who was now on all fours scrubbing the floor. She made the effort to return the smile, and I looked back at Al who gave me another wink. I pushed open the doors and walk out into the street. I looked at my watch, and then started walking towards the casino.

The Charming Monkey, Part 5

I slowly got up from my desk, and made my way towards Madison. Behind her was the safe, and as I walked past her, she gave me a solemn look. She knew that I only kept one thing in my safe, and it wasn't money. I entered the combination using the dial, and pulled open the solid door. I pulled out a small, locked box and shut the safe. I spun the dial and returned to my desk.

I sat and stared at the box for a moment, then I took my keys out of my pocket, and unlocked it. I could feel Madison glaring at me as I opened the box. Inside was a small .45 revolver, and a box of bullets. I flicked out the cylinder and checked that it was loaded. I didn't like to use the gun often, but it pays to keep it ready. I learnt that lesson the hard way. I put the revolver into my right jacket pocket, and grabbed a handful of bullets from the box and stuffed them into the left pocket. I closed the box and pushed it away from me. I knew Madison didn't approve of me carrying around a piece, but I wasn't going to take any chances today. Not with Vadas involved.

"Don't look at me like that, Mad", I said to her, sensing she was just about to say something. "I know men like Vadas, and it's just a precaution".

"I know", she said", "but you know how I worry. I think you're going to be asking for more trouble carrying around that thing".

"You know me", I smiled, "trouble finds me, not the other way". She didn't look impressed, but she returned my smile. I downed the rest of my now-cold cup of coffee, and got up out of my chair. I made my way toward the door.

"What are you going to do?", asked Madison as I walked past her. "You don't believe all that lucky monkey business, do you?"

"I don't think it matters what I believe", I replied, "The only thing that matters is that Vadas is involved". It didn't take a psychic to know that Madison was concerned.

"Don't you worry though", I said with a grin, "I'll keep in touch throughout the day, and tell you all about it tomorrow". I continued toward the door, and Madison smiled. It was nice to see.

"Where are you going? The casino?", she asked. I shook my head. I didn't intend to walk into that place before I was ready.

"I'm going to get a drink", I replied and walked out of the office.