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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

EVERY BREAK FROM the Pentagonal Spire, the military flew Tom back and forth to wherever his dad was That way, Tom avoided a lot of the restrictions that would’ve accoh an airport while on the terror watch list He also got a ride straight to the Old Indian Chief Casino, where he plopped down in the restaurant to await his father

Neil showed up soon, gave hi incident at his last poker gauy with binoculars, and this ht in his ear"

That’s when a woman in a suit headed over to theentle to sohtened up uneasily, because respectable-looking people charging up to the smile "I take it you two are the Raines party?"

Toet in trouble Neil’s brow furrowed He see to reer down and wiped his hand with his napkin "Who’s asking?" He sounded calm, but Tom could pick up the undercurrent of tension in his voice

"I take it you’re Neil Raines?" she clarified

Neil shifted in his seat and cast a look around The woman was alone No cops or burly henchmen were there as backup, ready to haul him off Finally, his cautious eyes moved back to her He folded his arht person Again, ants to know?"

She set a small plastic token on the table before them "Compliments of a friend He’s staked you ten thousand dollars up in the Green Room"

Neil took the chip like he didn’t knohat it was

"Please enjoy yourself" And with that, she left theotten He wiped his hands off on his shirt, then snatched it himself He studied it, then handed it to Neil, who held it between two fingers like itstreak," Toht he could win for theet a cut in the process

Neil shook his head, eyes on the chip "Winning so some Trust me, the people who’d stake me ten K are still ancient history"

A dark possibility flashed through Tom’s brain People didn’t hand out this sort ofnasty had to lie behind it He leaned closer to Neil "Hey, you’re not going to this Green Roo parlor on one of the upper floors of the casino "What if it’s souys aze flashed up to his "You reed Ever since the census device, yeah, he res he’d blocked out frouys busting in their hotel rooit debts, To it back with the agreed-upon interest rate--"

"You don’t have to tell ain! I’d have paid uy, and I still would’ve been in debt If I wanted that nonsense, I’d have used a credit card, not gone to a loan shark"

Torew exasperated "Credit card companies don’t send people to beat you up Mobsters do"

"Yeah, becauselaws for them Mobsters don’t have prisons and a police force and the entire government in their back pockets Look what happened to old Al Cassano I heard he got three ot hired out to work in India somewhere No one’s heard a word since The state disappeared him They can do that to any of us Thank you, National Defense Authorization Act!" Neil saluted the air sarcastically "I’d deal with a mobster over a corporate kleptocrat any day"

Toed "Okay, fine What are you gonna do?"