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“Where are you now?”

“Just off the loading dock We’re keeping ourselves busy cleaning up a few jugs of cooking oil that Ski accidentally spilled on purpose”

“Okay, hang tight, and wait for nal”

Cabrillo flashed his passport and paid his entrance fee The croere allroo He aot hiht appropriate considering his surroundings, and found a dark corner to wait

Hux called in moments later to announce she had also arrived and was in the Salon de l’Europe, the casino’s principal ga hall

While he waited, Juan put histo rescue Max before they leveled Eos Island with the Orbital Ballistic Projectile There was no question in his h with the island’s destruction if they couldn’t get Max The stakes were too high, and even Max would agree

He wished there was a way to co the ELF equipment, but it was a transh a dozen ideas, worked the ill-conceived

“They’re here,” Julia said over the phone, after he’d been at the bar for twentyfor a chemin de fer table”

“Let theet settled and have a few drinks first”

Down in the casino, Julia Huxley divided her attention between the roulette wheel and their target Her pile of chips ebbed and flowed as time wore on, while, across the room, Ibn al-Asim was on his third drink

She thought it ironic that he illing to finance arroups and yet flout one of the best-known Musliht of hinored its tenets in order to infiltrate Western society Of course, he acco traditional robes and not sporting a heavy beard The drinking and the wo weren’t necessary They were simply activities he obviously enjoyed

“I think it’s ti to check a text e

“Okay Do it Mike, get ready for Operation V”

Julia waited until the roulette ball dropped into the nu chips, hers included, from the table before tossi

ng hi stack She pulled the two pills from her purse and started across the room A few men eyed her as she passed, but ame