by John Bowers
“Anything.”
“First, we eat. Then I give you instructions.”
She punched a button on the table and a holographic menu popped up.
“Order what you want,” she said.
Nick studied the selection for a moment; he spotted half a dozen items that had been featured at the Russian joint where he and Aleksandr had eaten, but also a broader selection that included dishes from the Federation and, probably, Sirius. He selected a beef stew and cornbread, for no reason except he hadn’t eaten either in a very long time. Diana also ordered a cocktail.
“You don’t want a drink?” she asked Nick.
“No.”
She smiled as if he were being silly, but let it go. He sucked from his water bottle again.
“Aleksandr said you did well today.”
“He did? I thought the big lug didn’t like me.”
“I think you are growing on him. He was impressed with how you recovered the protection money those punks stole.”
Nick shrugged. “Back in Joisey, we never let anybody get away with ripping us off.”
“Good. I like that attitude.”
“So what’s the assignment for tonight?”
“Have you been to the casino yet?”
Nick looked blank. “You guys have a casino?”
“Of course. It’s the top revenue-generator for our organization.”
“I figured this place was.” He waved a hand around the Rodina. “Or maybe the protection racket.”
Her smile faded just a fraction.
“I don’t care for that term…‘racket’.”
“Sorry. That’s what we called it in Joisey. What do you call it?”
“Our insurance business. We sell insurance against accident, pillage, and theft.”
“If you don’t mind me saying so, you need to do a better job of it. Aleksandr was going to shake down the same merchant again tomorrow, even though the guy had the money ready for us and then got robbed.”
“I don’t mind you saying so, but my brothers might…so keep that between you and me.”
Nick shrugged. “Okay.”
She leaned slightly forward.
“Now, explain what you mean.”
“I think it’s pretty obvious. Those people work hard for their cash, and they resent having to pay it to us; I’m okay with that, as long as we actually do provide the protection they are paying for, but what I saw today didn’t look like it.”
“Why does it matter?”
“It’s a matter of respect. It looks to me like these people are paying out of fear. If they don’t pay, Aleksandr or someone like him will trash their business. That doesn’t generate respect, just the opposite. But if you actually do protect them—like recovering money that was stolen and punishing the robbers—they will respect you a lot more, and people who respect you are a lot more cooperative.”
Diana studied him for a long moment, her expression suggesting that his idea was new and revolutionary.
“So…”
“So instead of treating these people like dirt, treat them like business partners. Give them a reason to pay beyond just raw terror.”
“Is that how you did it in J… How do you say it?”
“Joisey. Yes, that’s what we did. It created a safer atmosphere for our collection agents, and the clients actually tipped us off when the competition tried to move in on our business. They still may have resented having to pay, but they would much rather deal with us than anyone else. We even gave them perqs.”
“What kind of perqs?” Diana looked interested.
“We held a lottery once a year for our clients. Whoever won the lottery got a fifty percent reduction in their payments for a full year. We also sponsored a couple of sports leagues for kids and let the merchants advertise for free, which increased their revenue.
“And…” Nick tilted his head. “…when Federation agents came nosing around looking for dirt on the Family, none of our clients would cooperate with them.”
“We don’t have that problem here.” Diana took a sip of her cocktail. “The government doesn’t bother us, and neither does MGB, for the most part. But your idea is intriguing. What kind of perqs do you suppose we could give them?”
“Oh, I dunno…maybe you could offer free tickets to the Rodina every few months. If the merchants don’t want to use them, they can offer them to their customers to increase business. Or maybe spot them a hundred russos in casino chips from time to time. Create a less fearful, more respectful relationship. And for god’s sake—if they get robbed or vandalized, send someone to deal with it. That will make the streets safer for everyone, and if MGB is up your ass for any reason, it’s good public relations.”
Diana lit a cigarette and blew the smoke above the table.
“Those are interesting ideas, Nick Russo. I think it helps to get a fresh look at things sometimes.”
Nick nodded. There was no way he could completely shut down Bratva—that wasn’t his mission—but if the merchants in Periscope Harbor had a little easier time after he was gone, that would be a positive thing.
“Glad to help,” he told her. “I’m all about improving the business.”
Their food came and for the next half hour they chatted while they ate. At five o’clock the front doors opened; customers streamed in and spread out, some to the bar, others to the dance floor, a few to the mezzanine for dinner. The dance music kicked in and drowned out conversation, laser light flashing in all directions. Nick was glad when dinner was over.
Diana spoke into her wristwatch and two minutes later Nicola appeared. She looked hotter than ever in a slinky, form-fitting red dress that sparkled with sequins. Her hair was pulled back with a barrette and curled down around her bare shoulders. Once again, Nick halfway wished he was ten years younger and unattached.
“Nicola will drive you to the casino,” Diana told him. “My brother is expecting you.”
Nick made a face. “Lebed? This ought to be fun.”
“Not Lebed. My older brother, Kozel. He runs the casino.”
“Okay… Any clue what he wants with me?”
“Kozel will fill you in. I think he needs a specialist.” She smiled and squeezed his arm. “Good work today. I will see you in the morning.”
Diana walked away toward the lift that led to the upstairs offices, leaving Nick alone with Nicola. Nicola stepped up against him and took his arm.
“Hello again, Nick. I guess we are working together tonight.”
He looked down at her and grinned.
“Yeah, looks that way. Where is this famous casino located?”
“Come with me. I will show you.”
She took him up to the parking garage on the twentieth floor and showed him to a small convertible hovercar. Nick stopped when he saw it—the top was down.
“I’m not riding in that.”
“Why not? It is perfectly safe.”
“If you say so, but you have to put the top up.”
“What’s wrong, Nick? Are you afraid to ride in a convertible?”
“No, it’s not that—I just don’t want the wind to mess up my hair.”
Nicola stared at his shaven scalp and burst out laughing. She crawled into the pilot’s seat and punched a couple of switches; the car’s roof emerged from the trunk area and slid into its groove. A moment later she pressed another lever and the roof locked into place.
“Is that better?”
“Yes, much better.” Nick got into the passenger seat, strapped himself in, and locked his door. “I hope you’re a good pilot.”
“I am a very good pilot. Don’t worry, I’ll get you there alive.”
“Alive is good. Alive and in one piece would be even better.”
She laughed again and fired up the turbine. A moment later she backed out of the parking space, idled toward the exit, and stopped. Nick was staring out a garage entrance that opened two hundred feet above the street below. A metal railing stretched across the opening at
waist level, leaving about eight feet of open air above it. Nicola engaged her lifters, let the car rise high enough to clear the railing, and eased out of the opening. Once clear, she hit her thrusters and the car banked away to the right down a side street. At the intersection, she turned right again and they headed toward the harbor.
Nick had hoped to get another view of the atmospheric light show, but it had apparently already happened. Dusk had settled and the city already blazed with light. As they headed for the harbor, he caught a flash of strobe lights off to the left and spotted a large airliner arriving from the north; he watched as it made a right turn toward the airport.
“Kind of late for air traffic, isn’t it?” he asked.
Nicola glanced at the flashing lights, then shrugged.
“They come and go at all hours.”
“I heard you had a crash here a while back.”
“Yeah? Where did you hear that?”
“I was in Molograd, just landed. I had to board a plane to get here and I heard the other passengers talking about it.” He gave a short, self-deprecating laugh. “I have to tell you, I was a little nervous about taking that flight.”
Nicola smiled, but kept her eyes on the hover traffic.
“You were perfectly safe.”
“I was? How can you know that?”
She hesitated only briefly.
“Because that crash was the first one in the history of Periscope Harbor. At least, that’s what I was told.”
“Wow. That’s a pretty impressive safety record.”
“Yes, it is. It might not happen again for a hundred years.”
“I sure hope not. Any idea why that one crashed?”
She shook her head. “The government is still investigating, but they haven’t released any findings yet.”
Nick felt a current of excitement. He chose his next words carefully.
“You said the government hasn’t released its findings, but I get the feeling you know something.”
“Did I say that?” She glanced at him and laughed. “I don’t know anything except what I hear.”
“And what have you heard?”
Now she looked directly at him. “Why, Nick? Why are you so interested?”
“Because I came in on the same fucking airline. And I might want to take it again sometime, so I want to know it’s safe.”
She returned to her piloting.
“Like I said, all I know is what I hear. And I hear the Federation is all up in arms because one of their ambassadors was on that plane.”
Nick managed to look shocked.
“No shit?”
“No shit. Naturally, they think it was some kind of assassination, but nobody can prove it.”
“Was it?”
“Was it what?”
“An assassination.”
“I don’t know.” She hunched her shoulders. “But if it was, who would want to assassinate the Federation ambassador? And why?”
“Maybe some kind of terrorist group.”
“I don’t think so. I’m not aware of any terrorists on this planet.”
“Maybe a lone wolf, then.”
“Maybe. Some things are just above my pay grade.”
*
When she reached the harbor, Nicola kept going. A steady, if uneven, stream of traffic seemed to be headed for the offshore islands, and as they drew closer, Nick saw why. The domed building he had spotted his first night in the city began to grow as they approached; in the gathering dusk, it was now a fountain of flashing lights, spectacular colors to rival even the aurora that occurred naturally at sunset. As Nicola slowed and signaled for a descent, he saw the name of the place in rippling rainbow colors:
HARBOR CASINO
Most of the hover traffic seemed to be heading for the casino. Several parking lots surrounded the building—which was indeed the size of a stadium—but Nicola veered to the left and descended toward a flat spot on the roof of the giant dome. A smaller sign in flashing red lights declared:
Employee Parking Only
Nicola slowed to a hover, then settled down onto a clearly-marked landing pad. Before she could shut down the turbine, two men closed in and pulled the doors open.
“ID,” one of them demanded, and Nicola handed him her employee card. After a brief inspection, the man nodded and stepped aside for her to exit the vehicle.
Nick got out on the other side, where the wind almost took him off his feet. The second man confronted him.
“ID?”
“He’s with me,” Nicola called out. “New hire, doesn’t have his employee card yet.”
The security man nodded and stepped back. Nick joined Nicola as the first man slid into the hovercar and moved it to a parking slot. Nicola slipped her arm inside of Nick’s and leaned against him.
“It’s cold tonight!”
“Yeah, no shit. This must be the highest point on the island. There’s nothing to stop that wind.”
Shivering, they hustled toward a doorway that led to the lifts, and moments later emerged into a lobby just off the main floor of the casino.
“Before I meet him,” Nick said to Nicola, “tell me about Kozel. Am I going to like him?”
Nicola shrugged. “He is Lebed’s older brother. They have a similar temperament, except Kozel is a little less volatile. He is sort of halfway between Lebed and Orel.”
“Mm. Okay, where do we find him?”
She led him through the main doors onto the casino floor, and things got a lot noisier. Nick was no stranger to casinos—though he didn’t gamble and rarely visited one—and this one was very much like every other one he’d seen. The main floor was vast and colorful, featuring everything from coin-operated slots to roulette tables and everything in between. Nick saw craps tables, poker tables, blackjack tables, Baccarat tables, and a couple of other games he didn’t recognize. On one side of the building was a food court featuring nine or ten different cuisines; on another was an extensive bar. Cocktail waitresses paraded around the floor serving beer, wine, and a variety of hard drinks. The air was heavy with cannabis and tobacco smoke.
The noise, from shouts of glee to moans of despair, from shrill laughter to ringing jackpots, was deafening. As they wended their way through the crowd, Nick was astonished at the variety of people. Nicola hadn’t been kidding about tourism, apparently—in the city proper, Nick had seen very few people who looked like tourists, but here they were visible in the hundreds. He saw people of all races from Terra, Alpha Centauri 2, Sirius, and even a handful of Vegans.
And, of course, hundreds of Rukranians.
Posted throughout the casino at strategic locations were grim looking employees, many of them tatted up like Bratva soldiers. Card-counting or cheating of any sort would not be taken lightly, and Nick pitied any poor fool who thought he could beat the odds.
In the approximate center of the huge room was a circular, elevated dais with a desk and holographic monitors, like a command center. Half a dozen people were seated at the curved desk, watching the holo-screens; two men in business suits stood in the center of the circle. Nicola led Nick up the steps to the circle and approached them. She stopped and waited for the men to notice her, then smiled.
“Mr. Petreykin, this is Nick Russo. Diana sent him over.”
Nick wasn’t sure which man was which as both turned to stare at him; the taller of the two, who appeared to be in his mid-forties, nodded curtly.
“So you are Russo. I have been hearing about you.”
He extended his hand and Nick took it, but the gesture was more perfunctory than friendly.
“Nothing good, I hope,” Nick said with a small grin.
Kozel Petreykin’s eyes narrowed.
No sense of humor. Okay.
“Diana tells me you solved a robbery today.” Kozel’s English was better than his brother’s, almost as good as Diana’s.
“Yes, sir.”
“Lebed also has a story, much less flattering…but Diana seems to like you; are
you ready to work?”
“Yes, sir.”
Kozel glanced at the man beside him, who had not spoken and hadn’t been introduced. They nodded to each other, as if confirming a bet, then Kozel spoke to Nick again.
“Let’s find out if you are as good as advertised. Follow me.”
Chapter 17
Nick followed Kozel Petreykin and his companion, who still hadn’t spoken, across the casino floor toward a bank of elevators. Nicola started to accompany them, but Kozel stopped her.
“I don’t think you want to see this,” he told her. “Wait at the bar until Russo is finished.”
They stepped into a lift and Kozel gave a voice command for the top floor. He was an inch taller than Nick, with textured silver hair and broad shoulders. The cut of his suit coat suggested he was muscular, but the coat couldn’t conceal just the beginning of a gut. His companion, by contrast, was perhaps five feet nine, wizened and shriveled. He looked about fifty but might have been older—or younger. His skin was darkened by solar radiation and his features had a pinched, mean look. Nick suspected he might be from Sirius.
The lift opened onto an executive floor. Offices lined the corridor as they stepped out, and at one end Nick saw an open doorway that led into what looked like a control room; like the circular dais downstairs, it was packed with electronics and holo-screens.
Kozel turned left, away from the control room. At the end of the corridor he unlocked an unmarked door and pushed it open. Beyond the door was a short flight of steps leading down to an intermediate level, where another door awaited. Kozel unlocked this one as well and stepped aside to let Nick enter. As Nick stepped through, he knew the time had come…
You will be expected to prove yourself. Or kill. Maybe innocent person.
The room was bare concrete with a sloping floor that led to a drain in the center. Half a dozen empty chairs were scattered about, some of them overturned. In the center of the room, near the drain, one chair was occupied. The man sitting in it was about thirty-five, medium build, muscular, and his face looked like hamburger. Clearly someone had already worked him over. He seemed to be dozing, with his chin on his chest, but stirred slightly when he sensed their presence.