“The contest is in proportion to body weight,” Dog Z Boy explained. “For every beer I drink, he has to drink a full keg.”
“Yeah, and you get to pay for it. Sounds like kind of a con or something, not to mention a little pricey.”
“I only have to pay for his beer if I lose, which I don’t intend to do. And anyway, how often do you get the chance to try to out-drink an elephant?”
Shark thought about it for a second. Dog Z Boy was right. How often do we get the opportunity to do things that are out of the ordinary? You have to take what life has to offer when it offers it, because who knows if it will ever provide the same experience again? Shark gave Dog Z Boy a positive nod and a friendly slap on the back. “You’re right, my friend, give him hell.”
Dog Z Boy left the bar and approached the large elephant, who took one look at him and laughed. “You can’t be serious, little man.”
“Bring it on there, Tusks, you have yourself some competition.”
The crowd cheered at the announcement of the challenge. Shark listened to the snickers of bar patrons as they joked about Dog Z Boy’s size. Shark kept quiet and let the rude remarks slide, brushing them away as comments from the ignorant and pussy whipped. He did not know if Dog Z Boy would win the contest, but he did know, and smiled at the fact, that his friend at least had the balls to try.
Shark watched Dog Z Boy take a seat at a large table. He knew the challenge was official as the bartenders brought out ten regular beers for Dog Z Boy and ten plastic containers, each holding a keg’s worth of beer, for the elephant.
Shark felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Vixen’s beautiful face, her radiating green eyes locking onto his. Her long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail.
“I see you two are up to your regular tricks,” she said with a smile.
Shark gave her a big hug. “If Dog Z Boy wants to try to out-drink an elephant, who am I to try to stop him?” He gave her a quick kiss. “I’m glad you came.”
“So am I. Now, we can’t let our friend drink alone.”
Shark felt a large grin appear on his face as he turned toward the bar. “Bartender, two more beers please.”
Vixen smiled and turned toward Dog Z Boy. She yelled and waved. “Dog Z Boy, give him hell!”
Dog Z Boy looked up at the sound of Vixen’s voice. He gave her a big wide smile, a quick wave, then a big thumbs up. Shark sensed that his friend was loving life at this moment.
Vixen looked up at Shark as he handed her a beer, and the two shared another long glance. “I really enjoy hanging out with you two,” she said. “I’ve never met two guys that are this much fun.”
Shark raised his beer and clanked the bottle against Vixen’s. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
A large swordfish stood before the table and lowered a worn and dirty bar rag, signaling the start of the contest.
Shark watched as Dog Z Boy made great progress right out of the gate. Smooth, steady gulps made the yellow liquid disappear in a well-proportioned, steady fashion.
The elephant dipped his large trunk into the first plastic container and snorted the liquid up his long nose. He bent the appendage into his mouth and emptied the massive trunk, letting the liquid drain down his throat. Each time a barrel was finished, Shark could hear a sucking sound as the plastic bottom attached itself to the elephant’s nose. The elephant tossed the container aside and moved on to a fresh batch of the intoxicating substance.
The crowd was going wild as the two competitors kept pace with each other. Dog Z Boy pounded beer after beer, and the elephant showed no signs of letting up.
“Dog Z! Dog Z! Dog Z!” Shark and Vixen yelled.
The crowd seemed to like Dog Z Boy’s brashness and joined in chanting his name. Soon the entire place was on his side and began chanting his name, “Dog Z! Dog Z! Dog Z!”
This is so cool, Shark thought. It’s so loud they must be hearing Dog Z Boy’s name all the way down on the piers.
Shark watched closely as Dog Z Boy opened his eyes to watch the beer drain from his glass. Shark noticed that, with his beer still flowing, Dog Z Boy moved his eyeballs to the side to check on the progress of his large pachyderm rival.
The elephant stopped for a second and let out a giant burp that was so large it created a light windstorm that blew back the hair of the cheering spectators. The foul wind also brought with it a light mist of regurgitated beer that attached itself like a wet film to their faces.
Shark wiped the faint mist from his face and looked at Vixen. “Man, that was nasty.”
Vixen had her own look of disgust as she also wiped her face clean. “I’ve had some pretty gross things happen to me, but I have to say, that one takes the cake.”
The serious look on their faces quickly turned to large smiles as they both cracked up and laughed at the absurdity of the situation. They went back to cheering for their friend Dog Z Boy. “Dog Z! Dog Z! Dog Z!” Shark and Vixen screamed as loud as they could.
The two rivals were getting to the end of the contest. Dog Z Boy was down to two beers, and the elephant was making his way onto his last keg. He stopped and looked at Dog Z Boy. Shark sensed from the look on the elephant’s face that he was impressed that Dog Z Boy was keeping pace with him. The elephant dipped his trunk into the last container and sucked and sucked. After the large tube was filled, he moved it to his mouth and let it drain.
Shark again noticed Dog Z Boy looking out of the corner of his eye as the elephant went hard at the last container. Shark could feel the excitement; the contest was close. He yelled, “Come on, Dog Z Boy! Dig deep, find the strength—you can win this!”
Shark hoped that the positive reinforcement from the crowd would propel Dog Z Boy into overdrive, even if his stomach was probably about to burst.
Dog Z Boy looked up at Shark, and with his free hand gave him a big thumb up. He opened his mouth a little wider and let the beer flow freely down his throat.
The elephant sucked and drained the liquid, then turned to watch Dog Z Boy pick up his last glass of beer.
The elephant looked into the plastic container at his remaining amount of beer, then sucked and drained.
The roar of the crowd increased as they watched Dog Z Boy quickly drain his last glass of beer. The crowd burst out into total crazy chaos as Dog Z Boy finished the last remaining liquid and slammed his glass on the table. A second later, Shark heard a sucking sound of plastic come from the elephant’s jug. But it was too late—Dog Z Boy had won, and the crowd went wild!
The patrons picked up Dog Z Boy and carried him on their shoulders around the bar. He was the new hero of the moment.
Shark felt a warm wave of emotion run through his body at the admiration the crowd was giving his friend. He smiled as he looked over at Vixen who also had a giant smile on her face. They both continued chanting his name, “Dog Z! Dog Z! Dog Z!”
Shark and the entire crowd turned at the abrupt rumbling sound that emanated from the corner of the room. There was sudden silence as the crowd watched, first in curiosity, then in amazement, then in total horror, as the elephant’s stomach muscles contracted and heaved. Within a second, the elephant regurgitated ten kegs’ worth of beer, drenching the entire bar and every patron in it with the ill-scented liquid.
The silence continued for another second as Shark and the stunned crowd took in the experience of what had just happened. Shark looked at the elephant; a sheepish grin was growing on the pachyderm’s face. Then, as beer dripped off the soaked bodies of the crowd, the first screams of disgust filtered through the room.
Vixen looked at Shark. They were both drenched in the spent liquid. “When I said before, that the mist was the most disgusting thing that ever happened to me, let me take that back, because this is definitely it.”
Shark could taste the beer as it dripped off his head. “I have to say, I must agree.”
Shark again looked at Vixen as they both began to smile, finding humor in the situation. They burst out laughing. Sha
rk heard the cries of disgust from the other patrons also turn to laughter at the bizarre situation. The entire crowd brushed off the awful experience and continued with Dog Z Boy’s celebration of victory. They raised him on their shoulders and continued to chant, “Dog Z! Dog Z! Dog Z Boy!”
Shark opened his eyes with a smile that quickly faded as an overwhelming sadness crept through his body. How I miss him, he thought. I will always miss my best friend, Dog Z Boy.
Shark felt a slight tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Wolf, who was also looking dapper in a fresh-pressed tuxedo.
“Ready to go?” Wolf asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Shark responded.
Shark noticed his reflection in the balcony’s sliding glass door. He again looked at Wolf in his tuxedo. Not bad, he thought, we both look like a couple of movie stars standing here on the penthouse balcony of the Serengeti Casino. Shark sensed Wolf thought the same thing as they grinned at each other and walked inside to check on Cahira and Frenchie.
CHAPTER 21
Serengeti Executive Offices
Old Jack approached the lobby elevators that led to the Serengeti Casino executive offices that were located six stories beneath the mammoth complex. As he stood in front of the stainless steel doors, a welcoming female computerized voice sounded through a speaker.
“Hello. Welcome to the Serengeti Casino,” the voice announced in a soothing, calm tone. “Preparing for body scan.” Multiple rays of light appeared from the side walls; they started at Old Jack’s feet and rose to the top of his head. “Scan complete. Occupant approved. Please enter the elevator.”
He stepped into the elevator and noticed the cameras protruding from the ceiling. Every square inch of the elevator was being filmed and recorded. Old Jack knew the Serengeti had the most advanced security system ever designed for a casino and that he was now under its scrutiny. There was a small hum as the elevator descended into the depths of the casino’s underworld. With a light jolt the elevator stopped and the doors opened to a concrete hallway, where an armed guard stood at attention in front of a massive steel door.
Old Jack approached the outline of a pair of yellow footprints that were painted in the center of the floor. He positioned his feet inside them.
A second later the same female voice that had addressed him at the elevator’s entrance resonated through the concrete room. “Prepare for scan two.”
Rays of light again appeared from walls and scanned him, this time head to toe.
“Scan complete,” the voice said. “Scan approved. Access granted.”
The armed guard turned away from Old Jack and entered a series of numbers on a keypad. The giant steel door began to slowly rise.
The guard nodded to him, giving him his approval to enter.
Old Jack noticed that the interior of the executive office was a complete contrast to the cold cement of the entranceway. The office was filled to the brink with expensive, exotic artwork and authentic African antiques. The entire area smelled like money.
An extremely beautiful and sexy young blond approached. “Hi, my name is Sienna. I’m Mr. Shaw’s executive secretary. Please follow me, he is expecting you.”
As they walked, Old Jack could not help himself from checking out Shaw’s assistant. He knew Shaw had good taste, but this woman was exquisite. His eyes followed the beautiful lines of her long, thin, tan legs as they extended endlessly to her model-like torso. As she turned and asked if he would like a cup of coffee he could not help but notice how her perfectly aligned high cheekbones complemented the fullness of her lips and incredible face. This has to be one of the most beautiful women nature has ever created, he thought. She actually could give Vixen a run for the money which is not an easy thing to achieve.
“I’m good on the coffee,” he said as they walked. “But thank you for the offer, my dear.”
She again turned and politely smiled, showing the whiteness of perfectly aligned, gorgeous teeth.
They stopped at a desk outside two large, polished, mahogany wood doors. “Just a second, please,” Sienna said as she pressed a button on her phone. “Mr. Shaw. Your appointment has arrived.” There was a slight pause. “Very well, sir.” Sienna pressed a small button on her desk, and the large doors slowly swung open. “This way, sir,” she said as she led Old Jack to the open doors, then motioned for him to enter the room.
The doors closed behind him. He looked across the vast office. Shaw was sitting at a large desk with his back to him. He was staring at a wall that looked like it had a penthouse view of the entire Las Vegas skyline. There was moving traffic, which meant it was not a mural but rather a screen with a live-action view of the strip. Since they were six stories below ground, Old Jack knew it was a real-time transmission from cameras on the roof.
“I have heard that you have delivered my merchandise as scheduled,” Shaw said, still not looking at him.
“I have, Mr. Shaw. He is in Las Vegas and in this very hotel as we speak.”
“And he has agreed to perform in the opening show Friday night as I requested?”
“I have a meeting with him in two hours. He will be convinced at that time that it is in his best interest to do so.”
Shaw swiveled in his chair and faced Old Jack directly. He ran his fingers on the desk. Old Jack sensed that Shaw was looking at the bandages that covered his bruised and battered body as a result of the beating he sustained in South America.
Shaw hesitated for a second, then spoke. “I have to say, it was quite an unfortunate situation that you had to endure with my man in South America.”
“I should think we should be able to look past that, Mr. Shaw. Sometimes life just presents inevitable, unfortunate situations.”
Old Jack could tell Shaw was thinking hard and listened closely as Shaw spoke. “I think it might be best for me to speak personally with Shark. I’m not so sure he would be as responsive to you, considering the circumstances with his friend and the girl and all.”
Old Jack had no way to know what to expect from Shark. If Shaw wanted the responsibility of forcing him to perform, then he was all for it.
“I have no problem with you talking to Shark,” Old Jack replied. “I would like to let you know that his girlfriend Vixen is our main bargaining chip. He will do anything for her.”
“I am aware of that,” Shaw responded. “I don’t think it best that we have them together in the same room just yet. More like a view from afar. I would think that would do the trick.”
“I agree.”
“Good. I’ll work out the details and you can implement them.”
“Whatever you need me to do, sir.”
Shaw stood and approached Old Jack. “Would you care for a scotch, Old Jack?”
Old Jack was always skeptical and on edge around Shaw but also knew he could not refuse him. “I would most gladly accept your generous invitation.”
Shaw walked to the bar and filled two glasses with ice, then poured a hefty amount of the golden elixir into each glass. He handed one of the drinks to Old Jack.
“Let’s celebrate,” Shaw said.
Old Jack did not know exactly what the celebration was about but decided it best to just go along. The two banged the glasses together as Shaw continued to speak. “Today is the grand opening of the greatest casino ever built. And three days from now will be the opening night of the biggest show ever produced in the history of the world.” Shaw looked at Old Jack as they both took a small sip of their drinks. “I have partly you to thank for that. I just want you to know, I appreciate your work.”
“Why thank you, Mr. Shaw,” Old Jack said as if he was still walking on eggshells. “I must say, your appreciation is totally unexpected and unnecessary.”
“Nonsense,” Shaw said as he put his arm around Old Jack’s shoulder. “You have worked hard and have delivered me one of the greatest attractions the world has ever seen, and to show my gratitude, I have decided to give you the ultimate prize.” Shaw slapped Old Jack on the back
, then leaned back on the front of his massive desk.
Old Jack had numbers running through his head in the sum of millions. He was sure Shaw was going to reward him with a load of money. “Well, if you put it that way, Mr. Shaw, who would I be to argue with a man of your intellect?”
Shaw smiled in agreement. “I have decided that since you seem to have such a connection to our great white friend that you should have the honor to face off against him in the arena on opening night.”
Old Jack felt like he had been hit head on by a bus. He was shocked and deeply disturbed by the offer. There was no way he would ever want to face Shark one-on-one. It was the equivalent of a suicide mission. He knew the only way to continue to live would be to get out of this precarious situation.
Old Jack again found himself treading lightly with Shaw. “Oh, Mr.Shaw, I must admit that I am quite honored by your generous invitation, but truly, an honor so great should not be bestowed or wasted on the likes of me. Surely, the crowd would be much more appeased at watching Shark face off against a more worthy adversary.”
Shaw gave Old Jack a cold look as if he knew he was trying to squirm his way out of the offer. “It’s not as if I’m not willing to give you a fighting chance, Old Jack. Here is what I propose. I have rounded up seven of your fiercest relatives direct from Africa, direct from the real Serengeti plains. These boys are some the meanest creatures nature has ever created. Here is my plan. We will let them loose on Shark first, and after he is considerably weakened, you will be given the chance to finish him off.”
Old Jack thought about it for a second and started to like the plan. He knew his relatives. They were all born killers, and if seven of them had the chance to gang up on Shark, they would definitely inflict massive damage. Old Jack’s primitive instincts started to kick in. He thought about the accolades he would receive by slaughtering the world’s top predator in front of a standing-room-only crowd of five hundred thousand spectators. He would love the opportunity and love the praise. I will he famous, he thought. And most of all, his mother would be proud. The only remaining thought that stabbed at the back of his mind like a dagger was one question. Why would Shaw want to kill his main attraction on opening night?
Shark & The Wolf: Predators and Prey Page 16