by J. G. Martin
Rora and Derek exited the Humvee and walked to the front entrance. The doors slid open and they were greeted with a blast of cool air. They passed through another set of doors and then they were inside. Their escorts didn’t leave until Derek and Rora entered the building. The inside was open and equally as glitzy and modern as the outside. Giant TV screens blared ads for casinos and shows and hawkers roamed around handing out flyers.
Rora took one before Derek could stop her, and was appalled by the pictures of naked women offering their services plastered all over it. She threw it down in disgust, but Derek picked it up and threw it away in a trash can. When she looked at him in confusion, he explained.
“Littering is a criminal offense here. We don’t want to get arrested in the first five minutes. Remember Rule #19, don’t draw attention to yourself.”
“Prostitution is legal, but littering isn’t?” She asked in amazement.
He shrugged. “It’s Vegas.”
They joined the short lines waiting to enter the Strip. People of all kinds were waiting in the line to pass through the scanners. Rora noted a couple of Hauler’s Guild representatives, a group of Order thugs, what looked like a group of tourists from the U.S.T.G., and even a Preacher. She also saw a merk arguing with Security. After a brief argument, Security knocked him down and beat him with batons before dragging him away. The other visitors pretended to see and the other armed guards scattered all around the building didn’t even react.
They passed through without much trouble. The guards inspected Rora’s tablet and Derek’s phone, but didn’t find anything wrong with them. They stood in the scanners until they were cleared and then security waved them through. Passing through another set of double sliding doors, they found themselves on the edge of the Strip. It was even more brightly lit from this viewpoint than in the air. People swarmed all around them in various states of intoxication and dress. She noticed that armed Strip Security officers were posted on every other corner.
“What’s our next step?” She asked Derek. “I don’t know which casino we need to go, and we cannot go breaking into every vault.”
“I thought you said you had enough clues to figure it out?” Derek asked, slightly annoyed.
“I thought I did, but I didn’t realize there were so many casinos…” She replied with embarrassment.
“I have a few thoughts.” The Voice suddenly spoke in Derek’s ear, startling him.
“Geez, don’t you have to ring first?” He asked the Voice.
“No, I only did that the first time as a courtesy since you weren’t expecting me to be alive.” The Voice explained. “Now that I am in the phone, I am always present.”
“Wonderful, I now have an electronic sidekick who is always with me.” Derek said sarcastically. “Just what I always wanted.”
“Do you want to hear my thoughts or not?” The Voice asked in a hurt tone.
“Yes, of course. What are your thoughts?” Derek replied soothingly.
“I accessed the travel database and have discovered that Dr. Carter traveled here on only one occasion after the ARK would have been created. I also accessed the security camera footage for that time period and I discovered that he only visited four casinos.” The Voice informed him.
“That narrows it down considerably.” Derek mused.
“Wait, I have more. He won big money at three of the casinos; it looks like he was counting cards.”
“That figures, like father like daughter. But how does that help us?” Derek asked.
“At the fourth casino, he was escorted into the back by security after he started winning big. That part of the casino doesn’t have cameras. He comes back an hour later and leaves without cashing in any chips. It’s the only time I can find that he is off camera, and the only time he could have placed something in a vault.” The Voice explained calmly.
“Good work! Which casino?” Derek asked excitedly.
“The Maximus.”
Chapter 16
September 4, 2029
Maximus Casino, Las Vegas Strip, Nevada
The Maximus was one of the original casinos on the Strip and had undergone many renovations and additions. The exterior looked like a Roman palace that Rora had seen in her history studies. The guards and employees played on that theme and they were dressed as Roman soldiers and servants. Gardens and fountains filled the lobby, and huge sculptures of nude men and women towered over them. Despite the impressive architecture and detail, it still had a seedy feel to it. The white marble columns had become slightly dingy, and the uniforms looked a little frayed.
There were definitely less people here than they had seen streaming into some of the other casinos, and they looked a little rougher. The guards at the entrance had merely waved them in with only a perfunctory search. Rora noticed several bikers and merks wandering the lobby with heavily made up women on their arm. She scrunched up her nose at the sight of them.
“I wonder why your father chose this place?” Derek asked with a puzzled looked on his face.
“It does seem rather…worn.” She replied.
“That’s putting it gently.” He said with a grin.
“How are we going to play this?”
“I say we try the open approach first.” Derek suggested. “We tell them your father died and he left something here in the vault for you. I’m hoping they let us in.”
“And if they don’t?”
“We try Plan B.”
“What’s plan B?”
“I don’t know yet, but I’m sure we will think of something.” Derek replied. “If we can at least get to the vault we can get an idea of the security.”
With that, Derek approached a man in a fancy gold trimmed toga that he assumed would be the concierge. “Excuse me. I’m hoping you can help us?”
The man looked down his nose at them. “Are you a guest?”
“No, but we need to retrieve something stored in the casino’s vault.” Derek told him.
“Well. I only help guests. High rollers at that, and you two don’t look like high rollers.” The man said dismissively.
“Who can help us then?” Derek asked with a snarl.
“Go talk to security.” The man said and waved them away.
Rora could see Derek fighting to keep from punching the man and she grabbed his arm. “Let’s go talk to security.” She said as she dragged him away.
Finding a security guard was easy because of their ridiculous Roman soldier getup. She figured it wouldn’t be much good in a fight, so it was good weapons weren’t allowed. And, it looked very uncomfortable, especially the crotch piece. She wondered why people put up with this. How badly did they need the job?
“Hi, we need some help getting something from the vault.” She told the guard. She took the lead not wanting to aggravate Derek further.
“Do you have your room key?” The guard asked.
“No. My father put something in the vault, but he died before he could get it out.” She said in a sad tone and gave the guard puppy dog eyes.
He seemed unmoved. “You need to talk to the Head of Security for that. Let me get him for you.”
The guard spoke into a microphone concealed in the helmet. He received a response that Rora couldn’t hear, and nodded.
“Wait over there.” He instructed and pointed to a small divan in the corner of the lobby. “He will be down to see you in a few minutes.”
Rora and Derek did as instructed and went over to the divan. Rora sat down, but Derek began to pace around slightly. She knew he was impatient and this was probably boring him. Fortunately they didn’t wait long. A middle aged man in a black pinstriped business suit with a white shirt and no tie came out of the elevator and headed towards them. He had close cropped graying hair and a weathered face. He wasn’t wearing Roman getup, but she figured he was the Head of Security because his attire was different from all the guests.
The man approached them and stuck out his hand. “Jonas Blackmon, Head of Security.”
Derek and Rora each shook his hand and introduced themselves. “Rora Carter.” “Derek Storm.”
“I understand you want to retrieve something from the vault?” Jonas asked them.
“Yes. My father put something in the vault, but he died before he could retrieve it. Derek here is my bodyguard.” Rora explained sweetly.
“I’m sorry for your loss, how long ago did he die?” The head of security asked Rora.
“About four months ago, he was killed by slavers.”
“That is terrible; the slavers are a horrible scourge.” Jonas said sympathetically. “Slavery is illegal in the Strip, but that doesn’t stop people from bringing in slaves unfortunately.”
“It was horrible; he sacrificed his life so I could escape.” Rora told him sadly.
“I’m very sorry to hear that. Hopefully I can help you here. How long ago did he leave something in our vault?”
“It’s been a few years; it was actually before the Collapse.” She informed Jonas cautiously.
“I see. That could be a problem.” He began.
“How so?” Derek interrupted.
Jonas studied Derek for a minute before continuing. “Normally we take a DNA sample to code the box to the owner instead of an access key. That way only the owner or a blood relative would have access. Depending on when your father was here, we may have been on the old system that used fingerprints.”
“He came just prior to the Collapse, when did you institute the system?” Rora asked.
“About that time. Let’s go down to the Vault and see which method was used. Please follow me.” Jonas requested.
They followed behind him as he got onto an elevator and held his wrist up to a sensor on the keypad. The door hissed shut and the elevator descended two levels to the second sub-basement. They stepped out of the guard station and were confronted by a guard station manned by two armed guards in body armor. A full body scanner blocked the way through.
“You need to leave all personal belongings other than your clothes here, electronic devices included.” Jonas said as he turned to them.
“Why?” Rora asked out of curiosity.
“We had a hacker breach our system a week or so ago and we are not taking any chances.” Jonas informed, looking slightly embarrassed.
“That can’t be a coincidence.” Derek muttered to Rora.
“Did he steal anything?” Rora asked Jonas.
“He did not. We discovered the breach shortly after it happened and we were able to stop it. We discovered him while he was still in the system and we chased him, but he managed to disappear before we could grab him. We suspect another casino was trying to steal customer data so they could steal our whales.” He told her.
“Well that’s good. We will of course follow the protocol. Derek…” Rora said as she waved him towards the slot to store their belongings.
He gave her a glance but went ahead and did it. He put everything in including the phone and the earbud. She followed suit and then they went through the scanner. The guards cleared them and Jonas led them into an antechamber outside the vault. It had several doors that led to small private rooms on either side. And the main door to the vault loomed ahead of them, but the giant steel door of the vault was sealed off by armored glass. A small reinforced door was the only way through the glass. A small desk with a computer console and some sort of scanner mounted on it sat near the door.
Jonas went to the console and held his wrist up to it. “What was your father’s name?”
“Dr. Andrew Carter.” Rora informed him.
“Okay, you are in luck. He did use DNA; as a matter of fact he was one of the first after the system was installed. We were the first casino to have this system installed.” Jonas said with a slight smile. “Place your hand on the scanner. You might feel a small prick.”
Rora complied and placed her hand on the scanner. She waited patiently as Jonas watched something on the console. He frowned and tapped the screen a few times. Then he stepped back and placed his hand on the butt of a previously concealed pistol.
“I’m sorry, but your DNA doesn’t have a familial match of any kind.” He said very seriously. “You will need to leave now.”
“How is that possible?” Rora gasped in dismay.
“He isn’t your father according to the DNA on file. Maybe your mother forgot to tell you something or maybe you are trying to scam me.” Jonas said calmly. “I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and not detain you, but you need to leave the vault area now.”
Before Rora could argue further, more armed guards materialized to escort them out. Derek put a hand on her shoulder and guided her out. His look suggested that she keep quiet until they were alone. Security led them back to the checkpoint and gave them their belongings back before they put them on the elevator. Rora started to speak but Derek put a finger to his lips.
Derek led her back out of the casino and to a secluded spot on the street. He waited until then to speak. “I think we have a big problem here.”
“I know, is it possible the DNA was so different that it doesn’t show me as his daughter?” She asked, puzzled and disappointed.
“No, I think someone messed with the casino’s system.”
“I agree.” The Voice broke in. “Put me on speaker.”
Derek complied and the Voice continued. “I think the hacker changed the DNA profile, and I don’t think that is all he did.”
There were a few minutes of silence as Derek and Rora chewed on that. Finally Rora spoke. “So it isn’t a coincidence. This hacker is one step ahead of us trying to prevent us from finding the ARK.”
“Or getting it for themselves.” Derek added.
“But we didn’t see any sign of him being inside the lab, how would he know where to go?” Rora asked.
“Are you sure no one else knew about the ARK?” Derek pressed.
Rora shook her head. “No. Everyone that knew about the project is dead. And even if one of them survived, how would they have known about the lab?”
“What about the Collective?” The Voice suddenly interrupted.
“My father made sure they never knew about his other work. He once told me he had protected himself against their intervention.” Rora insisted.
“I would agree.” Derek added. “If the device was any indication, he had the ability to block them out. My money is on the Faceless. We still don’t know who they work for and they seem to be everywhere. One of them was in the lab.”
“That is a strong possibility.” The Voice agreed. “But why wait until now to try to retrieve it?”
“That is a good point. Maybe there is still a Faceless spy within the Society?” Derek asked.
“Unlikely. Augie had everyone checked after the fiasco with Johnson. They didn’t find any other Faceless.” Rora informed him.
“Then there is still another traitor in the Society.” Derek pointed out.
“Looks like it.” Rora agreed glumly.
“Well, we can’t change the fact that it’s out we need to get what’s in that vault. How do we do that?” Rora asked.
“I don’t think there is anything in that vault.” Derek stated confidently.
“What? Don’t you think the security head would have mentioned if someone else had accessed the vault already?” Rora asked in surprise.
“He would have if the system showed that, but I’m sure it didn’t. I’m pretty sure this hacker is extremely good at covering his tracks.” Derek replied. “I bet the hacker changed your father’s DNA profile to match his own and then entered the vault. After he got whatever was in there he wiped out any trace of his presence.”
“So how do we track him down?” Rora asked.
“I have an idea.” The Voice answered. “If you can get me into the control room we might be able to hack into the security system and find out what the hacker looks like.”
“I’m sure he was smart enough to use a disguise and to wipe any record from their system.” De
rek said doubtfully.
“Ah. But he cannot erase himself from every system in Vegas. There are cameras everywhere and I’m sure one of them caught a glimpse of him. I just need to know when he accessed the vault and I can search the local cameras for him.” The Voice explained.
“How do we get into security office?” She wondered aloud.
“First, we need a distraction.” Derek stated firmly.
“How did I know you were going to say that?” Rora groaned. “But it’s your turn; I’m tired of dropping my top.”
“I hear you, but we need something bigger anyway. Something that everyone will be watching…” Derek said as he looked around until his eyes fixed on a nearby electronic billboard. “Yes, that’s perfect…”
Chapter 17
September 4, 2029
Maximus Casino, Las Vegas Strip, Nevada
The billboard had been advertising an upcoming fight night to be held at the Maximus and that fit perfectly with Derek’s skillset. All he needed to do was get a fight with a top fighter and create an epic fight that would have everyone glued to their seats, and every eyeball watching on the Jumbotrons in the casino. While everyone was watching him, Rora could sneak into the security office and disable the guards. Once they were disabled she could plug in the phone and let the Voice go to work. Simple.
“Are you insane?” Rora asked in disbelief after he laid out the plan. “How do I get into the security office and disable the guards?”
“You waylay a cocktail waitress and take her outfit. Then you collect some drinks from the bar and take them to the security office. You tell them you have drinks for them. They will probably be so distracted they will just take them.” Derek explained.
“Wait, how am I going to disable them? I can’t knock out two guys at once.” Rora interrupted.
“You can if their drinks have these in them.” Derek said as he held up a small baggie with blue pills in them.
“What are those?” She asked.
“Roofies. They will dissolve into the drinks and be undetectable, but they will knock the guards out quick, and they have a short term amnesia effect so they won’t remember you were there.” Derek said with a smile.