“Essentially you’ve paved the way for others to do so.”
“No. Not on my millions I haven’t. I took the risks and proved it could be done. They want a piggyback ride, and I’m not carrying their dead weight.”
“I don’t blame you. Merely my speculative opinion of what they want.”
Grayson nodded slowly, watching the bright sun glisten off the rolling ocean waves. He sighed. “I’m glad that you see what I do. They are too blind to recognize that they expect me to roll out a welcome mat with open arms and invite them to share my wealth.”
“Perhaps they do see what they’re doing, and are hoping you’ll ignore it.”
“Donovan, I am an only child. I never had to grow up fighting with others over what toys I wanted to play with. Needless to say, I’ve carried that into my adulthood. I don’t play well with others. I have hard time sharing something that’s already mine. If I invite them to my party, I’ll gladly share the pie, but I’ve not given invitations to anyone and I never intend to.”
“I understand. I get it. That’s why you’re so hard bent on capturing Magnus and Sylvia.”
“And their unknown accomplice. Especially him. They stole from me. Liars and thieves I cannot tolerate. But I believe he’s the true mastermind and started it all. Once we find them, they will wish that I held a bit of mercy for them. But justice will be served. My justice.”
Donovan wanted to reply, but he didn’t. Chill bumps rose on his arms. He gently rubbed them for quick warmth and then immediately turned his attention back to tapping into the traffic cams data feed. He often worried that he might be working for a ruthless madman, and Grayson had done little to convince him otherwise. Donovan was certain that he would do everything possible to find Magnus and Sylvia because doing so prevented Grayson’s wrath from raining down on him.
65
Mick stopped the pickup truck along the Vegas main strip curb. The rough engine sputtered while Carter, Magnus, and Sylvia climbed out the back. Troy rolled down his window as Magnus stepped to the side of the passenger door.
Magnus smiled, reaching inside, and rubbed Digger’s head. “Take good care of him, Troy.”
“I will,” the boy replied with a broad smile.
Magnus leaned down and made eye contact with Mick. “Thanks again for the ride.”
“Not a problem. I appreciate the trade. I can tell the ferret means a lot to you.”
Magnus nodded. He ruffled Troy’s hair. “He does, but Digger’s in good hands. I have no doubt that Digger and your son will have great times together.”
Mick put the truck in drive and slowly pulled away. Sylvia patted the back of Magnus’ arm. Magnus looked down at her with sadness in his eyes.
She rubbed his arm. “Where to now?”
Magnus sighed. “We need to find a pawn shop.”
“Shouldn’t be hard,” Carter said. “They’re all over.”
“I know, but we need one that has little traffic and away from the main street. Discretion is key.”
Glancing at the edge of the sidewalk, something caught Magnus’ eye. He reached down and picked it up. “I’ll be damned.”
“What is that?” Sylvia asked, stepping closer to inspect it.
“A casino chip.”
Stamped on one side of it is ‘Lady Luck Casino.’ On the other side: $1000.00.
“It’s really worth a thousand bucks?” Sylvia asked.
“That’s what it says.”
“Wow,” she said in a near whisper.
Magnus studied the chip. “Vegas is the city for Lady Luck, but not that often.”
Carter said, “Maybe it’s a sign of good fortune?”
“Not for the person that lost it,” Magnus replied.
Carter laughed. “I suppose not.”
Magnus said, “But my Mama used to say that everything glittering isn’t always gold. Here, Sylvia, you take it.”
“Why?” Her eyebrows rose as she took the chip. “What do you want me to do with it?”
He nodded toward the building across the street. Within all the flashing lights displayed the casino with the same name. Lady Luck.
“That’s the casino it came from. Take it inside to the cashier’s window and cash it in. Use the money to get you and Carter a suite. Live a little before he goes after Grayson. It’s been a long trip back to Earth, so reward yourselves.”
“You sure?” Carter asked.
Magnus grinned. “What’s a thousand bucks compared to the value of these stones?”
“That’s true.”
“What about you?” Sylvia asked.
“I have other things to take care of,” Magnus replied. “Simply leave word at the desk to inform Carter of your room number. But don’t use your real names.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“Grayson’s looking for us,” Carter replied.
Sylvia glanced at Carter. “What name would you like to use?”
He thought for a moment. “Rick . . . Davenport.”
“Okay. I’ll be Tory Jones.”
Magnus tapped Carter’s arm. “Perhaps you should let her carry the briefcase.”
“No,” Carter said, shaking his head adamantly.
“I figure by you holding that briefcase it will make talking to the pawn shop worker more difficult.”
“No, I’m keeping it with me.”
“You don’t trust me?” Sylvia asked.
Carter released a frustrated sigh. “It’s not that, Sylvia. Really. I don’t trust letting this leave my sight at any time.”
“Why not?” Magnus asked, folding his arms and looking down at him.
“It’s personal.”
“What’s inside the briefcase?” Magnus asked. “You’ve been overly protective of it ever since you landed on Mars.”
Anger flickered in Carter’s eyes. “Neither of you have any idea what I endured on Deimos. It was horrible. What happened there was . . . I don’t have the words to describe it, okay?”
Magnus nodded. “I’ve lost people close to me, too, Carter. It happens. We have to move on.”
“Sometimes moving on isn’t that easy.”
Sylvia wiped tears from her eyes. She gently rubbed Carter’s shoulder, and he turned away. “Don’t shut us out, Carter. We’re your friends.”
“We are,” Magnus said. “Whenever you’re able to open up to us, we’re here.”
Carter shook his head. “I know you both want to be closer to me. I sense that by your words and actions. I did the moment I landed on Mars. But it’s hard for me to let anyone get close to my heart. I’m sorry. I’ve lost too much.”
“And that prevents you from trusting us with your briefcase?” Magnus asked.
“What I carry in this case is my burden.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” Sylvia said.
Carter gave an even smile, ran his free hand through his hair, and his eyes became cold. “It always will be, Sylvia. Look, this much I can tell you, okay?”
Sylvia and Magnus nodded. Their eyes reflected their immediate interest.
“I brought back the badges of all the people I worked with on Deimos,” Carter said. “I want to show Grayson that they were people, not inventory, not his property. They were people who sacrificed their lives by leaving Earth to help him advance the new frontiers on Mars. They had names. Dreams. And because he didn’t take the proper precautions, they’re all dead. That’s why I’m so protective of this case. If someone stole it, I will have failed my colleagues and friends. I’d have no physical record of their names and identities.”
Magnus nodded and extended his hand. Carter shook it. “Thanks for sharing that with us, Carter. That makes perfect sense. Sorry for the intrusion.”
Sylvia wrapped her arms around Carter’s neck and squeezed. She kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Sweetie, for opening up to us. It explains everything so much better. I want you to know that I truly love you.”
Carter smiled. Tears moistened his eyes.
“
Look, we’re wasting valuable time,” Magnus said. “The longer we’re out here in the open, the easier Grayson can find us.”
“Do you really think he could find us here?” Sylvia asked.
Magnus nodded. “Of course. Never underestimate him. With his wealth and power, he has people in every major city, but my guess, especially here.”
“I believe it,” Carter said.
“See you soon,” she said to Carter with a hopeful smile.
Sylvia crossed the street to the casino. While she walked away, Magnus and Carter detoured down a narrow side street. The bright lights faded. Both sides were drab and looked more like an alley than the actual street.
A small pawnshop named, ‘Down on Your Luck?’ was less than half a block away. Magnus grabbed the suspenders of his overalls and winked. “I can’t look anymore down on my luck than I do right now. Hell, I can even tell them that I lost the shirt right off my back.”
Carter grinned. “Certainly looks like it.”
“Maybe the owner will feel sorry for me.”
“Every little bit helps.”
An alarm beeped sharp and quick on Donovan’s laptop. Grayson turned from staring out his large window.
“We have a hit,” Donovan said with a broad smile.
Eagerly, Grayson hurried to the desk and stared at the monitor. He pointed at the screen with a muscled finger. “Pull it up. Who is it?”
Donovan brought up the facial recognition image on the large wall screen. Sylvia’s face displayed. Her eyes were nervous and uncertain.
“Where is she?” Grayson asked, stepping around the desk toward the large screen.
“Location?” Donovan asked the computer.
‘She entered the Lady Luck Casino.’
Sylvia glanced around the casino floor like a timid mouse. Afraid to move, she stood examining her surroundings.
“What about the others? Where the hell are they?”
“We don’t have anything on them yet. But if she’s there, they shouldn’t be far away.”
“We can’t be certain of that,” Grayson said.
“Sir, they are on the run. It’s in their best interest that they remain together. Even if she has entered by herself, the others are nearby. It’s only logical.”
Grayson shoved his hands into his pockets. His jaw tightened. “You’re right. To have gotten this far, they have shown remarkable brilliance. They are stronger as a team.”
“Not to worry, sir. If the facial recognition found her, it won’t be long until we find her accomplices.”
Grayson squeezed Donovan’s shoulder. “Great work.”
“Thanks.”
Grayson tapped his earpiece. “We have a visual on Sylvia. She’s inside the Lady Luck Casino. Get into position. Stand ready until the other two are located.”
66
Magnus and Carter peered through the front glass of the ‘Down On Your Luck?’ pawnshop. The inside perimeter was lined with glass counter displays that housed expensive watches, rings, necklaces, and other silver and gold collectibles. Another counter was filled with shelves lined with 9mm handguns.
Rare, lavish paintings hung on the walls behind the counters. Even though the pawnshop was filled with luxurious items, Magnus didn’t see any customers milling around.
“This looks like the safest place to sell these,” Magnus said.
“Why?”
“We’ll have our privacy. The less people that know about these MarQuebes, the better.”
Carter shook his head. “Looks like the name of the shop is appropriate. The owner seems down on his luck.”
“Well, his luck and ours are about to change.”
Magnus pulled the door inward. A set of bells rattled against the top of the door. Only one man stood behind the counter. Boredom couldn’t have been sketched any better. The bells quickly aroused his interest. His eager eyes clued Magnus to believe that the man’s afternoon had been dead, and that perhaps, at last, he’d make a profit.
Magnus and Carter approached the counter, and the man’s eagerness turned to suspicion while he watched them. Of course, Magnus’ apparel didn’t lead anyone to believe he’d be worth the time to talk to, and Carter’s shirt led one to believe he was a devoted Roswell fanatic, which meant he probably wasn’t a high roller in the casinos, either. The shop owner’s clothes definitely displayed a man down on his luck. The man wore a denim jacket with the sleeves ripped off. Loose strings hung from where the sleeves had once been sewn. The blue tattered threads intertwined with the man’s hairy arms.
The man’s hand moved out of sight beneath his overhanging jacket to his belt. Magnus automatically assumed the man was armed, as any pawnshop owner should be because desperate people often performed the most unexpected crimes.
“How are you doing this evening, sir?” Magnus asked.
The owner’s frown narrowed. When he swallowed, his bulging Adam’s apple bobbed down and up again. “The only person around here to be addressed as sir would be my father.”
“Is he around?” Magnus asked.
“No, but I’m in charge until he gets back from vacation.”
Magnus sighed. “I see. And you are?”
“Call me Eli,” he replied.
“Looks like business is slow today,” Carter said.
Eli shrugged. “It varies day to day. Today’s been an extra slow one.”
“It happens, I suppose,” Magnus said.
“What can I help you boys with?” Eli asked with slight agitation. “You don’t seem to be toting anything, so I’ll assume you’re interested in buying somethin’? But from the looks of it, you ain’t looking too well off on the money side, either.”
“As a matter of fact, I think we can work some sort of a deal.” Magnus slid his hands into his pockets.
Eli’s hand moved and the front of his denim jacket opened to reveal that he held the butt of a .45 revolver. His eyes narrowed. “Exactly what kind of deal are you talking about?”
“Easy,” Magnus said. “No reason for you to become alarmed. Show him the gems, Carter.”
“Gems?”
Eli glanced toward Carter’s silver briefcase, expecting Carter to open it to retrieve the gems. But instead Carter tucked the briefcase under his arm, and pulled the small envelope of MarQuebes from his back pocket. He slowly and carefully poured the stones onto the glass-topped counter. They rattled softly like a small bag of shaken marbles.
Eli’s eyes widened. “Don’t move. Stay right there.”
Magnus felt his heart increase. He was certain this man was going to call the authorities.
Instead of taking out a cellphone, Eli hurried to the door, flipped the open sign over to ‘closed,’ and locked it before he rushed back to the countertop. A hypnotic gaze set in the man’s eyes as the stones shimmered from ruby red to purple and back to ruby again.
“Are these genuine MarQuebes?” Eli salivated and drool beaded at the sides of his mouth.
Magnus smiled, seeing the glow in the man’s greedy eyes at the sight of the gems. He and Carter were about to sell the gems without much of a problem. “Yes, sir, they are.”
“And uncut. Damn!”
Magnus and Carter nodded.
“How the hell did you boys get this many of these gems? Cut ones are damned near impossible to find. But to get uncut ones?”
Magnus folded his thick, muscled arms. “I’m afraid that we can’t tell you that. Are you interested? Or shall we look elsewhere?”
Eli placed both hands on the counter and shook his head. “Oh, no. I’m sure we can reach an arrangement that makes us both happy. What’s your price?”
Carter looked at Magnus and shrugged.
“Fifty thousand,” Magnus said without any hesitation.
Carter swallowed hard and in disbelief, he whispered, “Fifty thousand?”
Eli took a handkerchief, quickly wiping sweat from his brow. “I . . . I don’t know.”
“Once you cut and set these, you’ll make ten t
imes that. Easy. Since they’re uncut, no one can trace them. You know how high the demand is. Hell, you said it yourself.”
“I know.” Eli eyed them shrewdly and sudden fear widened his eyes. “You two are cops, aren’t you? Trying to set me up. Dammit! I knew something like this was too good to be true.”
“No, sir. Far from it. But, hey, I understand your skepticism. If it’s too rich for you . . .”
Magnus scooped the stones into his massive hand and turned to walk away.
Desperation quivered Eli’s voice. “Wait. Now, I didn’t say, ‘no.’ Give me a few minutes to get the money together, okay? It’s in my safe. I’ll have to go get it.”
“That’s fine. But only under one condition.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“We stay in the same room with you at all times in case you get the urge to call the police.”
Eli shrugged. “Hey, that’s not a problem. The damn police are the last people I want inside my establishment. It doesn’t look good for potential customers along the strip to see cops hanging around.”
Magnus smiled. “I understand. We don’t want the cops here either.”
“Come on. Follow me to the back.”
67
Sylvia timidly walked through the casino, avoiding eye contact with anyone. She felt the room closing in around her, and she realized she was entering the early phase of a panic attack. She seldom had them before she went to Mars and was fortunate enough while in the landing bay to never succumb to one. But now, tightness squeezed her ribcage. Breathing hurt. Dizziness made the room spin.
She took a quick breath, closed her eyes, and slowly exhaled.
Noises magnified around her. Slot machine handles clicked downward, followed by the whirling computerized beeping as the rows of various pictures spun. The roulette wheel ticked. A marble bounced. Some people cheered while others groaned or swore obscenities.
Her hand tightened around the thousand-dollar chip. When she opened her eyes, she fell forward and grabbed the side of the nearest slot machine. She steadied herself, turned, and placed her back against the machine for stability. Although no one noticed her dilemma, she felt like everyone was staring at her with hot, piercing glares.
ESCAPE FROM MARS Page 41