H When Hell Is the Favourable Option......

by David C Jaundrell

  ‘It would help’ said H who was working out whether all his money could be scrutinised. In actual fact his businesses were on the level and only the proceeds from his extra curricular activities, which were in Switzerland anyhow, could be suspect.

  ‘The good news. Up to now Casinos have not, since the 1968 Gaming Act, been able to advertise. In the trade it was called unstimulated demand and it was a complete bastard. You could not stimulate demand. The whole world could advertise but not the gambling industry’

  He stopped for a moment and took a sip of cold coffee. ‘However in the new 2007 Act, which comes into being in four months, the gambling industry will be able to stimulate demand. Good eh?’

  ‘Sounds bloody wonderful’

  ‘It is but don't forget that may push up the price of the casino as it has more potential to make money’

  ‘Ok’

  ‘More coffee?’

  ‘Please’

  He put the kettle on and swilled out the cups. When they were done he handed one to H who helped himself to the sugar bowl.

  ‘Did you know’ said Cleggy ‘one of the overheads in some large casinos in Vegas is the cost of oxygen?’

  H looked perplexed ‘Oxygen?

  ‘Yeah. How do you think all those people keep awake all night and why you feel so bad when you leave and go into the open air?’

  ‘Oxygen?’

  ‘Yeah. They pump it though the aircon system continually. Good eh? ‘Anyhow, back to your casino. Nowadays its all about providing add ons to get people in and keep them in. Sports bar, cheap but good grub, maybe a gym etc etc. You have to attract the punters as there is a lot of competition out there. You have to get them, look after them and keep them loyal. They are incredibly fickle. And remember a casino wants their punters to win….relatively often…say four times out of ten. There has to be a hook. A gambler needs hope’

  They chatted some more and H had what he wanted. And Cleggy, for a consideration, would also help with the pricing and an assessment of the casino. Good! As he was getting up to leave Cleggy said ‘Do you play poker?’

  H nodded

  ‘Internet or casino?’

  ‘Both but mainly internet as it's less time consuming’.

  ‘What stakes?’

  ‘Usually two fifty or five hundred’

  ‘No limit Holdem?’

  ‘Yeah’

  ‘Format?’

  ‘Usually six table’

  ‘Do you win?’

  ‘On average…..yeah’

  Cleggy smiled.

  ‘Why are you smiling?’

  ‘You've been lucky’

  ‘Lucky…?’

  ‘Oh yeah’

  ‘How so…..?’

  ‘You've never met the Fabulous Four’

  ‘Eh?’

  Cleggy thought for a minute ‘You and me level playing?’

  ‘Yeah’

  ‘I'll show you…..’

  Cleggy led H through the house, across the garden to a summer house that had been converted into a kind of games room and inside four men sat at computers. On the monitors showed a poker table. H looked at the screens and each had the same image. The same table. The same table ID. Six players round the table, game just started, second hand playing.

  ‘Watch the Fabulous Four at work’ said Cleggy and pulled up a chair for H to sit on.

  As the game progressed it was obvious what was happening. It was the four men sitting in the room, acting as one, against the two unsuspecting punters at the table. It didn't take long. Twenty minutes later it was all over. The two punters were out and the remaining two went all in to finish it and get a winner and runner up. H looked enquiringly at Cleggy but he had already done the maths. A five hundred game with a thirty pound buy in. Total winning pot three thousand. Cost of entry for the four men was two thousand one hundred and twenty. Potential winnings eight hundred and eighty quid.

  Game was over in less that twenty minutes; call it half an hour. Best part of nineteen hundred quid an hour. Shit! Split between five it was three hundred and eighty each. An hour! Tax free!

  Cleggy looked at H ‘Like it?’

  H thought for a moment. ‘Yes and no’

  Cleggy waited….

  ‘As a businessman I like the model. In fact I like the model very much. As a punter I don't. No matter how good I am if I meet your guys I lose. That about right?’

  ‘Absolutely’

  ‘Fucking hell’

  Cleggy warmed to his subject ‘There's no way you can win against these guys unless you get Aces every hand. And even if you do, you know as well as I that Aces look good as a starter but play badly against four and you will lose’.

  ‘It's peculiar. I sort of knew the internet was crooked but somehow never thought of it in any depth and never assumed that it would affect me. Bit naive I think’

  Cleggy shrugged

  ‘But surely the computers pick up your patterns? Same four people, same games, same winners. Surely they see the pattern?’

  Cleggy looked hurt ‘Do we look stupid? DoI look stupid?’

  The Fabulous Four all turned and glared at him in a hurt and offended way.

  H held up his hands and shrugged in mock apology

  ‘We have lots of different names and we never play the same four names twice. We also move from site to site’

  H shook his head from side to side. ‘I'm never playing on the net again….’

  Cleggy grinned. ‘We don't want to spoil your fun so I'll give you the secret code’

  ‘Secret code?’

  H was thinking it was all starting to sound a bit ridiculous. Secret codes?

  ‘Although the player names are all different’ explained Cleggy ‘there are numbers behind the names like most internet players. It's either because their name has gone and so they have to add a number to make it different, like James1234 or they put their birthday like James 200447 etcetera. Well we put a number behind but they all add up to the same total. That number is twenty. It's essentially a check sum. So all you have to do is look at the lobby and just check that more than one doesn't add up to twenty. If they do look for another game………’

  H Chapter 72

  Ernest

  ‘…………………The casino’, continued H to Senor Reyes, ‘makes about a million a year which means it will cost about eleven mil or so. In relative terms it's not a big earner but of course its cash. No bad debt, wonderful cash flow. The internet site contributes very little. It's just a front end leased from Cryptologic, who are a gaming software company and it's under exploited. It's dull and dreary and can be smartened up considerably’.

  ‘Twenty five million doesn't seem unreasonable’ said Jose’ ‘in fact it seems a good price…..Nothing hidden…….?’

  ‘Not that I can see but I'd have to do due diligence to make sure.

  ‘The thing is, gambling is popular. Make the bookies better, smarten up the internet site and the contributions could double. And one day America may open up again. …..’

  He took a breath ‘There's also the point that the clubs and the security company have a spin off. There have to be ways of promoting the clubs and security from the betting and vice versa and increasing the volume of each’

  ‘Do you have all the details?’

  ‘Yep’

  ‘Business Plan?’

  ‘Yep’

  Jose’ was quiet for a minute ‘As you know James we have a large group of companies ourselves. We bank with several major banks in several countries. Recently I had lunch with Senor Carmena of Colombian Bank. Senor Carmena is their Head of International Investment and about a year ago they started a push into other countries, Britain being one, and have a branch in London. Now I know they are very keen to increase their portfolio so why don't you give them a ring? I would think they may be a bit more relaxed about the lending criteria than your current Bank. And of course you can tell them that you are going to be my son in law……..it may not help too much but i
t breaks the ice’

  ‘It sounds a good idea Jose. I appreciate that’

  They drove several more miles then James pulled into the grounds of the Home. The Merc made loud crunching sounds as it manoeuvred in the white gravel cark park. Walking up the steps they went in to reception.

  ‘Here to see Mr Hathaway’ said H, signed the visitor's book for both of them and wandered off to the main lounge where Hathaway usually sat staring at a big plasma television on the wall. There was hardly anybody in the lounge but there was Ernest slumped down in his seat staring at the TV with bored, vacant eyes.

  As they approached H said ‘He can understand what you say although at times how much is debatable. The stroke left him essentially paralysed so he can't move, except one arm, a little, and he can't speak’

  They sat by Hathaway. ‘Good afternoon Ernest, how are you?’

  H realised as soon as he had finished the sentence that he had said it in a tone that suggested he was talking to a three year old child. Hathaway looked slowly at him, then at Senor Reyes and nodded very slightly. He mouthed something but it was inaudible.

  ‘We just thought we'd say hello’ said H feeling a bit like a prune. Who, he thought, drives God knows how far just to say ‘Hello’ for Christ's sake?

  H was beginning to think this was not a good idea. You decide to go and see someone who needs a bit of company then when you get there you can't think of a damn thing to say! However he soldiered on, rambling about the weather and the news and the City and shares and…..and….

  Hathaway grunted occasionally. H was running out of conversation and was relieved when Senor Reyes said ‘James would it be possible to get a drink?’

  It was music to H's ears. A chance to get away for a few minutes.

  ‘Ernest I am just going to get a drink and so Senor Reyes will chat to you. Ok?’ He couldn't believe the crap he was trotting out. ‘Would you like one Ernest?’ he asked realising again that he was talking bollocks.

  Ernest mouthed something. ‘Ok Ernest. Sugar?’

  Ernest mouthed something again and off H went no having a clue at all what Ernest had said.

  H Chapter 73

  You may not know this…….

  Senor Reyes sat and looked at Ernest for a few moments then pulled his chair closer. Ernest's eyes registered a fleeting apprehension.

  ‘Senor Hathaway, your life is a bit of a struggle at the moment?’

  Ernest said nothing but his face formed an expression that said That's a bit fucking obvious!

  ‘You know Senor Hathaway the youngsters today have a saying which I used to find irritable but it now has a parallel which makes me accept it. You. You, Senor Hathaway, are a prime example of ‘what goes around comes around’. Did you know that Senor Hathaway?’

  In the back of Hathaway's eyes someone was listening.

  ‘You see Senor Hathaway you have interfered in the lives of others. You have killed, you have stolen, you have cheated……..I mean cheating a few thousand a night………pennies……… at cards?’

  Hathaway tried to say something but it was just a guttural sound.

  ‘No?’ Does the name Rico mean anything to you?’

  Hathaway's eyes widened.

  ‘How could you?’ carried on Senor Reyes ‘We used to watch you and were very tempted to change your cards at the last minute. Our friends in Russia are very good with invasive technology, but we watched and we learned…..about you’

  Hathaway made a guttural sound of protest.

  ‘Come Senor Hathaway we both know it to be true. And because of your indulgences in other people's lives and affairs you find yourself here. And why is that? It is because everyone who was near and dear to you is dead and you couldn't take it….’

  Although Hathaway could hardly move his body became stiff and he focussed completely on what Senor Reyes was saying. What does this little Spanish bastard know about everyone close to me? What does he know about me?

  He started to get agitated.

  His infirmity, lack of control and lack of power made him everything he never wanted to be; and took away everything that made him what he was. He tried to animate his annoyance at this conversation but could only make louder grunting noises.

  Senor Reyes leaned further forward ‘Yes senor, because of you……. Because of you a few imbeciles in Eastern Europe lie under tonnes of hotel rubble………….

  Because of you the twins are dead……..’

  Hathaway looked at him with wild eyes. The twins? The twins?…. How could this little bastard know about the twins? No-one knew about the twins!

  ‘Because of you your daughter and her new husband are dead…..’

  Hathaway started whimpering. His mind was screaming the unthinkable! This animal had shot his daughter. His beloved Patricia. His beautiful innocent Patricia…………. which meant…….which meant……..which mea……

  ‘And because of you your wife is dead………’

  Hathaway's body started to shake.

  ‘And do you know why they are dead Senor Hathaway?

  Hathaway's tortured eyes looked at him. Ernest tried to move forward and grab his throat but nothing moved except his right arm….a little…..just a little. He tried to scream his anger and hatred but the gurgling sounds emanating from his throat sounded more like a man drowning……

  Senor Reyes waited a few moments for Hathaway to be less animated and then continued ‘Because you tried to kill my daughter….. My daughter Senor!’ he said quietly but with menace.

  In the twilight world behind Hathaway's eyes he tried to put two and two together…….

  ‘What had she done to you except fall in love with someone on the wrong side of the tracks? How did that make her a target? If you wanted to kill James I could have understood it; that may have been business. I would have understood that but I would not have condoned it. If you hurt my family Senor you hurt me. But he was also your colleague and you killed him for a few dollars. You took a few grubby dollars….how much?…… a quarter of a million…..half a million?…..for a contract kill from an obscure little east European gang who wanted James removed ready for their takeover….. Why would you do that? Why….? And you used one of your own ‘boys’ Senor. You send one of your own boys with a gun to kill a friend and his woman.

  My daughter…….

  Are you an emotional pigmy?

  Did you have nothing in that heart of yours?’

  Senor Reyes sat back for a moment. Hathaway looked at him as though he was seeing the devil. Senor Reyes sat up a little more and stretched his back which had gone stiff as he leaned to talk to Hathaway.

  His back eased, he moved in close again.

  ‘You see Senor with power, lasting power, comes responsibility, selectiveness, care. That's what makes true power infinite. For most people power is transitory. It comes in a rush and goes all too quickly because they have not understood the essence of power. Power grows over time as it becomes institutionalised. True power is power in itself, of itself. Transitory power is the power of fear or money, both of which wane. … They are merely imbalances in the current framework which God, nature or other men will seek to redress’.

  Hathaway was watching and listening to him intently.

  ‘In my country of Colombia people have wielded enormous but transitory power. My good friend Pablo Escobar had enormous wealth and power which he achieved through his cocaine trafficking. I think at the time….. can you believe this senor?….’ he chuckled ‘Forbes Magazine listed him as the seventh richest man in the world? Pablo and I laughed at that. A cocaine trafficker, a Drugs Lord, the seventh richest man in the world……..? Life is strange…….’ he paused and was lost in thought for a few moments ‘but it helped his reputation grow and he gloried in it. That was his downfall Senor. Glory. The need for praise and stature. …..’

  He looked at Hathaway. Hathaway still watched him intently behind his rage filled eyes; hanging on every word.

  ‘Our family Senor
is different. We make our money and we stay in the background. I actually funded Pablo to allow him to start his own business as he used to work for us. I recognized his potential and he did not let me down. As you may have guessed Senor Hathaway we have many interests of which cocaine is but one; but by far the most profitable one. Unfortunately Pablo went a bit crazy and in the end we saw his death as the only way to stop the madness but more than that the spotlight. The lights were getting a bit bright over our heads and that was not what we wanted, ever wanted, so Pablo for all his good qualities had to go. It was a shame…….. ’ His voice went quiet ‘I liked Pablo.’

  He paused for a moment as he thought of Pablo……..The psychopathically violent Pablo but who had been like a son to Senor Reyes. It was a tragedy when he had to help arrange his death. Sadness moved through him momentarily.

  ‘But it was transitory power built on unremitting violence and enormous wealth. It had no foundation, no solid bedrock on which to build. Our family has that. We have bedrock; we have enormously strong foundations built over many years……. We are one of the richest families in the world and hardly a soul knows we exist. And that's how we like it………’

  Hathaway was struggling to articulate something but couldn't.

  ‘So what has this to do with you Senor? It is simple. You were unfortunate to try and kill the daughter of someone more powerful than you……… Senor it is unlike me to boast but in relation to power you are not even a beginner. You played at it and you played with the wrong person’

  Senor Reyes stared at Hathaway and knew he was on the edge.

  ‘Power, Senor Hathaway, is relative. You thought you had power which you did relatively but it was …..nothing. Mickey Mouse power. Illusory power. But I Senor Hathaway have immense power as I have already demonstrated. And to further demonstrate my power I am going to tell you a secret which you can sit here and think about for the rest of your paralysed life….. ‘

  Hathaway's eyes were enormously wide and wild.