Call Me Sugar

by Sage Nyx

  Though I’m not sure I’m successful, considering I’m doing the ‘walk of shame’ down the Vegas strip wearing last night’s wrinkled black dress.

  Whatever happens next, last night was worth it. No regrets from this girl.

  I quickly walk the six blocks to the cheap lot where I parked my car, praying it’s still there. When I reach the car, I open the door, slide into the driver’s seat, and kick off my shoes.

  Ah…that feels good.

  My feet aren’t meant for walking in fancy shoes. From now on, it’s blue jeans and sneakers for me. I lean my head back on the headrest and close my tired eyes.

  I’m exhausted.

  Since arriving in Vegas, I’ve operated on little sleep. Sitting at the slot machines for fourteen hours a day is taking a toll on my body and mind. A hot shower and a quick nap at the hotel will do me wonders. Not that I can afford much time to sleep.

  A loud tapping on my window startles me and I jump. My eyes fly open to see King standing beside my car in full Elvis gear. He’s wearing a sparkly red velvet jacket, skin-tight polyester pants and the signature white boots.

  I roll down my window. “Good morning, Elvis,” I say. “Isn’t it a little too early for rock n’ roll?”

  “Not for the King,” he replies with a deep chuckle, leaning closer and bracing his arms on my windowsill. “Eva sent me. She wants me to follow you to your hotel and help you pack up your stuff. You’re moving today.”

  “Right now?” I ask. “Where am I going?”

  “First to Platinum. She didn’t say where you’ll end up.” He slaps my windowsill and winks at me. “Don’t worry, she’ll take good care of you. Eva always does. Let’s go. She’s waiting for us back at the club.”

  I blink at him. “Okay, follow me. I’ll drive slowly, so I won’t lose you. The hotel isn’t far.”

  “Right behind you, baby,” he says. “We’ve already taken care of the bill. All you need to do is grab your stuff and turn in the key.”

  Jade

  Less than an hour later, I’ve packed my two small suitcases, and checked out of the fleabag motel.

  King is a polite Southern gentleman. To his credit, he doesn’t make a single comment about my crappy accommodations.

  Or how I’ve placed towels on top of the bed to sleep on instead of crawling between the sheets. I’ve heard enough stories about bedbugs that I couldn’t make myself do it.

  I hide a smile when he picks up my suitcases and carries them to the car. It’s not every day that an Elvis impersonator is at my beck-and-call. Especially one that’s a ripped male stripper.

  “Eva didn’t need to send you,” I say to him while he waits for me to unlock the trunk. “She could’ve called me instead. I’m wasting your time. There must be other things you could be doing this morning instead of escorting me around town.”

  “Eva prefers a hands-on personal touch,” King explains. “You’ll see.”

  After loading my suitcase into the trunk, he slides on a pair of sunglasses. He can’t resist checking his reflection in my car’s side-mirror. Licking two fingers, he smooths his jet-black hair back above his temple.

  “What’s the deal with you and Elvis?” I ask. “I’m dying to hear. Are you a big fan or is it something else?”

  He grins at me. “My story will take more time to tell than we have today. Eva is waiting for us, so we need to shake a leg.”

  “Only if you promise to tell me one day,” I say.

  “Sure, I will,” he replies, “If you promise to hang around Vegas long enough. It’s a long story beginning in Tupelo, Mississippi. Let’s go.”

  This time, I follow behind him in my car to Platinum. When we arrive, he takes me in through the back door and straight to Eva’s office.

  Eva and Natasha are sitting together on the white leather sofa, drinking coffee out of delicate china cups. They glance up when I hesitantly step inside.

  Eva gives me a big, welcoming smile. Natasha simply acknowledges my presence with a cool nod. She’s one tough cookie.

  I’ve met a few other Russians before in my classes at college. Warm and personable wouldn’t be the first words I’d use to describe them.

  “Good morning, Jade,” Eva says. “Come in and sit down with us. I trust King helped you check out of your hotel?”

  “Yes, thank you,” I reply with a polite smile. “Though I’m confused about where I’m supposed to be moving to now.”

  “I reserved a room for you at the Imperial Hotel,” Eva says. “Since that’s where you’ve spent most of your time. It would arouse fewer suspicions if you were a guest there. I’ve also set up a tab for you under another name. Feel free to order room service for your meals or whatever you need. We can’t have you falling over from starvation. Kim says that you rarely leave the slot machines to eat.”

  The Imperial Hotel.

  The same hotel where Sugar lives and works. I’m not too concerned. The hotel complex is massive, so the chances are slim that I would ever accidentally run into him in the hallways.

  “Congratulations on passing our little test at the slot machines,” Eva says with a proud smile. “Kim told me. Not only did you make the machines pay off more than I asked, you did it in record time. Would you care to let us in on your secret? How did you know the machine would pay off? While seven-hundred-dollars isn’t a big amount in Vegas, it’s large enough to prove a point.”

  “The secret is in my head,” I reply. “I can’t explain to you how I knew. Not in terms most people would understand.”

  “Fair enough,” Eva says. She lifts the china cup to her lips and takes a tiny sip. “You play your cards close to your chest. I respect that in a person.”

  “Now that I’ve passed your test with flying colors, what happens next? Why am I here? This cat-and-mouse game we’re playing is already getting old.”

  Eva cuts her eyes over at Natasha, who nods back.

  “We want to show you something,” Eva says, placing her cup down on the saucer. “Our own not-so-little secret. Down in the club’s basement.”

  She walks over to a safe built into the wall and punches in a code. Reaching inside, she pulls out a heavy set of keys.

  “Come with me.”

  Natasha and I follow her along the hallway, and then through a double-locked door leading into a dark basement. Eva flips on the light, then starts down a long set of metal steps.

  “Be careful walking down the stairs and hold on to the railing,” she says. “I’ve almost fallen before in my heels. We don’t want to trip and break our necks. Only King, Natasha and myself are allowed in this room. And now you too, Jade. I hope you realize the trust we’re placing in you.”

  I hold on to the railing and make my way carefully behind her down the narrow metal steps. When we reach the basement, I glance around the big, windowless room. It’s chilly, empty, and drab except for one thing.

  A fully functioning slot machine is in the middle of the room with a high-back leather chair sitting in front of it. The game’s name ‘Peggy Penguin’ is scrawled across the top of the machine in glowing, bright pink lettering.

  I recognize the machine. I’ve seen several of them before in various casinos. It’s a popular game, particularly with older women. The slot machine is colorful, cheerful, and fun.

  The appeal is understandable.

  Who can resist penguins? Along with the game’s white baby seals, seagulls and colorful treasure chests filled with glittering jewels.

  Eva walks over and inserts a special key. Instantly the machine sparkles to life. The bright neon lights flash, casting a warm, cheerful glow across the dreary room.

  Loud carnival music blasts from the speakers interrupted only by the occasional clink-clink noise designed to imitate falling coins.

  “Want to try it?” she asks me with an amused smile. “Sit down in the chair. Make yourself comfortable. This will be your new office for a while.”

  I hesitantly walk over to the machine. “I’m not familiar with
this game,” I say. “I’ve never played it before.”

  “Since when does that matter?” she replies. “Here’s the thing, Jade. No matter how smart you are, no matter how good your photographic memory might be, you can’t beat a slot machine. Not consistently. Haven’t you realized by now that what you’re doing in the casino is a waste of your time and talent? You can study a specific machine until you grow old and your hair turns grey. You still won’t be able to predict when it will pay off reliably. What you’re doing is risky because you’re playing the same machine every day. If Kim wasn’t covering your backside with casino security, you would’ve already been escorted out. Luckily, there’s an easier and much better way.”

  “I thought you believed in my ability.” I frown, now more confused than ever about why I’m here.

  Eva smiles at me reassuringly. “We believe in you more than you realize. We wouldn’t have invited you to join us if we didn’t. Your talents have immense value.”

  “Invite isn’t exactly the word I would use. Blackmail would be closer to the truth.”

  “Call it whatever makes you feel more comfortable. We want you with us either way. You’ll be a huge asset to our team.”

  “Doing what?”

  “I’ll let Natasha explain,” Eva says. “She knows the history of the machine better than I do. If you have questions, ask her first. She’s the one who brought it here from Russia.”

  Up to this point, Natasha hasn’t said one word to me this morning. She walks over to the slot machine and runs a hand with perfectly manicured nails along the top. Flicking off a tiny speck of dust with a finger, she rubs the spot until it shines.

  “Peggy Penguin is my baby,” Natasha says, giving it a loving pat. “Straight from Mother Russia. She traveled on a long, difficult journey to arrive here in the United States. Along the way, there were many stops. Now she is finally here.”

  I’m mystified.

  This is weird as hell.

  Natasha is talking about the slot machine as if it’s a living, breathing thing.

  “Hang on. Let me get this straight,” I say, interrupting her. “You imported a slot machine from Russia, so you can both sit in a dark, damp basement and do what? Play for free? What’s the point? If you win, big deal. Do you play for tokens to use with the strippers or something?” I shake my head and think out loud. “No, that wouldn’t make sense. Eva owns the club.” I turn around and start walking toward the stairs. “This is rapidly veering into territory that is too bizarre for me. Vegas is wild and crazy, but this is over-the-top. I’m not comfortable with whatever you’re doing here.”

  “Sit,” Natasha says, waving me to the leather chair. “And I’ll tell you the story of the Peggy Penguin slot machine. Five more minutes of your time is all we ask. Then you can go. You will stay after hearing the story.”

  Sighing loudly, I turn around and take a seat. If nothing else, the story of how the slot machine ended up in the mildewed basement of a male strip club will be interesting to hear.

  “I’m all ears. Spill it.”

  “In 2009, Putin shut down almost all the casinos in Russia because of the Russian mafia,” Natasha says. “His plan was to take away their power by removing the casinos.”

  I nod even though I don’t know one damn thing about Putin and the Russian mob. I didn’t realize they had casinos in Russia.

  That’s news to me.

  Math is my game, not world history.

  “The leader of Russia is a real man,” she says emphatically. “And not afraid to make tough decisions. He is a beast.” She curls her fingers into a fist for emphasis. “He does what is best for my country.”

  The Russian girl obviously has a crush on Putin. I bet she keeps the photo of the bare-chested Russian leader riding a horse as the background on her phone.

  “Get to the point, Natasha,” Eva suggests drily. “We can discuss Putin later. We don’t want to get Jade off track here. This isn’t about Russia and US relations or World War Three.” She places a hand on my shoulder. “To be clear, our job for you has nothing to do with Russia. We’re not the KGB hiding out in a male strip club if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  “Thanks for the clarification, because I was getting concerned.”

  “Okay,” Natasha continues. “On with the story of Peggy Penguin. When Russia shut down the casinos, over one-hundred-thousand slot machines were put on the open market. They were sold to casinos all over the world. Peru, Macao, Nice. Some were secretly sold to private buyers. These wealthy buyers brought in hackers to open the machines and crack the computer code.”

  Slowly, I’m understanding the plan. No wonder they were interested in me once they realized my area of expertise.

  “How long have you had this slot machine?” I ask.

  “Long enough,” Natasha answers. “We have patiently waited.”

  “For what?”

  “For you,” she says with a smile. “Or someone with your skills. Do you know how slot machines work?”

  “Yes,” I reply. “They work by randomly generating numbers. They’re called RNG’s.” I hold up one finger. “Except, there is no such thing as a random sequence of numbers in anything man-made. Only events in nature are truly random. Ocean waves, for example.”

  She nods her head. “Smart is this one,” she says to Eva. “Jade already knows what needs to be done.”

  “Are all the Peggy Penguin slot machines the same?” I ask. “Meaning they all contain the same source code?”

  “Not only the Peggy Penguin slot machines,” Eva replies. “Every single machine made by the Australian manufacturer, Prestige Gaming. They were sloppy and lazy in their work. Russian hackers were able to reverse engineer the codes with only a fast laptop computer and time.”

  “How long did it take?” My brain is already churning.

  “From two days to no more than a week if they knew what they were doing,” she replies.

  “Once the machines were reverse engineered, then what happened? They shipped those hacked machines out to casinos?”

  “No,” Eva answers. “There was no need to tamper with the machines themselves. That would be too risky. The code repeats itself over and over. Once you know the source code and precisely where you are at any moment within the code, you can predict when the win is coming. All you need to do is synchronize your clock on a laptop to the machine. And then practice on a real machine hidden away.”

  She glances at me to make sure I’m understanding the process.

  “Casino security becomes suspicious when they see someone with a high-powered laptop sitting for hours in front of a slot machine,” she continues. “This process requires a team. One person can’t possibly pull it off alone. And now we have our team…you, me, Natasha and Kim in security.”

  I nod slowly as my mind whirls. I understand the process completely now.

  “You want me to open this slot machine and reverse engineer the code?” I ask.

  “Exactly,” Natasha says with a triumphant smile. She claps her hands together. “Tell us what you need.”

  I blow out a long breath and sit down in the chair to scrutinize the machine. A thrill of excitement runs down my spine. I haven’t felt this energized in a long time.

  I can do it.

  There’s no doubt in my mind.

  “If I agree to do this, you’ll be done with me?” I ask. “I’ll be free to go on about my business? No more veiled threats disguised as offers or invites? The tape of me in the casino will be permanently erased?”

  “Of course,” Eva confirms with a nod. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. If that’s what you decide to do. Either way, you’ll be paid a considerable sum for your efforts. Much more than you could’ve possibly won on your own. If everything works out, you’ll be welcome to stick around longer and help us execute the long-term plan.”

  “What is the long-term plan?”

  “Nothing we can discuss at this point,” Eva replies. “I work on a ‘need-to-kn
ow’ basis only. That is better for everyone involved.”

  “I’ll be honest with you,” I say. “I don’t foresee that happening. The minute I’m done with the coding, I’m out of here. I didn’t go to college six years to end up in trouble if we get caught. Understood?”

  Natasha and Eva both smile and nod agreeably at me as if they’re trying to pacify a small child.

  “Good. I’m glad. Once I’m able to reverse engineer the code, then what?”

  Eva pats my shoulder. “There’s no need for you to worry about that. After all, you’re not sticking around to watch it play out. Are you ready to get started? Give me a list of what you need, and I’ll buy it.”

  “My laptop is in the car,” I say. “It’s strong and fast enough to work. I’ll also need a large external disk drive for storage space. I’ll tell you exactly what to purchase.”

  Eva pulls out her cell phone and starts typing in the list that I quickly ramble off. “That’s it?” she confirms when I finish.

  “Along with a tool set to open the back of the slot machine and a big pot of coffee,” I say. “Black, no cream or sugar. A bagel would be nice and lamps to give me better lighting. If I’m spending days down here, you need to brighten this basement up. Otherwise, I’ll go stir crazy. You could grow mushrooms in this place.”

  “I apologize for the less than optimal conditions,” Eva says. “Secrecy is crucial. The risk is too great.”

  “I will buy the lamps,” Natasha offers. “And food. Don’t worry, we will take good care of you. I will make this a happy place to work.”

  “I have a few questions. How much money are we talking about here?”

  “The Russians pull down close to three hundred thousand per week with a crew of four,” Eva says. “The key is to never win over twelve hundred dollars at one slot machine. If you do, the machine will lock down. The winning ticket won’t print out until you fill out a tax form with your social security number.”

  I blink in surprise. “Wow, that’s quite a haul. If the slot machine manufacturer knows there’s a bug in the code, why don’t they fix it?”