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A render for 's What Happened in Vegas? Part 6Part 6: Cheaters never win. “Wow! This is incredible! Never seen anything like it.” “You mean the realistic artificial sky on the ceiling or the realistic living statues?” Dr. Candy Roberts was still in awe at the sights in The Forum shopping mall attached to Caesars Place. “Both. And the stores. I could spend the day in here,” she said to her friend, Bobbie Tracy. “That's kind of the idea,” Bobbie started to explain. “As the hotels built their own conference and convention centers, more and more wives were tagging along. The shopping malls give them something to do all day. Some estimates are that malls like this will generate more in profits than the casino floors.” Bobbie was interrupted by the chirping of her cell phone. However she was unable to answer. “The service is lousy in here. I'll run outside and be right back.” When Bobbie left, Candy looked back up at the ceiling. The effect, complete with shape shifting and moving clouds, really had people believing that they could be outside. She would not be surprised to learn that on the rare rainy day the ceiling even included lightning effects. Just off the rotunda featuring the artificial sky was Spago, the restaurant chain made famous by Wolfgang Puck. Candy was studying the menu placard when Bobbie rejoined her. “That was Danny,” Bobbie started. She went on to tell Candy that the one kidnapper that they had arrested last night during the attempt on Candy had not only lawyered up but had refused to provide any ID or give his name and personal information. Metro was still waiting for the fingerprint reports to be returned. She added that Danny was going to be ready to use The Montecito's Video IQ facial recognition system in about 30 minutes. Then they should learn more about the craps cheating ring. “Hey, speaking of The Montecito,” Candy blurted out, stopping and grabbing her friend by an arm. “In all the excitement I just remembered. What happened to that guy that accused you of aggravated assault when I was here in May?” “C'mon, over here.” Bobbie dragged Candy to a pay phone alcove which afforded a modicum of privacy. “First off, that was Sable, not me,” started Bobbie in a soft but stern voice. “I don't know how you handle the dual IDs, but I am Bobbie Tracy, Sable is someone else, another person. You want to talk to her...” She saw a hurt, confused look on Candy's face. “Sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. Guess with all that went on we didn't delve into the alter ego thing.” “I'm sorry too, Shouldn't have just sprung that into the conversation so suddenly.” “Let's get back to window shopping. I'll fill you in.” (Editor's note: Those events took place in 'A Much Needed ME Day'.) Both Las Vegas Metro and the FBI found no criminal violations in Sable's actions placing a possible murder suspect under citizen's arrest. He tried to sue Sable civilly and naturally his public defender could not handle the civil case. Further, no attorney in Clark County would take the civil case. When he filed the case “pro per,” representing himself, something inexplicable happened. “Now this is all rumor, you understand,” Bobbie started. “It seems that three huge bikers confronted him in the county jail, explaining that no one liked assholes who beat on a woman badly enough to kill her unborn child. For his own safety he'd better do what he needed to do to get out of county jail and into the state prison system ASAP.” “Are you serious?” asked an incredulous Candy. “No, I'm 'Bobbie',” came the straight faced reply. “Anyway, the creep pleaded out and is doing 15 years in the state prison in Ely.” “OK. But wasn't there something about The Montecito not wanting Sable or you in there again?” “Yeah, well, Mr. Deline owes Sable for saving his wife and daughter, so he doesn't stay mad at her for long.” Candy mentioned that she was feeling a bit peckish and wondered about something to eat. Perhaps Spago or at the Caesars buffet. “The cheap Vegas buffet left a couple of years after the mob. However for the price of an overpriced meal at Spago we can stuff ourselves at Caesars Platinum Buffet. It might be the most expensive one in Vegas but it is the most expansive one, with something for every taste.” The girls were almost at the buffet entrance line when Bobbie's phone chirped again, this time with enough service for her to answer. She listened for about one minute, then flipped her phone shut. “We gotta get back to The Mirage. Danny's got some preliminary info and needs to talk on a secured line.” Two hours later Bobbie hung up the phone in her Mirage suite and looked at her friend Candy. “It's simply amazing the system they have over at the The Montecito.” As Danny McCoy, Security and Surveillance for the Montecito, had explained to Bobbie, who now filled in Candy, they had put together who seemed to be members of the craps ring that had somehow shifted the odds into their favor, winning at will. There were seven members, including the glasses guy. With one still in jail for the kidnapping of Candy, that left six members. The group had not played with more than two of them together, with the exception of glasses, who seemed to be the constant at the winning tables. When the members were not at glasses' table they did not gamble on any game. Sophisticated logarithms analyzed the betting patterns. The gang very seldom made a bet on the Pass line, instead waiting for the point to be established, then making the proposition bets, save the point, and letting the bets ride, substantially increasing their winnings. Further, they pulled their bets on the roll where the shooter either made the point or crapped out, again maximizing winnings and cutting losses. Strangely for dice cheaters, none of the gang ever threw the dice, including glasses, thus eliminating the most common ways of swapping dice or other methods of tampering. Most disturbing to The Montecito staff was that all of the gang were staying at The Montecito, under false names, and they were scheduled to check out tomorrow, Sunday. Whatever the end game was it seemed to be happening this Saturday night. Worse, they still had no idea how the gang was rigging the games. Arrangements were made for Bobbie and Candy to meet with Danny and Mike Cannon, the M.I.T. engineer, who worked with Danny in Security and Surveillance, in the Bella Sera lounge in The Montecito at 9:00 PM. “They're really going to let me be part of this?” Candy asked skeptically. “Sure. Couple of reasons. Your actions flushed out two, maybe three, of them last night. It might have taken another week to put the pieces together. Then, I convinced Danny that you are one of those very rare people in the world, a dice master. Around three hundred or so folks can roll any number on a pair of six sided dice they want, about 80% of the time.” “Really? That many?” Candy found that fact hard to believe. Bobbie gave a short chuckle, then told her friend, “128 of them are listed in the Nevada Black Book, banning them from all casinos in the state.” Shrugging her shoulders, Candy simply said, “OK then.” At 8:35 PM Bobbie and Candy were standing outside The Mirage's main entrance waiting for a valet to pull up in Bobbie's Camaro. Candy had to ask, “Thought you didn't like driving the Strip on a weekend night? I expected to take a cab.” She received a silent stare in response. The car arrived. Both girls had their doors held for them. As they were shut, Bobbie headed down the drive toward the Strip exit. Pulling onto the Strip Bobbie explained to Candy, “Normally, you would be correct, but tonight I have a feeling that Sable might need the Silver Beast close at hand.” “The Silver Beast?” asked Candy. Bobbie turned and smiled. “Now pay attention, Dr. Roberts. There are some special modifications.” Using “mission adaptable wing configuration technology” from the Air Force, the base Camaro with a solid top transformed into an open T-topped Z28. Cylinder deactivation and a solenoid exhaust changed the mild V-6 into a properly snarling LS-1 5.7 litre V-8. Special restraints were build into the passenger seat for unruly prisoners Sable might have to transport. Anti-theft deterrence was in the form of an electrified body, discouraging any unwarranted touching. “In addition to a tear gas smoke screen, there are front and rear flame throwers for defense. But the boys at the Universal FX and prop shop just had to add what they thought was the definitive accessory. Both front seats are ejector seats.” Bobbie finished with a straight face. “Ejector seats? You're joking!” “I never joke about this car, Dr. Roberts.” After a pause Bobbie broke into a broad smile. Candy breathed a sigh of relief. “You had me going there for a second. Ejector seats,” she ended with a snort. “Actually,” Bobbie started, “these are ejector seats.” She saw Candy's jaw drop before continuing. “Unlike Bond's DB5, which used springs, these have genuine rocket motors. Meaning the interior is toast. They are a last ditch, life saving escape method.” “I'm beginning to see why we get along so well,” Candy said, smiling back at her friend. Just before 9 PM they pulled into The Montecito's main valet area. “Keep her close,” Bobbie requested, pressing a $100 bill into the valet's hand. Approaching the entryway for Bella Sera the girls were greeted by Delinda Deline. “Bobbie!” She gave Bobbie a chaste hug. “So glad to see you again.” Delinda turned to Candy. “You must be Dr. Roberts,” she said extending a hand. Shaking the proffered hand Candy returned the greeting. “Call me Candy, please.” Flashing a wide toothy smile Delinda lead them to a booth. “Don't you worry, Candy. Danny will protect you from kidnappers while you're here.” Then she addressed Bobbie, “Danny and Mike will be right down. Drinks?” Both Candy and Bobbie ordered bourbon and water. As the drinks arrived, so did Mike and Danny, who handled the introductions. Mike brought the girls up to speed. “We think we have a pretty good idea on how they're rigging the dice. Each of the dice from last night have microscopic pits along the edges, But they're perfectly spherical in shape and depth. No way they came from normal wear and tear.” He went on to add that The Mirage had sent over two of the dice. Testing showed that the number seven almost never came up in rolls, in fact way under how often it should have been rolled based on decades of dice data. “We just don't know how the pits are put on the dice.” Then it was Danny's turn to go over the details of how they were planning, hoping really, to catch the gang on this night. He went over the various roles that everyone would be playing. They discussed the hand signals the teams on the floor would be using. Plain clothed Montecito security staff would be mingling in the crowds around the craps tables. He even gave Bobbie a discreet handie-talkie to use. “And for you, Candy, there's these.” Danny handed her ten $1000 chips. “We put sensors and cameras and trackers in these. These should ferret out how the gang is cheating.” Mike excused himself to head back to the surveillance room to make sure all was ready for tonight's action. Bobbie, Candy, and Delinda asked Danny questions about the operation to make sure they were confident in their parts, including the required contingency plans, since nothing ever went according to plan. When Danny was sure the girls understood what to do, he excused himself to brief the undercover staff on their roles on the anticipated take down. As he left, Delinda said that she had to talk to Danny for a second and excused herself as well. Watching Delinda walk away Candy could not help but comment, “She looks like she could be a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. She's gorgeous.” “Her dad would never have approved,” said Bobbie. “He gives her a hard time about the bikinis she wears at the pools here.” After Delinda returned they spent their time in girl-talk gossip. Candy and Delinda were surprised when Pam Anderson entered the lounge, walked to their table and said how nice it was to see Bobbie again, then scampered away. “Oh, I worked on Baywatch for a season or two,” Bobbie offhandedly explained. “I was her double and stand-in.” She saw that her companions looked awestruck, which was typical. “You know we filmed in the winter when the beaches were almost empty. And the water was really cold.” Also typical was that Delinda and Candy started peppering her with questions about “The Hoff.” Bobbie was saved from further shop talk when shortly after 11:30 PM Danny McCoy walked into the Bella Sera lounge, making his way to their table. “OK, all six are on the floor and playing at the table we've just opened up. Betting just under the limit. It's show time, ladies.” As the girls stood up, Candy put a determined look on her face. “Those bastards are about to learn one helluva lesson.” All throughout the casino floor the advertising and promotional screens displayed a special message, “CRAPS OCTOBER SURPRISE! Tonight only!” Seeing those Bobbie and Candy gave each other a subtle knowing nod. Delinda went ahead of Candy and Bobbie, heading to the craps pit area where Vanessa Holt was the Pit Boss, and would be a critical player in taking down the cheat gang. Standing back from the set-up table Candy recognized “glasses” and another player from last night. Glasses was one spot to the right of the stickman, with the remaining five at the left end. Against their previous pattern they did not all decline to be a shooter. Avoiding suspicion, Bobbie asked herself. Leaving the pit area, Delinda joined the girls, informing them that the gang was following their betting pattern of not betting on the Pass line and making the proposition bets, pulling them just in time. “As a group they are up over one hundred grand,” Delinda advised. Bobbie looked at Candy, asking, “You ready?” In the surveillance room Mike Cannon was staring intently at the monitors showing the targets of interest. “Danny? You notice glasses? He only looks directly at the dice or his watch.” “That is strange. Mary is showing a lot of cleavage, He's the only one not stealing glances,” Danny opined. “Or openly staring and drooling.” At the prearranged signal the undercover security members at the right end of the table made room for Bobbie and Candy to join the table action. Bobbie stood to the right of the next shooter in line with Candy on her right. Both women noted that the two players from last night at The Mirage paid no attention to Candy. Perfect! Before the next roll the gang all pulled their Prop bets and the shooter rolled a seven. The table was cleared and Pass line bets were made. Bobbie bet a $100 chip while Candy placed one of the special $1000 chips on the Pass line. As expected the cheat gang did not make a Pass line bet. “New shooter coming out!” Danny and Mike watched as the point was established as four and more bets were placed. As the next roll was made Mike checked the screens. “Danny, we're getting some interesting EM spikes. And infrared. We're closing in.” Five more rolls and the shooter next to Bobbie crapped out, on the roll after the Prop bets were pulled. Bobbie was next up as the new shooter. Lights flashed over the craps pit and trumpets played a fanfare on the sound system. 'Nessa Holt stepped behind the boxman to make a special announcement. “Ladies and Gentlemen! The Montecito is pleased to present the Craps October Surprise. For the next roll only, the Pass line on this table will pay 7to1 if a seven is rolled. And 11to1 on an eleven.” She paused as gasps circled the table and a crowd began to gather. “And we are removing the limit as well!” Another pause. “If a point is established normal odds will apply but the limit will stay off.” Bobbie noted that a questioning glance from two of the gang was directed at glasses, who gave a very subtle nod. The bait was offered. The boxman and dealers were almost overwhelmed with the chips being placed on the table's Pass line. New players were trying to crowd in to take advantage of the unprecedented odds pay-out. Bobbie had been the next shooter in line and the staff made sure that in fact she would indeed be the new shooter. Bobbie bet $1000 on the Pass line while Candy placed the remaining nine special $1000 chips there as well. 'Nessa gave a nod to the stickman who pushed the dice towards Bobbie. “New Shooter coming out!” which signaled the freezing of the huge bets. Some of the gang had smug smiles showing. Bobbie looked apprehensive, her hand hovering over the proffered gaming cubes. “This is way too much pressure. Can I pass to her?” she said tilting her head to Candy. Before anyone could react. “New shooter coming out!” Candy had grabbed two die quickly, furthering the freeze of the wagers. She looked around the table, seeing that the Friday player was actually giving her a big smile. Why not? If he did recognize her, it would be as the girl who threw 15 straight sevens with one eleven. All Pass line winning rolls. “Everybody wish me luck!” Candy rattled the dice in her right hand, then let them fly. As the dice hit the far end of the table, Mike yelled out, “Got 'em!” Danny gave the word for all security personnel to move in when the roll was called. No one at the table was breathing. One die stopped showing “1” meaning only a “6” would cause the huge payout. The second die stopped. “Snake eyes! Craps!” Every bet on the table was a loser. Over the disappointed moans the gang members each heard, “Montecito security. Come with us.” A couple of the gang reached down to the table, grabbed a handful of chips, and flung them into the air. The others turned to fight the security men. A melee started as by-standers moved in to try and grab the flying chips. Bobbie was able to collar one of the gang and toss him to the floor. Glasses was trying to move slowly away when he felt a firm grip on his right arm. “Hi, remember me?” Candy was giving him an evil smile. The startled gang member broke away, trying to flee. Candy made a discreet fist and blew a wind blast into his back. He was down for the count. Within thirty seconds the all the resisting cheaters were on the floor and being cuffed. Danny showed up, with other security staff. 'Nessa and other craps personnel were seeing that the legitimate players had their chips returned, with extra ones and comps for the buffet. The Montecito's staff were quite proud of themselves when a screeching tone blared out on their radios. “We just got hit! The cage!” Before Danny could react and give out orders, the radios blared again. “They hijacked the elevator to Eagle's Nest!” The robbers were on the express elevator to the restaurant and open air bar on the 60th floor's roof. Instinctively, Bobbie grabbed Candy's arm. “C'mon. Follow me. The roof!” Bobbie ran to the nearest set of service stairs, rushing in with Candy on her heels. With practiced swiftness Bobbie and Candy were replaced by Sable and Duster. Sable grabbed their clothes, shoving them into a special fire hose cabinet. Duster started to leap upwards, then stopped. “Not enough air or wind currents in here. I'll have to get outside.” “There's an emergency exit just to your left down the hall. See you up there.” Sable ran up the flights of stairs at a speed that most observers would find impossible. But to a Sinanju Master sixty floors at a sprint should be a walk in the park. At least that's what Sable told herself. This would be a real test of her abilities. Hitting the cool night air, Duster found she had to make her away around and past the ramada roof over the valet area before flying straight for the roof. She was only slightly surprised to see Sable burst out of the staircase door just as she was settling in for a landing. Both heroines sized up the situation quickly. Three figures carrying large duffel bags were close to the heliport at the south end of the roof. The sound of rotor blades approaching signaled the getaway plans. One thing about skyscrapers that the general public was unaware was the ever-present strong winds that existed above 40 stories. Duster knew she could use all that wind to her advantage. If the helicopter pilot was not well versed in mountain flying he would be struggling to fly proficiently, which could either help or hurt her in dealing with that aircraft. Despite the lack of required lights on the copter Sable saw that the M-D 500 NOTAR was coming in the wrong way. Instead of flying “up wind” into the wind he was flying with the wind blowing into the rear. To Sable that meant only one thing, the pilot was going to make a hot landing, coming in as fast as possible, barely stopping, if at all, to pick up the escaping robbers. She knew that the craft not having a tail rotor would help the pilot in the tricky wind. She'd have to speed up to intercept the crooks. Winding up both arms, Duster threw a controlled wind blast towards the backs of the fleeing felons. She had to be careful not to upset the air flow to the incoming helo too much. Her blast hit the closest robber hard enough to fling him into the air. However when he hit the roof the cheap zipper on the duffel broke and hundreds of bills fluttered into the wind. Running ahead Duster started a whirlwind to try and corral the money. Leaving Duster to handle the crooks on the roof Sable had started to turn her attention to the inbound chopper when her keen eyes saw a new threat. The lead robber had pulled out a gun, turning to fire on Duster. Sable literally sprang into action. “Duster!” Sable cried as her jump slammed her into Duster just as a hail of bullets zinged around them. Duster went down hard, unprepared for the impact and was stunned. The crooks started running back toward the helipad and Sable saw guns sprouting from the cabin of the copter. She knew that she could easily dodge the bullets, but Duster was directly behind her. She needed a distraction. Small gravel pieces from the roof should do the trick, she thought, scooping up a handful. She threw the small rocks as hard as she could against the glass of the cockpit. The resulting spiderweb of cracks had the desired effect. The pilot skewed his craft allowing the gunner to get a better bead on Sable, who was now running a different intercept path. However, while dodging the automatic weapon's fire, Sable was unable to make much forward progress toward the escape craft. The gunfire stopped and Sable stole a quick glance back toward Duster. She was dismayed to see her friend still acting groggy from the hit. However she was happy to see the robber Duster had knocked down was still out. The helicopter had slowed just enough for the two running robbers to jump on board. The pilot dropped the nose and twisted the throttle trying to clear the roof as quickly as possible. Sable ran as fast and as hard as she was able. Going past the point of no return, Sable dug down a little deeper, putting every ounce of energy she could into leaping for the chopper's landing skids. She launched herself toward the helicopter. With her vision clearing up Duster was able to see one robber on the ground, barely moving, some money still flying off in the wind, and Sable running to the edge of the roof. In her semi-dazed state Duster whipped up wind currents to gather up what bills she could. Sable was willing herself to stretch like Reed Richards. The port side skid was almost in reach. She started to make a grasping motion when two very bad things happened. The pilot made a yawing and pitching motion that pulled the skid just out of her reach. At the same time a machine pistol poked out a rear door opening. Instinctively, Sable made a twisting move to avoid being shot. However, the fleeing copter was now out of her reach. She began to plunge the sixty stories to the ground. Running footsteps drew Duster's attention. She saw Danny McCoy and armed Montecito guards rushing towards her. A wind blast took the duffel bag into Danny's arms. “Here's one of them,” Duster explained, pointing to the robber on the ground. “Where's the others?” Danny asked, very concerned. “I think that...” Duster had turned to the location where she had last seen Sable. But there was no sign of her friend and the helicopter was speeding away. Sable's stunt-woman training kicked in as she rolled onto her back and went spread eagle, slowing her descent. But she knew that even if she managed to land in the large artificial lake chances were that she would not survive. “All good things,” Sable whispered. She closed her eyes and made peace with herself....

Is this the end for 's OC Sable?

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A render for 's What Happened in Vegas? Part 6Part 6: Cheaters never win. “Wow! This is incredible! Never seen anything like it.” “You mean the realistic artificial sky on the ceiling or the realistic living statues?” Dr. Candy Roberts was still in awe at the sights in The Forum shopping mall attached to Caesars Place. “Both. And the stores. I could spend the day in here,” she said to her friend, Bobbie Tracy. “That's kind of the idea,” Bobbie started to explain. “As the hotels built their own conference and convention centers, more and more wives were tagging along. The shopping malls give them something to do all day. Some estimates are that malls like this will generate more in profits than the casino floors.” Bobbie was interrupted by the chirping of her cell phone. However she was unable to answer. “The service is lousy in here. I'll run outside and be right back.” When Bobbie left, Candy looked back up at the ceiling. The effect, complete with shape shifting and moving clouds, really had people believing that they could be outside. She would not be surprised to learn that on the rare rainy day the ceiling even included lightning effects. Just off the rotunda featuring the artificial sky was Spago, the restaurant chain made famous by Wolfgang Puck. Candy was studying the menu placard when Bobbie rejoined her. “That was Danny,” Bobbie started. She went on to tell Candy that the one kidnapper that they had arrested last night during the attempt on Candy had not only lawyered up but had refused to provide any ID or give his name and personal information. Metro was still waiting for the fingerprint reports to be returned. She added that Danny was going to be ready to use The Montecito's Video IQ facial recognition system in about 30 minutes. Then they should learn more about the craps cheating ring. “Hey, speaking of The Montecito,” Candy blurted out, stopping and grabbing her friend by an arm. “In all the excitement I just remembered. What happened to that guy that accused you of aggravated assault when I was here in May?” “C'mon, over here.” Bobbie dragged Candy to a pay phone alcove which afforded a modicum of privacy. “First off, that was Sable, not me,” started Bobbie in a soft but stern voice. “I don't know how you handle the dual IDs, but I am Bobbie Tracy, Sable is someone else, another person. You want to talk to her...” She saw a hurt, confused look on Candy's face. “Sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. Guess with all that went on we didn't delve into the alter ego thing.” “I'm sorry too, Shouldn't have just sprung that into the conversation so suddenly.” “Let's get back to window shopping. I'll fill you in.” (Editor's note: Those events took place in 'A Much Needed ME Day'.) Both Las Vegas Metro and the FBI found no criminal violations in Sable's actions placing a possible murder suspect under citizen's arrest. He tried to sue Sable civilly and naturally his public defender could not handle the civil case. Further, no attorney in Clark County would take the civil case. When he filed the case “pro per,” representing himself, something inexplicable happened. “Now this is all rumor, you understand,” Bobbie started. “It seems that three huge bikers confronted him in the county jail, explaining that no one liked assholes who beat on a woman badly enough to kill her unborn child. For his own safety he'd better do what he needed to do to get out of county jail and into the state prison system ASAP.” “Are you serious?” asked an incredulous Candy. “No, I'm 'Bobbie',” came the straight faced reply. “Anyway, the creep pleaded out and is doing 15 years in the state prison in Ely.” “OK. But wasn't there something about The Montecito not wanting Sable or you in there again?” “Yeah, well, Mr. Deline owes Sable for saving his wife and daughter, so he doesn't stay mad at her for long.” Candy mentioned that she was feeling a bit peckish and wondered about something to eat. Perhaps Spago or at the Caesars buffet. “The cheap Vegas buffet left a couple of years after the mob. However for the price of an overpriced meal at Spago we can stuff ourselves at Caesars Platinum Buffet. It might be the most expensive one in Vegas but it is the most expansive one, with something for every taste.” The girls were almost at the buffet entrance line when Bobbie's phone chirped again, this time with enough service for her to answer. She listened for about one minute, then flipped her phone shut. “We gotta get back to The Mirage. Danny's got some preliminary info and needs to talk on a secured line.” Two hours later Bobbie hung up the phone in her Mirage suite and looked at her friend Candy. “It's simply amazing the system they have over at the The Montecito.” As Danny McCoy, Security and Surveillance for the Montecito, had explained to Bobbie, who now filled in Candy, they had put together who seemed to be members of the craps ring that had somehow shifted the odds into their favor, winning at will. There were seven members, including the glasses guy. With one still in jail for the kidnapping of Candy, that left six members. The group had not played with more than two of them together, with the exception of glasses, who seemed to be the constant at the winning tables. When the members were not at glasses' table they did not gamble on any game. Sophisticated logarithms analyzed the betting patterns. The gang very seldom made a bet on the Pass line, instead waiting for the point to be established, then making the proposition bets, save the point, and letting the bets ride, substantially increasing their winnings. Further, they pulled their bets on the roll where the shooter either made the point or crapped out, again maximizing winnings and cutting losses. Strangely for dice cheaters, none of the gang ever threw the dice, including glasses, thus eliminating the most common ways of swapping dice or other methods of tampering. Most disturbing to The Montecito staff was that all of the gang were staying at The Montecito, under false names, and they were scheduled to check out tomorrow, Sunday. Whatever the end game was it seemed to be happening this Saturday night. Worse, they still had no idea how the gang was rigging the games. Arrangements were made for Bobbie and Candy to meet with Danny and Mike Cannon, the M.I.T. engineer, who worked with Danny in Security and Surveillance, in the Bella Sera lounge in The Montecito at 9:00 PM. “They're really going to let me be part of this?” Candy asked skeptically. “Sure. Couple of reasons. Your actions flushed out two, maybe three, of them last night. It might have taken another week to put the pieces together. Then, I convinced Danny that you are one of those very rare people in the world, a dice master. Around three hundred or so folks can roll any number on a pair of six sided dice they want, about 80% of the time.” “Really? That many?” Candy found that fact hard to believe. Bobbie gave a short chuckle, then told her friend, “128 of them are listed in the Nevada Black Book, banning them from all casinos in the state.” Shrugging her shoulders, Candy simply said, “OK then.” At 8:35 PM Bobbie and Candy were standing outside The Mirage's main entrance waiting for a valet to pull up in Bobbie's Camaro. Candy had to ask, “Thought you didn't like driving the Strip on a weekend night? I expected to take a cab.” She received a silent stare in response. The car arrived. Both girls had their doors held for them. As they were shut, Bobbie headed down the drive toward the Strip exit. Pulling onto the Strip Bobbie explained to Candy, “Normally, you would be correct, but tonight I have a feeling that Sable might need the Silver Beast close at hand.” “The Silver Beast?” asked Candy. Bobbie turned and smiled. “Now pay attention, Dr. Roberts. There are some special modifications.” Using “mission adaptable wing configuration technology” from the Air Force, the base Camaro with a solid top transformed into an open T-topped Z28. Cylinder deactivation and a solenoid exhaust changed the mild V-6 into a properly snarling LS-1 5.7 litre V-8. Special restraints were build into the passenger seat for unruly prisoners Sable might have to transport. Anti-theft deterrence was in the form of an electrified body, discouraging any unwarranted touching. “In addition to a tear gas smoke screen, there are front and rear flame throwers for defense. But the boys at the Universal FX and prop shop just had to add what they thought was the definitive accessory. Both front seats are ejector seats.” Bobbie finished with a straight face. “Ejector seats? You're joking!” “I never joke about this car, Dr. Roberts.” After a pause Bobbie broke into a broad smile. Candy breathed a sigh of relief. “You had me going there for a second. Ejector seats,” she ended with a snort. “Actually,” Bobbie started, “these are ejector seats.” She saw Candy's jaw drop before continuing. “Unlike Bond's DB5, which used springs, these have genuine rocket motors. Meaning the interior is toast. They are a last ditch, life saving escape method.” “I'm beginning to see why we get along so well,” Candy said, smiling back at her friend. Just before 9 PM they pulled into The Montecito's main valet area. “Keep her close,” Bobbie requested, pressing a $100 bill into the valet's hand. Approaching the entryway for Bella Sera the girls were greeted by Delinda Deline. “Bobbie!” She gave Bobbie a chaste hug. “So glad to see you again.” Delinda turned to Candy. “You must be Dr. Roberts,” she said extending a hand. Shaking the proffered hand Candy returned the greeting. “Call me Candy, please.” Flashing a wide toothy smile Delinda lead them to a booth. “Don't you worry, Candy. Danny will protect you from kidnappers while you're here.” Then she addressed Bobbie, “Danny and Mike will be right down. Drinks?” Both Candy and Bobbie ordered bourbon and water. As the drinks arrived, so did Mike and Danny, who handled the introductions. Mike brought the girls up to speed. “We think we have a pretty good idea on how they're rigging the dice. Each of the dice from last night have microscopic pits along the edges, But they're perfectly spherical in shape and depth. No way they came from normal wear and tear.” He went on to add that The Mirage had sent over two of the dice. Testing showed that the number seven almost never came up in rolls, in fact way under how often it should have been rolled based on decades of dice data. “We just don't know how the pits are put on the dice.” Then it was Danny's turn to go over the details of how they were planning, hoping really, to catch the gang on this night. He went over the various roles that everyone would be playing. They discussed the hand signals the teams on the floor would be using. Plain clothed Montecito security staff would be mingling in the crowds around the craps tables. He even gave Bobbie a discreet handie-talkie to use. “And for you, Candy, there's these.” Danny handed her ten $1000 chips. “We put sensors and cameras and trackers in these. These should ferret out how the gang is cheating.” Mike excused himself to head back to the surveillance room to make sure all was ready for tonight's action. Bobbie, Candy, and Delinda asked Danny questions about the operation to make sure they were confident in their parts, including the required contingency plans, since nothing ever went according to plan. When Danny was sure the girls understood what to do, he excused himself to brief the undercover staff on their roles on the anticipated take down. As he left, Delinda said that she had to talk to Danny for a second and excused herself as well. Watching Delinda walk away Candy could not help but comment, “She looks like she could be a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. She's gorgeous.” “Her dad would never have approved,” said Bobbie. “He gives her a hard time about the bikinis she wears at the pools here.” After Delinda returned they spent their time in girl-talk gossip. Candy and Delinda were surprised when Pam Anderson entered the lounge, walked to their table and said how nice it was to see Bobbie again, then scampered away. “Oh, I worked on Baywatch for a season or two,” Bobbie offhandedly explained. “I was her double and stand-in.” She saw that her companions looked awestruck, which was typical. “You know we filmed in the winter when the beaches were almost empty. And the water was really cold.” Also typical was that Delinda and Candy started peppering her with questions about “The Hoff.” Bobbie was saved from further shop talk when shortly after 11:30 PM Danny McCoy walked into the Bella Sera lounge, making his way to their table. “OK, all six are on the floor and playing at the table we've just opened up. Betting just under the limit. It's show time, ladies.” As the girls stood up, Candy put a determined look on her face. “Those bastards are about to learn one helluva lesson.” All throughout the casino floor the advertising and promotional screens displayed a special message, “CRAPS OCTOBER SURPRISE! Tonight only!” Seeing those Bobbie and Candy gave each other a subtle knowing nod. Delinda went ahead of Candy and Bobbie, heading to the craps pit area where Vanessa Holt was the Pit Boss, and would be a critical player in taking down the cheat gang. Standing back from the set-up table Candy recognized “glasses” and another player from last night. Glasses was one spot to the right of the stickman, with the remaining five at the left end. Against their previous pattern they did not all decline to be a shooter. Avoiding suspicion, Bobbie asked herself. Leaving the pit area, Delinda joined the girls, informing them that the gang was following their betting pattern of not betting on the Pass line and making the proposition bets, pulling them just in time. “As a group they are up over one hundred grand,” Delinda advised. Bobbie looked at Candy, asking, “You ready?” In the surveillance room Mike Cannon was staring intently at the monitors showing the targets of interest. “Danny? You notice glasses? He only looks directly at the dice or his watch.” “That is strange. Mary is showing a lot of cleavage, He's the only one not stealing glances,” Danny opined. “Or openly staring and drooling.” At the prearranged signal the undercover security members at the right end of the table made room for Bobbie and Candy to join the table action. Bobbie stood to the right of the next shooter in line with Candy on her right. Both women noted that the two players from last night at The Mirage paid no attention to Candy. Perfect! Before the next roll the gang all pulled their Prop bets and the shooter rolled a seven. The table was cleared and Pass line bets were made. Bobbie bet a $100 chip while Candy placed one of the special $1000 chips on the Pass line. As expected the cheat gang did not make a Pass line bet. “New shooter coming out!” Danny and Mike watched as the point was established as four and more bets were placed. As the next roll was made Mike checked the screens. “Danny, we're getting some interesting EM spikes. And infrared. We're closing in.” Five more rolls and the shooter next to Bobbie crapped out, on the roll after the Prop bets were pulled. Bobbie was next up as the new shooter. Lights flashed over the craps pit and trumpets played a fanfare on the sound system. 'Nessa Holt stepped behind the boxman to make a special announcement. “Ladies and Gentlemen! The Montecito is pleased to present the Craps October Surprise. For the next roll only, the Pass line on this table will pay 7to1 if a seven is rolled. And 11to1 on an eleven.” She paused as gasps circled the table and a crowd began to gather. “And we are removing the limit as well!” Another pause. “If a point is established normal odds will apply but the limit will stay off.” Bobbie noted that a questioning glance from two of the gang was directed at glasses, who gave a very subtle nod. The bait was offered. The boxman and dealers were almost overwhelmed with the chips being placed on the table's Pass line. New players were trying to crowd in to take advantage of the unprecedented odds pay-out. Bobbie had been the next shooter in line and the staff made sure that in fact she would indeed be the new shooter. Bobbie bet $1000 on the Pass line while Candy placed the remaining nine special $1000 chips there as well. 'Nessa gave a nod to the stickman who pushed the dice towards Bobbie. “New Shooter coming out!” which signaled the freezing of the huge bets. Some of the gang had smug smiles showing. Bobbie looked apprehensive, her hand hovering over the proffered gaming cubes. “This is way too much pressure. Can I pass to her?” she said tilting her head to Candy. Before anyone could react. “New shooter coming out!” Candy had grabbed two die quickly, furthering the freeze of the wagers. She looked around the table, seeing that the Friday player was actually giving her a big smile. Why not? If he did recognize her, it would be as the girl who threw 15 straight sevens with one eleven. All Pass line winning rolls. “Everybody wish me luck!” Candy rattled the dice in her right hand, then let them fly. As the dice hit the far end of the table, Mike yelled out, “Got 'em!” Danny gave the word for all security personnel to move in when the roll was called. No one at the table was breathing. One die stopped showing “1” meaning only a “6” would cause the huge payout. The second die stopped. “Snake eyes! Craps!” Every bet on the table was a loser. Over the disappointed moans the gang members each heard, “Montecito security. Come with us.” A couple of the gang reached down to the table, grabbed a handful of chips, and flung them into the air. The others turned to fight the security men. A melee started as by-standers moved in to try and grab the flying chips. Bobbie was able to collar one of the gang and toss him to the floor. Glasses was trying to move slowly away when he felt a firm grip on his right arm. “Hi, remember me?” Candy was giving him an evil smile. The startled gang member broke away, trying to flee. Candy made a discreet fist and blew a wind blast into his back. He was down for the count. Within thirty seconds the all the resisting cheaters were on the floor and being cuffed. Danny showed up, with other security staff. 'Nessa and other craps personnel were seeing that the legitimate players had their chips returned, with extra ones and comps for the buffet. The Montecito's staff were quite proud of themselves when a screeching tone blared out on their radios. “We just got hit! The cage!” Before Danny could react and give out orders, the radios blared again. “They hijacked the elevator to Eagle's Nest!” The robbers were on the express elevator to the restaurant and open air bar on the 60th floor's roof. Instinctively, Bobbie grabbed Candy's arm. “C'mon. Follow me. The roof!” Bobbie ran to the nearest set of service stairs, rushing in with Candy on her heels. With practiced swiftness Bobbie and Candy were replaced by Sable and Duster. Sable grabbed their clothes, shoving them into a special fire hose cabinet. Duster started to leap upwards, then stopped. “Not enough air or wind currents in here. I'll have to get outside.” “There's an emergency exit just to your left down the hall. See you up there.” Sable ran up the flights of stairs at a speed that most observers would find impossible. But to a Sinanju Master sixty floors at a sprint should be a walk in the park. At least that's what Sable told herself. This would be a real test of her abilities. Hitting the cool night air, Duster found she had to make her away around and past the ramada roof over the valet area before flying straight for the roof. She was only slightly surprised to see Sable burst out of the staircase door just as she was settling in for a landing. Both heroines sized up the situation quickly. Three figures carrying large duffel bags were close to the heliport at the south end of the roof. The sound of rotor blades approaching signaled the getaway plans. One thing about skyscrapers that the general public was unaware was the ever-present strong winds that existed above 40 stories. Duster knew she could use all that wind to her advantage. If the helicopter pilot was not well versed in mountain flying he would be struggling to fly proficiently, which could either help or hurt her in dealing with that aircraft. Despite the lack of required lights on the copter Sable saw that the M-D 500 NOTAR was coming in the wrong way. Instead of flying “up wind” into the wind he was flying with the wind blowing into the rear. To Sable that meant only one thing, the pilot was going to make a hot landing, coming in as fast as possible, barely stopping, if at all, to pick up the escaping robbers. She knew that the craft not having a tail rotor would help the pilot in the tricky wind. She'd have to speed up to intercept the crooks. Winding up both arms, Duster threw a controlled wind blast towards the backs of the fleeing felons. She had to be careful not to upset the air flow to the incoming helo too much. Her blast hit the closest robber hard enough to fling him into the air. However when he hit the roof the cheap zipper on the duffel broke and hundreds of bills fluttered into the wind. Running ahead Duster started a whirlwind to try and corral the money. Leaving Duster to handle the crooks on the roof Sable had started to turn her attention to the inbound chopper when her keen eyes saw a new threat. The lead robber had pulled out a gun, turning to fire on Duster. Sable literally sprang into action. “Duster!” Sable cried as her jump slammed her into Duster just as a hail of bullets zinged around them. Duster went down hard, unprepared for the impact and was stunned. The crooks started running back toward the helipad and Sable saw guns sprouting from the cabin of the copter. She knew that she could easily dodge the bullets, but Duster was directly behind her. She needed a distraction. Small gravel pieces from the roof should do the trick, she thought, scooping up a handful. She threw the small rocks as hard as she could against the glass of the cockpit. The resulting spiderweb of cracks had the desired effect. The pilot skewed his craft allowing the gunner to get a better bead on Sable, who was now running a different intercept path. However, while dodging the automatic weapon's fire, Sable was unable to make much forward progress toward the escape craft. The gunfire stopped and Sable stole a quick glance back toward Duster. She was dismayed to see her friend still acting groggy from the hit. However she was happy to see the robber Duster had knocked down was still out. The helicopter had slowed just enough for the two running robbers to jump on board. The pilot dropped the nose and twisted the throttle trying to clear the roof as quickly as possible. Sable ran as fast and as hard as she was able. Going past the point of no return, Sable dug down a little deeper, putting every ounce of energy she could into leaping for the chopper's landing skids. She launched herself toward the helicopter. With her vision clearing up Duster was able to see one robber on the ground, barely moving, some money still flying off in the wind, and Sable running to the edge of the roof. In her semi-dazed state Duster whipped up wind currents to gather up what bills she could. Sable was willing herself to stretch like Reed Richards. The port side skid was almost in reach. She started to make a grasping motion when two very bad things happened. The pilot made a yawing and pitching motion that pulled the skid just out of her reach. At the same time a machine pistol poked out a rear door opening. Instinctively, Sable made a twisting move to avoid being shot. However, the fleeing copter was now out of her reach. She began to plunge the sixty stories to the ground. Running footsteps drew Duster's attention. She saw Danny McCoy and armed Montecito guards rushing towards her. A wind blast took the duffel bag into Danny's arms. “Here's one of them,” Duster explained, pointing to the robber on the ground. “Where's the others?” Danny asked, very concerned. “I think that...” Duster had turned to the location where she had last seen Sable. But there was no sign of her friend and the helicopter was speeding away. Sable's stunt-woman training kicked in as she rolled onto her back and went spread eagle, slowing her descent. But she knew that even if she managed to land in the large artificial lake chances were that she would not survive. “All good things,” Sable whispered. She closed her eyes and made peace with herself....

Is this the end for 's OC Sable?