Between HeVan and Hell

by Lucy Kelly

  While the gentlemen continued to posture, warn each other off, and feel each other out, Grace was in a stall in the bathroom, applying a new supply of nanos to her hands. When she was done, she flushed the toilet and then left the stall. Luckily, no one was at the sink area. She ran the water and went through the motions. Jett had told her they were waterproof but she didn’t want to take the chance of washing them off. She started to leave and was checking her make-up in the mirror by the door when it opened. As two women came in, she could hear familiar voices in the hall.

  Great, Anton Kadyrov is here, too. I have to get these nanos on him if I can, she thought.

  Grace pulled open the door and stepped out into the hallway. She didn’t immediately see Anton, so she began to walk back to the Lounge. As she exited the hallway onto the main casino floor, she saw Anton Kadyrov speaking with Gregor, the pit boss from her regular shift. She was in luck. Her path back to the Lounge would take her right past them.

  She walked in their direction. Even though she’d only been working there for three days, the nature of her assignment and her own disposition led her to meet and make friends with many of the staff. Margie, the cocktail waitress, was headed her way.

  She must be on a break, thought Grace.

  “Hey, Stilts,” Margie said as she came to a stop in front of her. “You look beautiful tonight. Now, show me the ring,” she demanded, bouncing up and down a little on the floor.

  Grace held up her hand with the palm facing her body so the ring was at eye level. “Hiya, Betty Boop. I’m glad you got to take a break before we left.”

  Her first day on the job, the two of them had run into each other in the dressing room. Grace was already dressed, wearing the requisite three-inch heels, putting her up to six feet in height. Then Margie had come in wearing flats and looking up from her own five foot three, and had immediately called her Stilts. When Grace saw Margie’s small, curvy shape, short, dark hair and large, brown eyes, she dubbed her Betty Boop, and it had caught on quickly with the rest of the staff.

  She saw Anton and Gregor look over her way.

  Actually, this is better. He’ll walk over to me, instead of me intercepting him.

  “Oh, wow! That’s just gorgeous. Is that a ruby?” asked Margie.

  “Actually, it’s a red diamond surrounded by other smaller red and white diamonds to make this flower pattern. He let me pick it out this afternoon. We had to wait while they set the stones, but I didn’t mind. I really wanted to wear it right away. I’m so happy, Margie, I can’t wait to get married,” said Grace with a smile.

  “I saw him and I can’t blame you. You’ll have to introduce me. Though I think they’re out of my league.”

  “What do you mean? You’re just as smart and nice as everyone else,” Grace said staunchly.

  Margie laughed. “Yeah. But could you honestly see me together with one of those giants? I’m in the Pee-Wee League and they’re Varsity.”

  Grace laughed along with her, now that she understood her friend was talking about the height differences and not anything else. It was about then that Margie got a good look at the gown Grace was wearing.

  “This dress is great. Is this the one you were telling me about yesterday?” she asked.

  “Yes. I saw it in the store the day before I got this job. And I took it as a sign. Then I saw the street walker outfits we had to wear and bought it to show how we could look sexy without looking like sluts.”

  Just then Anton Kadyrov walked up and stopped near them.

  “Good evening, ladies.” Turning to Margie, he said, “You should take your breaks in the break room. But I’ll forget the oversight this once.”

  Margie made a quick exit, winking at Grace behind his back. He then turned to Grace. “I overheard your last remark. Maybe you aren’t aware that I chose the design for the floor uniforms, Miss Kelsey?”

  “Your grandfather explained it to me just this evening. I thought it would be nice to have an alternative,” she said.

  “You are not paid to think. You are paid to deal cards and look good enough to distract the player’s concentration.”

  He glanced down at her hands and grabbed her left.

  “So, you are engaged. Does that mean you're leaving us?”

  Grace wiggled her fingers, pretending to pull out of his strong grip. Anton Kadyrov was five-ten, lean and all muscle. He had the same piercing gray eyes as his grandfather. His hair was sleek and black as a raven’s wing, while his grandfather’s was mostly white. With her heels, she was an inch taller, so she was eye-to-eye with him.

  “It’s true that Jalen wants me to quit, but I don’t want to live off him. I’ll continue working until we have our first child. Then I want to stay home with the children,” she said, as she continued to press as much of her palm into his hand as she could, transferring the nanos. “May I have my hand back, now?” she asked. She found it hard to be polite to Anton Kadyrov, he made her skin crawl.

  “But of course. Allow me to walk you back to the Lounge; that is where you are headed?” At her nod, he moved his grip from her hand to her arm and then to the small of her back. He started to run his hand down over her hip and she lengthened her stride. He chuckled as he kept pace with her, touching her shoulder and her back as he wished.

  As they entered the Lounge, Anton’s grandfather was still grilling Jalen about his work and Jalen, in turn, was deftly turning aside his verbal jabs. She heard Mr. Kadyrov laugh. “You and I must have a game of chess. I feel you would be a worthy opponent.”

  “Thank you. I would be delighted,” said Jalen.

  Jalen saw Mr. Kadyrov look up and smile so he and Jett turned their heads. Upon seeing Grace, they once again rose from their seats. They towered over Anton and she could tell that he wasn’t too happy about that, as he stiffened beside her.

  “Ah, Anton, there you are, my boy. Allow me to introduce Grace’s fiancé and his brother,” said Mr. Kadyrov.

  As his grandfather introduced him to the other gentlemen, she sidled over to Jalen’s side, where he immediately put his arm around her waist.

  At the end of the introductions, she spoke up, “Well, it’s time we left. Thank you for inviting me to bring Jalen to see you. I’ll be back at work tomorrow at three for my regular shift,” said Grace.

  “My dear, don’t you want to enjoy yourselves? Take these two and show them around the place,” said Mr. Kadyrov.

  At the same time, his grandson said, “Leaving on my account?”

  Grace ignored Anton and said, “You forget, Sir, I work here. I know how much the odds favor the house.”

  Jalen started to agree when Jett interrupted to say, “Why don’t you two go on back to the condo? If Mr. Kadyrov doesn’t mind, I’ll play for an hour or two and then head home. That way you can celebrate your new engagement alone.”

  Before he could respond, Kadyrov spoke up, “I don’t mind at all, my boy. That seems a fine idea. Lovers must have their time alone.”

  He waved over a hostess and told her to show Mr. Contadina around the gaming floor. Jalen and Grace said their good nights and left.

  Anton sat down at his grandfather’s table. When everyone had moved away, his grandfather turned to him and said, “Well?”

  “The engagement is legit. He went down on one knee in the Food Court at the mall, of all places. As soon as Gregor called and told me, I drove back to get a look. I saw them go into a small jewelry store for the rings. I don’t like these two guys, though. What do you think?” asked Anton.

  “First, the owner of the jewelry store called Grace because you mentioned her when you went in. You need to take care of that, because Jalen mentioned she’s gone to the police. As for him and his brothers, he’s a lone operator. He didn’t drop any names and he doesn’t fear me. Either he’s connected deep or he’s a cop or he’s a fool. I don’t recognize the accent so it’s possibly a fake.

  Watch the brother. I’m going home early. I have some other business to take care of. Don’t
forget, we have a meeting with the Board of Directors Friday afternoon. We’ll wait and see what happens,” said Mr. Kadyrov.

  Then he added, “No more following her. Or beating up old women for telling you things you don’t want to hear.”

  “I will have her, Grandfather, willing or not. She’s strong and will be the perfect addition to my collection,” answered Anton.

  “Did I say you couldn’t have her?” asked Mr. Kadyrov. “No, you are better than those two. Well, you will have to take her, then. It will be an enjoyable challenge for you. Please do so away from our business. We don’t want the cops here snooping around.”

  With that final word, he got up and left, leaving his grandson to run the place for the night.

  Jett walked around with the casino hostess on his arm. He introduced himself and then asked her questions about Grace. He explained that he wanted to know his future sister-in-law better. He passed by the card tables. It was too easy to count the cards; not enough of a challenge and not really gambling, to his mind. He finally settled on craps, not liking the odds at the roulette wheel.

  He played for a little over two hours so the time was just past midnight. At first on a winning streak, his chips were adding up to a tidy sum. Then he started losing and the pile was beginning to shrink. He activated the communicator in his pocket and made the transmission to the ship about picking up Gilda and the rest. Then he received back the most recent data downloads Becky and Addie had requested. He was just picking up his chips to leave, tossing a few to the dealer as he had seen others doing, when Anton Kadyrov showed up at his side.

  “You are leaving here so soon, Mr. Contadina?” he asked.

  “I’ve been playing longer than I had intended. They’ve had enough privacy; it’s time for me to head home. I had an entertaining evening, but I don’t think I’m much of a gambler,” said Jett.

  “Oh, I hope you haven’t lost too much,” Anton stated with a quirk of an eyebrow and a sardonic smile.

  “No, I’ve quit before losing all I had won. I’ll be leaving a little heavier in my pocket than before I came in,” said Jett, returning the smile with one of his own.

  “Allow me to show you to the cashier, so you may cash in your chips,” said Anton.

  As they walked to the cashier’s booth, Jett decided this was the perfect time to rile up Anton Kadyrov. It was obvious Anton didn’t have the same control as his grandfather. And Jett was still angry over his treatment of Gilda. He wished he could mete out a little punishment of his own. This would have to do.

  When Jett cashed in his chips, the amount came to just over ten thousand dollars. Since he’d started with five thousand of his own, he’d more than doubled his money. He refused a check, telling them he preferred the cash. As the cashier was counting out the funds, he turned to Anton Kadyrov.

  “Is it true, what they imply in the papers? Are you and your grandfather members of the criminal class, what they call the Russian Mafia?” Jett asked directly.

  “It is impolite to insult your host, especially in his place of business when you have so handsomely profited from the association. I would prefer that you and your brother not come back here again. You won’t be made welcome,” responded Anton, as the clerk did his best to count and listen in at the same time.

  “I had not planned on it. And when I explain to Grace what you have said, I think I can convince her to quit this job. That will please my brother.”

  He then gave Anton his own shark grin. “You have not denied the question.”

  “Such rudeness doesn’t deserve a response. These two men will show you out,” Anton replied, gesturing to two security guards.

  Jett gave a slight bow. “Your grandfather has charm and a veneer of class. Your own veneer is much thinner, and the thug you are shows through. I saw the way you looked at Grace. Stay away from her,” he warned in a cold sharp voice.

  “You threaten me, in my own place?” Anton’s face went red. He was angry that the man’s words had momentarily scared him.

  “I made no threat, merely a demand; one that you will obey or face the consequences. That is my promise to you.”

  And turning sharply on his heel, Jett quickly strode to the front door. With his long legs, his stride quickly carried him across the floor. People naturally parted in front of him. The security guards were practically jogging to keep up with him. Jett just laughed as he left.

  Anton made a motion across the room and another man stepped out of the shadows and came quickly over. Stepping away from the cashier and giving a quick look around, he spoke.

  “Find him and kill him. Make sure to do it away from the club. And make sure it’s painful; I want him to know who ordered the hit.”

  “Yes, Sir, Mr. Anton. Right away,” answered the thug as he turned and hurried off. He’d grab more than his usual crew, he’d seen how big the guy was and how he moved.

  As Jett strode down the street, he hoped he’d insulted and pushed Anton Kadyrov enough to act. It was less than a mile to the new location the Captain had given them to pick up the nano’s transmissions. He still needed to go there and show the Captain how to download the signals and explain that he was the only one who had the right equipment and when the optimum time would be. He decided to walk. The fresh air would do him good and since he didn’t get to punch Anton Kadyrov, this small amount of exercise would have to suffice. Since he’d spent almost two hours with the stupid games, if that bastard tried anything, the nanos would record it. That reminded him—he slipped a hand in his front pocket and activated his phone’s voice controls, just in case. Thinking about the controls, he decided to also activate his body shield.

  He turned another corner down a side street. He was walking leisurely towards his eventual destination when four men stepped out of an alley about twenty feet in front of him.

  “Mr. Anton wants you dead, and he wants it to be painful. You should hand over your money and your other valuables now. I’d hate to get your blood on them,” said one of the four. The others chuckled. He felt more than saw more attackers coming up from behind.

  He tilted his head down, like a parent shaking their head at the actions of a child. In fact, he was speaking to his pocket, telling the camera to start recording. “Record,” he murmured in a soft voice, then he let his voice rise up as he continued, “Are you saying that because I called him a thug and told him to stay away from Grace, that he ordered you to kill me? That seems unlikely. You are just an opportunist, mugging one of his customers, I think,” said Jett, hoping the thug would betray himself further.

  “As soon as you left, he waved me over. Told me to find you and kill you. He wants you dead and he wants you to know that he ordered the hit -- his very words. Ask him yourself. Oh, no, you can’t, can you? You’ll already be dead and I’ll be splitting the ten grand in your pocket with my friends here.” The others laughed and jeered.

  “Stop yapping, Ron, and kill him, then,” said one of the others from behind.

  “So you are all prepared to help this Ron individual kill me and take my own money as payment for the task?” asked Jett.

  They nodded and yelled, explaining exactly what they were going to do, hyping themselves up to take him on.

  Frankly, he was surprised that they had not already attacked. His size might have had something to do with it. At seven foot two, he towered over them. Still, he was outnumbered eight to one and was glad he’d activated his personal body shield upon leaving the club.

  “You are bullies and I'm not handing over any valuables to you. I am leaving. If you try to hurt me, I will defend myself. Also, I have recorded this entire conversation to be admitted as evidence against you.”

  With that, he started forward as if to walk right through the group.

  As they all rushed to attack, some with clubs, he stopped suddenly. Reaching out with one long arm, he grabbed one of the shorter attackers to his right and swung him into the path of the four in front. Using the momentum of the swing, he twirled aroun
d in time to grab the arm of another raising a club to strike him. Jett used his other hand to make a precise blow to the man’s head, knocking him unconscious. Then he struck out with his leg, disabling the next attacker to the left. Dropping the first one and seeing the second cursing over a broken leg, he turned to a fourth, who was coming towards him with a knife. The attacker with the broken leg fell in front of him and that gave Jett time to lower his leg and then bring the other up to the kick the fourth attacker in the temple, hard enough to knock him out, as well. He landed on his writhing cohort.

  Jett then turned back to the remaining five; the four original attackers had now stopped or recovered from him throwing the fifth at them. One had the sense to see what he’d done and had taken the opportunity to run off. The other four moved in en masse. Jett and his brothers were the top Fighting Cluster on HeVan. His greater reach, strength, and overall skill allowed him to make short work of the rest.

  When it was over, he had a few bruises and some damage to his clothes. Overall, he was fine—he couldn’t say the same for the men lying on the ground in front of him. He pulled out his cell phone and called the police.

  A few minutes later, several squad cars arrived and soon after, several ambulances.

  Chapter Eight

  Jett leaned against one of the squad cars while he gave his statement to the officers on scene. He then told them he had recorded the entire incident on his cell phone. He pointed to his left front pocket. Just peeping over the edge was the top of a cell phone with the camera lens showing. He played the recording to the officer, who then immediately put out an APB with the description of the attacker who had run away.

  “Sir, how did you happen to record the attack?” asked the officer.

  “The record function is voice activated. I only had to say one word for it to start recording,” answered Jett.