Fly on the Wall

 273.

Davis replays the minutes of their meeting to Julie, The Queen and myself as Goldson huddles with his top executives. It is a dramatic study in the hierarchy of organizational structures, the former an open and positive exchange of ideas, and the latter a dark, ham-fisted dictatorship. Any legitimate comparison would naturally include the metaphorical use of a night and day polarity. Davis, buoyed by the successful first stage of operations, is clearly feeling significantly more optimistic than prior to his close up. Still he has serious reservations about the next phase; the big game scam.

"We should have planted a bug on one of them," Saunders says in retrospect, "I'd give all our winnings to be a fly on the wall in their boardroom."

"That would have been a coup, with their drastic seating chart, them on one side and us on the other," Davis objects, "But I wholeheartedly agree on having ears on them, maybe we could get the security consultant to lend a hand, he might have an idea or two."

Saunders, fighting a losing battle to remain in-character, points a loaded finger his way, nods and winks, "As they say 'round here: Bingo."

The hired-gun security consultant, the one with inside ties to just about every casino operation between Tehachapi and Tonopah, and who famously assisted in their earlier operational logistics of Firecracker, answers his phone as the first note of Willin' begins its transition.

"Lemme guess, you need something in regard to Goldson and his goons."

"What the actual….how the hell did you get that idea?" Davis asks with the perfect mix of surprise and irritation.

"It pays to stay one step ahead of the competition brother, how the heck are ya, and how is that dashing partner of yours, I heard she took one for the home team."

"All good amigo, we're back in the game and I need…"

"A bug on Goldson?"

"That one step ahead thing pays well, does it?" Davis jovially asks.

"The beautiful thing about Las Vegas, besides the legendary 'what goes on here - stays here' - thing is that you are forever only as good as your last gig. We call 'em winning streaks, and I've been on one for almost ten years."

"Whaddya get these days for a fly on the wall?

"Whose wall?"

"Goldson's"

"Urgent? Time frame? Location?"

"By noon today, office."

"Are you still with…"

"Yes."

"Yeah, well, so I owe ya, this one's the house."

"The streak continues, thank you sir."

"Talk soon."