Acting Corporal A.L. Snyder stared at the growing pile of chips in front of his girl-friend as put she $5,000 on 00 at roulette.
The wheel spun and landed. The dealer shouted, “Number 17. Black.”
Snyder tugged on Amanda’s arm. “Ex-cuse me, Captain Greywolf. Important mat-ters to discuss.”
Amanda growled, “Not now.”
A burly voice boomed, “Ma’am, I’ll have to ask you to take your chips and leave this table.”
Snyder and Amanda turned to face a seven foot tall cop with golden blond hair. “It’s mighty suspicious for someone to win as much or as often as you have at this table. In order to ensure the games are fair for all the customers, the owners request that you change tables.”
Fair. That’s a laugh. The games are rigged, usually in the house’s favor, but thanks to the device hidden by my wig, I control the outcomes.
“Understood officer.” Amanda piled her winnings into a burlap sack.
They hurried away. Once out of the cop’s earshot, Snyder said, “Amanda, let’s cash out. You’re all caught up. You’re now a quarter million to the good.”
“You know what your problem is? You think small, Snyder. We’re going to break the bank. I’ll split the money with you 50-50. Then we can get married.”
“Get married?” I’m eighteen! I don’t want to even think about marriage yet! “Amanda, I’ve still got more than a year to serve, or I’m going to get strung up in Boise. No way will they let an officer marry an enlisted man.”
“Dread has his price, between five and ten percent of our pot probably. We’ll pay it and get our walking papers. One million to the judge in Boise and half a million to the prosecutor should get you a dismissal. Play my way, and you’ll be out of the Army, a free man, and my husband in three months, guaranteed.”
Snyder gave a half-hearted, “Great.”
But what if I like the Army, and just don’t enjoy the whole “under threat of death” thing?
Continued…Next Thursday
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