would go first and she was glad to get the uncomfortable night over with. At almost five feet ten, she was the tallest and would either be folding her long slim legs in half or hanging over the end of the couch.
Becka would be second, Danni was third, and night number four would be Lindsey’s. The last night belonged to Sandi, who would by then, be bitching loudly about it. Lindsey already counted on taking the last couch night just to keep the peace.
“Shit, we gotta’ hurry and get signed in.” Sandi started rushing towards the makeup table.
The five girls scrambled into jeans and comfortable tops, and touched up their makeup and hair. The tournament would begin the following morning, and the team would not know when they were scheduled to play until the roster was posted later in the evening. The first night, the team always tried to curb themselves, vowing to put every effort into their game and ignore the lure of the lights, machines and dealers around them.
By night two, Danni and Sandi would be lining up shows at the cut rate ticket booth and trying to decide when they could take the bus to Freemont, while Lindsey and Becka started their up and down nights at the Blackjack table and Paige kept occupied at a nickel slot machine within view. They would rarely make it to bed before four in the morning the rest of the time they were there.
The girls left their purses buried under clothes in their suitcases and carried their ATM cards, cash and ID in their pockets. Plastic casino players’ cards were attached to belt loops by springy lanyards, insuring a discounted room rate next year. With determined faces, they grabbed their cue sticks to get in a few practice games after they registered.
Two rooms down, a door was propped open by the lock bar, and the three men inside listened as the girls laughed their way towards the elevators. Arturo waited for the sound of the doors closing and headed down the hall. Diablo dialed the girl’s room while Arturo listened from the corridor, making sure no one was left behind to answer the phone.
Helo swiped his purchased key card, and the men entered the room to quickly inventory the young women’s belongings. Diablo found the purses and wallets while his friends quickly checked the closet and drawers. Within five minutes they were back in their own room and Helo was on a cell phone.
“Master, Diablo says there’s not much in their purses. He did find the pin numbers to their ATM cards. They all wrote them on bank business cards,” Helo laughed. “They must leave most of their other things at home. Besides the suitcases, two large bags will get the place cleaned out. I think it will take about ten minutes, tops.” This was Helo’s third harvest and the second for Arturo and Diablo. Chayton had Brazil, Ramone and Terrant at the Nevada estate with him. It was their first time out and he was still coaching them on their role in the harvest.
“The roster should be posted soon telling us when they shoot tomorrow. Follow the board and write down what time they play again, depending on whether they win or lose. We’re looking for a timeline that frees them up for an evening, without starting them out too early the next morning. They’re sure to make plans to go out, and that’s when we’ll grab them.” Chayton paused and finally asked, “Was there a fifth woman?”
“Yes Master, but I’ve only seen two of the females, Rebecca Thompson and Sandra Cantara. There are five suitcases, but they took their identification with them so we don’t know what the other girl looks like. Should we go downstairs and see if we can locate them? I might be able to send you a picture from the cell phone,” Helo suggested.
“No Helo, it might gather unwanted attention and I don’t want them recognizing any of you later. We’ll just be prepared for all five.” As Chayton hung up the phone,