The Heart of the Jungle, стр. 32
"GOOD evening, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the flight crew, we'd like to welcome you to Las Vegas."
Jason awoke, and Chris smiled at him as he blinked his eyes to clear his vision.
"Did you have a good nap?" Chris asked.
"I must have been really tired."
"So now that we're here---"
"We're going to need a hotel." Jason glanced at his watch and grimaced. It was well after midnight. "I've got to come up with some cash."
"I'll call George," Chris said, fumbling for his cell phone.
Jason reached out a hand and stopped him. "No."
"Why not?"
"I think it's best if nobody knows where we are---at least for the time being."
Chris's eyebrows knitted together in consternation. "Don't you think that's a little paranoid?"
"Try tangling with a two hundred pound gorilla with a switchblade and see how cozy you feel."
"But George---"
"Could be in danger too. We don't know how far these guys are willing to go, Chris. It's safer for everyone if we just fly under the radar for a while."
He nodded. "So what are we going to do?"
"In the morning I'll have Lisa make some transfers into a special account I keep for just this kind of thing. It will look like regular vendor payments."
"You've done this before?"
Jason smiled. "Sometimes, when you're tracking shady characters, especially the kind I'm used to dealing with, you have to be careful. I lost a job that way once."
They stood and moved toward the front of the plane with the rest of the passengers.
Jason glanced around nervously, and Chris could sense the tension pouring off him in waves.
"Something wrong?"
"Just keep your eyes open. We might be on dangerous ground."
"You don't think Brunner is here, do you?"
Jason shrugged. "Vegas is a long way from any jungle, but it seems like a logical place to hole up. You can get your hands on just about anything in Vegas. Fake identification, money, drugs... it's all here for the taking. You just need to know who to talk to. They don't call it Sin City for nothing."
They entered the terminal and looked around. The only people seemed to be those being disgorged from their plane, and Jason visibly relaxed. "This is a secured area, so I think we're safe."
To the left, Chris saw a bank of blinking, beeping slots. The machines attracted a few of the offloading passengers who settled themselves and began feverishly feeding them coins.
As they continued down the concourse, Chris asked, "If we can't call George or use our credit cards, what are we going to do about a hotel?"
"It just so happens that I have a connection who works for the Venetian. He should be able to get us lodging and be discreet about it."
LAS VEGAS was always vibrant and pulsing with life. Even on the other side of midnight, the Strip was jammed with traffic. Their taxi driver opted for a back-road route to the Venetian, which brought them to the hotel within minutes.
Chris had never been to Las Vegas and was impressed by the spectacle that surrounded him. Even this late at night, the casino was crowded and roiling. As they entered, he gaped at the beautiful marble tiling and ornate detail to be seen in every corner. He could almost picture himself walking the streets of Venice.
Jason scanned the reception desk and frowned. "He works the night shift, but I don't see him."
"This isn't another one of your old flings, is it?" Chris asked as Jason headed toward a courtesy phone. "You don't have some kind of travel industry fetish, do you?"
"No, Curt's father, Frank, was my dad's partner in the FBI---Frank still works with the CACU here in Las Vegas."
"Ah," Chris intoned.
"I'm counting on his help once we track your daughter down."
Jason picked up the phone and spoke to the operator for a few seconds. He smiled and hung up. "We're in luck. Curt is here. They're going to page him and have him meet us."
As they waited, Chris took his time exploring the lobby with his eyes. He was fascinated by the sheer scale of it. Everything seemed huge and exaggerated. Off to his right, he could see the entrance to the shopping arcade and stared in wonder as a gondola floated down a man-made river, its occupants being serenaded by an operatic tenor as they drifted along.
"Here he comes," Jason said suddenly, drawing Chris's attention.
Chris looked in the direction Jason had indicated and saw a fit, energetic young man approaching. His handsome face was alight with a wide, delighted grin.
"Jason. I wish I had known you were coming. I would have taken some time off," he greeted warmly, patting Jason on the back and furiously pumping his hand up and down.
"I'm really glad you didn't," Jason said, returning the infectious grin. "This is a business trip, I'm afraid. It's great to see you, Curt. How is Frank?"
Curt shook his head, his mop of black curls bouncing as he chuckled. "Same dad. Cranky, mean... old. But you know the type. You've got one of those too. Your folks were here just a couple of weeks ago, by the way."
Jason's smile faded slightly at the mention of his parents, and Curt did not miss the subtle clue that this was a touchy subject. "So where are you staying?"
Jason leaned in conspiratorially. "Actually, I was hoping you could help me out with that. Somewhere between Seattle and here, I managed to lose my wallet. Unfortunately, I can't do anything about securing some cash until tomorrow. I thought you could get us a room for the night and settle up with me in the morning."
Curt grinned. "Bradley watching your credit cards again?"
Jason chuckled in response. "How do you do that?"
"That was a pathetic story. Full of holes. A trained agent would never lose his wallet." Curt patted his back. "Besides, you should have seen his face." He gestured toward Chris. "When you started spouting crap, I thought I was