Page 91 of Russian Roulette
“No,” I answer. “There was no need to tamper with the machines themselves. That would be too risky. The code repeats itself over and over. Once you know the source code and precisely where you are at any moment within the code, you can predict when the win is coming. If you hit the button at that precise moment, you win. All you need to do is synchronize your clock on a laptop to the machine. And then practice on a real machine hidden away until you perfect the plan.”
“Ah…I’m getting it now,” Seven says with a slow smile. “And this Natasha you’re searching for has one of these slot machines in her possession.”
“The Russians believe she does,” I say. “That’s all I’m going on.”
“I hate to be the dumbass here,” Kit says. “Break this down in the simplest terms for me. What is the significance of everything you’ve told us? What does it mean?”
I smile at him. “It means whoever has their hands on the source code can hack into any of the slot machines made by Prestige Gaming. They’re in casinos all over the world. Whoever has the source code can turn a casino into their own personal bank to print an endless stream of money. More than you can possibly imagine. The only catch is that a sizable team is needed to pull this off. And, of course, the slot machine to reverse engineer the source code.”
“How big of a team would be needed?” Seven asks, his mind already churning. He’s interested, I can tell.
“Three or four minimum, more would be better. Casino security would immediately become suspicious if they saw someone with a high-powered laptop sitting for hours in front of a slot machine. One person can’t possibly pull it off alone. It’s a complicated scheme with tons of moving parts that could change in a heartbeat.”
“If Natasha stole the machine, why hasn’t she already put this plan into play?” Seven asks.
I shrug. “I don’t have all the answers. She’s connected to a Russian mafia boss named Dimitri. Once I realized exactly what she had stolen, I researched the slot machines that were sold years ago. The scheme has been pulled off in other countries to great success. There’s nothing to stop it because casinos aren’t willing to pull out all the machines with this same source code. They’re using simple risk management. It’s easier to take the risk of being hit with a scam than taking the valuable machines out of service.”
Vulcan leans over and holds his head in his hands. “All this math is hurting my head. Damn Jade! This is some messed up shit. Why couldn’t you be an expert in something less complicated?”
“What’s your part in the plan once you find Natasha?” Seven asks. “Are you sure she’s willing to do any of this?”
“I’m not. That’s the problem. I’ve never talked to her. She wouldn’t have stolen the slot machine if she wasn’t aware of its value. According to the Russians, she could’ve easily sold it, but the machine hasn’t shown up on the black market. She put feelers out on the dark web, trying to find someone to reverse engineer the code. That’s how they found out she had the machine. What they don’t know is exactly where she is now.”
“And you’re hoping to be the one to reverse engineer the code?” Seven asks. He’s sharp and has followed my explanation right down the line. Now that I’ve finally told them what I’m up to, it’s hard to contain my excitement. I would love to have him as my partner or all of them.
“Exactly,” I tell him.
“That’s quite a challenge you’re taking on,” Vulcan says. “First you have to find this girl, then you need to convince her to let you break into a machine she stole from the Russian mob. If you get that far, then you’ll need to spend a week reverse engineering the source code. Am I right so far?”
“You’re smarter than you give yourself credit for,” I tease, playfully punching him in the shoulder.
“What’s the last step?” Seven asks. “Let’s assume you gather up a team to help pull this off. Did you plan on executing your plan here in Vegas?”
“Where else?” I reply. “In fact, I already have one casino in mind.”
“On fuck no!” Seven says, his eyes widening. “Please don’t say the Imperial Casino where I work. Not that one. Anywhere but there. For fuck’s sake! Giovanni owns the Imperial.” He jumps up and paces back and forth across the room. “No, no, no,” he says. “This won’t work. Giovanni is already hunting for a girl. This whole time we’ve thought he was searching for you. Now that I’ve heard the whole story, it makes little sense. Maybe he’s looking for Natasha! Or both of you. Damn it, Jade! I wish you had told us all this before.”
“You kidnapped me, remember? Why would I tell you anything?”
“This changes everything,” Seven says. “Maybe you’re not in immediate danger from Giovanni, but you’re still in danger from the Russians. If you figured out Natasha is in Vegas, then it makes sense the Russians are here searching for her. Which means there’s a good chance they’ll find you, too.”
“I don’t like this at all,” Kit says. “You can’t pull this off, so you need to stop considering it. It won’t work and you’ll get killed. Fucking with Giovanni isn’t anything to consider even remotely. I can promise you won’t get away with it. Your plan can’t work. It’s too risky.”
“For once I agree with Kit,” Vulcan says. “You’re not doing this. We won’t let you get yourself killed. And for what? Money? Money doesn’t mean shit! Not when you’re dead!”
“I heard you do crazy shit all the time,” I tell him. “What’s the difference?”
“The difference is I can’t be killed. That’s the fucking difference!”
“You’re delusional if you truly believe you can’t die,” I say. “And we’re not talking chump change here. The payoff is a lot of money. Enough to live on the rest of my life. I could make that much right here. The machines are in every casino in Vegas. If I built a competent team, we could hit every casino at the same time. In and out fast. The casinos wouldn’t realize what happened until it was over.”
“And then what?” Vulcan asks in concern. “You’d leave town to hit other casinos?”
“Why leave money sitting on the table?” I reply. “I could execute the same plan in casinos everywhere. We could make more money than you could spend in a lifetime. Or ten lifetimes.”
“Seven! Say something to talk her out of this craziness,” Kit says.
All eyes are on Seven. He knows it’s a good plan and is tempted to get involved. He would make an excellent partner if I can win him over. And Iwilleven if it takes more time.
