"Ms. De La Torre," a man called out to Aisha once she was on the last step of the stairs. "It's been so long since the last time we saw each other, truly such a beautiful woman you are."
Aisha raised her eyes to look at the man in front of her. He is wearing an all white three piece suit, his blonde hair is neatly comb to the side, and probably because of his age, there are wrinkles forming in his face, especially on the corners of his pale blue eyes when he smiles, but he still looked dashingly despite being in his forties.
"Mr. Sutton." Aisha greeted him in her usual cold voice.
Nikos laughs at Aisha's formal tone. "My dear, no need to be so formal, just calls me Nikos. You are, after all, my Boss."
"Got any leads with the traitors?" Aisha, of course, ignored him and starts getting into business.
Nikos also turns serious and reports, "We still haven't found any lead. Our suspect was that Augustus just said that to have an excuse to infiltrate the casino. You know how adamant he is in taking down the mafias."
"Augustus is a prominent detective and is very dedicated in his profession. He won't create any false evidences just to have an excuse to take us down."
Aisha immediately rebuked his guess as the both of them strolled around the underground casino. It was just like the one above, the only difference was that this place has more guards in case that these criminals will start a riot here.
If Augustus Kain was really that type of person, then he wouldn't even bother to investigate the illegal businesses of the mafias and just raid them even without concrete evidences, thus successfully destroying the mafia's business. But no, despite having suspicions, he didn't do it and follow the path of being a true detective.
"Then could it be...?"
"Either the so-called "insider information" that Augustus are talking about are from among these criminals who gambles here, or someone who is disguising as a criminal, or someone within your employees.
"However, if it's really one of these mobs, he will not gain any benifits at all, instead he will be push into his doom. And all criminals here are those who have already a long years of being a wanted criminals, and all information are all legit, so we can already closed down the first two guesses of who might that be "insider" are.
"And that leaves your employees in the casino. Whoever those traitor(s) are still here, if they suddenly disappear amidst the problem, that will only point out that they are the traitors. Also, if they really have contact with Augustus, the best tactic was to let those traitors stay here to gather more information."
Nikos was slightly taken aback by Aisha's smart deduction, but did he really have to be that surprise? He had heard that most famiglias are displeased by Aisha's leadership and he couldn't help but to think that those fools turns into blind eye at Aisha's remarkable brilliance and skills.
"Then I will send someone to investigate who are the traitors." Nikos was about to make a phone call but he was stopped by Aisha.
"There's no need for that, the person you entrust with the investigation might be the traitor himself. It's better if we act alone."
"This might be too hard, eh?" Nikos mumbles to himself, his hands stroking his squared jaw with white hair stubbles.
"Not at all," Aisha replied almost as quickly. "Does all of your employees who knows about this place are already here?"
"The underground casino opens an hour early than above, so all my employees, who is a low rank mafiosi, are all here. No one else from my employees above, except for Fidel, knows about this."
"Good," Aisha answered, satisfied with this she gave him an another order. "Prepare a stage from me, I want them all to know that I'm here."
Nikos was efficient and excuse himself to prepared what Aisha ordered him. While Aisha was left in front of the slot machine.
It was a Class III "Vegas-style" with 7 reel slot machine, making it harder for the gamblers to hit the jackpot but it uses random number generators so it was not rigged. While some needed "luck" to win, to Aisha, the only thing that is need to hit the jackpot is the "right timing".
Aisha saw a croupier passing by and ask him, "Does this slot has been reset yet?"
The croupier was confused but still answered her in a polite tone, "It has been reset earlier."
"How many times has people played this slot."
The croupier was a mafia with sharp memory, and since he works not to farawar from the slots machine, he naturally remember how many does those criminals played the slots.
"Over 20 has played the slots, and if you sum how many times they tried the it will be 886." Indeed, he was an employee that casino needs, such a witty croupier.
Aisha's mouth twitched at this, whoever those 20 criminals are, they deserve a pity on their ripped wallets.
The croupier left and Aisha turns to Owen who is a five steps away from her. "Play this slot until 999 turns, and don't let any other gamblers plays it."
Owen was confused at her sudden weird ordered but he still comply otherwise, his head might leave his body in just a flash.
In just short amount of time, Nikos had prepared the stage that Aisha wants. He's now standing on the small platform, and is holding a wireless microphone.
"Let me all have your attention, please?" Nikos asked in the same polite tone. "I apologize to disturb you in your fun time. However, an extremely important person wants to have your small time." He made an emphasis on "extremely important" to make them realize that the person that he is talking about is someone who is above them and cannot dare to offend.
"Huh!? Who that person might be?"
"Beats me, just get it done already! I'm already winning!"
"Tsk, just ignored him."
"We're the most wanted criminals, we don't care who that shït is."
"Oh, really?" Nikos felt a sudden chill running through his spine. He hesitantly glance behind him and was scared shïtless at Aisha's cold but murderous expression.
It's over, Nikos cries in his heart, another life will be gone.
Gone was the calm and collective Aisha earlier, she was now the ruthless Queen of Mafia, her murderous aura is oozing, and the temperature of the underground casino dropped a sudden hundred degree.
Nikos immediately step aside to give Aisha a huge space, and gave her the microphone. Aisha glance at the microphone and let out a dry, cold laugh.
All people involuntarily shivers at her sinister laugh. And trembles when Aisha had finally remove her sunglasses and reveal her violet eyes.
"Da-dàmn it! It was Aisha De La Torre!"
"It couldn't be! Why is she here?!"
"Co-could it be that she's just pretending to be the Queen?"
"Idiot, in this world, who dares to imitate the De La Torre's ruthless Queen?"
"One time someone pretended to be her and Aisha tortured and humiliated her publicly as a warning to those who dares to pretend to be her."
"What the fück! So it really is her!?"
"The Queen is here!"
"Crap! I just called her shït earlier!"
Aisha's cold eyes sweeped the crowd, taking every expression of everyone. They showed fear, confusion, regrets, respect, and many more but one emotion stood out the most.
It was beyond fear, they are terrified.
Aisha let out a devilish smirk, raised her personalized gun with her initials carved in it and with a "bang!" she shot someone.