At this point, Alex could not lose- even if that was what he wanted. His divine status would not permit him.
Victory was now his single defining trait. There were some pretty clever players at this board, (especially the old man with the crafty look in his eye). He would have been a problem, in fact he was a problem for every other player. But ultimately, no human excellence could hope to compete with the Eye of god. So even before the game began, as far as Alex was concerned, it was basically over- for him and for them. But especially for them.
Having conquered the poker table, it was now time for him to move on. His subconscious had been trying to get him to be more wary of his environment and its characters, but he had been too absorbed in the thought of raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars. The mere thought of obtaining such a fortune (in one day) seemed like a distant dream to Alex. The pangs of poverty were very much fresh in his mind.
So, even now, when it seemed like the dream was actually coming to pass, it was a real struggle to stay in touch with reality. His senses were jagged. Any other level-headed person would have been conscious enough to know that success (in a casino) was sure to attract the worst kind of vitriol from people. Sooner or later, this chapter was bound to come to pass.
As the fog of victory slowly lifted like a disappearing morning mist, Alex knew it was time to change tables. But unfortunately, he his decision to move forward had come a tad bit too late. Things were already in motion. And the first domino to fall appeared in the form of the manager.
"Sir, would you mind stepping aside for a moment? Please, this way."
It was a polite request, but in essence, it was a command. Alex decided to feign ignorance.
"Is there a problem?"
"No problem at all sir. I am the manager here." He stretched out his hand, indicating he was serious. "Please, follow me."
Alex's mind was working really fast now. Deep down, he knew this was bound to happen. He cursed himself for not abdicating the scene way before him. After weighing his options carefully, he dragged out the chair behind him and stood up. Surprisingly, nobody at the table even batted an eyelid. The self-centred players were all focused one hundred percent on their game. No one clearly gave a damn about Alex or his troubles.
"Lead the way mister manager. I'll be right behind you."
He led the way. As expected, it seemed like he was being led to some kind of backroom or something. Alex was not sure what to expect, but he knew he had to be on his guard. They both left the busy tables and serious minded games behind and came upon a lonely hallway some place in the basement.
*Knock *knock.
Silence.
The manager seemed to have counted a full three seconds before pushing the door open. He did not go in immediately. Instead, like a butler, he held the door open, with zero clues on his face, he bade Alex to go in. The suspense was enough to killing anyone. In his mind, Alex swore that if what was to happen next turned out not to be exciting, he was definitely going to be really disappointed.
After taking a lung full of breath, Alex marched in. Behind him, the manager shut the door.
Alex almost laughed. The entity that met him on the other side looked like a character that was straight up out of a mob gangster movie. A white haired old man who looked like he was in his seventies was huddled over a drink. His eyes were bloodshot, he had on a hat, and in his right had was a thick cigar. Smoke curled up from it and filled the air like a cloud. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse, but his tone still retained its forceful nature.
"So, are you going to tell me who sent you? Or are we going to have to do this the hard way?"
Alex sighed inwardly. This was so cliche. The old man was not even trying to butter him up or anything! Just straight to the gory stuff.
"I'm sorry, but who are you again?"
If the old man was not such a serious person, he would have laughed at the young man's cluelessness. It truly seemed like he was yet to grasp the degree of seriousness of the situation at hand. Ironically, in a weird twist on fate, it was actually the other way around.
The manager stepped in and whispered coldly; "Pay your respects boy. You're speaking to the director of the casino you just tried to rob!"
Alex raised his eyebrows. "ROB???"
"QUIET!!!" The owner thundered. "You're really an amateur aren't you??? You came here to rob me blind, and you made no attempt to at least do a little research on the person you're trying to fleece?" He snickered. "I don't know if it's plain arrogance or just sheer stupidity!"
Alex remained calm despite the air being thick with palpable tension. One could almost taste the toxic high level of testosterone oozing from the males in the room.
"Who sent you boy??" The old man spat. "It's one of my rivals isn't it?"
Alex did not say a word. Somehow, he sensed that no matter what he said or did, the cards were already stacked against him in this game.
Drawing a long drag on his cigar, the old man puffed like a chimney. "You know, for a genuis cardsharp like yourself, you made a pretty fucking stupid mistake going to my enemies. You should have come to me instead." The old man almost sounded sorry as he issued his judgment, "Too bad a talent like yours has to be snuffed out. What a fucking waste."
He did not need to say anything overtly. Behind Alex, the manager had already pulled out a tough strip of wire, and was already edging towards his prey with homicidal intent. The old man was killer, but he hated violence and particularly, the sight of blood. So, the manager had to suffocate the bastard instead of slicing him through with a knife.
But really, both of them were the clueless ones. Alex unlocked the terrifying power of the Eye of god.
There was no way the boss could have anticipated or averted what was to come. Like an unsuspecting fat bird that had been struck down by a poacher's stray bullet, both men was taken completely unawares. Alex trapped them in an endless loop of their worst nightmares. It was a real horror show. The old man saw himself chained, bound hands and feet in a pool of blood, as a swarm of deformed, half dead corpses of babies chewed through him.
Overwhelmed by sheer terror, bound and unable to move, the old man screamed through his lungs. Like an army of aborted babies, they devoured his insides, while filling his ears with the chilling, lusty cries of newborn babies. The manager also saw his own worst nightmare in an apparition that Alex was responsible for.
Having given them what they deserved, Alex left the dreadful backroom and found his way back to the counter to cash out his chips. The beautiful cashier could not believe Alex's wins. But the rules were the rules, and chips were the currency here. It took a few minutes for her organize the money in bundles.
"Here you go sir. Congratulations on such a wonderful win."
"Why thank you lady."
She blushed lightly at the fact that he had called her lady when they were obviously around the same age. As she handed him the bundles, she made sure to brush her fingers on his hands.
"Is there anything else I can help you with sir?"
The lingering look, the light touch, and that last question were all mild attempts to flirt. Money was the ultimate aphrodisiac. If Alex had time, he would have easily taken her to the bathroom and fucked her bloody. But now was not the time. So, he simply took out a few hundred dollar bills, reached across the counter, and tucked them in her bra.