Aces & Eights: A NCISLA FanFic Relay Chapter Three

Deeks and Kensi join Nell and Eric on a trip to Las Vegas. They go for fun and gaming, but all does not turn out as planned and unexpected danger lurks under the bright lights of the Luxor.  A wikiDeeks Exclusive: A Fan Fic Relay in 12 Chapters by seven of your favorite fanfic writers: SweetLu, Jericho Steele, peanutbutterer, Kadiedid, imahistorian, Tess DiCorsi, and phillydi.

Chapter 3

by kadiedid

As they exited the elevator arm in arm and turned right toward their end of the long hallway, a loud ‘ding’ emanated from the opposite side and a tall, toga-wearing blonde exited the elevator. Deeks stopped suddenly and stared as Kensi was yanked backwards by his abrupt change in direction.

The showgirl glanced their way and Deeks got her attention. “Hey, we just saw your show and really enjoyed it.” He smiled as she stepped toward them.

“Thanks so much,” she giggled and smiled. “It was much better last night. Too bad you didn’t see that one instead.”

Nell looked toward Kensi and rolled her eyes before turning back to the showgirl. “Yeah, that’s too bad. Well, good luck with the next one.” She reached toward a dumbstruck Eric and dragged him toward their room.

Kensi followed Nell’s lead and did the same as Deeks said goodbye to the blonde and waved like a schoolboy with a crush.

No one said a word as they continued down the hallway and unlocked the doors to their rooms. They were barely inside the door when Kensi asked, “What the hell was that all about?”

“What?”

“You know what! Flirting with a Vegas showgirl! I don’t know what’s worse; that you flirted with her or that you did it with me standing right there!”

Deeks couldn’t help but laugh. “I wasn’t flirting! I was just a little star struck for a minute.”

“Star struck? You live in LA and see movie stars all the time so I’m not buying it.” She stomped over and looked out the window at all the bright lights of the strip.

Deeks followed her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “I rarely see any movie stars and you’ve got to admit, that toga was really pretty cool.”

He grunted loudly and stepped back as Kensi elbowed him in the stomach.

“Ok, ok. I got the message loud and clear. I promise to have no more conversations with Vegas showgirls in togas.” He dared to move closer and start nuzzling her neck.

She slowly leaned into his kisses then added softly, “Or wearing any other type of skimpy outfit.”

“So, just to clarify, I can talk to them if they’re not wearing any outfit?” He smirked as he barely managed to dodge another jab in his direction. She smiled and turned to plant a searing kiss to his lips that he reciprocated eagerly. He pulled her toward the bed and was just starting to undo the buttons of her shirt when her phone began to ring again.

She sighed and held up her hand. “Hold that thought. What’s up Nell?”

Deeks waited impatiently as he continued to kiss any exposed skin and worked diligently to expose even more.

“Ok, we’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Really? Where do they want to go now?” Deeks was clearly irritated.

She re-buttoned her shirt then grabbed her purse. “The casino. You know… the reason why we came here instead of going to Palm Springs or Santa Barbara?”

“Yeah, I remember, but don’t they know its open 24/7? We don’t have to do everything in one day.” He continued to pout as he reluctantly followed her out the door.

…

The casino was really impressive with ornate decor and statues everywhere but the first thing they truly noticed was the noise. Voices and laughter mingled with bells and dings from the slot machines then music was added and mashed together with miscellaneous sounds from every nook and cranny. It was almost overwhelming. As they entered the casino floor, Eric was clearly agitated and rubbing his fake facial hair. He was barely involved in the conversation of where they should start and simply followed them nervously, casting looks of longing in the direction of the blackjack tables.

The girls started out on the penny slot machines with Deeks and Eric watching but after a few minutes, Deeks noticed Eric’s obvious discomfort and decided that he needed to do something about it. He pulled him toward a corner where there were no machines, no other people and slightly less noise.

“Man, you’ve got to calm down and stop looking guilty!” Deeks said quietly.

Eric frowned and dropped his hands to his sides. “I know but I can’t help it. If they catch me, there’s no telling what they’ll do to me!”

Deeks glanced around the area. “Ok, look. Starting now you are undercover as a successful businessman here for a computer software conference. We’ll come up with a new name to go with your new look.”

Eric pondered the idea a bit then asked, “Okay, how about the name Derek Steel?”

Deeks sighed. “No, it has to be something totally different. The last thing you need is some pit boss hearing a name that reminds him of someone on their watch list. How about Trey Baker, software mogul from LA?”

“Trey Baker… Yeah, I can deal with that.” Eric pictured his new alias with a faraway look in his eyes.

Deeks watched as his entire demeanor changed and the nervousness magically disappeared.

Eric stood up straight and lowered his voice a bit. “Let’s go play blackjack.” He confidently strode back toward the girls.

After a short explanation about Eric’s new alias, Nell and Kensi decided to go watch them play for a while and followed them to a table with a ten dollar minimum bet. There were three empty seats but Deeks and Eric claimed them along with another very inebriated lady.

The dealer’s name was Griff and Deeks made polite conversation with him and others at the table. After a few uneventful hands, Nell and Kensi decided they were bored and it was time to go play Roulette. They left Deeks and ‘Trey’ to themselves and wandered off toward the opposite end of the casino. They had only been gone a few minutes when Eric suddenly placed a hundred dollar bet.

The drunk lady, who let everyone know her name was Sheila, leaned into him and informed them all that she was on the prowl. “You planning on getting lucky, Honey? I can help you with that Sugar, if the cards won’t.”

Deeks tried not to laugh at Eric’s severe blush and placed his minimum bet. A cocktail waitress in a costume that Kensi certainly wouldn’t have placed on the ‘approved outfit’ list stopped by the table and asked if anyone wanted complimentary drinks. Sheila was the first to place her order and everyone added theirs to her list except Eric.

As the cards were dealt, Eric’s first card was an ace of spades and Deeks noticed his intense focus on everyone else’s cards. Sheila continued to flirt with him but he seemed not to notice. When the dealer placed the second round of cards on the table in front of the players, Eric got another ace and doubled down with another hundred dollars. Deeks glanced up at him but he was so caught up in the game that he seemed to notice nothing else. The other players were cheering him on hoping for face cards because everyone wants to beat the dealer. The first two men busted amidst loud grumbling when they took a third card. The next two waved off the dealer, wanting no more cards. Deeks did the same. Eric’s next card was a jack, which sent the table into a roar of cheers. When he received a queen on his second ace their cheering was noticed by others in the general area and a small crowd gathered around them. Griff finished the hand and the players again placed their antes on the table.

The cute waitress returned with their drinks and Sheila was quiet for a bit as she downed hers. Deeks watched as Eric’s concentration and ‘mad skills’ won him hand after hand. The crowd continued to grow and cheer him on and Deeks started to worry about Eric being exposed. He kept an eye on the pit boss who was watching, but had not yet made any calls to the ‘eye in the sky’ surveillance system. Deeks was also regularly scanning the crowd looking for anyone who might be overly curious. When Eric got blackjack on the next hand with another large bet, Deeks decided he needed to get him out of there before it escalated completely out of control.

“Hey, Trey.” Deeks had waited for the end of the hand but Eric didn’t even look his direction.

“Trey!” Again, louder but no response. He scanned the crowd again and noticed a guy standing near a column in a cheap blue suit staring intently at Eric. Deeks kept an eye on him as Eric won another hand and the crowd cheered. As Deeks again tried to get Eric’s attention, he glanced over at the suspicious guy and watched as another man walked up to him and whispered something in his ear. Then, both men turned and continued to watch every move Eric made. Deeks decided it was time for an intervention. He picked up his drink and ‘accidentally’ fumbled it into Eric’s lap.

“Oh, buddy! Man, I’m so sorry!” He pretended to help Eric wipe off his shirt and shorts. “My bad! I have no idea how that happened but we need to get you some dry clothes.”

Eric seemed to snap out of the trance he had been in for the last hour and stood up next to his seat. He glanced at his winnings then back up at Deeks and looked completely lost. Deeks knew he needed to take charge.

“Hey, let’s get you back to your room and get you cleaned up. The girls are probably waiting for us anyway.” He looked up at the dealer and said, “I’m really sorry about this Griff. Can you cash him out so we can get him in some dry clothes?” The dealer nodded and began counting his chips while Sheila offered to take Eric to her room and clean him up herself.

Eric looked mortified and Deeks answered for him. “I’m sure Trey here is grateful for the offer ma’am but his girl might just take exception to that and trust me, you don’t want to tangle with her!” Griff handed the chips to Eric and Deeks tipped the man as they left the table and wove their way through the crowded casino.

“Where are we going? What just happened? I don’t understand why you dumped your drink on me.” Eric continued to whine as Deeks dragged him through the casino toward the bank of elevators, his eyes continuously scanning the area.

“Text Nell and tell them to meet us in your room.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Just trust me man. We need to get you out of the casino for awhile.”

Eric reverted back to his nervous state as he sent the text then immediately started scratching at his beard again. They finally made it to the lobby and Deeks pushed the button to call the elevator then looked down at Eric’s wet shorts. There were several others who were also standing around waiting on the elevator who obviously noticed the big wet stain and couldn’t help but stare.

The elevator finally reached the lobby and the door opened to deliver its passengers. A large crowd exited and all of their eyes seem to be drawn to Eric’s shorts. Deeks grinned as they stepped in along with a small group of other guests and pressed the button for their floor.

An embarrassed Eric turned to him and whispered, “Did you really have to dump a drink in my lap? Why couldn’t you just have gotten my attention some other way?”

“Dude, I tried! You were in blackjack fantasy land and we had to go!” They both heard a snicker from one of the girls behind them.

Deeks was feeling better now that they were out of the casino and away from the large crowd so he decided to have a little fun at Eric’s expense. He loudly announced as they arrived at their floor, “Next time, you need to let me know before it’s too late!”

The doors closed behind them but they didn’t mask the sound of giggling girls. Eric’s face and neck turned a deeper shade of red as he walked quickly down the hallway.

Deeks followed closely behind and tried to explain. “Hey, I’m really sorry about the drink but I’m positive you popped up on someone’s radar.”

“What makes you think that?” He testily swiped his key in the door.

Deeks waited until they were inside before he answered. “There were two guys that were watching you like a hawk and I was sure they were following us when we left.”

Before he could continue, Nell and Kensi entered the room and they both instantly stared at Eric’s shorts.

“Eric, what on earth happened?” Nell walked toward him staring at the big wet stain. She sat on the furthest bed from the door and looked extremely confused.

Deeks explained everything and described the two guys as best he could.

“So you think they work for the hotel?” Kensi was frowning but also staring at Eric’s shorts.

“I have no idea but keep an eye out for them. In the mean time, maybe we should take our gambling to another casino just to be safe.”

“I agree.” Nell nodded her head and finally looked up. “Maybe if they don’t see him around anymore, they’ll move on to someone else.”

Deeks walked toward the door and motioned for Kensi to follow. “Let’s not let it ruin the trip. Get some sleep and we’ll meet you in the morning for breakfast.”

“Goodnight,” Nell and Eric said in unison as the door shut behind them.

“Ok, well maybe you should get out of those shorts.” Nell sniffed the air then moved to open a window.

Kensi and Deeks walked to their room but despite what he told Eric, he couldn’t shake the feeling that trouble was lurking around the corner.

…

Downstairs in the lobby, two guys were sitting on a plush gold couch. They pretended to read newspapers, but were wearing sunglasses. Inside the hotel. At night. They were waiting for a call to let them know the room number of their targets. This would be a piece of cake. No way could they mess up this one. Their bossman got very angry when they messed things up.

…

To be continued…

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Karen S. (Kadiedid) is a contributor at wikiDeeks.com
Follow her on Twitter: @KDHS01

Thanks to Lindy AKA Sweet Lu for the wonderful feature image.