Tunnel Rat Chapter 342 (Patreon)

Short and Raw, but when the words are flowing, I keep writing.
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Mako stared at the off-suit queen and felt like she'd taken a cannonball in the gut. Her dealer, Abigail, was white and sweating. Whale's mocking laughter hurt far worse than her twice-busted hand. From the floor of the casino came heated shouting from irate Engineers and Scavengers wanting to cash in their chips, and sharks who were trying to pacify them until people higher in command could produce the gold. 

Captains Annie, Goldtooth, and Cuda were slamming together their mugs of rum, drinking and laughing. They hadn't seen anything so funny in years, and they'd be retelling the story for decades.

Mako knew she didn't have the gold. All their hoard was in a water-tight vault in the stern of the Silver Shark, sitting at the bottom of the ocean. They were overdrawn in the casino. The damned Engineers with their slide-rule minds had managed to win more than they lost, and she'd thrown tens of thousands of gold into the game, always expecting to win it back. But now it sat in front of the little ratkin who was smiling at her and sipping his coffee. 

"A very enjoyable night, Captain Mako. Thank you so much for inviting me to your table. But I believe that I will be cashing in my chips now. While the luck was strange tonight, I am reminded of Rule 231: When the System showers you with wealth, it is only karma rewarding you for your good deeds."

He turned to his terrified helper. "Sassy, be so good as to summon the dear lady who will exchange my chips for shiny gold bars. I'm sure that's a prerogative of a captain, even an honorary one." He began separating his chips from the gold coins and small slabs that the other captains had thrown into the pot. Mako stared at the gold. A glimmer of a plan penetrated her mind.

Whale looked down at where two Deep Rock Engineers were standing at the main door, and two more at the back door. All of them were holding weapons. BoomBoom was juggling grenades to the applause of his wife and the rest of her crew. Two-Screws had a Pit Boss in each hand, shouting at them and knocking their heads together.
"Good luck getting any gold out of this bunch, Professor. I think the well has run dry."

Professor Tallsqueak looked at her quizzically, "Are you implying that this fine business exchanged gold for chips, but somehow does not have enough gold to now redeem their debts? That is a terrible state of affairs. Does this happen often when dealing with Scavenger Clans? Is this what was meant by 'Captain's Honor'? I should probably warn my business partners."

All of the Captains present, including Captain Squint, went silent for a moment at the implications. Whale turned to Mako, furious. "You need to make good on this! Do you have any idea of what could happen if the story got out that someone sat at a Captain's table and was cheated in front of all of us? You're spitting on our honor, not just yours!"

Squint had a very long, sharp dagger in his hands and was cleaning his nails. "I am so upset when my honor is tarnished. I have so little of it left and need to keep it shiny." The lord of the Kulags had gone from jovial to serious, and the shadowy cats flanking him on either side of his chair were baring their fangs.

Mako held up her hands. "I'm good for it. I own property! Nearly all of the docks and this casino. It's a minor setback. I'll have hard cash in my hand in two days, three at the most!"

Tallsqueak stood up. "I see. This is so sad, but I'm not understanding how your inability to do simple accounting should become my problem. The people of the Hollows love to help each other in times of trouble, but it's not only I who is owed but those poor people down on the main floor. Some of them are desperate enough to be juggling high explosives. I simply don't see this ending well."

Mako looked at the pile of gold. "Loan me that pile. I'll use it to pay off those poor engineers and keep Whale's daughter from being a widow. You said your people like to help, that would be helping."

Cuda, Goldtooth, and Annie started giggling uncontrollably as Mako asked for a loan. 'Loaning a shark money.' was slang on ships for throwing something valuable overboard with no chance of getting it back.

The Professor looked dubious. "My people also have a distaste for loaning money. But I can see that if this impasse is not somehow solved, there will be bloodshed tonight. That would be a shame, wouldn't it? I will propose a solution, and I hope these fine Captains will act as witnesses."

The Captains gathered around, curious. Whale spoke for them, "We're here, we'll witness, and we'll enforce the agreement. Good by you Mako?"

Mako was happy for any solution that didn't get her spotted on Whale's cutlass, an outcome that was looking likely. Some of those people down on the floor were her crew. "If it keeps people from getting hurt, I'll listen. What do you propose?"

The professor pushed his pile to the center of the table again. "I don't want to break the rules of my people and make you a loan. So I suggest a simple game of cards. Captain Whale will shuffle the deck and deal us one card each. If you win, you keep my pile and pay off the people below."

Mako raised an eyebrow. "And if you win?"

"You said you have property? Docks and this building? You will wager them. If I win, I get them. I will also pay off your debt to those three Engineers. I will refrain from cashing in my chips for three days. After that, I give your names to a clan of Shadowstalkers who like to play Surprise for keeps."

Squint raised his hand excitedly, "I love that game! Can I play?"

The Professor nodded to him. "And Captain Squint will also be playing."

Mako nodded. "Let's do it." Whale began shuffling cards and Mako went to a sea chest and pulled out the deeds to the building they were in and many portions of the docks. She tossed them on the table and looked pointedly at Abigail who nodded back. 

Captain Whale shuffled the cards, drawing out the affair. She placed two cards on the table, Mako and Tallsqueak each picked one up. Mako didn't try to read either card, she knew what they would be. Behind her, Abigail was sweating and holding her head.

Mako tossed down the Queen of Diamonds. "My favorite card."

Tallsqueak tossed down his card. "As my friend Lemmi says,
"The pleasure is to play. Makes no difference what you say. I don't share your greed. The only card I need. Is the Ace of Spades."

"Three days, Captain Mako."