Yelena grabs her shawl and steps into the near darkness outside the garage where the sometime spotty overhead light gives a weak illumination to the area near the garage door. She gathers the shadows about her as an armor and strides off down the street. She walks like she belongs here and the other denizens of the night give her space; hardened gangers can sense the death on her and about her and leave her alone. Some of the people she meets acknowledge her passing with a nod or a greeting, to which she always responds in kind. She walks past deserted store fronts and hidden alleys that tempt the unwary into thinking they are safe havens when they are in fact dead ends that usually mean death. Yelena stops at several burn barrels along her route, joining others still out in the December evening, even sharing some weak caf with one old man who winks at her and gives his name as Charlie Dawn. At another location, an old man dressed in "Barrens Casual" rags is sitting on a box against a wall and playing a violin while two slightly younger men dance a jig to the music. As Yelena passes, one of the men takes her arm and tips his cap before leading her in a small dance with them. Laughing, she joins in and goes a couple of rounds, to the merriment of the men and a few people gathered at the barrel near by. Three times she is mistaken for a hooker on the prowl, one slightly tipsy man even getting as far as pulling out a wad of scrip. She takes the man by the arm and leads him to the closest barrel, where at least one other person seems to know him. Yelena props the man up next to his friend and makes sure that his money is back in his pocket.
Her route takes her several blocks from the garage and she is not threatened once, even though this is part of the Barrens. Someone slumming down here would be eaten alive and the bones stuffed into one of the sewer grates, but she is part of this place now and the Barrens itself looks after such as her. And ever the shadow protects her. She finally makes out more lights ahead and rounds a corner to enter a different world. Stores with brightly lit fronts and intact windows; people walking without their eyes closely focused on the ground; autos and bikes moving along the busy roadway. All are very potent signs of a life that is just unimaginable a few short blocks away. Yelena pauses for a few minutes to adjust to the difference then sticks her arm out to summon a passing cab, which swerves over to where she is standing. The door of the auto-piloted vehicle pops open and she climbs in, giving the Belagio as her destination. The almost human voice of the auto-cab gives her the rate and she sticks the credstick into the slot that appears in the armrest.
Yelena sits back to enjoy the ride. When the voice asks her if she would like some music, she orders soft jazz and a menu pops into view on the monitor set into the back of the driver's seat. She is still amazed that even with all the technology of the auto-cab, the interior still gives the passengers the feeling of being in a real cab, to include having a robotic driver in the front. She runs a finger down the song menu and is surprised to find a few songs in the category of "Local Talent" performed by one Josie Strings. She smiles as she sets those up on the pick list and settles back to listen to Josie play. The auto-cab pulls up at the Belagio and the door pops open to let her out into the cool evening air. A slight breeze has come up and Yelena feels the cool touch of it up under her short Cheongsam and her nipples react predictably.
There is a line waiting to get into the casino, but it is moving fairly quickly and Yelena takes the time to look at the building as she waits. The casino is built in the fashion of some old Italian palace. Having actually spent time in Italy a number of years ago, Yelena is not too sure how authentic it is, but who really gives a frag. It is close enough in design to what most people would expect an Italian palace to look like, and most people are here to get drunk and gamble and be seen doing it. Her eye does catch three pairs of men walking about the outside of the building and guesses that they are part of the meat security. The other part is the two huge Trolls at the entrance. One runs a scanner up and down her torso while the other does a perfunctory search of her small handbag. These guys are more for show than security and the real thing is ahead once you enter the building. The hostess at the front door looks at the tablet in her hand when Yelena gives Bella's name and smiles as she tells Yelena that the party is in private suite thirty and snaps her fingers to get the attention of a man who introduces himself as George. Yelena thanks the extremely pretty girl and follows George to the room, passing through the large casino floor on the way. Society people, as well as those that want to be thought of as society people throng the large room, playing various games of chance. The bells and sirens are like a drug to Yelena and she has to fight the draw to just stop for a moment and have a slight flutter. The only thing that prevents her from doing just that is the thought of Bella and her delicious husband waiting for her, and the high probability that there will be drugs available for her to use. Already, her body anticipates the taste of the pills or the popping of the capsules and the release of the blessed potions into her blood and lungs. Only a small part of her mind has the presence to warn her off, but the rest of it is already half crazed for a hit.
George stops at the rather orate central bar and asks her what she would like. She orders vodka and is presented with a very top-grade quality brand in a large glass, which she sniffs and sips from. Proceeding to the door to private suite thirty, George presents Yelena's name and a chip to the uniformed attendant, who checks her name against the list in his hands before turning to open the door. Yelena thanks George and steps into the room, looking around for Bella or her husband, eager to share her body and their drugs. She is a bit surprised to see only one other person beside her hosts, but what the frag, a lot can be done by four people.
And a lot begins with introductions. The African, Keshan Nwankiri-Eseme, is charming and cultivated, and extremely jaded with normal entertainments. He is looking for something, and someone different and wonders aloud if Yelena is that person. Toasts follow introductions and Bella's husband leads the small group out of the room and onto the casino floor to a small reserved table. The game is familiar to Yelena, but it would not matter if it were not. It is the playing that feeds the monster, and Yelena plays. She is in the moment, placing 100 Nuyen bets like she was made of money, seemingly heedless of her winning or losing. And in fact, it is not the winning or losing that matters to someone so lost to the addiction. She wins and she loses and she plays. After playing for a bit, she is actually even for the night when Keshan moves closer to her and puts an arm around her to cup her breast. She smiles at the man and scoots a bit closer so he has a better purchase for his hand and so she can place a hand on his thigh. Soon after she starts rubbing him, the African stands up and takes Yelena by the arm, walking with her back to the private room where they are joined by Bella and her husband.
It did not take long for the drugs to come out and the clothes to come off. Keshan is amazed by Yelena's tattoos and traces them on her skin with a dark finger. He is particularly interested in the dead tree, but does not ask any questions about it, just tracing the many small skulls. Before long he tires of that and turns Yelena over the back of the long couch in the room and thrusts into her. Bella moves in and whispers in Yelena's ear as she kisses her and fondles her breasts. "I promised him a great time with you. He is tired of whores and women who only pretend to be ready for anything. I told him that you are the real thing. I hope that you have fun." Her husband feeds his arousal to Yelena's willing mouth and all four begin the real fun of the evening. Both men have apparently taken performance enhancers and are not ready to stop after the first climax. They change positions and Keshan brings out his "toys". These are designed to bring pain without inflicting injury or leaving marks, and he is a talented user. His twisted desires rival Nikolai Fyodorovich in sadism, and he takes the night to work on her. And Yelena loves it all, participating with a flair and intensity that surprises Keshan and drives him to even greater excesses. The drugs make it bearable, even pleasurable and Yelena loses count of the number of times she reaches an orgasm, or how many times the men climax in or on her body. Eventually the men finally tire, having gone past the limit of the drug they had taken to extend their abilities. They go sit in chairs and quickly fall asleep while Bella comes over to sit next to Yelena on the couch, where the two women make love several times more before curling up next to each other, completely drained and exhausted. Both drift off to a drug-fueled sleep.
