Feeling chastised, I followed him, trying to stay close. Garret moved through the throngs like a fish through water, metallic-gray eyes constantly scanning, watching. I remembered his discomfort with crowds in Crescent Beach, that hyperalertness, as if a ninja could come leaping out at us from a potted plant. Back then, in the lazy little beach town, it had seemed odd. Now, I understood. That paranoia had probably saved his life more than once.

Finally, Riley took us across a huge parking lot and through the doors of a smaller, though still impressive, building. Nero’s Garden Hotel and Casino, the sign read as we approached the front. A pair of marble lions guarded the entrance, though I saw someone had drawn a tiny mustache below one lion’s nose. Then the doors slid back, and we stepped into a brightly lit lobby with green tile, fake marble columns lining the room and statues of half-naked Greek people in alcoves along the wall. A huge check-in desk ran the length of the back wall, and off to the side, through a fake marble arch, the casino floor buzzed, twinkled, chimed and flashed like a sprawling neon circus.

“Well, here we are,” Riley said with false grandeur, and offered a sarcastic grin as he gestured to the glittering casino. “Welcome to Vegas.”

Dante

Dante

From the air, the city looked like an island of stars in the center of a black void.

“Can I get you anything before we land, sir?” the flight attendant asked, showing perfect white teeth as she smiled down at us. Or, more accurately, at me. At my side, Mr. Smith didn’t look up from his phone, and across from us, Mr. Roth made a vague gesture with his hand, waving her away. I made a point of returning the smile as I shook my head.

“No. Thank you.”

“Of course, sir.” The human regarded me through lowered lashes. “Please, let me know if you need anything.” She wandered toward the back of the jet, where a second attendant glared at her with stony eyes.

Mr. Roth chuckled.

“Do you see your protégé, Mr. Smith?” the VP said, as my trainer put his phone away and looked up. “You’ll have to keep a closer eye on him. If we’re not careful, we’ll have humans clawing each other’s eyes out for his attention.”