Chapter 2

"I think we need something new, something different."

Mikel Soronov was reasonably sure he would get what he wanted. Since assuming the position of manager of the "Velvet Spike", Mikel had already overseen two renovations and three theme changes for the night club. The Russian Mafia, for whom he worked, had given him nearly carte blanche since the club was really a front for their drug and prostitution business and was frequently used to launder money. With the money rolling in hand over fist, the higher ups indulged him in his attempts to keep the club at the forefront of the avant-garde in the city's underground. Besides, Mikel had adapted to the decadence of capitalism quite easily and was actually running the club at a profit. Add to that the erotic nature of the themes he chose and the fact that all his "entertainers" were made available to the higher ups whenever they wanted and the Velvet Spike had become a favorite source of entertainment for the Russian bosses as well as for many wealthy Americans with unusual tastes in eroticism.