Chapter 10

Dale drove the Sebring back to the house and parked it there. He packed enough clothes for about a week's stay even though he only planned on one or two nights knowing that he would have an easier time getting a nice suite if the hotel manager assumed he might be staying for a significant length of time. He instructed Vyagar to transport him into an unoccupied elevator in the parking garage of the Bellagio along with his luggage. As Dale stepped out of the elevator with his rolling luggage in tow, a porter immediately came to his assistance. Knowing that money talks, Dale had dressed to the nines wearing the expensive suit he had tailored in Reno along with a pair of five hundred dollar dress shoes. His bearing and dress combined with the alpha male phenomenon had the desired effect and he was soon checked into one of the more expensive penthouse suites reserved for the high rollers.

Dale did in fact intend to do some gambling while at the Bellagio though he didn't expect to win very much. His purpose for visiting the luxurious establishment was to make contact with the wealthy and the powerful while searching for those who might be able to help him reach an objective he was seriously planning to pursue. He wanted to be able to protect himself and those who became a part of his life and to reach that goal he intended to carve himself a veritable kingdom out of a beautiful part of Mexico. He was fluent in Spanish and believed that in the long run he could actually improve the economic situation in the region.

A powerful motivation for Dale was the fact that he had grown very tired of having others try to govern his existence and make his choices; now that he had the power to change things in his favor he intended to do so. He was very aware that sooner or later someone might come along who wasn't swayed much by the alpha male thing and while he had the power and technology of the Hyranthi exercising it to any significant degree in someplace as observed and controlled as the United States would definitely attract the wrong kind of attention. The Bellagio was often frequented by a wealthy clientele from around the globe and Dale believed that his time among them would aid in reaching his long-term objectives.

It was mid afternoon when Dale made his appearance at the Bellagio and soon after his luggage had been taken up to his room Dale made his way to a Cashier's cage. When he handed them his credit card and asked for five hundred thousand dollars to be transferred to his account at the casino he was immediately approached by one of the floor managers.

"Hello Mr. Young. My name is Ben Rensler," the man said extending his hand.

Dale shook the offered hand and returned the greeting, "Nice to meet you Ben."

"Is this your first time at the Bellagio Mr. Young?" the man asked.

"Actually yes it is."

"Due to the amount you deposited in your Bellagio account the Cashier assumed that you might be interested in the high stakes games available to our more exclusive guests. Is this your desire?" Mr. Rensler asked Dale being sure to keep his voice at a level where only Dale and the Cashier could hear him.

"It is indeed," Dale replied with a smile.

"I'd be happy to escort you there and provide any assistance you may require."

"Lead the way Ben."

For the rest of the afternoon and into the early evening, Dale played a variety of games generally losing much more than he won. As he was now becoming somewhat accustomed to, the eyes of the women in the immediate vicinity were frequently gazing in his direction and the men treated him with extreme deference. Quite often other players or observers would ask him if he was enjoying himself and ask if they might be able to assist him in any way. Occasionally he would stop and chat with any that caught his fancy or appeared to be of assistance to his long-term objectives. Often they would offer their contact information to him of their own volition. He would accept the offered card, or if the information was given verbally enter it into his PDA.

Dale met several that he wanted to know more about so he asked Vyagar to do some background research on them. In some cases Vyagar delivered a brief summary via the communication crystal Dale know carried in his skull. Vyagar also made use of the miniature cloaked probe that he had kept near Dale at all times. He wanted to make certain that Dale was safe and the probe would also enable him to upload the information to Dale's PDA. Vyagar was fascinated by the game play going on around Dale as well.

After a while he had his fill of gambling. As Dale headed towards the exit Mr. and Mrs. Borden, one of the couples he had spoken with during the afternoon, invited him to join them as their guest for dinner at the Prime Steakhouse restaurant. "She is very attractive," Dale thought to himself as he took a good look at the woman. He accepted there offer and thanked them for their kindness. The Prime turned out to be a very plush restaurant.

The head waiter seated them in a semi-private area at a table with place settings for eight. "Will you be waiting for the rest of your party or would you like to make your selections now?" he asked.

Mr. Borden said, "Let's give them a few more minutes." After the man walked away Mr. Borden turned to Dale and informed him that his two daughters and their dates would be joining them for dinner. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the two young couples appeared.