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| Chapter 1
Owner of the Esquire Hotel Chain, Walter Bailey, a tall man of six feet, with thinning salt and pepper hair, thick moustache and eyeglasses, entered the brightly lit den, eyeing the other occupants. He tossed an unopened pack of playing cards on a round green-felted table. "Alright everyone, what game are we going to play this time?" he asked. His brown eyes panned over the faces of his eleven companions. The other occupants, nine men and two women began darting glances at each other. Finally their gazes settled on the pack of cards. "I say we play gin--deuces wild," suggested Miriam Foster. The twenty-nine-year old president of Synblood Corporation; a graduate from one of the country's most prestigious colleges in only three years, and in less than eight years she had risen to become one of the most powerful and famous female entrepreneurs in the country and the first woman to grace the cover of Parkers' Business Magazine. "Nonsense! I'd say we settle this like gentlemen…" Richard Parker began. He paused, glancing at the two females and smiling slightly, he added. "...and ladies." Richard settled into the chair in front of his name plate. "We'll play poker this time around." As if on cue the others sat in their designated chairs, following Richard. "What about the teams?" Walter Bailey asked. Richard smiled. "We have two new members joining us for this hunt. So I suggest we separate into four teams of three. The team captains should decide who will be on each team. Make no mistake, this will be an elimination round of poker. The winner of this game will have first choice for their hunt. Then the next team who wins the following game will choose out of the remaining prey, and so on, agreed?" Richard waited for a response from the others. The room was quiet as everyone considered the arrangement. "Agreed," they responded. "Excellent, then it's settled." Richard said as he opened the box of cards, shuffling them evenly. The seating arrangement was in representation of each persons' financial prestige. Richard Parker, the wealthiest man at the table and owner of the largest cigarette company in the world, Old Port, sat in the upper center and in clockwise formation, to his immediate left was the second wealthiest person at the table, Miriam Foster. And so on, ending the circle with Victor Foster, one of the highest paid actors in the industry. The four longest standing members were also the team captains who would decide which members would join their teams on the hunt. Richard dealt the cards and the game began. The game was intense, Jesse Harthorn of Harthorn Advertising Agency and Amanda Patrick of Amanda’s Fashions folded in the first game which left team captains, Richard Parker and Peter Johnston in a head-to-head stand off. Peter was the owner of the KOTD Radio station, one of the top rated radio stations in the country, well known for playing popular hits, both new and old. The members on Richard's and Peter's teams each hoped that their representing captains would win the game, thus gaining them the most coveted prey. "Give it up, Peter, the vampire is mine." Richard declared as he stared intensely at Peter in hopes of discouraging him. "Enough talking, lay down your cards...that is, if you're not bluffing," Peter challenged, a smirk spreading across his face as he glanced at his own set of cards. "Not before you," Richard's round, blue eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at Peter. He toyed with his lucky half-dollar coin in his other hand, twirling the coin between each finger. "Why? Are you feeling defeated already?" Peter teased. Richard smiled slyly, shaking his head. "No, of course not, I just hate to see you torture yourself. You have no chance of winning this game." "If you say so," Peter retorted. "But I think that you may be too confident, Dick." Peter placed his cards on the table, making sure to spread them out, face up so that everyone could see. He smiled triumphantly at Richard. "Four of a kind. Don't worry, the other prey should provide you and yours with plenty of fun." He chuckled as his hand snaked out to retrieve the slip of paper with the species of their prey written on it. "Not so fast, my friend," Richard protested, smiling wickedly at Peter as he exposed his cards, laying them on the table. "A Royal Flush." Peter's triumphant expression faded as he looked up to see Richard laughing. Richard snatched the slip of paper from between Peter's fingers. "My team shall hunt the vampire." Richard declared, then he rose from the table. |
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