Under the Table
775 words


Nyasa hadn’t been to Snake Eyes in over two weeks. Giving the increasing frequency with which she had been visiting the grungy little club, this was rather surprising. However, the absence had not been entirely willing. Between her day job and her alter ego’s duties, Nyasa had been running non-stop. Lately she had precious little down time, and when she did she either slept or was out knocking out street scum, stealing their energy and emptying their pockets.

Now that Nyasa was beginning to resemble some sort of were-raccoon – that and she was falling asleep between calls – her legal employer had forcefully encouraged her to take some time off. Not willing to kick a gift horse in the mouth, Nyasa had accepted the paid vacation. She had slept, beaten up a pimp, grabbed some deliciously bad chili cheese fries, and then slept some more.

Awake now, Nyasa sat on her worn futon couch, pawing through the goods she had relieved from the pimp. If all pimps were as stupid as this one, she’d have to target them more. He’d been wearing diamond studs – real diamonds, if she had to bet – gold chains, and had been carrying a large amount of cash. On top of it all, he hadn’t even been carrying a gun.

Before her career in judicial theft, trying to figure out how to sell her pickings would’ve given her pause. Not anymore. Nyasa had been doing this long enough to know which shady pawn shops owners were greedy enough to swallow up her goods, no questions asked. Sweeping the jewelry into a Crown Royal bag, Nyasa headed for Big Daddy’s Pawn Shop.

~*~


“ Well, lookie here. How can I do ya’ Nyasa?”

Big Daddy D was a crude man, but his greed made him useful.

“ I’ve some stuff for you to look at.”

“ Well, lemme see.”

Nyasa emptied the bag on the counter, earrings and necklaced clattering out. A gleam entered Big Daddy’s eyes.

“ Interesting haul. Where’d ya get ‘em?”

“ Gifts.”

“ Gifts, eh? Nice gifts if you were a brother. Don’t see how they could mistake that booty.” Bid Daddy chuckled at his own comment, ignoring Nyasa’s silence. “ Well, I can’t give ya’ too much. Good materials, but bad taste. Only real certain peoples will want this stuff, ya’ know?”

And that was the problem with people like Big Daddy. His lust for money clouded things like her judgment and memory. Nyasa was no fool, and like every other time she left with more money that Big Daddy had hoped to pay.

~*~


After dropping off most of the cash back at her apartment – Nyasa was not fool enough to carry that much around – she finally made her way back to Snake Eyes. When she got there it was still early evening; she’d only ever gone there after dark before. She drew looks from the few patrons in the place as she approached the bar.

“ Where’s Ricky?”

The bartender looked at Nyasa balefully. “ He’s at the bank.”

“ Why?”

“ Why you think? Money. Can’t pay the bills.”

“ Call him.”

“ What for?”

“ Tell him I can help.”

~*~


Ricky was a big man, both tall and heavy. He had played basketball as a kid and had planned to go pro, but when that didn’t work out he hadn’t had much to fall back on. Eventually he bought the neighborhood’s foreclosed bar – how he’d gotten the money was anyone’s guess – and reopened it as Snake Eyes. He’d clung to it ever since, but it was a sinking ship and he knew it.

Nyasa knew it too. Snake Eyes was having trouble competing with the bars on King Boulevard. Nyasa heard that when Ricky’s ex-wife left that she had spitefully taken a large chunk of his money.

Sitting across the table from Ricky, Nyasa played with the tab on her soda can – drinking during the day would be a bad idea – before looking Ricky in the eye.

“ You need money. I have money.”

Ricky snorted in disbelief. “ Enough to bail out my bar?”

“ Not all at once. Enough to pay off your bills, with interest, but you’ll still need the bar to turn a profit.”

“ Well, that’s the whole problem ain’t it?”

“ I’ve got some ideas.”

“ Money and ideas, hoo-boy. What’s in it for you?”

“ Perks. Discounts.”

“ Ah. Of course.”

“ And you may need a new employee or two.”

“ Really?”

“ Yes.”

“ You want your name on the sign too?”

“ No.”

A long silence ensued, Ricky staring hard at Nyasa. Whether he saw what he wanted or was just in too bad a fix was hard to say, but finally his shoulders slumped and he nodded.

“ A’right. Deal.”