21(S2E10)-The Support

21

The Support

(Season 2, Episode 10)

“Are you ready for this?” Savannah asked with more than a little hostility, her accent less southern bell and more angry hillbilly.

“Are you?” Sidney shot back as she put on her wig.  She had just about had enough of Savannah.

The fact however, was that both women were on edge.  Both of them prided themselves on playing a simple card game and neither was sure they could beat the man they came here to beat.

It was the final day.  They had one task left, defeat Markov.  Savannah wanted to do it in order to beat the hype scam and make her years worthwhile.  Sidney wanted to do it to beat Savannah but she was starting to worry.

At the end of the day, there was no evidence that Sidney’s friends were out there helping her.  The dealer the night before could have been a byproduct of one of the other players.  She had no sign and she was feeling alone.  Her final play required back-up.

Back-up she wasn’t sure she had.

“Listen,” Savannah’s voice suddenly snapped her back to reality.  “Your stunts and shenanigans have been very entertaining but that ends now.”

Sidney slowly turned toward her with an irritated face and Savannah continued.  “You have a job to do.  Your life and the information on your dear dad are on the line, so the rest of this goes according to plan.  You go out there.  You stay in the game and I will drop Markov.  Then I will lose to you.  You give me the money and you go home.  Is this getting through that yankee brain of yours?”

Sidney could read Savannah like an open book for the first time in their brief history. Savannah was scared and was taking it out on Sidney.  “Lock it up.”

Savannah eyed her furiously.  “Excuse me?”

“Lock it up.  Don’t go into this playing on tilt.  You’ll lose, which means we lose.”  Sidney stood to come eye to eye with a fuming Savannah.

“You just worry about yourself.”  Savannah almost growled.

“I never do.”  Sidney smirked and Savannah gave up, having her guards come in to escort the two of them to the car.”

 ****

“I’m going.” He said forcefully without a hint of give on the subject.

Tobias shook his head as they all sat in the hotel room just off the island.  “You can’t go.  You have just spent the night dismantling Harrison Foote’s operation with your bare hands.  You have been made by half his dealers.  If you’re spotted in the club, the deal’s off.

Linda handed her brother a bag of ice to put on his swollen face; a small price to pay after the war with Silas.

Hank shook his head.  “I’m going.”

“Are you not listening?” Tobias said, frustrated.

“You’re the one not listening.”  Hank said standing and clenching his fists.

“Are you threatening me?” Tobias said with wide eyes.

“Put them back in your pants guys.” Linda spoke with an air of irritation as she lit a cigarette.  “You’re not five year olds.”

Both men stopped and were instantly brought back to Earth by the words, and both felt bad for going to anger so quickly.  “Alright.  You’ll have to try to fit into my clothes.”

Hank scowled at Tobias’s words.  “Why in the hell would I do that?”

Tobias’ eyes narrowed.  “Because, they will be looking for a tobacco chewing, redneck, jack ass in greasy jeans and a faded t-shirt.”

Linda raised an eyebrow looking back and forth between the two.  “Do you think the clothes will fit?”

Tobias shrugged.  “They’ll work as long as he doesn’t make any big moves, and it’s way too late to take him to a store.  If he comes, this is the way it has to be.”

Hank eyed his sister for support but found none.  He finally shrugged.  “Alright.”

“And no tobacco tonight.”  Tobias said this with a pointed finger.

Hank started to protest but Tobias squashed it.  “Look, it’s your trademark.”

Hank took a deep sigh then nodded. Tobias smiled.  “Alright then, let’s get you dressed… and if you damage my clothes, you pay for it.”

****

Sidney watched in utter despair as the pattern continued.

She had stayed mostly out of the game, like Savannah had requested, more for herself than her kidnapper, though.  She had wanted to watch, focus on the unshakable Markov, and find out his secret.

No such luck.

She felt close, like understanding his style was just out of her reach.  Like a carrot on a stick dangled in front of her, it only served to frustrate.  She continued to watch as Savannah lost hand after hand against the unstoppable Russian.  The hands she had managed to win the Russian had always folded early, minimizing damage to maintain the lead.

This concerned Sidney even more since, although the two women were very different personally, they had the same style of play.  They read their opponent, found tells and used their considerable ability to lie to find victory.  To them, ninety percent of the game was the person.  The cards were almost a non factor.

Markov, however, was a different monster.

Sidney let out a small sigh and leaned back in her chair.  She needed to stop watching the game for a second and collect herself.  She looked to the audience and had a twinge of fear wash over her.  She just wished she wasn’t alone…

Hank?

Her eyes steadied on a man in a casual suit that looked way to small for him, sitting uncomfortably in a chair, watching.  Because of the suit she had to do a double take, thinking Hank must care to have put it on.  Her eyes scanned and she found Tobias and a lovely woman with short blonde hair framing a cute but mature face.  Her eyes had a no nonsense look to them and Sidney realized that it must be Linda.

 Sidney was shocked.  Linda had come with Tobias?  That meant he had completely come clean about everything.  Tobias had been positive the truth and the breaking of his vow to swear off crime would be the end of his future marriage, but yet there she was.

That was that.  She had Sidney’s blessing.

Although she knew Tobias could have never kept that kind of secret from Linda.  He may have been a thief but with his friends, he was the most honest man she had ever known.

It hit her like a ton of bricks and she swung her head back to the table.  Realization slipped over her as she blinked, staring at the Russian as he played.  She had it, she had his system.

He was playing honest.

He was playing the cards he had with a mathematic system in his head, weighing the chances of winning with such a hand, then betting or folding depending on the opponents bet.  Sidney couldn’t read his tells because he wasn’t bluffing.

While they were playing the people, he was playing the money.  He was watching the bets and he could tell what they had by the bets they put down and when they bet.

A smile creased Sidney’s face from ear to ear as she came up with a plan, a risky plan, but a plan nonetheless.

The dealer dealt a new hand and Sidney didn’t even look at her cards.  She made sure he saw that she hadn’t looked, then waited for the bet to come to her.

“All in.” She said, staring at the Russian.

His eyebrow raised, which was the first hint of emotion she had seen out of him.  The crowd gasped at the bold move and Savannah gave her a look hard enough to bore through the back of Sidney’s head.

The Russian quietly folded, his eyes never leaving Sidney.

Sidney smiled and played up the southern twang.  “Come now sweetie, you know what’s going to happen, don’t you?”

The dealer dealt another hand and Sidney promptly said.  “All in.”

The crowd gasped again and Markov gritted his teeth.  “Fold.”

Savannah folded and shook her head in anger.

“Look Ivan, you’re going have to take a risk.  It’s why they call it gambling.” She said.

The dealer dealt another had and Sidney wasted no time.  “All in.”

“Chertovski suka!” Markov said and Sidney could only guess the words were not flattering.

She had him off his game, frazzled and angry.  If she managed to get some luck and win this hand she would put him on tilt and then… it was a whole new card game.

“Call,” He said, his anger showing now.  He put in enough to match her but he was still high stacked.  If he lost, he would still be in the game but losing for the first time.

He flipped over his cards, a nine and ten of spades.

Sidney flipped her cards, a two of diamonds and a seven of clubs.  She had the worst starting hand.

The crowd made a sympathetic moan.  They had already decided she had lost.  Savannah balled her fist using all her control in order to not punch Sidney.

Sidney however, maintained her smile.  Hank, Tobias and even Linda were out there watching.  They had laid the ground work, set up the scam and had her back.

Tonight she was invincible.

The turn flipped a three of diamonds, a seven of hearts, and a nine of clubs.

Sidney had paired the hand Markov’s was better.  He smiled smugly, obviously no longer able to control his emotions.

The turn was flipped, a six of hearts.  The hands stayed the same.

Sidney slowly shut her eyes as the dealer drew the river, her final chance to stay alive.

A seven of spades.

Markov hit the table with an enraged fist and the crowd exploded.  Savannah stared wide-eyed.

Sidney just smiled.  “That’s why they call it gambling.”

End Episode 21