CHAPTER II
The dice rolled down the smooth tabletop. Double fives. Jade cast a look in the martini-man's direction and was met with a blank stare. "Oh, I see," Jade realized. "You've heard sketchy rumors of this game, muddled descriptions of how it goes. But you don't actually know how to play do you?" She raised an eyebrow.
The man coughed, and shuffled his feet. "Well, no," he admitted, speaking for the first time that evening. "You're right. I've heard talk of this game, how hard it is, how nerve-rackingly terrifying it can be. I've also heard how very difficult it is to stop once you've begun." He gave each one of the silent veteran players a glance. "Like an addiction," he said loudly, purposefully. Each man trained their eyes on the table in front of them, biting their lips. "But hey, I'm a risk-taker." the man continued. "This, this rush of nervousness and adrenaline and total fear. This is what I live for. It is, essentially my life. And when I heard of the game's title, 'Viva', well..." he smiled. "it just seemed like fate." The man's eyes lost focus behind his Armani glasses, as if he was reaching back quite far into the recesses of his mind. "I had to try it. I was diagnosed with leukemia about a year and a half ago. The doctors say there isn't much time left. So I thought to myself, 'Daniel live what is left of your meager existence to the absolute fullest.' And that's what I've done. Skydiving, bull-riding, traveling all over the world. I've done it all. But its all been physical, the risks, the damage, the consequences. It would have all affected my body. I needed a real mental challenge, something that would have given me a true scare. I've got no family, no heirs, nothing else to live for." he smiled sadly. "I've just got about 6 months and whole lot that you want. Money. Power. Influence. It all means nothing to me now. I've got nothing to lose. So yes," the man's eyes took on a hardness that was not there before. "Tell me how to play." he finished firmly.
Jade's lips spread into a greedy smile. "I shall, but first let me say this:" Jade's eyes were trained on his, focused and unblinking. "You're wrong. Dead wrong. There is always something to lose."
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