“There, that should do it,” Hank Stanley said, sounding somewhat breathless as he placed another box of canned goods in the back of Chet Kelly’s VW Bus.

The crew of Station 51’s A-shift stood in the parking lot behind the building and looked at the numerous large cardboard boxes full of canned and dry packaged foods that were now in Marco’s, Johnny’s and Chet’s vehicles. Roy DeSoto had brought two boxes full and a couple of others came from Captain Stanley and Mike Stoker. John Gage and Chet each had brought in a paper bag of similar items. But the majority came from Marco Lopez and his family, and his shift mates had just finished helping him transfer many boxes from his uncle’s truck and grandfather’s car, to ones belonging to them.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department was holding its annual food drive, the coveted prize for the crew who donated the most being three nights’ lodging in Las Vegas, complete with two shows, two dinners and a breakfast. The rest would have to come out of the winners’ own pockets.

“Man,” Johnny whistled, his hands resting on his hips. “We’re bound to win this year. I can’t imagine anyone else coming up with this much stuff!”

“Me either,” Chet commented. “Vegas, here we come,” he added as he rubbed the palms of his hands together. “I can see us there now.”

“How did you get so much stuff?” Hank asked. “I mean, I know your family’s been very generous,” he nodded in acknowledgment toward the grandfather and uncle. “But that’s a lot of food!”

Marco shrugged. “I just told Mamma about it and next thing I knew my sister Carmilia, Aunt Lolita, Cousin Rosita, Pepita, and my second cousin Juan were involved. They told my Grandfather, who wanted to help and then my Uncle Armando here jumped in. Before I knew it, we had thirty boxes of food and more to come from some of my family’s friends.”

“When’re we gonna get all this food down to headquarters, Cap?” Johnny wondered.

Mike nodded. “It’s gonna take us awhile to unload it there.”

“Tomorrow morning. If we all go down and work together on this, it shouldn’t take long at all. In the meantime, it’ll be fine out here in the cars. It’s not that hot out in the daytime yet, so we shouldn’t have to worry about the heat spoiling it. I think that’s the least we can do for a sacrifice considering all that Marco’s family did,” he added over groans of protest from Chet, Johnny and Mike.

The men agreed, visions of Vegas back in their heads.

E!E!E!

The following shift, Captain Stanley gathered his men for roll call. After giving the routine briefing on safety practices on the job and assigning chores for the morning, he couldn’t keep the rest of the news to himself.

“So does anyone want to know who won the food drive?”

“Us, right?” Johnny asked. “It had to be us,” he said looking at the others, who were in agreement.

“No, not us.”

“What?”

“How could it not be us?” Roy wondered. “Who could’ve possibly donated more?”

Hank grinned, pleased they'd bought into his teasing. “Essentially Marco won it for us.”

“We won? We really won?” Came assorted voices.

“Yes, but I’d say we all owe Marco a little gambling money, don’t ya think? After all, he basically gave enough food to feed nearly everyone in Carson,” the captain exaggerated.

Though the others were somewhat reluctant to agree on the gambling money, they all dispersed to do their chores with comments such as, “We’re goin’ to Vegas. . .we're headed for sin city. ..alright! We're goin' to the city that never sleeps!”

E!E!E!

Just four weeks after winning the top prize in the food drive, the men from 51’s A-shift were set to take advantage of the opportunity. The fire department had given them the time off they needed and two of the married men had blessings from their spouses to go and have a good time. As long as it wasn’t too much of a good time, the wives had quickly added.

Unfortunately, Roy hadn’t had an easy time getting his wife Joanne’s approval. She’d some how decided that his going to Vegas was a bad idea. Joanne moaned and complained about how much had to be done around the house. She suggested that if Roy would be taking a few days off just to go and gamble and watch half-naked showgirls prance around on a stage, he should use those days to stay home and take care of his family instead. After all, weren’t they his first priority?

The couple had spent the next few days arguing over it until Roy finally got her approval with his promise that the next time he got extra days off, the time would all be entirely devoted to his family.

E!E!E!

Having borrowed a large van from his Uncle Hernando, Marco was picking up the last of his passengers for the trip. Hank, Roy, Mike and Johnny were with him, leaving Chet the last to join the crew.

“C’mon,” Johnny quietly prompted, standing in the doorway of Chet’s apartment. It was very early in the morning, and the paramedic didn’t want to wake up any of the neighbors. “Man, you were supposed to be ready and waiting for us.”

“I was ready,” Chet defended. “I just forgot to pack a few things.” He carried a duffle bag toward the door. “I’m set. Let’s go.”

“Great.” Johnny started for the parking lot, then glanced over his shoulder. “What’dya forget anyway?”

“My toothbrush and my good luck charm.”

The paramedic stopped and turned around. “Good luck charm? You really believe in that stuff?”

“When I’m goin’ to Vegas I do.”

“So what is it?”

“I thought you were in a hurry.”

“I am. . .I mean, we are. But now you’ve got me curious.”

Chet pointed toward the waiting men in the van. “Marco’s gonna run that thing out of gas before we get anywhere. Let’s go.”

Johnny once again headed for the lot as Chet closed his apartment door and locked it. He then trotted till he caught up to his friend. “It’s a slug.”

“What?”

“The good luck thing. It’s a slug. I could never use it anywhere, so I just carried it around. It used to bring good luck. Maybe it will again.”

Johnny shook his head. “I don’t think I’d bet too much if I was depending on a useless slug to bring me luck.”

Chet frowned as Gage opened the back of the van where the other luggage was stored.

“That’s your problem, John. You’ve got no faith.”

“Oh, I’ve got faith. I’ve got faith that you’ll come back with your slug and that’s about it.”

The others looked at one another as the back of the van was closed again.

“Let’s not ask what that was about,” Mike suggested.

“Don’t worry,” Hank assured. “I think we all know it’s going to be a long ride as it is, without trying to understand the logic of John and Chet.”

Just then the rear side doors opened. Kelly and Gage squeezed into the back seat, behind where Mike and Roy were sitting on the middle bench seat. Hank Stanley was sitting shot-gun to Marco in the front.

“Okay, Marco,” Johnny said with a grin, “let’s blow this popsicle stand and hit the road.”

The fireman nodded and drove from the lot into the still fairly empty street.

E!E!E!

As he headed down the boulevard, Marco settled back in the driver’s seat, trying to loosen his muscles. There was nothing worse than starting a long ride with a tense body.

He couldn’t believe his luck. Never in his wildest dreams could he imagine his family donating the amount of food they had for the food drive. Yes, it was a given that those in his family we generous, but this time they had gone above and beyond what was necessary.

The pride he felt at their acts of selflessness made him vow to give whatever money he won in Las Vegas back to his family. Maybe he could win enough money to send his mother home to Spain! She hadn’t been there since she had immigrated to the United States as a small child.

Reigning in his excitement, he mentally shook himself. Maybe he should concentrate on getting to Las Vegas safely before he began dreaming of winning large amounts of money which he more than likely wouldn’t win. Breaking even would be a more realistic request from the man above than being showered with gold.

E!E!E!

Rolling down the passenger side window, Hank took a deep breath of the cool spring air. Like Marco, he couldn’t believe his luck either. First his station won the food drive contest and secondly his wife actually gave her consent for him to go to Vegas without her! Maybe this streak of good luck would follow him and he’d come back a big winner.

Reaching forward, he turned the radio on, twisting the knob until he found a station playing big band music. Leaning back in his seat, he began tapping his fingers on his thigh to the beat. Yes, life was indeed good.

E!E!E!

As soon as Mike had crawled into the van, he’d settled himself against the window, making himself as comfortable as possible. Between his wife waking him up through the night when the baby started crying and the dog wanting to go outside due to a stomach ailment, he was exhausted. If he were lucky, he’d be able to get a few more hours of sleep now that the last of the passengers had been picked up and hopefully Marco wouldn’t be making any more stops before they reached Vegas. He wanted to spend this trip having fun at the casinos, not sleeping in the hotel room. Closing his eyes, he let the rocking motion of the van lull him to sleep.

E!E!E!

Facing forward in the van and staring ahead out the front windshield between Marco’s and Hank’s heads, Roy thought back to his departure from Joanne. He was so relieved she’d eventually come to agree that the trip would be good for him. One thing was for sure. No matter what, he wanted to come home with a small gift for her. It was the least he could do.

With a sigh, he started to make a mental list of possible surprise gifts for her and the kids.  

E!E!E!

Situated in his seat for the long drive, Johnny rubbed his hands together in glee. They were going to Vegas! Visions of half -naked…and hopefully totally naked…showgirls danced through his head. That and the idea of winning a ton of money playing the slots and sitting at the black jack table sent a thrill of excitement down his spine.

He’d been to Sin City on more than one occasion and each time left him wanting to go back for more. Sometimes he won money, sometimes he lost it, but every single time he went, he had a great time.

Looking at his watch he frowned. Man, he wished they could have flown there. Spending almost four hours in a van sitting next to Chet was going to test his nerves to the breaking point. If he were lucky, maybe the Phantom wasn’t traveling with them on this trip.

E!E!E!

Meanwhile, Chet tried to remain calm and casual as he rode along. He’d lucked out in getting to sit next to Johnny in the van, which made the paramedic an easy target when the trip got boring. In fact, the moment his pigeon was asleep…wham! The Phantom and some hot sauce would come out to play. God, he loved going on trips with the gang!

Settling back in the seat, he waited patiently for Johnny to doze off. Only then would the official Las Vegas fun begin.

E!E!E!

An hour into the trip, Chet still hadn’t gotten his wish. Though he hoped Gage would’ve grown bored and would have rested for awhile, the often energetic paramedic was still carrying on, although only Roy and Marco seemed to be listening to him.

Mike was snoring lightly and Hank was focused in on the music on the radio, trying to forget there were still a few hours of travel time to go.

“Your family sure this thing can make it to Vegas and back?” Johnny asked Marco.

“Yes, they go on long drives in it all the time.”

“But don’t ya think that’s what makes it less reliable? I mean, maybe they already used up the best ‘years’ of its 'life’.”

Roy turned around in his seat and looked at his partner. The younger man shrugged.

Chet rolled his eyes. “Gage, Marco’s family isn’t gonna send us off in a bum vehicle.”

“Not intentionally, but--” He cut himself off when he noticed Marco frowning in the rearview mirror, Roy and now Hank staring at him, and Chet looking in disbelief.

“Never mind.”

Johnny sat back and gazed out the passenger window. It was just a thought. . .a kind of theory. . .

E!E!E!

An hour later, the men were on the open road, finally having traveled a good distance. Chet watched as Johnny dozed off, his head against the window.

All right! Here’s my chance!

He reached for a thermos of coffee that Johnny had brought along for later. You want hot coffee, Gage, you’ve got it. He took a tiny bottle of hot sauce out of his pocket and was just about to pick up the thermos when the van started wiggling, the smooth ride gone. The change in motion woke up Mike and Johnny, the others were suddenly more alert.

“What’s that?/”What’s going on?”/ “Did we get a flat?”/ “What’dya do?”

Questions flew at Marco from all directions. Actually the last question was Johnny’s directed at Chet as he took his thermos back.

Marco pulled the van over and the six men got out. They gathered near the front right tire. . .the completely flat front right tire.

“It must’ve been a slow leak,” Hank commented. “I didn’t hear it blow. Did anyone else?”

The men shook their heads ‘no’.

“Well, there’s only one thing to do. . .let’s get at it. John, you get the spare, Mike the jack; Chet find the wrench, and then we’ll change the tire,” he said, pointing at Roy and himself.

“What about Marco?” Chet wondered.

“He’s our driver. He gets to take a break.”

No one could argue. They’d all been relaxing while Marco had to stay very alert.

E!E!E!

Once the tire was changed, the crew examined the flat. They found a nail stuck in it, which explained the slow leak.

“See? What’d I tell ya? That’s from driving it around everywhere and then the tire goes on us. What’re the odds I’d be right?”

“Maybe you’re not, Johnny,” Marco defended. “Maybe I ran over it when I left home on this trip.”

Chet patted his pigeon on the back. “Better hope the odds prove better for ya in Vegas, man.”

Gage stood there a moment as the others climbed back into the van. He then hurried to his place in the vehicle, remembering something else.

“Hey, just what were you doing with my coffee, Chet?”

E!E!E!

Back on the road again, Johnny was still trying to determine just what Chet had been doing with his coffee, but the puckish firefighter just accused the paramedic of being paranoid.

“It’s not paranoia where you’re concerned, Kelly, it’s self-preservation.”

Captain Stanley had had enough. “John, drop it, okay? Chet, behave. We still have a long drive to get to Las Vegas and I, for one, would like to get there in peace.”

“Sure, Cap,” Chet said.

Johnny grumbled, giving his nemesis the evil eye.

“John?” Hank prompted.

“Yeah, okay, Cap. As long as he doesn’t do anything.”

Hank sighed, turning back to face the front, but not before getting a commiserating smile from Roy.

E!E!E!

“Hey, Marco, Cap, do you think we could stop for a while? I really need to go.” Mike leaned forward to speak with the two men.

“That sounds good, pal. I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs,” Hank replied. “We’re almost to Barstow. Why don’t we stop there? It‘s almost lunchtime.”

They exited Interstate 15 at the Barstow exit and drove into town, looking for a diner.

“Hey, look, it’s Route 66!“ Chet exclaimed. “I remember that song.“

He and Johnny sang it in harmony as the others laughed. Marco turned right onto 66 and drove deeper into the town. Motels and stores crowded the streets. Soon they found a silver and glass diner that looked as if it had been there since the town’s formation in 1947.

“Geez, there sure are a lot of trucks here,” Chet commented as Marco found a place to park.

Johnny agreed. “This is a really busy industrial area, so they need the trucks to move stuff about.”

Roy turned to look at his partner. “Don’t you come up here sometimes?”

“You come to Barstow, John?” Hank asked.

“Yeah, Barstow is basically the entry into the Mojave and there are some wonderful wilderness areas here. I usually only come up here when I’m on vacation as I don‘t wanna be rushed for time.”

“This was a big silver mining area, wasn’t it?” Mike asked as the men climbed out of the van. He stretched, his taller frame not comfortable after dozing against the passenger window.

“Yep. Silver first, then borax. Good thing, too, as the silver was pretty well played out. If we had more time, we could have gone to the 20 Mule Team museum. It’s pretty cool.” Johnny pointed down the street. “If you look down there, you’ll see an old iron bridge that goes across to the railroad depot. It’s the site of the Harvey House.”

“Harvey House? Oh, like that movie with Judy Garland? The Harvey Girls?” asked Roy, intrigued by his partner’s knowledge of the area.

“Yep. This one was opened in 1911 and it was the thing for travelers at that time. They’d make box lunches for the train passengers or, if you had the time, you could eat in the restaurant. Seems like such a simple thing, but it was a really big deal then.”

Marco chuckled. “Kind of the first fast food restaurant of its time.”

They walked into the diner and, with the larger booths full, decided to sit at the counter. Johnny played with the juke box directory on the counter, flipping through the musical selections. The men gave the smiling waitress their orders. Chet spun around on his stool, having to grab the counter to prevent his falling off, momentarily dizzy.

“Chet, settle down.”

“Okay, Cap.”

Johnny snickered, subtly pushing at Chet’s stool to start it spinning again, making Chet grab that counter once more.

“John, that goes for you, too.”

“Yeah, okay, Cap.”

“Two year olds, Roy. It’s like having two year olds.”

Roy patted his superior on the arm. “I know, Cap, I know all too well.”

E!E!E!

The men patted their bellies, stuffed.

“Man, that was great! I’ll have to remember this place the next time I come up here,” Johnny said with a sated grin.

“You never stopped here before?”

“Nah, Mike, I’d usually get supplies and cook for myself, sometimes I’d go fishing and eat my take. I can’t say that I haven’t craved a burger and fries some nights.”

The men climbed back into the van, ready and rested to continue their journey.

“How much farther is Vegas?” Chet asked.

“With luck, about two more hours,” Marco replied.

“Cool. I can’t wait to try out my system on the craps table.”

“Oh, you have a system, Kelly? What is it? Give all your money to the casino?”

“Yeah, right, Gage. You don’t have a clue. Craps is the best game in the casino. It says so right here.” Chet pulled a pamphlet from under the car seat.

“Everyone knows blackjack is the only game where you can beat the casino,” Johnny retorted. “I’ve even got this card that tells you what to play no matter what your cards are or the dealer’s face card might be.”

Sighing, Roy and Mike settled into their respective seats and tried to ignore the bickering men in the back, who continued to argue about the best games to play in Sin City.

 

E!E!E!

Thirty minutes after leaving Barstow, Johnny and Chet were still carrying on about who had the best strategy when Gage suddenly remembered something. He ignored Chet’s latest argument as he addressed his partner.

“Hey, Roy. . .” He said as he leaned on the back of the seat ahead.

“What?”

“You remember that system you had for bettin’ on the horses?”

Roy exchanged a wary glance with Mike, then looked back to Johnny. “Yeah, what about it?”

“Well, I’m sure you and Joanne have been to Vegas before. You know, before you had kids. Did you have a system for the betting there?”

“No. We didn’t do any gambling.”

“No gambling?” Johnny sat back, his eyes wide in amazement. “Well, why’d ya even go to Vegas then? What did you do?”

Roy blushed slightly. “We were newlyweds. Gambling was the last thing on our minds.”

“Oh. . .spare me the details then.”

Hank and Mike couldn’t hide the grins on their faces.

“Gladly. And for your information, I’m sticking to the slot machines and souvenir shops.”

“Roy, you can’t win anything with slot machines. The chances of coming up on one that’s ready to go are. . .”

“What?”

“I don’t know,” Johnny shrugged. “But they’re pretty high.”

“Hey, maybe we should bet on who wins first,” Chet offered.

“Let’s just save it for the casinos, Kelly,” Hank suggested. “We’ll be lucky to come out of the place even as it is.”

Chet sat back and looked at his pamphlet while Johnny examined his card.

E!E!E!

“There she is,” Marco said as they approached the city of Las Vegas.

Everyone sat up straight and peered out the windows at the assortment of buildings off in the distance. Hank turned in his seat to address the men.

“Remember, first we get settled in our hotel.”

“Don’t forget, we’re at The Golden Nugget, Marco.”

Lopez looked in the rearview mirror, frowning at Chet’s doubt he’d remember where they were staying.

“It’s on Freemont Street,” Johnny directed.

“I know, I know. There’s only one main strip. I can’t get lost.”

“Wanna bet?”

Everyone looked in surprise at Mike’s comment. Even their quiet reserved engineer was in the spirit for some fun.

E!E!E!

As they drove into town, windows were quickly opened and the men looked in awe at the hotels and casinos they passed. Chet and Johnny, on opposite sides of the van, read off the names of the acts appearing at the various shows.

“Look, there it is! On the corner,” Chet called out.

They all turned to the front to see the huge sign with the starburst above it. The casino wrapped around the corner, partly open to the streets. Marco guided the car carefully through the traffic on Fremont Street, looking for the valet parking mentioned in their informational packet. He finally found it and pulled in. The guys climbed out of the vehicle, their mouths hanging open at the opulence of the entry.

“Checking in, gentlemen?“ the valet asked.

“Yes,“ Stanley replied. “We have a reservation.“

“Fine, Sir. We’ll bring your luggage to check in. It’s right through those glass doors.“ The valet helped them unload their luggage, piling it on a luggage rack. “Welcome to our new hotel.”

“New?”

“Yes, sir. Mr. Wynn decided we needed a hotel to go with the casino and built the tower. It’s the finest luxury hotel on the strip.”

Pushing their way through the doors, Hank and Roy led the way. Looking at the others, Roy chuckled. He nudged his captain and nodded back at the other men.

Hank’s slow sweet smile spread across his face. “I never thought I’d see the day that both Chet and Johnny were speechless.”

The two men in question were gazing at the marble floors, white streaked with gold, and up at the chandeliers over their heads. Marco had to rescue Johnny before he fell over a podium ashtray, while Mike steered Chet through the lobby.

Hank handled the check in.  The rest of the guys stared over the short wall at the casino floor. Men and women were walking through the casino, playing silver and red slot machines, wagering at the tables. A young woman in a skimpy outfit and carrying a tray of drinks walked by, her progress watched by the three single men. Roy shook his head when he noticed them ogling.

“Guys, you’ll get whiplash at this rate,” the married paramedic commented.

Hank returned with their keys, giving them out to everyone. “Who wants to stay with who? Two to a room.”

“Mike and I will take a room,” Marco said quickly.

“Roy, want to share my room?” Hank said, not looking forward to rooming with either Chet or Johnny. “We married guys should stick together.”

“Sure, Cap,” Roy agreed.

Chet and Johnny glared at each other. “You mean we have to stay in the same room together?” Johnny protested.

“All you’ll be doing there is sleeping, Johnny. It won’t be that bad.” Roy knew better, but decided not to say anything.

“Yeah, I guess,” he muttered.

“Come on, men, let’s go unpack and see what the Golden Nugget has to offer us.”

“Hey, Cap, guys, look here!” Marco called to the others, having wandered off from the bickering group. “They have a sixty-one pound gold nugget here.” Marco was standing at a directory that listed what could be found on the casino property.

Johnny and Chet’s attention was suddenly pulled away by a parade of scantily clad women with feathers on their heads walking through the lobby. It wasn’t long before Marco was equally riveted.

 
“It’s gonna be a long three days, Roy, a very long three days.” Hank herded his men toward the elevator. “Unpack first, then sightsee.”


 

E!E!E!

Chet sat on the full-sized bed nearest to a window and farthest from the adjoining bathroom, bouncing slightly on the mattress. “Hey, not bad. Not bad at all.”

“What’re you doing?” Johnny wondered as he turned from eyeing a picture of the Vegas strip that was on another wall.

“I’m seein’ how comfortable my bed is gonna be.”

“Your bed? Who says that one is yours?”

“Me.”

Johnny shook his head. “Oooh noo, no no. I’m not sleepin’ in a bed that’s closer to the bathroom.”

“Why not?”

“Because. . .if you get up and use it in the night. . .”

Chet shook his head. “John, think about it. This is Vegas, man. We probably aren’t even gonna be in our beds most of the night. Maybe for a few hours, but this is Sin City, remember? The city that never sleeps.”

“Yeah but--”

The curly-haired fireman got to his feet and guided his roommate to the large window, pushing one of the curtains aside in the process. By luck, the view was of the busy street below.

“Look at all that activity! All those people are going from one casino to another to try their hand at winning. And you know some of ‘em are gonna win big. Now, don’t tell me ya want one of those people to win your money.”

“No, ‘course not, but--”

“But nothin’, Gage. Don’t forget about the girls we saw either. You really think you’ll be worried about a full-night’s sleep knowin’ who’s serving drinks to gamblers downstairs?”

Johnny walked away from the window and tossed his suitcase onto the other bed. “You win. Let’s see if the others are ready to go ‘sight see’.” He rubbed his hands together as they headed for the door.

E!E!E!

After quickly unpacking his suitcase and putting his clothes in an empty drawer, Marco continued to wait while Mike Stoker telephoned his wife to let her know they’d made it safely.

Once the engineer was off the phone, he and Marco went to see if the others were ready to wander around. Neither man was surprised when they met into Johnny and Chet in the hall.

“You guys ready to test your luck?” Mike wondered.

Johnny grinned. “Yeah, and who knows, maybe we’ll win some money too.”

Marco and Mike just stared, uncomprehending expressions on their faces.

“You know,” Chet prompted. When there still wasn’t a response, he added, “the chicks.”

“I think you’ll have a better chance at winning a jackpot on a slot machine.”

Gage’s mouth opened in surprise at the comment. “Marco. . .”

“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” Chet offered. “We’re in Vegas and that means gambling, right?”

The other three nodded, wondering why that statement was even necessary. Of course Vegas was about gambling.

Seeing their puzzled expressions, he continued, “Well, how ‘bout we make a bet? Whichever of us picks up a chick first gets ten dollars from the rest of you.”

Johnny was about to agree when it registered what Chet had said. “Wait a minute. What makes you so sure we’d owe you?” He asked pointing to himself and the others.

“I’m out of this,” Mike quickly reminded.

“What? Oh. . .right,” the paramedic acknowledged. “But that still leaves Marco and I. . .one of us could win.”

“Sure. . .you could,” Chet hesitantly agreed. “So we’re on?”

“Marco?”

Lopez looked from one to the other. Now wasn’t the time to back down. Besides he had won the real date with Daisy the nurse when there had been a contest between lots of the guys. “You’re on.”

The three shook hands as Mike stood by shaking his head.

E!E!E!

Roy and Hank put their clothes away, hanging up their shirts and slacks in the closet. They each then took a turn calling their spouse to let each know they’d arrived okay. As Roy hung up the receiver, he looked at the door.

“You okay, Roy?” Hank asked when he noticed the paramedic seemed somber.

“Yeah, Cap. It’s just. . .well, Joanne finally agreed that I should go on this trip, but at first she wasn’t so sure. I just hope she really meant it when she said it’d be good for me. You know how it is when they say one thing and mean another.”

Hank smiled. “Yes, I do.” Boy, do I ever. . . “Hey, buy her something nice for when you get back. It’ll help a lot.”

“That’s what I was thinking. A souvenir for her and each of the kids.”

“And if you win a lot of money, she’ll really be glad you came along.”

“And if I lose more than I win?”

“You don’t say a word about it,” Hank said with a smile. When he saw a grin on the paramedic’s face, he motioned toward the door. “Should we gather up the others?”

Before Roy could answer, there was a knock. “I have a feeling they’re already several steps ahead of us.”

The captain nodded and answered the door.


 

E!E!E!

Hank wasn’t that surprised to see the rest of his crew standing in the hallway. “Eager to lose your money, ya twits?”

“Nah, Cap, I’m telling ya. I’ve gotta system,“ Chet said.

“This town is probably built on guys who had a system,“ Roy commented wryly.

“That’s the truth,“ Mike muttered.

“Well, let’s stop loitering here in the hall and go check the casino out.“ Captain Stanley herded his crew towards the elevators, shaking his head as he heard the bickering start between Chet and Johnny. “Could you two give the rest of us a break and wait until we’re on the casino floor before you start fighting?“

Two innocent faces stared at their captain. “We’re not fighting, Cap.“

“Yeah,“ Johnny agreed.

The group of men squeezed into the elevator, nodding at the three older women in neon colored spandex who were already on it. They all clutched plastic buckets of coins.

"Having a good run, ladies?" Johnny asked with a flash of his lopsided grin.

They giggled, charmed by the handsome man young enough to be their son.

A mixture of songs by Elvis and Frank Sinatra played over the speaker. The firefighters passed the time staring at the placards advertising restaurants in the casino. The elevator was mirrored, giving Hank a headache when he saw multiples of Chet and Johnny. He focused on the floor indicator to save his sanity.

The women brushed by Johnny, giggling again when he yelped and jumped. He rubbed his rear, staring after them.

"Gage, what's your problem?" Chet asked, pushing from behind.

"They pinched me. Those ladies pinched me."

"It's your imagination. Will you move!"

"Okay, okay, I'm moving. Geez, Chet, chill out." Johnny and Chet joined the others who had already exited the elevator.

The noise and the flashing lights hit them all at once. They slowly surveyed the casino floor, trying to decide where to go first.

"Cap, why don't we make a plan to hook up later? We can all check the place out, get in a few games, and meet up later."

"Good suggestion, Michael." Stanley looked at his watch, his action copied by the others. "Shall we meet here at five thirty?"

"Sounds good, Cap," Chet said. "I'm heading for the craps table. Want to come see how a master works, Gage?"

"No thanks, Chet. I wanna look around first, see where everything is. I might wait until after dinner to gamble."

Roy smiled, surprised by his partner's restraint. "That sounds like a good idea, Johnny. Want some company?"

Johnny grinned. "Sure. How about you guys?"

Stanley pointed across the casino floor. "I'm going to watch some games in the sports betting area."

"I want to see if they have a pool. I brought my trunks just in case." Marco waved goodbye to the others, sauntering off.

Mike decided to try his hand at Keno, quietly slipping through the crowd.

Roy quickly discovered that Johnny's idea of looking around was checking out the women working the casino floor. The waitresses were in skimpy outfits, their breasts almost falling out of their outfits. Roy swallowed deeply when one leaned over to pick up a napkin from the multi-colored carpet.

He nudged Johnny, whispering, "I don't know how they breathe."

Johnny giggled. "I don't know how they keep from flashing the crowd. But I'm willing to keep watching, just in case."

"Let's get some coffee."

"Okay, sounds good to me." The two men made their way to a small cafe and watched the people walking by. "And they say L.A. is weird. Did you see that guy?"

"See him? I could smell him before he even got close. I'd hate to be gambling near him."

Enjoying the show, Roy finally asked the one question that had bothered him since Johnny declined to head to the blackjack tables right away. "Johnny, are you short of money?"

"What? No, why?"

"Well, all you've talked about since we won this trip was using your play card at the blackjack tables. But here you are sitting with me. I thought maybe money was a little tight. I don't have much, but I'd lend you some."

Johnny's grin was blinding. How had he been so lucky to get such a good friend? "Nah, I'm just using something the book suggested, to take my time, check the casino out, enjoy the surroundings and budget my funds. I've got my money divided up for each day and then by day and night. That way it'll last longer."

"Partner, I'm proud of you. That's a great idea."

"Wonder if Chet has a system or if he’ll  be broke before dinner."

E!E!E!

After walking around a bit and taking in some of the activity at the gaming tables, Hank Stanley stepped up to one of the slot machines. It was in a row with others that took dimes, rather than larger coins. The captain glanced around and shrugged. “What the heck.”

He pulled out his wallet and headed for one of the cashier windows across the way to get a roll of dimes. Ten bucks could go a long way in keeping him busy even if he just got small pay outs periodically.

E!E!E!

Chet had already been to a cashier window to turn in some of his gambling money for chips. Now at the craps table, he tried his first round at the game, keeping his bet small.

Chet chewed his lower lip as he waited and hoped his lucky slug in his pocket would help him win.

“Can I get you a drink?” A female voice asked.

The stocky fireman turned to see a gorgeous and scantly clad woman standing beside him. A grin spread across his face. All right! I’m already on my way to beating Marco and Johnny on the chick bet. . .

“Sure! Sure.” He gave his order, then grinned wider as he eyed her perfect figure while she walked away. It was only when he noticed many of the other women dressed just the same approaching many of the gamblers. . .women included. . .the same way. Chet’s smile changed to a frown. She was just doing her job. . .

The let down was short-lived when the man in charge of the craps table called Chet out as a winner. Now he’d have to decide if he wanted to ride it out again. . .

This is gonna be harder to walk away from than I thought . . .

E!E!E!

Mike was having fun with the Keno. He’d found a section with multiple Keno slot machines that had screens much like those of a TV. After putting coins in, he just had to touch the surface with a special pen, noting what numbers he was choosing. He’d then press a button and the screen would light up the correct numbers at that time.

The engineer was only winning a few dollars here and there by getting a few numbers right. But with a free drink in his hands and a fun challenge in front of him, he wasn’t going to complain. If nothing else, he could say he was getting in practice.

E!E!E!

Marco was thrilled when he found the pool. It was not as crowded as he’d expected, apparently it being true the main attraction to Vegas was the gambling. Being that casinos were open around the clock, many patrons could be into their gambling all night long and only realize it was a new day when they eventually stepped outside to go back to their own hotel, to eat or to go to another casino.

He was also happy to see there were more than enough lounge chairs in the pool area as well.

This could be a great place to meet a girl.

E!E!E!

Johnny and Roy were walking around when they spotted Hank Stanley sitting on a stool in front of a slot machine. He was in the process of dropping a few dimes into it, and had a small plastic bucket beside it.

“Hey, Cap, decided to give it a try, huh?” Johnny commented. He peered in the bucket and did a double take. “You already won all those?”

Hank nodded. “Yeah, I haven’t been doing too bad. Of course, I’m not gonna win any millions with dimes, but it’s giving me a feel for the place. . .getting kind of into the swing of things.” He pulled down the lever and the three men watched as the designs in the three windows spun. When it stopped on three diamonds, more dimes came pouring out and the captain had his bucket down catching them.

Johnny glanced at Roy. “Whataya say we give it a try?”

“What happened to taking the place in?”

“Well, you heard Cap. This is a way of takin’ it in. Plus we might win some money in the meantime. Besides, it’s just dimes. How much can we lose?”

Roy gave it thought a moment. “All right. But just for awhile.”

“Sure. Sure,” Johnny agreed. The two went to cash in some of their paper money for coins.

E!E!E!

By 5:30, the men had all managed to pull themselves away from their various interests and meet up with the others. Johnny, Roy and Hank approached their shiftmates after cashing in their respective winnings. Though they hadn’t won any large amounts, they were each only a couple of dollars in the hole.

“So what’d you guys do?” Chet wondered.

“Slot machines,” Johnny said with a smile.

“Otherwise known as the one-armed bandits,” Marco put in.

“We did okay,” Hank assured.

Johnny eyed Chet. “So did you play your craps?”

“Yeah. . .”

“And how’d you do? Got any money left for the rest of the time here?”

“I’m a little behind, but I’ll catch up. . .it just takes time to get the feel of it.”

“What happened? Did you lose your lucky slug?”

Kelly rolled his eyes. “Keep at it, John. Just keep at it. I’ll hit one big. Just wait and see.”

“Hey, I’m hungry,” Roy said, ending the other discussion.

“Me too,” Hank added. “Let’s drop the gambling talk and find us a place to eat. Prime Rib sounds good right now. And it’s supposed to be inexpensive around here.”

The others agreed and headed in search of one of the restaurants that featured bargain prices.

E!E!E!

Johnny pushed back from the table, patting his stomach. "Man, I'm stuffed. I can't eat another bite."

"Talk about your red-letter days," Chet quipped. "The bottomless pit has been filled?"

Johnny didn't rise to the bait. "I'm not gonna argue with you, Chet. This food was just too good to ruin with indigestion."

"And it's in your price range, too," Chet commented. "Only $4.95 for a prime rib dinner with dessert."

"Speaking of which," Hank interrupted, "who's having what?"

The men discussed the dessert menu, even Johnny who seemed to have found some space to put a slice of cherry cheesecake. Everyone had his choice ready once the waitress reappeared.

"Well, gentlemen, what are your plans for this evening?" Hank asked as he sipped his after dessert coffee.

Pulling his tip card out, Johnny waved it. "I'm heading for the blackjack tables."

Marco and Mike had decided to try the poker tables while Roy wanted to walk some of his dinner off outside the Golden Nugget to see the other casinos.

"Want some company, pal?"

"Sure, Cap," Roy agreed, then turned to Chet. "What about you, Chet?"

"I know," Johnny laughed. "Chet'll be playing craps, trying to win back his money."

Chet glared at Johnny, unable to deny it. "I'm so close to breaking it, guys. I just need to warm up the dice."

"Maybe you'll have better luck with warming up the dice than you do warming up women," Johnny said with a grin.

"Gage, if the old saying is true, you'll make a killing at blackjack," Chet retorted.

Johnny had to think before he remembered that a person lucky in cards was usually unlucky in love. While Johnny tried to think of a good comeback, the others got to their feet.

Roy laid his hand on Johnny's shoulder. "C'mon, Junior, time to go."

"But, Roy!"

"You'll get him later."

"That'll be the day Gage can get me," Chet said as the men all separated to their various destinations.

E!E!E!

Chet was down forty bucks and getting desperate. He had been doing everything right, but the dice weren't falling the way they were supposed to. The noise of his fellow gamblers was giving him a headache. Craps was a game of shouting and cheering, everyone standing about the rectangular table. Chips were in small scoops of wood on the edge of the cushioned rail. Chet's chips were dwindling fast.

The newest dice thrower was young, blond and buxom. She jumped with joy every time she managed to throw the dice down the felt table, no matter what the results.

Chet grinned. At least he had something to watch while his money was raked in by the croupier. If she bounced any harder, she'd knock herself out, thought the moustached firefighter. Too bad Gage isn't here to see her.

E!E!E!

Johnny wiggled into his seat at the blackjack table, frowning down at it. It was the fifth time he had to scoot back into the chair.

"They're all that way," said another player at the table.

"What?" Johnny looked at the speaker, a woman close to his age seated at the end of the half-moon table.

"The chairs. They all lean slightly forward to keep you from getting comfortable. You can't help but slide off."

Johnny found himself smiling at her. "Sounds kinda stupid. Don't they want you to stay playing at the table?"

"That's what I said to Carla," she replied, nodding to their dealer. "I mean, after a while, you get tired of sliding off and leave."

"My name's Johnny, what's yours?"

"Katie." She pushed her glasses back up her nose. Looking at her cards, a jack and a three, she tapped the table to signal the dealer to give her another card. "Rats." She was given another face card, busting.

Johnny looked at the dealer's face card, then his, finally deciding to hold. He waved his hand across the cards in a parallel motion to the table.

The dealer dealt herself three more cards before she went over 21.

Johnny's grin was blinding. "I won!"

“Congratulations,” Katie said with a smile.

They chatted as they played, the only two players at the table. Johnny was doing moderately well, keeping slightly ahead of his original designated bankroll. He discovered that the brunette was a local, her home in nearby Henderson.

“So what do you do for a living, Katie?”

“I‘m a manager at Henderson Lanes.”

“Really? A bowling alley?”

“Well, we’re supposed to call them bowling centers nowadays. Alley is too common.”

“Geez, like that -- hey, that’s a blackjack!” Johnny’s attention was pulled from the young woman to his cards, a king of hearts and an ace of spades. He looked at his slowly growing pile of chips in shock. “I’m…I’m winning.”

“You sound surprised.”

“Well…I mean, I…this card was supposed to help, but…I’m not really lucky…Chet!” He remembered his nemesis’ comment and frowned.

Katie reached over and touched Johnny’s hand lightly. “What’s wrong?”

“Aww, just something Chet said.”

“Which was?”

He shrugged, a little embarrassed that he’d brought it up.

“Johnny?”

“He said that I’d make a killing at the table ‘cause I always strike out with women. Well, not exactly strike out, but…”

“But you can’t get past a couple of dates, right?”

Johnny nodded grimacing. “Yeah.”

“I know the feeling.”

“Huh? But you’re pretty and nice.”

“And I have standards. Nowadays it seems like guys just want to get you into bed.” Now Katie was blushing as she realized what she said. “Oops. Forget I said anything.” She pressed her hands to her burning cheeks.

Johnny signaled a cocktail waitress and ordered drinks, a beer for him and a ginger ale for Katie.

E!E!E!

Marco growled at his coworker as Mike laid his cards on the table, three of a kind. The engineer raked in the pot and wiggled his eyebrows in response.

“What’s the matter, Marco? I always win when we play at home. Did you expect something different here?”

“Yeah, I did.” Not really mad, Marco shook his head in resignation.

Three other players sat at their table as they played Omaha Hold ‘em for small pots of $20 to $30 dollars. Although the chips were fairly evenly spread out around the players, Mike was beginning to pull ahead of Marco.

At first they had both drank beer, but after Mike had finished his third one, he had switched to coffee. Marco soon joined him, not wanting alcohol to blur his thinking processes.

E!E!E!

Roy and Hank were strolling down Fremont, staring in awe at the number of lights blazing in the early evening sky. 

“I’d hate to have their light bill,” Hank muttered. “Leaving all these on for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

“I heard that the electric bills here are really low, ‘cause of the casinos.” Roy watched the motions of the giant cowboy above his head.

“We have lots to do tomorrow and the next night, but I thought this was a good time to unwind.”

“I could use it.”

Hank nodded. “Last shift was tiring, that’s for certain. I think we had nine runs for the engine alone.”

“Yeah,” Roy agreed. “And the squad had a few more than that. We’re getting busier every month.”

They continued walking, peeking into the casinos that they passed. They were offered flyers advertising cheap meals, girlie shows, and hot games at rival casinos. They saw women standing at various spots on the street, obviously advertising their own wares.

“Isn’t prostitution legal here?” Hank asked as they passed by two police officers trying to hustle the women off the sidewalks.

“I thought so, but a warning sticker in the hotel room said that it’s illegal in the city of Las Vegas. Apparently it’s only legal in the county, outside the city limits. Of course, I just read it in passing,” Roy quickly explained, a grin on his face.

“Of course,” Hank agreed with a smirk. “You thought it was a safety notice.”

“Right.”

They turned and headed back to the Golden Nugget.

E!E!E!

Chet had had enough. Unable to just watch the bouncing blonde any longer while his money slipped away, he decided to make the most of the situation. After she’d finished with her turn at tossing the dice another time, he sidled up to her.

“Well, hello there Miss. . .” When she didn’t follow his cue to fill in the blank, but rather looked at him blankly, the fireman continued. “Uh. . .do you come here often?” He winced inwardly at his own words. Lame, lame. That was lame, Kelly. . .

But the big breasted blonde didn’t seem to think it was such a bad line. She smiled and looked at Chet as another patron took over with the dice. “No, this is my first time here. You?”

He stumbled on his words at first. Thinking for sure he blown it, he wasn’t prepared. “Uh. . .I. . I’ve been here a few times.” He had to fight the urge to talk at her breasts rather than her face. Even though she was cute, the melon sized attributes kept grabbing his attention. “So. . .uh. . .what’s your name. . .?”

“Kelly.”

His heart sank. He’d been thinking what a great way to win the bet if he picked this girl up. But the ridicule he’d get from Gage and Marco over a girl whose name matched his last might not be worth it. Then again, money was money. It’s worth it.

Chet began to introduce himself when he noticed a panicked expression on the face of a man nearby. Continuing on, he tried to ignore the commotion starting around the patron. Having just gotten his first name out, he glanced annoyingly in that direction again and saw another man behind the other trying to do the Heimlich maneuver. “He’s choking on an olive!” the man was yelling. “His olive’s stuck!”

Chet looked at Kelly, then to the others. The man had the technique all wrong. If someone didn’t step in fast. . .Why *now* of all times? He hurried over and stepped in, nudging the other man away. In a short time, the olive was out and the victim was sitting on the floor grateful for any air he was breathing in.

With so much noise in the casino, no one other than those in the immediate vicinity even knew anything was going on. Chet made sure the man was okay, then stood to go over and pick up where’d he’d left off with Kelly. The buxom blonde was gone.

What? Unlucky in cards. . .unlucky in love. . .it’s not fair. Why can’t I win at anything? He put his hands in his pockets in frustration, his left hand meeting up with the ‘lucky slug’. Chet pulled it out and looked at it. “Some luck you’re bringing.” He tossed it on the table near a man who happened to have the highest winnings at the craps table. The man picked up the slug and eyed it as the dice rolled.

Chet had just gathered up his remaining chips and turned to leave when the man he’d inadvertently given the slug to lost most of what he’d previously won. The fireman glanced at the angry expression staring at him, and forced an innocent grin. Without the man saying a word, he knew what was on his mind. After all, the man had seen Chet lose time after time and most gamblers were superstitious to a point.

“Uh, it’s just a stupid slug. . .” Chet squeaked out.

The man got up from his seat and the stocky fireman swore if he were in a cartoon, steam would be coming out of the man’s ears. He quickly took off through the crowd.

E!E!E!

Mike and Marco were still going in their game of Omaha Hold ‘em when a nervous Chet came up to them, looking in all directions as he spoke.

“Hey, whataya’ guys say we go up to the rooms.”

“You lose your shirt, Chet?” Mike asked.

“He must not have. He’s still wearing it,” Marco teased.

“Look, enough with the jokes. Guys, I gotta get out of here. . . NOW.”

Mike and Marco exchanged glances, then looked at their friend. “What’s this about, Chet?”

“I’ll explain it upstairs, Mike. Just cover me till we get to the elevator.”

“Cover you? With what?”

“Mike!”

Just then a hand came down on Chet’s shoulder and turned him around. The fireman looked at the still angry expression on the man’s face. “Go find Johnny or Roy.”

“What for?” Marco asked, still puzzled.

“’Cause I think I’m gonna need ‘em,” Chet stated just before a fist met up with his jaw. Stunned, he dropped down hard on the floor, landing on his bottom. A couple of cocktail waitresses hurried to get security while Marco looked through the gathering crowd for either paramedic.

Caught in the moment, Mike stood up to the assailant. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

“He cost me a fortune at the craps table. He had it comin’.”

“Chet?” The engineer didn’t get it. Then the man showed him the slug. “Oh.” He looked down at his injured friend who was now rubbing the sore jaw. “I hope you can still use your mouth to explain all this later.”

 

E!E!E!

Johnny was enjoying his winning streak and Katie’s company when Marco came rushing up to him from across the casino.

“Johnny!”

Gage waved. Now he’ll see who’s winning our bet. . .

When Lopez was closer he began to explain. “You need to come quick.”

“What for? One of us hit the jackpot? Besides me?” he added with a grin at Katie.

But Marco was too preoccupied to notice the pretty lady. “One of us got hit all right. Some guy just clobbered Chet.”

Johnny’s grin faded to a frown. “What?”

“Just now, over there,” he said as he turned and pointed. “Punched him in the jaw.”

“Is he okay?”

“I don’t know. I ran to find you or Roy.”

“Oh man. Of all the times. . .” He looked apologetically at Katie. “I’m sorry. . .”

“No, go help your friend. Or maybe after what he said, you might like to see him laid out.”

Johnny snickered. “After interrupting this, I just might.” He gathered up his winnings and followed behind Marco.

E!E!E!

Roy and Hank saw the casino security talking to a man, Mike Stoker next to him. Glancing at one another and shrugging, they hurried over to see what kind of trouble Mike could possibly be in.

The captain then saw Johnny and Marco squat down. His eyes following them, he could see Chet sitting on the floor. He had a wadded-up white towel on his mouth. Gage removed the towel and examined Chet’s lower jaw.

E!E!E!

“I don’t think he broke it,” Johnny said as Chet winced. “Sorry.”

“’S’okay.”

“Put the ice back on it. It’ll help keep any swelling down.”

Chet complied and nodded in agreement. As he looked around, he saw someone else familiar. Disappearing into the busy surroundings was a lady he’d met in California while on duty. Big Red? As quick as he’d noticed her, she was gone. . .For now, he thought. I may just beat out Johnny and Marco yet. . .if I can still talk by tomorrow. . .

E!E!E!

Hank Stanley made his way over to the scene with the security personnel.

“What’s going on?”

“Just an over heated temper,” one explained. “Happens a lot with the amount of money that can be involved.

The captain looked to Mike in question. “It wasn’t me. It was Chet,” the engineer said, pointing. “I guess his ‘lucky’ slug wasn’t so lucky after all.”

The assailant was allowed to go get his remaining chips with a security escort, then was walked to the exit and sent on his way. Being that he was staying at another hotel, removing him from the premises seemed solution enough. But he didn’t get away without a warning. If he was ever caught punching out another patron at the Golden Nugget again, he’d be arrested.

Hank and Mike joined up with the others. By then Chet was up on his feet, still holding a make-shift ice pack on his mouth.

“How’s he doing?”

“He’s okay, Cap,” Johnny said.

The captain shook his head. These guys can find trouble easier than my kids. .

E!E!E!

Hank sighed, then looked at the man at the center of the incident. “Kelly, why don’t you call it a night and head up to your room? Get a fresh start tomorrow.”

“Now?” Chet was so shocked at the idea that he dropped his hand away from his face. “But, Cap, it’s still early!”

Before Hank could respond, he saw a man point to Chet while speaking to a security officer. The two men began moving to where the crew of 51 stood. Now what?

“Sir?” The security officer stopped in front of Chet who was still trying to think of persuasive arguments to avoid curfew. “Sir? If I could speak to you for just a moment.”

Johnny nudged his shiftmate’s arm, hissing at him. “Kelly, pay attention.”

“Gage, what do you want?”

“Sir?” The hapless security officer tried again, finally getting Chet’s attention.

“Yeah?”

The other gentleman reached out to take Chet’s free hand, pumping it enthusiastically. “You saved my life!” He turned to the others, beaming. “He saved my life!”

“Really?” Hank said, relieved that his troublemaker wasn’t in more trouble. “What exactly did you do, Chet?”

“Uh, nothing, Cap…”

“He saved my life!” The man grabbed Chet and hugged him tightly, bulging the smaller man’s eyes from his skull. “I could’ve died!” He then proceeded to kiss the trapped firefighter on both cheeks.

Mike and Johnny giggled while Roy sucked in his breath to keep from joining them. Marco was looking up at the ceiling, rocking on his heels. Hank took pity on his beleaguered subordinate and pried him from the man’s grip, helped by the equally amused security officer.

It took some time, but they finally discovered what Chet had done. Roy gave him a gentle pat of approval and Johnny smiled. The other guys weren’t so impressed.

“Big deal,” Mike said before turning to Marco. “Want to go back and play a few more hands of poker?”

“Sure.”

The two men walked away, discussing strategy.

Hank shook his head, about to speak again with Chet about calling it a night when they were joined by yet another man. This one was older, wearing an expensive suit and a thick gold ring.

“I’m Max Delacorte, head of security for the Golden Nugget. Tom here has explained what you did, Mr…?”

“Uh, Kelly, Chet Kelly,” the mustached firefighter said.

“Mr. Kelly, I believe that you and these men won this trip and that they are your coworkers, is that correct?”

“Yes, we’re with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. This is Captain Hank Stanley, my boss.”

Delacorte shook hands with Stanley who then continued the introductions. “This is Roy DeSoto and John Gage, our paramedics. My two other men are off playing poker.”

“We at the Nugget would like to reward you for your quick thinking and invaluable service in saving Mr. Santarosa’s life.”

Chet blushed. “That’s not necessary, Mr. Delacorte. It’s my…it’s our job.”

“Be that as it may, we understand that you have tickets to a show here,” Delacorte said as he referred to a small notebook. “The show was a minor attraction. We’d like to upgrade all your tickets to see our headliner.”

As one, the four men’s heads turned to the sign advertising the act being held in the main room. Johnny and Chet grinned.

“Cuchi-cuchi,” Johnny said while Chet gave a little hip wiggle.

E!E!E!

After Delacorte left, Hank looked at his three remaining crewmembers. “Well, I guess we’d better find Mike and Marco and give them the good news. John, you want to do the honors?”

“Uh,” Johnny looked across the casino to where he’d left his new lady friend. He could see her standing off in the distance, looking at him as well. “Cap, if it’s okay, I’ve got some. . .uh, something I was in the middle of when Marco interrupted that I need to take care of.”

“I’ll find ‘em, Cap,” Chet offered.

“Okay, but see if you can stay out of trouble this time.”

“Yes, sir.”

Curious about what Marco had interrupted, Roy watched his partner as he made his way through the busy casino. A smile crept across his face when he saw who the unfinished business was. It didn’t take him very long. . .

“When I tell my wife I saw Charo in person, she’s going to flip,” Hank said, interrupting Roy’s thoughts. The senior paramedic looked over with a smile still on his face.

“Mine too. Joanne gets a big kick out of her when she’s on Johnny Carson’s show or Hollywood Squares.”

“So does Emily.  But what can we do? We’ll just have to play it down a little if she’s as good in person as she is on TV.” 

“Sounds good.” Roy once again looked toward his partner. They're still talking. Things must be going pretty well. Too bad she’s not in L.A.

 

E!E!E!

“So you wanna get together tomorrow sometime?” Johnny asked.

Katie smiled. “Sure. You wouldn’t want to try some bowling, would you?”

“Well, it might keep me from losing my shirt. Yeah, that’d be great.”

“Okay, I’ll meet you down here tomorrow. . .say, eleven o’clock?”

“How about bowling and lunch?”

“Even better.”

“Good deal,” Johnny said with a grin. An awkward moment passed where both felt there would normally be a kiss. They quickly worked past it and ended their conversation with a friendly “See you tomorrow” and wave.

E!E!E!

Chet made his way to the poker table, thinking about Big Red. With his troubles over, he now was figuring another way of recuperating some of the money he’d lost.

I can’t believe my luck. It’s gotta be changing. All I have to do is hook up with Big Red and I’ll win the bet with John and Marco. . .I can see their jaws dropping to the floor already. Wow, Big Red and me in Vegas. . .I can just see the two of us hitting the casinos together.

As he approached Mike and Marco, he forced a serious expression on his face. “Hey, guys. Cap wants you guys to come with us.”

“We’ve all gotta turn in early now? Thanks a lot, Chet.”

“No, Mike, it just so happens we’re going to see the headline show.”

Both men looked at him with questioning expressions.

“It’s Charo,” he answered.

“No way,” Mike said.

“How did we end up with tickets to see her?” Marco wondered.

Chet began to explain, but before he could finish, he found himself talking to two empty seats as the others took off toward the captain and Roy. Chet turned around and followed behind them.

I just hope nobody forgets who *got* us this deal, he thought, rubbing his jaw.


 

E!E!E!

“Hurry up, or we’re gonna be late!” Johnny yelled to his roommate. The curly-haired fireman’s somewhat muffled voice could be heard from behind the bathroom door. The men had all decided that since they were going to a big show, they should take quick showers and freshen up from their road trip and busy afternoon.

“Relax. We’ve still got twenty-some minutes till show time,” Chet replied.

“Yeah, but I wanna be there before it starts. We still have to walk out of the room, meet up with the others, ride the elevator down, and get into our seats in the showroom. All that alone’ll probably take fifteen minutes. And I just used up another one explainin’ it to ya.”

“I’m almost done. You don’t want me going in there looking like I just got hit in the jaw, do ya?”

“But ya did!”

A knock at the door had Johnny giving an annoyed look toward the bathroom. When he answered the door, he was greeted by their shiftmates.

 
“What’s taking you guys so long?” Hank wondered. “The show starts in just over twenty minutes.”

“Yeah. I don’t want to miss one cuchi-cuchi,” Marco remarked.

Johnny splayed a hand on his chest. “I’m not the one taking so long. I’m ready. I’ve been ready. It’s Che--”

Just then the bathroom door opened and Chet emerged, the bruising on his face covered by some powder make-up one of the casino girls had offered to give him. He grabbed his wallet off his bed and raced for the door. “C’mon, we’ve only got twenty minutes to get to the main show room.”

The others stood aside in the hallway, Johnny peeking out of the door, and watched in disbelief as the one who’d been holding them up now stood by the elevator waiting for them.

“That punch he took didn’t do him one bit of good,” Mike said to the captain.

Hank just shook his head and motioned for the others to follow him.

E!E!E!

At the auditorium, they handed their tickets to the usher and were told to follow him. They kept walking farther and farther down into the intimate theater.

Johnny leaned forward to whisper in Chet’s ear. “Man, where are they taking us?”

Chet shrugged, wondering the same thing. “Maybe we’re being led out the back door,” he replied softly.

Finally the usher stopped at about five rows back, making them level with the stage. He directed them to the middle of the row. There was some jockeying for position until Hank stepped in to stop the argument.

“Okay, guys. Since this was due to Chet, he gets to pick where he wants to sit first.”

“Anywhere but next to Gage.” Earning a frown from his captain, Chet quickly slid into the row, followed by Mike, then Marco. Roy and Johnny waited until Hank headed to the next seat, then found their seats. Johnny was last, just four seats from the aisle and as far from his nemesis as he could be.

Marco could barely contain himself. He would have something wonderful to tell his family when he returned to Los Angeles. His third cousin on his mother’s uncle’s side had claimed to know Maria Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza, aka Charo, but his mother said the man was a notorious fibber and she wouldn’t believe anything he said.

The showroom filled quickly, the gentle rumble of people speaking died when the lights dimmed in the room. The curtains pulled back to reveal the Salsoul Orchestra, playing a bouncy salsa that soon hit a crescendo as a thin pink spotlight appeared. Dancing across the stage was the petite redhead her hair bundled to fall from above her head.

“Cuchi cuchi!” she exclaimed as she gave her trademarked wiggle. Her skimpy top shimmered and bounced while her see-through pants hugged her shapely legs, the beading over them playing peekaboo. Another hip wiggle tossed them about.

The crowd cheered in reply and the show began.

After humorous stories told in her lisping and accented English, she brought a guitar out from behind the curtain. A chair was brought to the center of the stage and a warm spotlight was focused on it. Her face became more serene as she began to strum the guitar.

“This piece is called ‘Tu Calor’ and is a favorite of mine.” Charo lowered her head to watch the guitar as she began to play.

Marco sighed as he watched her nimble fingers flow over the strings. Her singing voice was a bit squeaky, but her guitar playing was exquisite. He was in love.

She moved on from song to song, earning the respect of those whom only knew her as a comedienne and actress. For the next hour, Charo alternated her classical guitar work with stories and reminiscing about appearances on various television shows.

Once the concert was over, the men remained sitting in their seats as everyone else headed out of the theater.

“Wow,” Johnny said. “I mean, I loved her on the Mike Douglas Show, but I didn’t know she was that talented.”

“My wife loves her,” Hank added. “We even have one of her albums.”

“I have all of them,” Marco said, sighing deeply.

Once the place had cleared out, the men got to their feet and walked out of the theater. Hank turned to look at them, focusing on Chet. “Gentlemen, we will go to our rooms and sleep. We’ve had a long day and a busy shift yesterday.” He held up a finger as Chet began to protest. “Tomorrow you can get up early and stay up all night if you want, but tonight we’re all turning in now. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.” “Okay, Cap.” “Sure.” “Sounds good to me, Cap.”

“Chet?”

“Okay, okay,” the disappointed firefighter grumbled.

E!E!E!

Johnny grabbed the bathroom first, eager to get to sleep and dream of his bowling date with Katie. He was really looking forward to seeing her again. Pretty, understanding, and she bowled. How lucky could one guy be?

Chet moped around the room, staring out at the bright neon lights of the city’s casinos.

“All yours, Kelly,” Johnny said, rubbing at his hair with a towel. If he didn’t get it dry before getting into bed, it would be sticking straight up. Dressed in white boxers and a fire department t-shirt, he was ready to catch some sleep.

When Chet didn’t reply, Johnny sauntered over to where the man stood lost in thought. He gently nudged his friend’s shoulder. “Hey, you okay? Is your jaw hurting you?”

“Huh? Oh, no, it’s okay. I mean, it hurts, but nothing big.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

Chet shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Look, Cap’s right. I’m dead on my feet, you’ve got to be more so since you guys were overhauling that structure fire long after we left with the victims to the hospital.” Johnny watched Chet’s reflection in the window. “I don’t know about your book, but mine tells ya to not gamble when you’re tired, because you make mistakes then.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“C’mon, Chet. Take a shower, relax, sleep for a few hours and you can hit the casinos and take ‘em for all their worth.”

Chet laughed. “Break the bank, huh?”

“Sure, why not? If somebody has to do it, it might as well be you.”

“Sure, Gage.” Chet started across the room toward the bathroom, pausing in the doorway. “Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“Ah, don’t mention it. I mean it, really don’t mention it. To anybody.”

“Are you kidding? Who’d believe it?”

Johnny snorted a laugh as he jumped onto the bed, landing horizontally on the mattress.

E!E!E!

“Marco, you want the bed closest to the bathroom or the window?” Mike pulled his shaving kit from his small suitcase, having already hung his clothes up in the closet. Not receiving an answer, he looked up to see his friend lost in thought. “Marc?”

“Wha? You said something?”

“Yeah, buddy, I asked which bed you want. Still daydreaming about Charo?”

“She was magnificent.”

“Yeah, I’ve got to admit I really enjoyed the show, even when she wasn’t cuchi-cuchiing.”

“I can’t believe we got tickets to her show. Mama’s never gonna believe it.”

“It’s not that late. Why don’t you call her?”

Marco looked at the phone, then the clock radio. “She does stay up late to watch Johnny Carson.”

“Go on. I’ll take a shower while you call her.”

Marco grinned. “Okay, I will.”

 

E!E!E!

“That was a magnificent show, wasn’t it?” Hank asked.

“And all it took to get the tickets was Chet being a hero.” Roy was already in bed, the covers pulled up to his waist.

“Right before getting punched. Only Kelly.”

“I hope this isn’t indicative of the whole weekend.”

“Don’t even think that, Roy.” Leaving a light on in the bathroom, Hank pulled the duvet off the bed, unable to take so many covers when he slept. “What are you planning for tomorrow?”

“I don’t know. I think Johnny has a date.”

“Really? Already?”

“A girl he met while playing blackjack. You might have seen her with him just after we picked up Chet off the floor. Pretty, with dark hair, wearing glasses.”

“That’s Johnny’s latest love interest?”

“I think this one might be different. You’ll notice that he didn’t introduce her to the guys nor did he mention her to them.”

“That’s right, he didn’t.” Hank thought about that. “It won’t be easy for him if she doesn’t live in Los Angeles.”

“No, it won’t. We might be jumping the gun a little bit. They’ve just met.” Roy chuckled. “We’re getting as bad as Chet, talking about Johnny’s love life or the lack of it.”

“With that insult, I’m going to sleep. I have a feeling that we’ll be very busy tomorrow. Good night, Roy.”

“Night, Cap.”

E!E!E!

The following morning Mike had to wake Marco up three times to get him moving.

“C’mon. Cap stopped by a few minutes ago and said we should all hit the breakfast buffet.”

Marco opened his eyes and squinted. “What time is it?”

“Eight thirty.”

“If I slept in, then why am I so tired?”

“Because you stayed up forever, telling your mom about Charo.”

A smile spread across Marco’s face. “Oh yeah.” He groaned slightly as he sat up and threw back the covers. “Okay, I’m up. Just give me about fifteen minutes and I’ll be ready.”

Mike grinned and shook his head. He recalled how excited Marco had been while talking to his mother on the phone. He could only imagine what her reaction had been on the other end of the line.

E!E!E!

 

Johnny looked at Chet’s jaw as the fireman came out of the bathroom. He still was using some of the cover-up makeup the casino employee had given him the day before. But there was a small amount of swelling evident.

“You sure you’re okay?” Johnny asked.

“Yeah. How many times are ya gonna ask?”

“Until I can see an improvement.”

Chet shook his head. “I guess a guy can’t go wrong hanging out with a paramedic, huh?”

“Well, if things do go wrong, at least you’ve got someone to fix ya up.”

Chet rubbed at his sore jaw. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Johnny quickly changed the subject. “Cap said to meet him and Roy at nine o’clock for breakfast. You about ready?”

“Let’s go.”

“Right behind ya.”

As Chet opened the door, he glanced over his shoulder. “You know, it was worth everything I went through yesterday for that show last night.”

“So what’re you gonna do today?”

He thought about Big Red and the bouncing breasts of Kelly. It was a toss up as to which he’d like to run into. “I’m not sure. You?”

Johnny didn’t want to mention Katie. He just shrugged. “Just hang around and take things in.”

The two arrived at Roy and Hank’s door down the hall. They knocked and waited for an answer.

Part 2