Casino Royal

[Havenshire]

The Sun was shining on yet another beautiful day in the Tourist Trap that was Kahuna. Sunlight glinted from a million glass-plate windows in a hundred steel spires, and heat physically radiated off of the sandstone and asphalt that carpeted the ground in between.

William Taine smiled wolfishly, as he casually strolled along the Waterfront, admiring the long, pristine beaches and their dotted palm-tree umbrellas and grass-thatch beach-huts. It was the very model of Paradise, and even so early in the season it was thronged with bathing tourists from dozens of nations. Arabs from Hajr bathed beside tanned rich yuppies from Guiana and Mayaland, and stiff-necked Wiesans guarded their sun-loungers, their towels laid out at the crack of dawn, with jealousy. He regarded all this through thick ray-ban sunglasses, knowing that to observers he appeared like any other rich tourist- a white man with reddish-blonde hair, and a stylish, immaculate white business suit, and a solid gold Rolex watch.

Yet he knew in his mind he was so much more. He was a Makai citizen by birth, of Mayaland extraction true, but a Makai nonetheless. He spoke seven languages fluently. He also just happened to be the Minister of the Interior. He walked across the boulevard, towards the adobe-walls that lined the exterior of the highly exclusive Kahuna Vista complex. One of the most grandiose and luxurious hotels on the Kahuna Mile, it was also set to be the destination for a crucial part of the Mayaland Royal Family, and possibly even the Cortonan Prime Minister.

It would not be the first time such luminaries had visited the hotel, but it might also be the last. He looked east, towards the sound of bustling traffic and pnuematic drills. The Tower of Babylon was Ithorangi's mad dream made real, a Hotel that could outdo any other in terms of naked Hedonism and opulence. Apparently, carved in the old tribal language of Makai on the underside of the Hotel crest that would sit in the lobby, were the words: "Not Even God", a tribute to the megalomania of Ithorangi's obsession with making the Archipelagos the Playground for the world's wealthiest and most influential. For the most part, Ithorangi had succeeded.

But it was not wealth and prestige alone that was sought. Taine lived by a different creed: Knowledge is Power. And he sought to know everything, every secret, every lie. His role as Minister of Interior was nebulously defined, and he was never mentioned in the papers. He was almost never photographed, and noone in the Congress really knew him. But Ithorangi knew, and he approved of Taine. Not that even that fat, greying ex-tribal bastard really understood.

Passing the thick security gates of the Kahuna Vista with only a casual flash of his security ID, the hotel guard paled. "Right you are, sir." he said, with only the hint of an Islander accent, in flawless English. Crossing into the sheltered front gardens, he marveled at the waste and wealth that maintained such exquisite, immaculate European-style Lawns. He passed a huge fountain, a statue of Apollo pouring water eternally into a vast bowl representing the bottom half of the Earth, perched on top of an almighty crouching Atlas. It never got old, especially when one knew that directly beneath it lay the secondary command centre of his operation.

Fifteen minutes later, he was inside the Hotel itself, and, sliding aside a concealed panel within the VIP express elevator- something he'd had had to flash his ID twice to gain access to- he placed his thumb against the scanner and turned his private, ornate key in the dial. After a few seconds, the Elevator began to descend. As it descended, the lift began playing some gentle elevator Musak. Taine's mood instantly soured. He rested his hand on the concealed Beretta in his coatpocket, reassuring himself with one of his favourite daytime fantasies- shooting that blasted speaker. Strangely, it never occurred to him to simply order it removed.

The elevator doors parted, onto a vast white-washed Bunker, with a dome roof. Security Guards in Kevlar with tasers and UMP45s watched him. "Welcome back, sir."

He smiled, taking off his sunglasses, revealing shockingly blue eyes. "Let's see how Royal Flush is going, shall we?" A tight-lipped Jizhoui secretary with drawn-back jade hair came up to him, dressed in an immaculate white business suit and skirt. All members of the "Ministry of the Interior" wore immaculate white business clothing, where possible. It helped create the necessary atmosphere he sought. She smiled thinly at him. "This way please, sir."

He entered the Monitoring Room, impressed at all the new computer equipment they had been able to procure. Banks of screens showed countless luxury suites and rooms within the vast Kahuna Vista above. Not only did this room have access to the standard CCTV that provided security for the premier hotel and its grounds, but also dozens of minicams, bugs and microphones concealed within the very fabric of the most exclusive suites above. Some, admittedly, were ageing, and had been there since the Hotel were built. Others were the very latest in covert surveillance equipment. They had them everywhere, in the showers, above the bedrooms, behind mirrored glass, in the telephones, even within the upholstery of the furniture, and woven into the bedroom curtains.

It was his life's work. And the Kahuna Vista was only one of over 20 4 and 5-star hotels in Kahuna alone, all of them surveyed in a similar manner by similar, albeit smaller, control rooms. And none of them matched the Primary Command Centre, hidden deep within Mount Konohoa, at the center of the main Makai Island, which contained the hub of a near Global surveillance network. The Interior that he ministered was very much more expansive than mere national borders.

"How goes preperations for Royal Flush?" he asked again, entering the room. Immaculately dressed subordinates, technical staff in jumpsuits, administrators in white business suits, and security in black kevlar, all turning at his commanding voice.

"Excellently, sir. All staff have been intricately briefed, coached, and or replaced by our most trusted agents. We've even got some...special agents on standby, just in case." said a young Vangalan with a swarthy complexion and a dark beard and a grey uniform, the Vice Minister of the Interior, and Taine's right hand man. "Excellent work, Dr.Khan...Special Agents?" he felt he had to ask, to be sure.

The conservative doctor coughed. "Courtesans, sir. In case the Prime Minister or the Prince Royal should require....discreet company."

Taine laughed. "All bases covered. We make a good team, Dr.Khan." he said, cordial as ever, yet aware that the doctor was intensely ambitious, and coveted his position as one of the world's leading spymasters.

"Remember, everyone. Knowledge is Power, Power is Wealth, and Wealth buys us..." Everyone in the room groaned, and finished the mantra. "Wealth buys us more Security, in which we can grow Knowledge."

The Ministry was ready.

 

[Havenshire]

It was shortly before Dawn that news broke in the Ministry Situation Room. Taino was rushed from his private bedroom in a luxurious villa on the edge of Kahuna to the command centre in order to personally supervise the unfolding crisis.

Still yawning and feeling disgruntled, the Man in dishevelled White surveyed the situation on numerous monitors and beeping Computer feeds. Faxes were pouring in, and phones were ringing. The place would feel like a Call centre, were it not for the dramatic, illuminated map of the World dominating one wall, on which flashing red and blue lines were being traced.

"This information is accurate?" he asked sourly. He had not yet had his morning Espresso. He was not pleased.

"Yes sir. The story is breaking across Global Media even as we speak." Replied an obsequious lackey. His name tag read "Bob". He did not deserve a surname, not yet.

Yawning, William eased himself into his comfortable command chair. "Get me an Espresso, now. I don't care who does it, I need my Coffee to think." his voice was gravelly, and his eyes bloodshot. He had forgotten his sunglasses, a rare oversight. The lights were bright in the Command room.

"War. Fascist Idiots." he snorted. "Had we even got anybody into either of those meathead countries yet?"

"No sir. An operation into Barazi was pending. I believe Mayaland has sent Journalists who are probably still within the country..."

"Damn." It was then that Taino realised that his usual Secretary- the hot Chinese woman with the tight skirt- was missing. Instead, it was Bob, prattling away.

"What happened to...you know, the other person?"

"Shi Han? She's on Family Leave, sir. Apparently some problem back in Jihzhou, so, she uh, used one of our Backchannels to visit..."

He almost exploded.

"Family Leave?! What? The Bitch!" he roared, and winced at the loudness of his own voice. It really was too early for this. "Twenty Years I spent meticulously crafting this Agency, developing clandestine routes into a dozen other countries... Shit..." it was then that the obvious hit him. What if she was a Double-Spy? The Jihzhou were amongst their most favoured customers of illicitly procured intel, but they could have infiltrated his organisation...What did this Shi Han woman know? what could she reveal to the Jihzhou?

Cursing, he realised he had no choice. A pity, she was quite hot aswell.
"Get me the Wetworks Team. Tell em we got a Runner."
Bob paled. "You don't mean-"
"Yeah. I do mean. Operation Royal Flush is so close to completion, the culmination of years of excruciatingly careful planning and work. I won't allow this woman to endanger it." His tone was icy cold.

He sighed, and looked with less satisfaction than he desired upon the newly arrived Espresso, plopped onto his arm-rest.

"Good Morning to you too." he murmured wryly, before slurping the scalding drink. "Bob? Don't dawdle. Wetworks Team. And then call our team in Wiese. Royal Flush must go according to Plan."

 

[Havenshire]

The situation was going from bad to worse. Taine found it easier to simply bunk down in the Situation Room, as information poured in about the Oikawan Invasion of Jizhou. He couldn't believe it. Years of careful precision planning, of extending tendrils into the European Monarchies, of encouraging Ithorangi to cultivate good relations, of slipping spies into entourages, bugging hotel rooms, bribing the Papparazzi, and, like a Thunderbolt out of the East, Oikawa's Invasion placed a fat, juicy demand for War intel. War Intel he had only a very fragile and old network to deliver from.

It had been Years since he'd put personal focus into the Oikawan Infiltration Network, and he suspected many of the agents they had on record in it had "gone dark" and had forgotten they were employed by the Ministry at all. "Bob" appeared at his side, carrying a large pot of much-needed hot coffee.
"Thank you, Bob. Any word on our Wetworks Team? or Shi Han?" he asked with hopeful regret. Chances were they would both be swallowed in the chaos of the Invasion now.
"No sir. ah, Tianming is here to see you. He doesn't look very happy."

William growled. The decadent fop had in the past been a tolerated but not respected asset. Now, through a strange twist of Fate, they both needed each other.

The portly middle-aged President's Son was sat in an air-conditioned Office above ground- for obvious security reasons- waiting, for all appearances, to talk to the Hotel Manager of the Kahuna Vista. "Tell him I'll be right up." He grabbed a mug from his desk, filled it with some coffee, grabbed some papers, and then went to meet the only man who could help Taine sort this mess out.

As he left the Chaos of the Situation Room, and into the spacious, cool Hotel Lobby, he could see it was crowded with blissful, niave Western Tourists. The usual jostle of Wiesans, Hajri, Mayalanders, Belmontians, Franconians, and now, it seemed, an unusually large number of Lorrainers. But the familiar sight of Oikawan Photographers was jarringly absent. It seemed that the War had cut short vacations for many Oikawan and Jizhou families, who were now desperately crowding the National Airports, screaming for flights back home. A pragmatic few were content to wait it out in emergency hostels provided for them by the troubled Makai Government.

Sipping his coffee and reading the papers he clutched nonchatantly, he could see a Memo from the President, telling him that funding for "unspecified recruitments" had been approved. Ithorangi was a cunning opportunist, and was more eager than William to capitalise on the War for Makai's advantage.

"Greedy Bastard. Europe's not enough?" he mused to himself. He worried that if Oikawa found out about this Planned Intrusion into their Affairs, they might damage Makai's real lifeline- namely, Tourism. Economic Sanctions would be enough to make Ithorangi scream for mercy. He had grown too soft and dependant on the luxuries wealth brought. He didn't remember, like Taine did, the days when the Islands were a shithole backwater, famous only for its Rum and Coconuts.

"Ah, how good to see you again, old friend! What can I do for you?" Taine said with complete and convincing facetiousness. In truth, he disliked Tianming, seeing him too often with his Whores and gambling his nation's money away.

But today, it would be very different indeed. Business called, and with it, a way to sate the Greed for Wealth and Knowledge that both he and Ithorangi had.