2002
Las Vegas, NV
"These Vegas magic shows are the worst!" Bob said pulling his wife by the wrist.
"Then why are we in such a hurry?" Cassy asked.
"I'm going to sit in the front row to expose that fat fraud!" Bob replied.
Cassy opened her mouth, then shut it, there was no sane reply she could make.
They dashed by the Latino men in plaid clacking their advertisements together outside the entrance of The Rio Casino. Bob led the way to where the show was by the fastest route. This was not their first trip to the City of Sin.
Bob tipped the waiter, who then led them to the front as he desired. The curtain soon opened to reveal the magic duo performing for them. The first was a very tall, heavy set man with glasses and his long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. The second man was shorter, balding fellow with dirty blonde hair cut short.
Bob missed most of the intro, he had ordered a drink, then whispered nearly non-stop to Cassy how the magic duo were frauds.
"Bobby!" She hissed. "I'll never know if they are frauds if I can't hear them."
"Fine!" Bob replied in a huff.
"Friends!" Declared the tall one. "We have studied the ancient magics of forgotten kingdoms, and lost civilizations."
"Fakes!" Whispered Bob to Cassy.
The short one silently held up a cardboard picture of a gold necklace with inset blue sapphires.
"Quiet!" Said Cassy.
"We have harnessed the power of the necklace the Pharaoh gave to Joseph!" Shouted the tall one. "Whomever possessed it had the ability to control other minds!"
"That's just a dumb myth!" Said Bob.
Cassy missed the next part, she got pretty upset, she was trying to enjoy the show. She lifted up her hand to pinch Bob's nose, maybe that would shut him up!
"Yes madam!" Boomed the tall one. "Please do come up!"
Cassy froze! She knew the eyes of five hundred people were on her, including the two men on stage.
"Um... there is some sort of misunderstanding..." Cassy tried to say.
"The stairs are over there madam, please follow them, then join us onstage!" The tall one said.
Cassy didn't want to go onstage! She had no fear of crowds! She was a runway model after all, she was however in Vegas to win big not to be a stooge on parade!
"Get going!" Bob said smiling. "Expose that fat fraud."
Cassy huffed in exasperation!
"A round of applause for our volunteer!" Stated the tall one as he clapped his giant hands.
Cassy gave up, there was no escaping this fiasco. She waved to the crowd, then sat down in the offered seat. The tall one took his glasses off; he cleaned them as he explained what was going to happen.
Cassy tried to listen, there was talk about hypnosis, but she found herself confused by all the jokes the tall one made, and distracted by all the silly things the short one did.
"Madam, I need you to focus on my watch, forget everything else." Said the tall one.
Cassy was looking at an anxious Bob before turning her attention to the swinging watch.
"You are getting sleepy," He said in a normal tone. "You can still hear me as you relax."
Cassy didn't feel tired before, but now she did. She took a few deep breaths just like she did before going to sleep. The watch kept moving before her eyes.
The tall one spoke softer and softer to her, the short one danced about on stage adding to the mystic atmosphere. Bob sat cross armed, he wasn't impressed with how Cassy was acting! She was supposed to have exposed them! He fumed as he debated going up on stage to get her.
Cassy was unaware of Bob, the crowd or any other distractions. Her eyes were now closed as she entered a trace-like state. Her thoughts were cloudy, all she could focus on was the tall one's voice.
"You will obey all commands given to you, without any reservations." He said softly.
"Yes." She replied.
"Say it back to me." He asked.
"I will obey all commands..." She said, "with no reservations..."
Cassy heard her voice say those things, it didn't sound odd, or strange. Rather she wanted to say those things, she also wanted to do as she was told.
DING DING DING
Rang the fire alarm! The short one paced back and forth in a panic as the tall one tried to restore order.
"Friends," Said the tall one. "Friends, listen to me! Remain calm!"
"I will remain calm." Said Cassy.
Bob had enough! People were getting up and leaving. It was time for him to do the same!
"Cassy!" He shouted.
"Yes..." She replied tonelessly.
"Let's go!" He barked into her ear amid all the noise.
People were all over the stage, the two performers had momentarily forgotten her.
"I will go..." She said as he dragged her off stage.
The tall one turned around to see an empty chair.
"Dammit!" He bellowed. "We need to find her!"
The short one had his hands on his cheeks showing surprise. At his friends words, he put a hand to his brow showing that he was looking for the woman with the black hair and red dipped tips.
"Too late for that!" Said the tall one.
The short one shrugged.
"Get some men! Head to the old strip!" He commanded. "I will start at the bottom of the new strip."
His short friend bowed deeply, then spun around to do as he was bid.
"We have to find her!" Shouted the tall one. "We have to find her!"
Later after a quick cab ride they were at the Paris Casino at a bar sipping drinks, Bob was still fuming over the magic show.
Cassy thought she saw a tall lean black man they had befriended on their drive to Las Vegas as they had made their way through the crowds at Paris Paris. Bob however didn't ask, so she didn't tell him.
"They were frauds!" He declared taking a sip.
"They were frauds..." Cassy echoed.
'I knew it!" Bob exclaimed excitedly.
Cassy sat staring at him.
"You haven't touched your drink?" He said looking at his wife. "Have a sip or two."
Cassy picked up her drink and took two sips. She wasn't thirsty before, but when Bob instructed her, she was suddenly in need of satisfying the urge.
"How are you feeling?" Bob asked seeing how tired his wife look. "You look exhausted!"
"I am exhausted..." Cassy replied.
"Do you want to take a nap?" He asked now worried about his wife. "Or would you like to sit here and have some drinks while I hit the poker tables?"
"I will sit here and have some drinks, you go play poker." Cassy stated still in her trance.
Bob lit up at this! He was saddened to see his wife so ill, she had been practicing her Spanish in hopes of getting an edge at the poker tables. He swore to himself that he'd play twice as hard for the woman he loved.
Bob stood to leave, kissed his wife's forehead then left. He then quickly returned smiling.
"I'll check on you in an hour!" He said, then added, "don't go with anyone for less than a thousand bucks!"
"I won't go with anyone for less than a thousand dollars." She repeated back to her departing husband.
She sat there for some time staring off into space, normally she'd read a paper, or work on her Spanish, however ever since she was up on stage her only desire was to sit and wait for her next command.
"Hola amiga!" Said a short well dressed Latino man who sat beside Cassy leg to leg. "Cómo estás?"
Cassy knew exactly what to say in response, she had been practicing for a while. "Soy bueno."
The short man smiled ear to ear at this. He then put his hand on Cassy's knee and when she didn't push him away, he took a deep breath as he spoke.
"Mira chica." He asked. "Tengo prisa, ¿eres una puta?"
There was once a time when Cassy would slap a man for such words, or string him along until Bob gave the code word to shut it down. That was before, now she had no desire to disagree.
"Soy una puta." She stated.
"¡Muy bien!" The short man said, before asking. "Ahora, ¿cuánto"
Cassy continued to speak in monotone as she replied. "No menos de mil."
"Trato!" Exclaimed the short man as he shook her hand. "Now can we switch to English? Your Spanish is worst than my buddy Gaston!"
"I will speak English." She replied.
He stood up, she joined him. If she were not hypnotized she would have laughed! He was shorter than her with her heels on!
His skin was a deep brown and very weathered, it looked as if he worked outside often. Although he didn't smell like the men outside with the fliers; had she control of her own mind, she would have been certain he was a well-dressed day labourer.
"Hey puta," He asked. "You got a room here?"
"I have a room here." She replied.
"Good, lead the way!" He said. "Oh and my name is Perez!"
Cassy said nothing in reply, as she led him to the elevator. Once in her room the short man went to the restroom, she sat on the bed to stare at the wall. When he returned, he was naked with his penis in one hand and a wad of cash in the other. His brown circumcized penis looked big for his height.
The man was lean and muscular with an American flag tattooed on one shoulder and a large angry bald eagle on the other. Across his chest was written INFIDEL in bold black letters. If Cassy were not under a spell she would have guessed he were a US serviceman.
"No condoms?" He asked.
"No condoms..." She replied.