Vegas Stories

Jack Walker had to die. The two men in the faded blue sedan didn't know why. They don't care. They followed orders – and that meant they waited in front of his house. Ten minutes later, he came out into bright morning sunshine, hurrying down the front steps. A battered black leather jacket slung over his broad shoulders and an oversized duffel bag in one hand. Like he was in a rush. Maybe like he was aware they covertly w...

Jeweled kingdomPeople zooThe sex of richesWon by few Palatial coolnessInferno blazingMisted desertLustful gazing Lines of feedersSnaking throughMazesWaitingFor their food Glitz and showgirlsOiled menConventionersAnd lost weekends FantasiesAnd booze galoreThe beauties, beastsArray of whores Pay to playThen rue the costOf visitingParadise Las.

So here I am on my first trip to Las Vegas. I chose to stay downtown because it was cheaper than the strip. Back then downtown was considered a rough side of town. It boasted some well known casinos but was still called a toilet by many, and bears little resemblance to what you would find today. There was no Internet to check room prices, so you had to use a travel agent or call each airline and hotel in Vegas to get room...

It was my first trip to Vegas. I was single and decided it was finally time to visit the place that so many of my friends and relatives had raved about. There was no Internet to check room rates back them, but the travel section in the Sunday paper always showed which agents had junkets to Vegas and the prices. After a few calls and one visit to a local agent I found one at a great price and booked it. The anticipation an...

Coffee. What Sam needed was coffee. He was a walking zombie, desperate for caffeine. It was a condition of his own making, he had to admit, since he was the one who'd wanted to drive on their family vacation instead of flying. And so they had spent more than 40 percent of their holiday — two days down and two days back — stuffed into a Hyundai Sonata, a car which seemed roomy enough during his solo daily commute but quick...