Everything was the same as it had been in New Jersey.

Dominic Romano met the same courier that Philly had met. He was driving the same van, and they met behind an abandoned warehouse. He was also delivering the exact same kind of package.

Dominic was considerably more comfortable receiving the material than Philly had been. He had joined the Army coming out of high school, and served in a combat role in Iraq. So he had handled explosives; he learned how to handle and respect them.

He also was familiar with C-4 plastic explosives, and knew without asking what the courier had to tell Philly … that this amount was more than sufficient to handle the job it was being called upon to do.

But Dominic took nothing for granted, and once he made the required payment, he listened carefully as the courier explained the workings of the device. Once that was completed, he asked a few pertinent questions to make sure he was thoroughly confident and comfortable.

The courier noticed the difference between Dominic and Philly when it came to their competence regarding this specific situation. He knew that the Vegas side of the operation had a substantially greater chance of success.

But he didn’t say anything, and the truth was he and his people didn’t much care. Once the packages were delivered, they were somebody else’s property and someone else’s problem.

Dominic made sure the package was locked away, concealed and secure, then he went back to the hotel, where Tartaro was waiting for him. They had not had a chance to talk much since the cops had been there, and he found Tartaro to be surprisingly agitated.

“I think we should pull the plug on this thing,” Tartaro said.

“Why?”

“Because we’re being watched too carefully. The cops are all over us, and the Feds can’t be far behind.”

“You heard them,” Dominic said. “They don’t know anything.”

“Right now they don’t. But they know something is happening.”

“I don’t think they do. And it wouldn’t matter anyway. They won’t be able to tie us to it. We’ve got every base covered.”

Tartaro got angry. “How about if you stop arguing with every goddamn thing I say? Okay, Dominic? I’m not saying we cancel the sixteenth; I’m saying we wait until the pressure is off. You understand?”

Dominic had spent enough time with Tartaro to know when it was time to back off. “I understand.”

“Call Silva’s people and tell them. Make sure they hold off as well, and don’t let them give you any shit. When we do it, we do it at the same time.”

“I’ll take care of it right away,” Dominic said.

He left Tartaro, ostensibly to make the phone call to Silva. But he had no plans to make that call, even though he would tell Tartaro that he had.

Tartaro was in the dark about it, but Lucky Linda’s Casino was going to experience a moment of very bad luck, and nothing would delay it.

It was not the first time that Dominic disobeyed Tartaro, and it certainly would not be the last.