Cicero's
Loathing
OCTOBER 11TH, 1998: Andy Cicero never had any respect for junkies. Andy always worried night and day for his children. He had seen firsthand the suffering that narcotics caused in his twenty-odd years as a key player in the drug trade. Today is the first day in decades that he no longer had to deal with drugs. Today is the grand opening of the Phoenix, and Andy Cicero, the general manager, can finally claim an honest wage. At least as honest as his life will ever see. There are to be no drugs allowed in the Phoenix. No conflicts. No murders. No torture. Especially not on the upper floors. The expansive basements, however, do not lie in his jurisdiction. There, his cousin Joey calls the shots. But today, Andy has sworn to keep the largest resort hotel and casino running cleanly and smoothly. For this is the domain of a Vampire. And an important one indeed, for Sean Sinclair is the prince of Las Vegas. This is his domain, a domain to be respected by all who enter. Sinclair isn't his real name, however. He was born Sean Patrick Miller to an Irish insurance clerk in Hartford, Connecticut. Andy knows every detail of the prince's mortal life. Andy Cicero never walks into a situation unprepared. Before walking into Vegas, Andy did a lot of research on the family's new mule, especially since Vinnie turned up dead. Turns out that Sean was a scientist of some sort at UNLV, although you wouldn't know it to look at him. He's scrawny enough, but has a certain wile in his sunken eyes. At this very moment Sean grins and tells anecdotes in his white satin suit, while shaking hands with the Vegas Elite. But Andy knew never to trust Sean by his appearance. Sean may look cowardly and goofy enough, but beneath his unsettling charm is the capacity for cruelty and cunning that Andy has never seen in a man. Andy knew that Sean was smart. Incredibly so. And he could play every angle to get what he wanted. Andy would hesitate to say that he is proud to have earned the respect of such an honorable monster. Sean's approval has become something that Andy will kill for. Andy straightened his tie at the sight of Sean's approach. "Andy, my man!" shouted Sean as he stretched an arm around Andy's shoulder. "Magnificent, isn't it? I think I speak for the both of us when I say I can't believe this day has come." Andy smiled sheepishly and paused. "You bet Mr. Sinclair." "Please..." said Sean, feigning appall. "Call me Sean." Sean took an unnecessary deep breath and looked over the crowd of drunken investors, bankers, commission members and showgirls. "Sean?" "Yeah?" "Do you believe in God?" Sean paused for what seemed to be an eternity. It was a pensive silence that made Andy question his attempt at understanding this hyena. "Well... yes." Sean narrowed his eyes. "Well, not really. In a sense I guess..." Sean rubbed his chin and stared at the ceiling. "I believe god is represented by everything that's possible. I know it must sound insane, but there's a logical system to every aspect of life. From the curve of the double helix to the outcome of a football game. As chaotic as reality may seem... I feel there's a pattern to be divined. Find the pattern, and you tap into the divine. Mathematics is God's gift to us. And with it we have come to understand the world around us. We have even used it to actualize our own potency and create new life. You might look at the stock exchange as a random stream of figures, but it is in reality a reflection of our own society. An incredibly complicated pattern of values and ideas that evolve every day. It's an organism constructed from mere concepts. In a sense we have created life of our own. We have created life in God's image. If you were to..." "I'm sorry Mr. Sinclair, I don't mean to interrupt," Andy cut in shyly, "but I guess I meant God as he pertains to good and evil. I meant, do you believe in a sort of universal code of ethics? One that transcends the physical. That goes beyond human beings, or people beings, or vamp.... you know what I mean!" Andy could no longer discern the expression on the prince's face. "This is about Paul, isn't it?" "No, Sean. Paul got what he deserved." "Brenda?" "Well... yeah, Sean, I guess I've been thinking about Brenda. I mean, don't get me wrong. I know nobody forced the junk on her, but she shouldn't have died. I mean if it weren't for us..." "Come on Andy, don't be stupid." Sean said, shaking his head. "Brenda was a big girl. She made some wrong decisions that were hers to make. Just because we're at the top of all this doesn't mean that the stuff wouldn't make its way here without us. If anything, we take a lot of care to make sure people are safe about it. We set up that clinic, we monitor our people. Then there's Laurent's stream of those annoying public service announcements. One would almost think he doesn't like the way his bread's buttered. Besides, if it's anyone's fault, it's Joey's. He should have paid more attention to what the hell his wife was doing with her spare time." "Well, it's not like he has the time to take care of his own fucking life!" Andy snapped. Sean's face became flushed and he glared at him. Andy felt afraid. He knew he was safe here at the grand opening party. But if you make the wrong move with Sean Sinclair, you can very well pay for it at any point in the future. You could end up dead and not even remember why." Sean wiped drops of blood from his mouth with a handkerchief. He had bitten his lip to retain his composure. "Andy. Keep yourself in focus here. I can't afford to have you going soft on me. It's a little late in the game to start having a problem with all of this. I feel bad about Joey's loss. But I think he understands all of this more than you do." "Sean, this hurts Joey more than he'll ever let on. It's just easy to be callous about all of this until it hits you at home. I just worry about you is all. I know you're capable of caring. I can see that by the way you are with Gwen. I just fear for your soul Sean. I pray for you practically every night. What I'm trying to say is that I'd like you to come to mass with me." "I don't know what to say, Andy," Sean replied. "Your concern is touching. I'll definitely think about it. I'm just so busy. When I'm not tending to my affairs, I'm out making sure I can feed you all. You wouldn't want to miss our Friday dinner would you?" Andy was taken off guard at the fear Sean's question instilled in him. "Of course not Sean!" He replied feeling humbled by the fact that no matter how he felt about Sean, Sean always held what Andy really wanted in the end. Andy never had any respect for junkies. And right now Andy loathed himself.
All Material is © Conrad Hubbard. Edited by Conrad Hubbard. Cicero's Loathing was written by Chris Renfroe for use with Daylight Army, a ghoulish chronicle for Las Vegas by Night. 
References to products created by other individuals or companies are not challenges to their copyrights 
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