Nikki and Vesper sat in the Lago, which was parked at the curb not far from an intersection.

"This...cannot be right," Nikki mumbled, studying the map and staring at the four-way stop. According to the source she'd tracked, though, this was the place. If there was a vault, it existed right here, under this stretch of...cobblestoned street.

"There's no way. I mean, okay, let's humor ourselves and say he has one under there. How would he even have access to it? Was it there before the street was paved? And how will he get to it later? Explosives?? I guess there could be tunnels or something..." she said, her voice fading away in disappointment. How frustrating, to know the exact location of a thing, yet not be able to locate its point of entry. It could be in any direction, and who knows how far away. 

"Vesper, maybe I've gotten us in over our heads on this one..." she said, turning to face the other woman. Nikki had never given up on a job, or an adventure, but this one was daunting enough to give her more than pause.

Vesper was dressed in dark jeans, with a black, flowing blouse that fell past her waistband, conveniently hiding the dagger on her belt. She still felt strange carrying a weapon. She never intended to hurt anyone, but it was better to have something than nothing, even as a deterrent. Not that it would help with this issue.

"We may be over our heads, but I'm assuming you had to shell out some serious cash to get this tip. We've at least got to try. I mean... anything could be in there. You think Al Capone is just going to leave an empty safe behind? He probably had a dozen safes like this... hopefully this one wasn't also used by one of his lieutenants or it might be cleared out already. But if your source was sure? Well, how can we not take a look?"

She opened the car door, both eyes wide open as she closed it and took a few steps, eventually leaning against the brick wall of a nearby building. She tucked her thumbs into her belt as her narrowed eyes surveyed the area. 

"Definitely tunnels. My guess... well, there has to be an access point from one of these buildings. Somewhere Capone would go... maybe a hotel, maybe a hidden speakeasy. If whatever it was is even still in operation. Times are tough..."

She noticed a few boarded up buildings around, as well as a few that seemed open for business. 

"One of these buildings is our way in, whether it's still open or abandoned. But I don't think you want to spend forever going through each one. Did your source mention any popular spots for Capone around? We could always try to talk to a local- maybe a waitress at a diner or something?"

With a crooked smile, Nikki grabbed Vesper's arm and stood next to her, the intersection spread out before them.

"If you were a smarmy, arrogant criminal with something of high value positioned right under your overweight ass, where would you frequent?" She asked. Both women stood there and scanned the area carefully. Abandoned businesses? Nah. Too many derelicts. Greasy spoon? Possible, but didn't Capone think he deserved the best things? There was a laundry, and a small mom and pop store, and a fish market. All within the realm of believable fronts...but somehow not quite sitting right when one took in the air of entitlement that Capone was known for.

Almost simultaneously, their eyes landed on a nightclub. It was closed now, of course, being the middle of the day...and it didn't identify as a club, of course. But 'dance hall' or no, anyone affiliated knew a speakeasy when they saw it. 

"Vesper, I think we should go dancing tonight," she said, turning to look at her accomplice, and her alternately colored eyes.

Vesper found herself silently mouthing 'smarmy' a couple times. What a thoroughly interesting word. Right. Back to the Treasure Hunt- and the nightclub.

"Vesper, I think we should go dancing tonight."

Vesper just smiled back at Nikki as they approached the club. The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge seemed small, packed between two other businesses, but it was putting out the noise of a much larger place. The two women could hear the music as they approached. Vesper was thoughtful. She hadn't exactly planned for an infiltration; she might have worn a dress.

"Wait!"

Vesper walked quickly back to the car, catching the keys that Nikki tossed and opening up the trunk to remove the wigs from their last job.

"So? Blonde or redhead?"

Getting in the car to stealthily put on their wigs, Vesper undid another button of her blouse with a wink in Nikki's direction. The two women breezed past the bouncer, quickly sliding in to a booth near the back. The whole club was visible here, and it would give them a chance to check things out.

Although it was still early, the place was already buzzing. There was a small stage in the back with a small dance floor in front of it; currently a small band was playing. The brass railed bar was on the left when you walked in, with men were filling every other stool. Booths and tables stretched back on the right. 

Even after sitting for a couple minutes, it seemed clear to Vesper that they'd have to get out the back door. It made sense. If cops- or hitmen- showed up out front, then the back door would be the exit strategy. A back door that maybe had stairs to a basement- that's where any tunnels would be. The only question was how to get back there.

Nikki was looking at the same door when Vesper glanced over at her and rested her elbows on the table. She thought they were on the same page.

"The only question is how to get back there. Possible options, as I see them."

Vesper began counting them off on her fingers.

"Option 1: You stay here, and I sneak back myself. I've had some practice, as you know. No idea what I'd be walking into, but I like my odds. Still, I'd have to go solo, which... well, I have no idea what I'd be walking into. Also, I'd miss you."

"Option 2: We both try to sneak back. If we get caught, we would switch to options 3 or 4."

"Option 3: We pretend we're possibly drunk bimbos obsessed with Al Capone. See if we can make an impression on a guy who works here and pump him full of enough hot air that he takes his down there. Only problem is what we do with him when we're down there. I don't know if this place still has connections with any of Capone's old crew, so I wouldn't feel comfortable spilling the beans on why we're there. We could try to knock him out, I guess. Or tie him up. Or one of us could keep him... occupied. Still, if I'm walking into a secret tunnel I'd rather us be together- might be unavoidable, though."

"Option 4: I've got my dagger. I assume you're carrying. We could try to intimidate him?"

"Option 5: If he seems like a decent enough person who wouldn't literally stab us in the back, we could always tell him about the treasure and take him with us. We could give him a cut to keep quiet. Like money, not a dagger cut. Or just tie him up."

Running out of fingers, Vesper quieted quickly as the waiter came by to take their drinks. He was a young Italian man, tall, muscular, with dark hair and white teeth. He smiled at the two women, waiting for their order. Since the waiter's attention was directed at Nikki, Vesper looked at her friend and mouthed "Oh my God", flicking her glance back to the waiter, who hadn't noticed anything.

Nikki bit the inside of her lip at Vesper's reaction; this seemed the most...plausible route? If they could enlist him, things would definitely go smoother. Particularly for Vesper, Nikki thought as she bit her lip even harder.

"I'll have a glass of red, any will do," she said, running her fingers through the synthetic blonde strands that tickled her neck. "What'll you have, Chloe?" She asked, turning to Vesper. The name didn't click at first, or maybe she was just too enthralled with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Italian to hear the words being tossed in her direction.

"AHEM!" She coughed, jarring Vesper back into reality. "Chloe" ordered a glass of white, and when the waiter had walked out of view, Nikki turned to face her.

"I was gonna suggest offering him a cut, but I'm thinking now that maybe you'd like to tie him up instead," she said, grinning. Before Vesper could respond, the waiter was back. Nikki couldn't help but snort at the speed with which he'd delivered the drinks.

Vesper went to work then, using her stealth in other ways. Before ten minutes had passed, she had his name, a promise to take a twenty minute break to get them downstairs, and his loyalty, effectively wrapping him around her shadowy finger. 

Following their new cohort to and through the rear entrance, they found themselves in a hallway. From there, it was a short mousetrap maze past restrooms, storage rooms, offices, and finally, a door at the end of the final hallway which sat opposite the door to the alley out back. The waiter stopped and turned there, facing them.

"Sorry, they don't give us keys to this one," he said apologetically, more to Vesper than Nikki. Nikki replied anyway, since Vesper was already reaching for her lock picking kit.

"No worries there. She has...skills. Lots of skills. In fact-"

CLICK.

Vesper turned and grinned, more to the waiter than Nikki. Nikki rolled her eyes and pushed through the doorway, the cool ground air seeping up through the rough concrete of the tunnel that she was now in. Fishing around in her bag, she found a small flashlight, clicking it on before leading the way.

"You crazy kids behave yourselves back there, we've got a vault to raid," she said, praying that was true.

"You crazy kids behave yourselves back there, we've got a vault to raid."

Vesper audibly snorted.

"What do you mean back there? Who put you in charge?"

Nikki glanced back over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow.

"Right. Everyone. Society. My bad. But I still outrank Tony."

Tony looked a little confused, but he smiled. His voice was deep and sonorous, and it echoed inside the tunnel they'd all entered.

"Uh... what?"

"Don't worry about it, Beefcake. Just let mama do the work. And mama's ma-older sister."

Nikki shot back another eyebrow and Vesper grinned. Tony frowned. Soon, Vesper was silently trailing half a pace behind Nikki. Tony followed a few more steps behind. The concrete tunnels were pitch black. After they'd walked for a little while, Vesper rested a hand on Nikki's shoulder and whispered into her ear.

"The air isn't as stale as it should be. Someone else has been down here. Tony, do other people come back here?"

"Uh... sometimes."

Vesper's voice was a strident whisper.

"Why didn't you tell us this before?"

"I thought when you said 'help you get downstairs' you were asking my help to get you into the game."

Vesper stared.

"What game?"

And then the door opened in front of them, revealing three men around a poker table. A fourth stood at the doorway. Vesper and Nikki straightened up. Tony had been walking normally the whole time, and now he stepped forward. 

"Hey Marco. These two ladies want to play."

The older men at the table and the one at the door- who definitely seemed like they were in the life, or had been- offered courteous smiles and greetings. Were these guys some of Capone's old crew? Or were they just connected with the owners upstairs and had no idea what might be down here? Vesper saw several areas on the floor and walls that might be covering up a safe... new bricks, wooden breams... but they couldn't start breaking the place apart during a game.

Vesper smiled, made a small excuse to the men, and pulled Nikki aside for a whispered conference. 

"Okay... unless you've got a better idea, I vote we go total party girl and just try to get these old fellas hammered. If we can get them to pass out- or just get them so drunk that they either lose their money or go home- well, then we can find the safe. And hopefully we're not too drunk."

Nikki stared. Vesper sighed.

"I know. I know. But do you have a better plan?"

Inhaling deeply, Nikki plastered on a grin and clapped her hands together.

"Room for two more, boys? Maybe a few cocktails with a coupla warm-up rounds before we break out the," at this, she pulled a few thousand dollars out of her purse for effect, "bigger antes?" She said, watching the eyes around the table flash at the sight of the green. Vesper and Nikki were promptly offered seats...and shots. Nikki tinked her glass against Vesper's and knocked hers back; it was good Irish whisky, but judging from the eye watering and nostril flaring coming from Vesper as she knocked hers back, it may as well have been turpentine. 

A few rounds were played, win some, lose some. Nikki got herself in the habit of sniping Vesper's drinks whenever no one else was looking and quickly downing them before anyone noticed, but she couldn't catch them all. Before too long, half Nikki's cash was gone and both women were pleasantly lit. 

The men seemed a bit worse for the wear, however. They'd already had their drink on by the time the females had arrived, and watching Nikki down shot after shot, they took it as an insult to their manhood not to meet and exceed the speed of consumption. One of the guys eventually left to 'drain the lizard', as he so elonquently put it...and never returned. Fella number two tried to keep up, but before too long, his head began nodding and he seemingly dropped into a doze in his chair, a quiet sawing noise escaping his lips as his unethical buddy grinned and took possession of all his cash. 

"Last round, winner takes all," Nikki said, tossing the remaining half of her cash on the table. Her opponent blinked, then tossed his in as well.

"Ooohh, feisty. Your little silent friend here gonna deal us right and proper, one hand, fast and dirty?" He asked, pouring another shot. Nikki's stomach lurched...she hadn't eaten and the thought of more booze going down her throat made her mouth water in the wrong way. She turned to Vesper then, who gave a slightly loopy nod as she began shuffling. Desperate for an out, Nikki grasped at straws.

"Huh. What the hell is that? Did you drop a bill there on the floor? Right there," she said, pointing, then standing when he looked both ways and shrugged. Rounding the table, she feigned picking up something behind his field of vision, then came back up, reached out her left hand, and while he looked at it, she brought her right fist down so hard on his temple that he fell out of his chair. Taking a knee, she did it again, bouncing his head off the concrete floor and putting his lights out. Falling onto her ass right after, she peered over the table at Vesper.

"Pl- please tell me you can still, um, d- do stuff," she whined, unable to remember quite why she was here as her body was wracked with a series of jolting hiccups.

It tasted like fire. Not the good fire, the pleasant burn of a campsite or bonfire shared by lovers and friends looking up at the night sky. No, it tasted like the bad fire. The kind of fire that burned puppies and orphans and made your body immediately regret every decision you've made that led you up to the point of imbibing it.

Nikki did the best she could borrowing shots, but Vesper was still worried. Originally, she'd thought about trying to just stealthily lose her drinks, but these old gangsters were watching everyone's hands. Old habits, apparently, for old gamblers. Vesper was worried... until, all of a sudden, she wasn't. Instead, she felt wonderful. Smiling, laughing, pouting at Nikki, yelling with a grin at Vito across the table. She was halfway to congratulating herself on her relaxed demeanor before she realized she was drunk.

Wait, was she dealing?

Did Nikki just punch that guy in the head?

"NIKKI! You just punched that guy in the head! He's like... old! What if he dies?"

Vesper looked down at the guy. He was breathing, at least.

"We'll just tell him he fell."

Vesper chuckled as Nikki started hiccuping.

"Oh, I can do stuff, baby. What are we- right. The safe."

Vesper cracked her neck and looked around. 

"Could you go get Tony for me? I'll look around here."

Nikki stood up, slightly unsteadily, and disappeared. It was literally a one way tunnel. No way she'd get lost. Vesper crossed her arms and thoughtfully paced around, looking for potential spots where someone could hide a safe. There weren't that many, to be honest. There were a couple places in the wall that weren't normal- the old concrete had been torn down and bricked up again. Another area was covered up with wooden beams, but Vesper was able to bring a lantern over to the gap and see through behind it. There were some old dusty beer bottles on the floor, but the solid grey concrete seemingly didn't hold any secrets. She found an old rug that could potentially cover a trap door, but the floor was solid. No, those two brick areas were the only two possibilities she could see. And it made sense. This was a secret location, so it's not like they were worried about hiding the safe within it. Maybe they sealed it up to protect whatever was left inside. It could be empty, or it could have been one of the many things forgotten in the chaos of Capone's downfall. 

She heard Nikki's voice before she heard the footsteps. 

"Well of course she's pretty. I'll talk to her, if you're interested. Do you know any poetry? Because let me tell you about poet- shhhh. She'll hear you."

Nikki and Tony walked in, both smiling. Vesper picked up a crowbar and handed it to Tony.

"Want to make some money, Tony?"

She pointed to one of the brick spots on the wall. The mortar wasn't precisely falling apart, but both of these jobs had been done relatively quickly. A guy like Tony wouldn't have much trouble taking it down. The women hung back, watching Tony work. He had lost the shirt he wore as a waiter, exposing a set of muscular arms, chest, and back that looked like they'd been chipped from marble in Ancient Greece. 

"Oh my God."

Vesper wondered if she said that out loud.

"Uh, spooky, right? That's why I said that."

With a grin, Tony got to work. It took him a little while, especially with all the whispers behind him, but eventually he'd removed the top of the wall. There was only darkness behind, and Vesper grabbed one of the lanterns to carry it forward. As she raised it to look behind, she screamed- she couldn't help it- and dropped the lantern on the ground, where it started to light an old sack on fire. Vesper was halfway into dumping a bottle of whiskey on it, which really would not have helped, when Nikki grabbed her arm, tossed a coat on it, and stamped out the fire. Nikki looked questioningly at Vesper, who frowned.

"Dead body. Skeleton. Just scared the shit out of me, to be honest."

Nikki grabbed a second lantern and looked for herself, grimacing. She spent much longer there than Vesper, confirming that there wasn't a safe. Nikki winked at handed him his crowbar, gesturing toward the other spot on the wall. She patted Vesper on the shoulder to reassure her. 

"Well, this is the last spot I can see. If it's not this one, we may have to start tapping all the walls like idiots... but I don't think there's anything else hidden here."

Both women wore frowns, lost in their own thoughts, not even watching Tony as he chipped away at the bricks and mortar. Eventually, he exposed enough of the opening for someone to look in. Vesper tilted her head, indicating with a smirk that this time Nikki would have to be first to look. Nikki walked over, holding the lantern out in front of her. She reached up and peered over the top of the wall, looking for a while into the darkness. When she turned and spoke, she was smiling. Wide.

"Tony, finish the wall."

Hearing the excitement in her voice, Tony worked faster. Bricks seemed to fall away under his onslaught, and soon the area was totally clear. Nikki led the way in to what seemed like a closet. She rested her lantern on the dusty safe inside. It was large and formidable, seemingly impossible to move. 

"There's no way anyone carried this thing down here... it was built here... maybe by our friend in the other wall..."

Vesper paced back and forth in front of it as she spoke, like a young man building up courage to ask a woman to dance. Eventually, she moved forward, grabbing a cloth and wiping the dust away from it before blowing on the combination lock. She ran her fingers around the edges, getting a feel for it... while also checking if the combination was taped somewhere. It would certainly make things easier for her. Without finding anything, Vesper sighed. The hard way.

She rested on her knees, leaning forward and resting her ear against the safe as the world faded away. She was gone for a while, totally focused. Tony stared at Vesper until Nikki sent an elbow into his ribs, producing a sheepish grin. The guy on the ground moaned once, but he didn't wake up. Nikki even had another drink. Finally, there was a click. 

Vesper leaned back, sitting with her arms splayed to either side as she looked backward upside-down at Nikki.

"Want to do the honors, Nikki?" 

Kneeling next to Vesper, she breathed whisky into her face and grinned before delivering an impromptu smack on the lips. 

"You're amaz- amazing," she murmured, sloppy smile in place. "Whatever's in here, we split...after Tony the Tiger gets his cut, of course," she said, turning to deliver a friendly salute to the waiter behind them and landing on her ass as she did so.

"I meant to do that," she piped up defensively as she grasped the handle of the safe. "Let's see what our tax-evading friend left us," she said as she pulled the handle. As the door squealed a protest on unoiled hinges, Nikki and Vesper leaned forward expectantly.

Grover Cleveland stared back at them. Not the mustachioed President himself, but his image, several times over. Nikki picked up one of several dozen stacks of thousand-dollar bills and stared, dumbfounded.

"They're not even hundreds...they're thousands. That's...one-hundred thousand per stack, and...my God. We're millionaires," she said, her voice relaying the shock she found herself in. She'd half expected the safe to be empty, or full of something sentimental, rather than valuable. Blinking several times, she finally broke out of her spell and started grabbing stacks, shoving them into her purse until it simply couldn't fit anymore, then began shoving the remainder into any pockets she and Vesper had available. Twisting around and looking up, she tossed a stack overhead at Tony. 

"Thanks for the assist. You, uh. So maybe if, um. Yeah so my friend here might want you to work for her!" She blurted out as she stood unsteadily and wobbled towards the door. Vesper stared at her open-mouthed as she got to her feet. Nikki sent her a 'sorry, not sorry' grin and waited for the other two to finish gaping at each other awkwardly, then led the trio back through the tunnel and out the service entrance. As the three headed towards her car, Nikki started giggling.

Not only had they forgotten to pay their bar tab, but Vesper was going to have to sit in Tony's lap in the Lago if he intended to leave with them.