The hotel looked like it catered to the business traveler as
well as the wealthy tourist, for its amenities were numerous and
the rates on the high end. An employee in uniform was standing
behind the marble counter.
"May I ask your departure date, Mr Ashe?"
"The 4th. November 4th." replied the enigmatic man wearing a
tuxedo. He handed his credit card over the counter.
"Very well, Sir. Let me enter this in our system and I'll be back
to you in a few minutes."
As the concierge disappeared behind a closed door, the visitor
looked around him. The lobby was decorated with a latin theme with
some paintings depicting scenery from Spain and a tango music
playing in the background. The setting reminded him of his last
hunting trip in the Sierra Nevada with Charlie, the man who had
sent him on this mission to retrieve "the cache" as he had simply
described it. As these last words echoed in his head, the clerk
came back through the door.
"Alright! you're all set until the first week of November." he
announced proudly as he called the valet by producing a loud
clapping noise multiplied by the echo in the empty lobby.
"Shall we make arrangements for a shuttle to the airport on that
date?" he inquired.
"Sure", said the man. "International terminal, Delta airlines
flight 101".
"Very well." Here is your valet, he'll accompany you to your room.
"Oscar, please show this gentleman to his room."
The valet loaded the guest's three suitcases on his cart and
walked briskly through the lobby, whistling in tune with the tango
music. As the two entered the first of the hotel's elevators, the
man couldn't help noticing that a classical version of the same
tango tune was filling the car.
As they arrived at the room number, the man slipped a couple of
bills in the valet's hand.
"Thank you very much, Sir", said the valet as he started to walk
away.
The man stopped him. "Wait a minute... there's a keypad on this
door. What's the code?"
"Ha! ... That, you will have to figure it out on your own, Sir..."
said the valet with a strange smile. "Or should I call you...
Mike?" he added with a wink.
The man suddenly felt uneasy. He had been uncovered. His task
suddenly appeared to be harder than he had anticipated.