The Summer Strikes Back, Part 23

The Oasis Bar and Grill was one of the top beach bars in Atlantic City. Palm trees made from fabric and paper mache waved gracefully over real tropical plants imported from Hawaii and the Virgin Islands. Two long gleaming cherry wood bars were covered by authentic-looking tiki hut roofs. While the Oasis was mainly popular with some of the more well-heeled beach goers, its location on the other side of the Desert Sun Palace Casino also made it a watering hole for rich and powerful businessmen and mobsters from New York and Philadelphia looking to unwind and make a few new connections.

Luke barely paid attention to the women in pastel sundresses and scanty bikinis who tried to flirt with him, or the CEOs in linen suits who raised their eyebrows at his heavy leather jacket. He stopped right at the small tiki hut where people paid their cover charge. “I'm here to see Jasper Hutt,” he told the bored-looking man sitting at the front door.

“Jasper Hutt is busy.” The man didn't even look up from his copy of Playboy.

“I will speak to Jasper Hutt.” The boy laid the invitation and a ten dollar bill on the counter in front of him. “I want to make a bargain with him.”

“Bargain, huh?” Luke just smiled a bit as he slipped the cash into his pocket. “Sure, kid. You can try, but I don't think it'll do no good.” He pointed towards a table in the back corner, near the entrance to the beach. “He's over there, with his people and his new broad.”

Luke spied Leia immediately. She looked surprisingly serene, given she was wearing more makeup than the entire cast of the Broadway version of La Cage Aux Folles. The brilliant pink dress and wide-brimmed yellow straw hat with the daisy-yellow bow made her look like the china doll he'd seen in the gift shop in the lobby of the Claridge. He nodded at her. She wrinkled her nose at him, revealing how she really felt about all this.

Babe waylaid him as he wound through the crowd. “I was told you want to speak to Jasper Hutt. Whatever you have to say to him, you can say to me. He's busy with a business deal right now and can't be disturbed.”

Another flash of green was pressed into Babe's palm. “I must speak to Jasper. It's a matter of of some importance.”

The bald headed man regarded the bill for a second before finally tucking it into his jacket. “All right, then. Boss is this way. But he'll only give you a moment of his time. The Hutt is a very busy man.”

Luke wasn't sure he was even a man. It looked more like a slug in a pale blue striped linen suit stuffing bacon-wrapped scallops in his mouth. Every other morsel dripped down the bib on his pale yellow Pierre Cardin shirt. The coarse, dark tuft of hair on his head was combed in such a way for people to avoid noticing his rather obvious toupee. Piggy eyes peered over a glass of red wine as Babe gently shook his shoulder. “Hey boss, kid here wants to speak to ya. Something about a bargain.”

Leia couldn't believe how mature and calm her goofy brother looked. Despite the sweat under the leather jacket, he was barely ruffled. She had no idea where he got the all-black ensemble – black trousers, shoes, leather jacket, cotton shirt. A black fingerless glove hid the cast on his right hand.

For her part, she was trying hard to be demure and silly and not slap Jasper's hand every time his fingers slid up to her panties. She wanted him to believe she'd fallen for his earlier ruse and was under the influence of the drugs in the tea. Shopping with him this morning had been enough of a nightmare. Nothing was good enough. He bellowed at every shop clerk in the entire mall, tossing aside dozens of dresses, shoes, purses, stockings, and hair accessories. At least there wasn't enough room in the stores for anyone besides Jasper and Babe to watch her try on gowns.

“Mr. Hutt.” Luke took the nearest chair, pushing himself between the slug and his sister. “It's...interesting...to meet you.” He shook the slug's lumpy hand. It was cold and greasy, like shaking a block of lard. “My name is Luke Walker. I was told you once knew my older brother Adam and Miss Ahsoka Tano. Miss Tano mentioned to me that they once helped you with a...little difficulty...with your toddler son, and you in turn sponsored several local surfing tournaments.”

Jasper's bloated lips managed a smirk. “You think I care now? They broke up years ago. I was killin' off little punks like you when your Knights meant something.”

“I want to make a deal with you.” Luke pulled up the chair closer to Jasper, close enough to smell the fish and cigar smoke on his breath. “Release Captain Solokowski, Ms. Walker, and Mr. Bachman, and we'll let you in on the profits when we take down Empire Industries. I've heard you're no fonder of them than we are. According to The Press of Atlantic City, they've been muscling in on your turf.”

Jasper gave a booming laugh and snapped his fingers. A hulking man in a suit that was almost as dark as Luke's clothes materialized at his side, as if by magic. “Hey Hugo, get rid of Blondie for me. Don't pulverize him completely. We're in public. Just show him who's boss.”

The moment Hugo lifted Luke off his feet, he kicked the man in the knee. The giant bodyguard went down, dropping Luke onto the neighboring table. “Uh, sorry!” The two men and lady who were eating crab legs gasped as the young man got to his feet. “Didn't mean to make a mess!”

Leia's eyes widened as the goon stumbled after the kid who kicked him. “Luke,” she screamed, “watch out! Here he comes!” She stood to help him, but Babe grabbed her by the shoulders and held her to the chair.

“Thanks, sis!” Her brother managed to dive away just in time, letting the man run right past him. He finally tumbled head over heels into the bar, taking four surfer's drinks with him.

Luke managed to leap over a wall and onto the beach as three more men in dark suits hurried after him. He grabbed a raft from a rack of navy canvas rentals and swung it at one man, knocking him over. Another man ran right into it as Luke turned around. The third toppled to the sand after Luke hit him in the crotch. He threw it at his head, then tried to make his way to the boardwalk. It was slow going around thousands of blankets, towels, chairs, and umbrellas. The hot sand kept getting in his new black loafers, and he really wished Leia hadn't borrowed his old sneakers.

The boardwalk was in sight when he ran head-long into what he at first thought was a wall. Wait. This wall wore a navy shirt soaked in martinis and beer and had a chest with more hair than on Charlie's head. Shoes stained with brandy dug into a towel ringed with sunblock and the novelization of Return of the Jedi. Hands the size of t-bone steaks reached for Luke's arms.

Luke managed to duck under him long enough to grab the ends of the towel. Before Hugo even realized what was going on, he yanked the towel out from under his feet, sending him into the sand with a thump that caused two near-by sandcastles to collapse. While two mothers hit the big man with their beach bags, the boy made his way to the boardwalk.

Three more men in dark suits greeted him the moment he got up the ramp. “What, do you guys multiply or something?” He grabbed an empty rolling wicker chair sitting nearby and shoved it at one man, cutting him off. The second one fell over him after he bent over to pick up the keys to his room at the Claridge, stumbling into the women's bathroom.

He should have been paying attention to the third. The man took a swing at his chin. All Luke saw for a few minutes was stars as he smacked hard into the wood planks.

Two big arms reached over and yanked him to his unsteady feet. Through the dull ache on his chin, he could vaguely see the crowd of tourists and beach bums who had gathered around when the commotion started. The man with the baby-faced pink bald head and narrowed reddish-brown eyes thrust Luke's hands behind him, binding them with a scarf grabbed from one of the cheap souvenir stores.

Jasper rolled up, Leia tottering behind him on pink heels. She giggled and nibbled on Jasper's ear to hide how terrified she was. “I'd have you tossed into the hoosegow for makin' a scene, but my new toy here says you're her twin brother. Even though you don't look nothin' alike.” The slug's idea of a grin spread across his lips. “I might be able to have some fun with you an' Solokowski tonight at the party. We could use a sensational new act, somethin' even bigger n' that livin' statue routine.”

Luke gave him a frosty glare he'd gotten off of Leia. “You should have bargained, Hutt.”

Jasper smirked. Babe pushed Leia into his lap, letting his boss stroke her mostly bare chest. “I'm sure, Blondie. I'll see you tonight.”

Leia was barely able to exchange frustrated looks with her brother before he was pushed along to the back entrance of the Desert Sun Palace. “This is the last mistake you'll ever make!” he called over his shoulder.

“I'm sure, Blondie.” Jasper threw his arms around Leia, holding her tightly to him. “Come on, dolly. You've had a busy day. Time to rest and dress you for the party tonight.”

As Babe wheeled them into the lobby, a familiar face in white shorts and a pale blue Ralph Lauren polo shirt winked at her. She managed to give Lance a tiny smile back before he pulled his straw fedora over his eyes and made his way towards the kitchens. He was going to have to tell Chip and Arturro what was going on so they could revise their plans and get a hold of the cops, and maybe even the FBI. This was big stuff...too big for them to go it alone.