The borrowed waiter's uniform felt like a costume for a play he never auditioned for. The starched white shirt was too tight around his neck, and the black pants were too short. Ace stood in the cramped, hot staff bathroom deep inside The Sapphire Lounge, staring at his reflection. He didn't see a tech entrepreneur looking back. Instead, he saw a scared kid who was about to do something very stupid.
"Can you hear me?" Evelyn's voice was a faint whisper in his one way earpiece. "Testing. Ace, confirm."
He tapped the tiny device twice, which was their pre-arranged signal for "I hear you."
"Good," she replied. "Silva is in position at The Driftwood Bar, and I'm parked three blocks away. The police bands are quiet. Remember, the code word is checkmate. The second you hear it, you must drop everything and run for the service exit. Understood?"
He tapped twice again, his throat too dry to form any words.
