Gambler Jack/Chapter 5


 * -|English= Chapter 5 - The Invitation

Halle's fingers sought out the trigger of her gun.

There wasn't a man in this bar who could find the courage to stop her. The punks and hoods just cowered, whispering from their seats.

'SHUT UP, all'a ya!' Jack shouted over the buzz.

The chatter in the bar stilled.

Grinding his back teeth, Jack looked straight into the girl's eyes.

'...That's right. My goal is revenge,' she seethed, 'But...it won't mean anything like this.'

Halle lowered her gun.

As Jack watched the barrel of the weapon slide away from his chest, confusion creased his face.

Halle continued talking.

'Over these last three years, I've spent blood, sweat, and tears to learn to be as good as I am.'

With that, the girl threw a card in Jack's face. It was some kind of invitation.

'I have a stage that's better suited to settling this all ready for us,' she said, never giving Jack a moment to protest. 'We'll finish our match there. It'll be one of the poker matches you love oh-so dearly. And I swear, I'll make sure you eat your full share of misery and bitterness after the slop you forced my father to swallow.'

With her threat lingering in the air, Halle disappeared.

Unable to grasp the meaning in the girl's words, Jack just sat there for a while. Finally, he picked up the card that had fallen to the floor and read the text printed on it.

[Tomorrow night at 10, come to the harbor.]

'The harbor? Huh. It can't be...'

A sense of foreboding ran through the back of Jack's mind.

As he was about to crush the card in his hand, a small signature on the back caught his eye.

[Enrique]

The penmanship was familiar...as was the name.

'...

...Oh, man.'

Jack's sense of foreboding would prove right.
 * -|Japanese= 第５回　招待状

ハルの指が導力銃の引き金にかかる.

この酒場に、彼女を止めるような勇気のある者などいない. ゴロツキどもはただうろたえ、遠巻きに騒ぎ立てるだけだった.

「てめえら、うるせえぞ！」イラついたジャックが一喝する. すると、ものの見事に静寂が訪れる.

ジャックは奥歯をかみ締めたまま、その瞳でしっかりと少女を見据えた.

「……そうよ、私の目的は敵討ち. 」

「でもこんな形じゃ意味がないの. 」ハルが突然、導力銃を下ろした.

思いも寄らぬハルの行動にジャックは戸惑いを隠せない. そんなジャックに向かってハルは続けた. 「……私はこの３年間、それこそ血のにじむ思いをしてここまでの腕を身に付けたわ. 」

そこまで言うと彼女は、ジャックに向かってカードを投げつけた. 何かの招待状のようだ.

「決着にふさわしい舞台を用意してあるの. 勝負の続きはその場所で行いましょう. 」

「あなたがとっても大好きなポーカー勝負よ. 」

「父が味わった悔しさ、惨めさ……その全てをあなたにも味わわせてあげる. 」そう言い残し、ハルは酒場から消えた.

少女の言葉の意味する所がつかめず、ジャックはしばらく呆然としていた. 床に落ちたカードを拾い上げ、そこに刻まれた文字を眺める.

『明日の夜１０時、港に来い. 』

「港……か、まさかな……」イヤな予感がジャックの脳裏をかすめる. カードを握りつぶそうとした時、裏側に書かれた小さなサインが目に飛び込んだ. 「エンリケ」見慣れた筆致……それはジャックが知る、ある男の名だった.

「……………………………………………何てこった. 」ジャックの予感は確信に変わった.