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50. The Stratosphere

"We're here," Bubba said as the cab lurched to a relieved halt in front of the bright neon entrance to the massive skyscraper.

"We're all sorry, Bubba," Ethan chimed in.

"It's done," said Bubba. "Maybe I got a little too excited back there. Maybe I need to apologize, too. I owe your daddy, Antoine. You'll never know how much. If something happened to you on my watch-"

"I understand Bubba and you don't owe me an apology for anything. Like I said, you're right and I'm a smarter guy now."

"One more thing. I sit right here while you go ridin' those infernal death traps." He made eye contact with all of them. "Don't neva go wanderin' 'round Vegas again, lest Bubba clears it first."

Everybody nodded.

"Now go have some fun."

There were smiles all around as they climbed out of the cab and headed towards the imposing skyscraper. Tommy started on his tour guide monologue, "This was supposed to be the tallest building in the world but it would have interfered with the airport so they had to scale it down to 1,149 feet."

"Not interesting, Tommy," quipped Ethan as they walked through the entranceway.

"In the nineties the tower caught fire and they went bankrupt."

"Not interesting, Tommy," echoed Antoine.

"The top of the tower has two observations decks, a revolving restaurant and four thrill rides."

"Now we're interested,"

Tommy led the way to the elevators. "Big Shot at 1,081 feet is the highest thrill ride in the world. And then, Insanity, 900 feet up, the second highest thrill ride in the world." He caught their eyes, "It dangles riders over the edge of the tower and then spins in a circular pattern at forty miles per hour."

They were all ears now. Kaitlin looked a little more terrified than the rest. "And then, SkyJump Las Vegas. It's a controlled descent, bungee jumping ride that drops riders 855 feet." He raised his voice like he was announcing a heavyweight fight, "and finally, X-Scream at 866 feet."

"How do you know all this stuff?" said Antoine.

Tommy pulled a brochure from his back pocket. The three of them rushed him much to the annoyance of the other elevator riders. He pushed them back as he continued, "And did you know that two riders were left dangling 700 feet above Las Vegas Boulevard when Insanity glitched up?"  Everyone in the elevator went silent. "And five people have jumped to their death since the ride opened."

"Was that in the brochure?" asked a startled passenger.

Tommy smiled. "No. I made that up but did you know elevators smell different to midgets?"

Ethan and Antoine burst out laughing as the doors opened and they were looking out at a vast lighted landscape below them and then pitch black beyond the edge of the city.

By no coincidence, Antoine managed to sit with Kaitlin for rides one and two. Screaming and holding on to him so tightly he thought she would choke him, not that he was complaining. Tommy and Ethan were in the seats directly behind them and both of them were a little jealous not having their own terrified female grabbing onto them.

After the first two rides Tommy and Kaitlin were 'thrilled' enough and chose to watch as Antoine and Ethan did the testosterone thing with each other. First, SkyJump Las Vegas, and finally the XScream. They watched with amusement as Antoine and Ethan both got off XScream looking pretty shaky. Ethan looked noticeably whiter than a ghost.

"Want to go again?" said Antoine as he looked at Ethan's pale discomfort.  

"I think I've had enough. I need to get out of here."

The boys weren't about to show Ethan any mercy but Kaitlin realized Ethan had more than enough. She pointed them towards the elevator.

"Well, well." Said the vaguely recognizable voice behind them. Tommy didn't even have to turn to recognize Austin's voice. "Couldn't handle the rides?"

They turned to face him, nose bandaged and eyes black, standing there with his cohort, Terence of the wired up jaw. Antoine and Tommy stepped directly in front of Ethan and into their faces. "Hey white boy, that's some kind of wire job you got on your jaw, how'd you get that?"

"Shaddup," was about all Terence could mumble through his jaw restraints.

"Pardon me, but you've obviously mistaken me for someone who gives a damn." Tommy said it as he reached over and grabbed Austin by the nose as the latter let out a yelp like you hear when you step on a dog's paw. "It's getting better. Those eyes are starting to turn green now."

Terence and Austin backed off to protect their respective injuries from further advances.

"Enough. Let's go," said Kaitlin. She stepped in and pushed the boys back towards the elevator.

"Coming?" Antoine shot back at Austin and Terrence. The two shook their heads, wisely deciding to wait for the next elevator. "See you losers at the tournament."

The elevator descent seemed much more extreme than the ride up as Ethan's stomach did the 'here I come' dance. "You okay?" said a concerned Kaitlin. "Are you going to make it down?"

"Yeah, just get me out of here. I don't want to puke in the elevator.