The Wager — Robert L. Fish

A reckless bet in a New York club draws Kek Huuygens into a deadly game

As rain pummels Manhattan, two men play blackjack in one of New York's most exclusive clubs. After an evening of comfortable low-stakes play, Kek Huuygens makes an outlandish bet: $10,000 on the next hand. He can afford it. The most accomplished smuggler in Europe, Huuygens never makes a bet unless he is sure to win. He is a lucky man, but his luck is about to be tested.
 
In the shadows, Victor Girard -- a French gangster who gambles not just with money, but with people's lives as well -- watches him place the bet. Like his opponent, Girard prefers sure things. He knows Huuygens' reputation, and offers him $50,000 to bring a certain priceless item through United States customs. Huuygens has made a career humiliating border agents, but he will find that Americans are not so easy to fleece -- and that this is a wager that he cannot afford to lose.