Summary: Ray learns that "each other" is actually two words.
Chapter 19
Ray was jittery. He couldn't help it, he just was. It had been two months since Jack landed the plane on Power Street, a stunt the media was still all over. The Fake AH Crew's credibility was in a huge upswing among the criminals of Los Santos because no one knew the disastrous failures that lie behind the flash and dumb luck. One would think the rise in approval and fear would be enough to placate Burnie and Matt.
It was not. At least not for Matt. Burnie, being the left hand and the enforcer of the Rooster Teeth Syndicate, was pleased with the improving image of the Fake AH Crew. While money was essential, he understood that building a reputation was just as necessary.
Matt on the other hand, only cared for the dollar signs. Matt was displeased. When Matt was displeased, you prayed that you could live long enough to fix it.
All that being said, Ray was nervous because this was their final attempt. This was his first chance and also the Fake AH Crew's last chance. If they failed this job, Matt was going to pull the proverbial plug on their literal lives. Sure, they could run and all of them did have contingency plans to get themselves and their families out but somewhere in the back of Ray's mind he knew, like the others, that running would buy time. They would be found and killed eventually. Therefore his plan had to work.
Ray was tired though. So tired of the killing, robbing, and failing. He never told the rest of the Crew, but some days he wished that he could abandon the gang. He wished he could devote his crack shot skills to Call of Duty and Halo, wished he could stay up late capturing videos and doing ridiculous things in Minecraft for the videos instead of patching up wounds in the back of vans and dodging exploding vehicles and gun fire. He wanted to be Achievement Hunter, not Fake AH Crew, he was burnt out.
He didn't have the luxury of being burnt out however. For now he had to come up with a plan. If his plan worked, they had time, time to perhaps dial down the gang and dial up the content for Achievement Hunter. He could dream.
Geoff opened the door to the bathroom on the lot of the Rooster Teeth office complex and squeezed in between Ryan and Jack, added a new glare to the group's surly and uncomfortable looks. Ray was by the toilet with the map of Los Santos tacked up on the wall, looking jumpy. Michael and Gavin were closest to him and the whole lot of them were asses to elbows in this cramped bathroom.
Why the fuck had they agreed to meeting in the god damn bathroom?
"Ray, why are we here again?" Geoff asked.
Ray nodded seriously, giving Geoff a meaningful look. "We've been playing a lot of Watch Dogs recently," he said, "And we've learned that you can hack everything, but there's no electronics in here." Ray was referring to the oddly disappointing but still entertaining video game that had recently been released. They had been doing quite a few Let's Plays in it and the game involved a lot of hacking and surveillance. It occurred to Ray that given the level of insight Matt had into their plans, it was entirely possible he had the heist room bugged. On the off chance this failed too, Ray wanted Matt to not know the details.
It made sense to Ray if no one else.
Ryan pointed up at the ceiling light. "There's a light," he said, indicating a flaw in Ray's "no electronics in here" theory.
Ray glared first at Ryan then up at the light. "You can't see anything through the light, it's fine."
"I got it!" Gavin said, reaching over Michael and past Geoff to flip the light switch, plunging them all into darkness.
"That's great," Ray said sarcastically.
Gavin flipped the switch back and grinned sheepishly at the group. "Sorry guys."
Ray shook his head and looked down at his notes. "Anyway, heist will begin! This heist is operation W.A.F.F.L.E." He looked back up at his friends. "W.A.F.F.L.E stands for "We're all friends, friends love each other," he explained. He had thought long and hard about the name. Given all the backstabbing going around and the tentative reunification they recently had, he thought a name reminding them of their friendship would be a brilliant idea.
…that was until yesterday when he was writing up his plan and learned that each other was in fact two words. Oops. He had a plan for that, but he mentally braced himself for ridicule before continuing.
"Learned yesterday that each other was two words," he said quickly as everyone made to open their mouth and correct him. The gang laughed. "So it will be W.A.F.F.L.E.-O." he said, indicating an O he had hastily scribbled on to the map. In a half-hearted attempt to salvage his previously brilliant operation name, he had made the O look like a waffle.
They all had to pause for a moment as Geoff lost it completely and laughed until his sides hurt. Ryan finally elbowed him into silence so Ray could continue.
"Yeah…very disappointed when I found out 'each other' was two words," he muttered. "Anyway. We're not going to fuck each other, we're all good friends." The others grinned and Ray pointed at Jack. "Jack had a sweet heist last time and a good take off and it worked well, so we can do this."
The others did seem encouraged by the memory of that spectacular landing last time and Ray was encouraged by their positive response.
"First things first," Ray said. "We're all going to go by middle names, mass confusion." Ray consulted his list of middle names and grinned as he looked up at Jack. "Jack, you're Shannon, which works out since you're clearly a girl." Jack rolled his eyes as the others laughed. "Geoff you're Lazer, coolest middle name ever." Geoff nodded and was once again grateful for changing his name. "Michael, you're Vincent, Gavin's David and Ryan your middle name is James."
Ryan paused and gave Ray a weird look. "Um…my middle name is Ryan."
"Yeah but you already go by your middle name so use your first name," Ray said with a dismissive wave and moved on. "I don't have a middle name, which I probably should have realized, so I will go as The Artist Formerly Known As Ray, or TAFKAR."
"Next up," he said, moving to item two on his list. "Matching suits, with different masks, kind of like Reservoir Dogs"
"Nice!" Ryan said appreciatively. "I like it."
"Good idea," Geoff added.
"Just make sure you look as cool as possible," Ray added. "See I have it right here: look as cool as possible." He pointed to his notes and underlined "Look as cool as possible" a few times so they could all see it.
"So after suits and masks the only vehicles we are going to need are a Limo and a cargo bob."
It wouldn't be a heist without a cargobob. Ryan looked intrigued and the others curious bordering on skeptical because really how could you escape cops in a limo. Still, Ray was undaunted and outlined his plan.
"Here's what we're gonna do," he said. "We're going to acquire an armored truck. We are gonna pickup said armored truck and put it on a train. So kinda what Ryan did except you only have to lift up like…one story."
"Much closer," Ryan added.
"Much closer," Ray agreed. It surprised no one else that Ray had modeled his plan slightly off of Ryan's. Despite frequent betrayals, they were very like-minded and since Michael's job in particular had developed a tight bond. Geoff was skeptical about picking up another armored truck and Jack, Michael, and Gavin were downright nervous since they nearly blew up in the last attempt, but perhaps this time it would be easier and closer as Ray and Ryan had pointed out.
"Then we are going to rob it and get out here," he said, pointing to a point on the map where the train tracks curved away by the water. "We'll also have to put the limo on the train. If it doesn't fit…or we suck, we'll put it here at this drop off point." Ray pointed to a big X on Trevor's airfield which was by train exit point. "We're gonna NOT drive here, because they are going to expect it. We're instead going to get in the limo, in style with our money, and drive alllllllll the way down here," he traced the long winding road down the coast and through the city to the outskirts. "We've got quite a drive ahead of us. I don't know who's going to drive, we'll figure it out based on who's still in play. Then we're going to blow up the limo, destroy the evidence.
"Then we're going to find a six man cargobob, or a fucking Titan, whatever. Take it to the big building at the center of town we're we tried the Wrecking Ball job, divvy up the money, and then we're all gonna skydive off." Ra looked around at the group. "Very simple, any questions?" He had kept it simple on purpose. Their only successful job, Michael's, had been simple enough and had worked. He figured the simpler the better here.
Ryan pointed at the map, to a crudely drawn picture of a shark in the water off the coast of Los Santos. "What's the shark for?"
"They're dangerous in water," Ray said matter-of-factly. Ryan nodded sagely in complete understanding, as did Gavin and Michael. Geoff and Jack scratched their heads. What the fuck did a shark, or water, have to do with this heist?
"Who's responsible for the limo?" Jack asked, trying to refocus the group who were discussing the nonsensical symbols scribbled on the map.
"Oh yeah I didn't go over duties!" Ray exclaimed, looking back down at his notes.
"Duty goes there Ray," Michael joked, pointing at the toilet. Ray laughed and immediately sat on the toilet.
Ray returned to his notes. "I will be the limo and the train guy." He looked up at Jack. "Cargobob, obviously Jack, you fly the best." Jack nodded and grinned under his beard. "Michael and Ryan will help Jack. When he picks up the armored car he'll trigger the cops so you guys help defend Jack." Ryan shot finger guns at him to indicate he understood and Michael nodded, his hand drifting almost unconsciously to the gun at his hip. "Gavin and Geoff, Plan G, you're in charge of getting the armored truck, driving it to the train and all that. Geoff and Ryan had a previous incident so I figure I can't put them together next best thing."
Ryan smiled at Geoff in a "you know you love me" way. Geoff flipped Ryan off and scowled.
"And it's as simple as that!" Ray said cheerfully. "We meet at Michael's tomorrow and away we go!"
The gang started to file out of the bathroom while Ryan gathered his notes and the map. Geoff paused to congratulate Ray on an easy plan. Geoff had high hopes for this one and appreciated the fact that Ray wasn't caught up in the need to show off or get flashy. Gavin wished the pan had more glitz, but at least it seemed easy. Michael was just grateful to not have been killed in the last job and Jack was equally grateful that Gavin was nowhere near the cargobob this time.
The gang left and Ray finished gathering his things and exited the bathroom. He was surprised to find Ryan waiting for him, his arms folded over his chest and giving Ray a knowing look.
"Pretty easy plan you had there," he said, nodding at the map and notes in Ray's hand. "Very unlike what I would expect from you. Almost like you aren't trying."
Ray sighed. "We have to keep it simple to succeed."
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"
"Since now," Ray snapped. "If this fails we're dead, you do realize that, right? Why is no one acting like it?"
"They're afraid," Ryan said. "We're all afraid to acknowledge it. Well that and Geoff says he is working on a back-up plan in case we do fail this time. A group job. He's pitched it to Matt and Matt seems into the idea."
Ray shifted uncomfortably. "So if we succeed here, we're done."
Ryan shrugged. "You know Matt. He'll jump on any chance to bring in revenue. We'll probably have to go forward with it anyway."
"God damn it," Ray grumbled. "God damn it!"
Ryan fixed Ray with a piercing look. "See this is what I am talking about. You're edgy and scared, which I get, but you are withdrawn and the plan you made doesn't seem like a Ray-like plan. What's wrong?"
Ray sighed heavily. "Aren't you tired, Ryan?" he asked quietly. "Aren't you tired of the killing and the robbing and the target on our back? I wish we could drop the Crew and juts…stick to Achievement Hunter. Just be a bunch of idiots making videos instead of a bunch of idiots two steps from getting their ass killed." He shook his head. "Do you know what I mean?"
"No," Ryan replied. "No I don't, but then. We all know I am crazy and I like the chaos and violence. I get where you're coming from though, Ray." Ryan stepped forward and clasped the younger man's shoulder briefly. "We're all tired, we're all stressed, and we're all running a little scared though. But the fact is we all signed up for this. Maybe we didn't know what we're getting into at the time, but we knew when we started it wouldn't end until we were dead or until the Syndicate let us go when we are all old and decrepit." He released Ray and stepped back.
"You gotta hang in there," Ryan told him. "You can't slip up because you're tired and burnt out. You gotta keep your head or you'll die. I'd rather that not happen."
Ray looked up at Ryan, appreciating the fact that Ryan was his friend. Somehow in all of this craziness, he knew that he and Ryan had each other's back. They were a team, just like Geoff and Jack were a team and Michael and Gavin were a team too. Somehow it carried over to all of them looking out for each other. They were a Crew and despite the danger and chaos, Ray was grateful for it. Still, as Ryan walked away he found himself saying aloud the thought he had been sitting on since Michael's heist.
"If I see a way out, I'm taking it," Ray said. "Not…not like I'm going to die. But if I can get out, I will."
"Yeah, Ryan replied, not turning around. "You probably wouldn't be the only one either. See you tomorrow. Ray."
Ray sighed heavily again and walked off into the fading daylight.