Arc 3 - Chapter 26: Planning The Heist

Several minutes afterwards…

Sweeping through the desolate dark, was nothing more than a brown van breaking through. Red dirt blowing against the sides, trickles of grain pinched the metal. But inside, all of them sat in their assigned seats. All ready, the meeting commenced.

“I think we have made some mistakes on our previous raid.”

Everyone looked toward the hole that Luke spoke out of, one in which he had his lips hover near. Although most of his face wasn’t seen, they still listened. Not because they had no choice, but because all of their luck rode on grit.

“The decoy strategy was a bust. We’re good at plans, we’re sufficient with our brains, but being sneaky is one thing we can’t do.”

In their raid on the ranch, they were plucked out like sticks. As if they were weeds laying near concrete, hiding their presence was by all means weak. Even when they had the strength to back them up, Luke knew the absolute danger if that same scenario happened again.

Especially in regards to a train.

“To raid a train, stealth is the deciding factor. If we succeed, it would be a cakewalk. If not; the difficulty would be ramped up to eleven.”

“So?”

“So we need info.”

From his right hand, Luke jabbed it into his pocket. Having his knuckles graze the fabric of his jacket, it didn’t take long before he pulled out a simple note.

Being the same note that Sean stole, he then pushed his hand forward. Having it grapple with his fingers, it stalled in the air, before someone swiped it away. Looking like it was Sean, he had his other hand in his pocket, while his main one held the small note.

“I don’t want to jump in blind like several hours prior. We need a mole.”

“And I have just the man in mind.”

Bringing his left hand out, it was balled, with knuckles dry and parched with water. Chuckling out a grin, it reeked with mischief, making Luke furrow his brow upon the elf’s weird face. Until he opened all of his fingers, allowing whatever he held in his palm to be seen.

Showcasing the card to everyone, Luke squinted his eyes.

“That business card…”

“He’s just a simple call away.”

“Do you think he’ll help us? He doesn’t seem the type to actually fight.”

“No, but you said you need intel.”

Luke softly scratched his cheek. Rolling them out from the depths of his pores, he slowly nodded, as the intel came to him in a steady flow. Up and down, up and down, it marinated within his brain folds the longer he nodded.

Until he raised his eyes.

“How did you know Johnny?”

“Wait, you know Johnny too?”

“Well, yeah. He helped us in the defense of Lagefor. He and Elizabeth.”

Sean laid his eyes on the card again, and slightly tightened the grip on the paper. For just one nod, he then pushed the small paper note into his jacket, not the card. With a casual face, he lowered his words to a whisper.

“Then that might explain the sudden cold feet…”

“What?”

“Forget it. Anyway, let’s just give him a call, yeah?”

Sean cocked his head to the right, all the while his eyes laid on Luke. Even though he couldn’t capture his whole face, Luke himself slumped his eyes down.

Staring onto the metallic flooring of the van, he felt it rumble with every pothole and crack. The more he acknowledged the card’s existence, the more he trailed his thoughts to one man…

—If Johnny’s playing both sides, I have a feeling it won’t end up good for him…

But Johnny was smart. Satisfying both parties, he didn’t care whether one side won or lost. He wants himself and Elizabeth to be safe, a goal that Luke found reasonable.

—Then again, we need that info.

Luke finally turned his eyes toward Sean, and gave him a small nod. One that was weak, almost shyful, the words that were thrown were shrouded in lowness.

“Alright Sean. Dial him in.”

With the card gripped by his fingers, he used his other hand to jab inside his pocket. Taking out a simple phone, it looked to be a walkie-talkie. Almost classified looking, all he did was dial the keypad, until the metal began to ring.

As they waited for an answer, all that they could do was hear the static play. Christian, who pushed his lazy eyes on Luke, laid his elbows onto his knees.

“So how would we raid a train without injury? Got any ideas?”

Luke raised his right hand up to the back of his head, while the noise allowed him to think.

If he were to guard a treasure on a moving train, it would have to be moving frequently. Not only that, but it would be easier to move a train with less stops, and with less eyes.

“Well for one, we need to know how many guards are boarding that train.”

“Keep in mind, this train belongs to the Zirardges. They aren’t just going to let this fly by.” Said Miles.

“Worst case, they probably doubled the amount because of the ranch raid.” Said Christian.

“All the more reason not to go.”

“Amen.”

Luke tightened his right hand, but he didn’t make it seem like he withheld frustration. Thinking upon it more, the guards can be doubled depending on Doug’s wishes. If he was smart, he would request more men to secure the train.

But Sean clicked his tongue. Shaking his head back and forth, he folded his arms beneath his chest. With the phone still ringing on his thigh, its quiet yet rhythmic melody still rang.

“But hold on. Wouldn’t the guards be lessened from the raid? Keep in mind, there’s the chance they reassign guards to protect the ranch, now that most of the original ones are injured.”

“But they have money. They could find more angry men from God knows where.” Said Miles.

“Yeah. No point in—”

After quite a while, the ringing finally ceased. From the other end of the line, was a young man whose voice was filled with exhaustion.

“H-Hello? Who is this?”

“Johnny? How you doing?”

“Ah crap … so I’m guessing you all made it out of there in one piece.”

Inside a small warm room, Johnny rubbed his face with his other hand, while his primary grappled the phone. Mostly scratching his cheek and temple, dark eyebags sunk his eyes, while a cat-girl laid in bed. Snoring quietly, most of her body was covered in heavy blankets, while Johnny sat on the edge.

“Why are you calling me now? It’s past midnight.”

“We’re just here to steal some of your family’s fortunes. No harm, no foul.”

“But there will be harm. My father is hellbent on getting you guys now. So why steal our fortune?”

“Because we need the money, duh.”

Both of them stared in silence.

Johnny huffed out a single long breath, one filled with stress and exhaustion. With everyone hearing it from the other end, the one person who hadn’t discussed it with them was Luna. Her arms folded beneath her chest, and her back straightened, she rumbled her vocals to make them clear.

“Why the hell is Kenichi with you guys!? I thought he sided with the undead!?”

“Kenichi? You ran into him?”

“What do you think?!”

“Well uh … here’s the thing. My father has never told anyone about Kenichi’s past. Not even I know where he’s from.”

Luna huffed and growled, before rolling her eyes and adjusting her back. Having one knee over the other, one vein roamed on her right temple, as she kept to herself.

Luke took a big sweep of breath. Letting it sweep down his throat, and into his lungs, he expanded them with air. Pushing the air out, he softened his chest that felt prickled in ice.

“Johnny. The reason we called you here is because of intel. We want to know all about this Zirardge train, and you’re the closest we could count on.”

From the other end, Johnny laid his left hand onto his cheek, his palm holding up his head. Feeling the exhaustion take over already, he stared at the wooden desk, one laminated in brim brown.

While Luke felt the silence. Everyone did.

“Look, you don’t have to help us fight. You don’t have to be on our side. We just want the general info about this train. Nothing more, nothing less.”

But his words alone lifted Johnny’s head.

Letting his left hand drop, he didn’t adjust his back that was slouched on his seat. Wanting to crackle the phone with just his fingers, he stalled, before he arched his head up toward the ceiling.

“The train is 30 carts long.”

“30 carts?”

“And the width takes up two railroad tracks, which means it’s two to three times larger in size.”

Luke and the others began to nod, with Sean leveling out a simple grin from his right corner. Taking in the train’s size, it meant it would be huge, or rather hard for it to be missed.

Huge in width, long in size, that would also leave guarding it to be hard. If the train housed family treasure, then that meant a plentiful amount of guards would patrol the carts. Luke knew of this, and felt his words be drawn out.

“So then…”

“There are 300 guards stationed on that train alone, with each cart stationing 10 guards. But think again…”

Johnny finally sat upright with a normal back. His right elbow pressed on the desk, he stared into the clear window from his room. Smoke circling all over the sky, a couple of embers floated in the lethal fog.

While he narrowed his eyes.

“The train is like a dungeon. The rear carts are the safest, and the front ones are the most dangerous. But the guards on that train are equal in strength to the guards protecting the ranch.”

Sean clicked his tongue, as the thought of the ranch guards put him in ease. Although they were trained to be defensive, the guards were terrible from an improvising standpoint. For such skilled shooters, most of them faltered under the heavy stress the Pacithiests gave them.

And it led to the Dark Angels victory.

“Unlike the ranch however, the train is restricted in movement. Hope your group likes close quarters, because most guards who guard the train wield trench guns.”

“Damn. And we could’ve used Luna to deal with most of them.”

Luna scoffed through dry lips, and dropped her right leg from her knee.

Sean ruffled some of his hair, as his face mingled off sweat. Somewhat nervous, he didn’t dare to look at Luna, while Luke furrowed his brow at Johnny’s statement. Slowly nodding up and down, he rubbed his chin with one of his hands.

“Anything else that may be of use?”

“Well, there’s no way of sneaking in. All of the walls are coated in thick metal, and guards patrol every cart. Unless you’re a shadow, you and your group will have to fight your way to the treasure. But there’s a cheat code.”

Everyone perked their ears. Leaning closely toward the phone, they felt their tailbones be pressured against the metallic seats. Awaiting anything, any words that may be spoken out of, they all stalled their breaths for any syllable.

While Johnny glanced at his nails.

“If you guys could ambush it, or predict where it will travel through, it’s like hitting someone in the head with a baseball bat. Raiding the very first train cart, and down the line, will be your best course of action.”

Johnny then laid his hand on the desk, his palm staining the wood. Staining the wood, mingling it with humidity, he felt his irises strain by his continuing stare.

Sean only pushed up his grin, as his left hand scratched and rubbed the back of his neck. With sharp nails, he nodded smugly as the intel oiled his brain.

“And the treasure is at the very front right?”

“What do you think Sean?”

“I’m just trying to confirm. Jesus, how did you get so uptight?”

“If I’m uptight, then you’re a crackhead junkie. I’m not uptight. I’m not.”

Johnny felt his cheeks fluster red, before he averted his eyes to the wooden floor. Having a chokehold on the phone, he loosened his grip on the metal, before controlling his breath.

Getting up from the chair, he used his other hand to rub his eyes. Sensing that he was already groaning in exhaustion, Luke shyly rubbed the back of his head.

“Anyway … the train goes through all over Haxouburg. And it looks like you guys are heading South. What city are you driving toward?”

“Ridgemente.”

“Then the train will arrive at the port on the fifth of Reverence. Which is in two to three days from now.”

But there was one thing that didn’t sit right.

Miles rubbed his chin, as what Johnny said much earlier gnawed on his brain. Like his brain had turned to gum, the folds and pinkish matter was stretched and blown.

“Wait a minute. By port, do you mean in the city?”

“Yeah. What do you expect a port to be in?”

Everyone turned toward Sean. Shyly chuckling with nervousness filling him in, he laid his head on the metallic wall. Avoiding their glares, it was clear that his reputation was far below the standards of normal men.

“But before it stops at Ridgemente, it will make a refuel at Culkia. In the wetlands.”

“Culkia?! That shithole!?” Yelled Christian.

“Wait hold on, what’s Culkia?”

Pacifica and Chris giggled at Luke’s question, and Christian only sighed with an exasperated face. Looking like he was already embarrassed, Luke felt out of touch, like he was deciphering the meaning of an inside joke.

Hearing his two youngest siblings giggle loud, Christian closed his eyes and strained the words.

“It’s the armpit of the world, a place with the largest population of inbred people.”

““““““What?!?””””””

“My point exactly. Changing the subject … Johnny, I have one dire question.”

Christian glared at the phone, as the metal outline of the device was all alien. Unfamiliar with how it worked, he was never raised near tech. In fact, the closest device that he believed was subpar, was a radio.

But nonetheless—

“How do you know we were going South? The way you worded it made it seem as if you’re tracking us.”

Johnny dribbled out a small bandit of sweat. Letting it roll down his right temple, he scratched his left cheek, and looked toward the cat-girl who continued to sleep.

Seeing her snuggled in the blankets, her snores worsened the longer she was away from her. Tightening his grip on the phone, he felt one or two of its walls trying to dig in. But in the end, his strength wasn’t unholy.

“These cells you guys are using have built in tracking. Anyone can tap into this line if they want to.”

“But our technology is different. How come your family gets the fancy gadgets, while the rest of us common men—”

“What do you take me for a tyrant? Like I said, I’m not against anyone.”

Johnny felt like he was repeating himself, as the conversation he had with them dragged on. Even Luke felt exhausted, as their midnight oil began to burn through their reserves. Feeling the weight of no sleep, or extended awake hours, Luke felt his eyelids feel heavy.

As for Johnny, he walked back and forth through his room. Warm, dry, no humidity dwelled on his skin.

“Luke. Sean especially. This is a serious game you’re playing. Don’t think that my father will give you a run for his money. He’ll pay so much, do so much, just to teach a lesson. He’ll make the world your enemy. He’ll make your lives hell. Why do you think a rich boy like me was part of the reserves? I didn’t join the army because I thought it would be fun…”

Everyone began to feel a sense of doom, or rather a sense of unnecessary weight on their shoulders. The pressure, the burden of seeing this through, it was all too quelling in their gut.

Sean felt his fingers begin to tighten, leaving the cell phone to crinkle upon his strength. No matter what Johnny said, nothing could deter his quest for … nobody knew.

“Just please think it through.”

Luke weighed the pros and cons; mostly the cons.

Raiding a train that houses hundreds of guards, they would be outgunned, outnumbered with ease. Second, it was close quarters, meaning long range weaponry isn’t going to cut it. Last but not least, the consequences that may follow … it was unholy to even think.

“Thanks for the advice Johnny … but there’s a big reason as to why your father hates us.”

They all stared at Luke, their eyes peeping into the small metallic hole. Barely allowing their pupils to see, most of them couldn’t know what lip shape he had. But they did scan his eyes.

Trailing them down, he stared at the ground that rumbled. More and more, thought after thought came into him as he just stared. Before he would start lifting his head, there was a reason.

A reason why he wanted this.

“I don’t care if I live my life on the run, but not unless I know exactly why. Even if Doug really just hates us, or is working for someone even bigger than him … I want to know what it is. And I want to know how.”

If Kenichi really did walk out from that barn, that could only mean he is working alongside Doug. A month prior, Kenichi had worked with the undead, a perchance of why still hovered. Many things not adding up, what it led was for Luke to bite down on all of his teeth.

As everyone saw his cheeks wrinkle.

“All I wanted was to live a simple life. To be honest, I never saw myself as a soldier, let alone a leader. I’m not strong, I’m not fast, I may be smart but my blessing isn’t powerful. After all that I did, after all that I gained, you expect me to rot in a prison for doing my job?”

They all began to turn around.

All feeling that injustice, that rotten anvil that was corrupted in mold, they weren’t going to back down. Even if life on the run was a safer option, it would be best to give the government a piece of their mind.

Sean felt it. Luna felt it. Benn felt it. Even Jack felt it. With Hope and Miles standing on the border, so did Christian. Pacifica and Chris sparkled their eyes like little kids.

“What good is it to rot in prison for things we had no control over? What price would we pay? I’m not resting. And no …”

He had will.

A will to see things through to the end, he knew what it would mean to everyone helping him. To everyone he’ll help, to meet, to greet, to befriend; or to battle against, he’ll go through it all.

Losing wasn’t an option. Running maybe, but gaining a piece of the puzzle was a victory in their great train heist.

“I’m not doing this for the money. I’m doing this for all of you. To reach a truth that is hidden from us, a truth that needs to be exposed. If the government calls us sinners, or criminals, or whatever …”

The night-time darkness only worsened.

As the red dirt trickled across the ground, not even the moon was there to give them light. Alone, on a two-lane road South, the van’s headlights brightened the scenery. A scenery that was dead with no life.

Leaving them the only ones on that abyssal road.

Giving them a speech from the heart, a heart on fire rather than in chains, he glared. Not at anyone, not at the floor or van’s walls … but forward. Forward into whatever higher up that is imposed on them.

“Bear with me a bit longer as your leader; because we’re robbing that train. Come hell or high water.”