Heists and Vengeance

Two

Ryder

"Your surname is Donahue?" Erin hissed as they stepped into the foyer. It was large and gilded and was much more elaborate than the crumbling brick exterior. Goatee Man disappeared down a corridor, telling them he'd be back in a moment, and to feel free to look around. Ryder thought the room resembled an elaborate 19th-century parlor. There were large marble statues, comfortable armchairs, and a glass coffee table in the center, all dimly illuminated by a breathtaking glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The walls too were covered in antique paintings that must have cost a fortune – clearly whoever owned this place had a taste for fine art. Ryder was inspecting the various artifacts spread out in the room, when Erin jostled him, reminding him of the question.

"Oh-yeah. Why?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. I just thought you'd have a more badass last name, like Blazer, or Storm, or- "

"Yeah, yeah I get the picture."

"-Or maybe something weird, like Kehnkramste, because clearly, you're from another planet-"

"Erin. Shut up."

Just then, Goatee Man returned from wherever he'd been, and frowned at something behind Ryder.

"Don't breathe on that. It's expensive."

Ryder turned to see Brett hastily stepping away from one of the gold pots lining that side of the room.

"Now, I believe we have business to attend to." He clapped his hands. "Make yourselves comfortable."

Ryder wanted to laugh out loud. Getting comfortable was the last thing he wanted to do in an unknown place, but he complied uneasily, sinking into a large green chair. As he looked around, he saw the same expressions of anxiety on his friends' faces, but they all followed. The man too sat, perhaps to make his visitors more comfortable. It didn't work.

"Ahem. I'm sure you're wondering why you were asked to come here- "

"Clearly," Brett interrupted. Ryder sucked in a breath. This was not the time for Brett's intrusive comments. Goatee Man seemed to think so too, shooting him a dark look before continuing.

"-but there is a reason." He leaned forward. "You have a reputation for being able to pull off elaborate schemes and get out of tricky situations. That will be necessary for the job we have for you."

Goatee Man paused, and when it was clear he was waiting for someone to say something, Ryder took the bait.

"What job exactly?" he asked. The man smiled.

"As you know, Ronald Carmichael, the billionaire, is well known for his art collection." They all nodded. "In three weeks, he is hosting an art exhibition and auction aboard his yacht – The Maynes." Again, they nodded. Everyone who lived in the city knew about it – it was the biggest news in years. "The most famous piece of art being displayed there is The Fisherman."

The man leaned forward now, steepling his fingers.

"We need you to steal it."

Goatee Man did not look pleased when they all burst into laughter. But, honestly, what else did he expect? Ronald Carmichael was the ultimate art collector. He kept each of his pieces under lock and key. And in this auction...well there was only going to be more security, more obstacles, more ways to get killed. Ryder's stomach hurt from it all, as he laughed like he never had before. Brett had his hand thrown over his eyes, as he shook with laughter, and Erin was muttering 'Priceless, priceless' in between giggles. Even Cole was sniggering, and he rarely showed emotion.

It took a long time for the laughter to die down – every time they seemed to be finished, someone would laugh again, and set them off once more. But when it did, Ryder took it on himself to explain the hysterics.

"I'm sorry," he gasped. "It's just...that is the most absurd proposal I have ever heard."

"But will you accept?" Goatee Man actually seemed to think there was a chance Ryder would say yes.

"Of course not! That is the riskiest heist I have ever heard of in my life. And for what? Glory? Pride?" Everyone burst into laughter again, at the mere thought of it.

"50 million marks."

Everyone sobered immediately.

"Fif...fifty million marks?" Brett replied. He looked astounded. Goatee Man nodded in response.

"I...wow." The fact that even Brett couldn't think of a smart-aleck response to that was proof of the shock everyone was going through.

Ryder wasn't sure if he was really hearing this, or if it was a hallucination, but he forced himself to answer coherently.

"How do I know that you're not lying? How do I know that this isn't some sort of scam?"

Goatee Man's lips tightened, but he nodded. "If you agree to this, we will give you an advance of ten million marks. The rest will arrive only after we receive the painting."

Ryder looked at his friends. They all nodded emphatically. Brett's eyes seemed to convey the message If you don't accept this, you're even crazier than me.

With the support of his friends behind him, Ryder turned to Goatee Man and took a deep breath.

"Alright. We accept."

Goatee Man's lips curled into a smile. "That's good. I had a feeling you would say that. Well, I'll leave you to figure out how you're going to go about doing this. Until next time.

As Goatee Man got up to show them out, something occurred to Ryder "Wait-is this for you?" Goatee Man's eyebrows rose in question. "The painting. Is it for you?"

The man smiled. "No. I work for someone. And before you ask, he prefers to remain unnamed. Oh- make sure to get that painting to this building in a month's time."

And with that, Goatee Man strode out the door. Ryder's friends turned to him and immediately started asking questions.

"How do you think you're going to do this?"

"Are we really gonna risk this?"

"50 million marks baby! What're you going to spend it on?"

"Shush!" Ryder's mind was working furiously, coming up with ideas and plans. He looked at his friends.

"We're going to figure out how to do this. But first, we need someone who has extensive knowledge on Ronald Carmichael." He grinned. "And I know just the person."

A/N: Yayy! You're still reading! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter - I hope you enjoyed it too! Who's your favorite character so far?

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