Kingdom Come

Chapter 4-In Which The Vagabond Meets His Past

Chapter 4

Geoff

"Okay, here's the deal." Geoff tossed the file he was holding onto the coffee table. "We gotta get in here," from it he pulled a map with a point marked with a red Sharpie dot. "It's their HQ, I'm pretty sure. The gang we did the job for last night."

"And you have experience with these guys?" Michael raised an eyebrow.

'Yeah. You could say that."

"Care to elaborate?" Jack prompted. Geoff gave her a look. He had told her everything before this, as per their agreement, but preferred to tell the boys his way. He had a flair for the dramatic, and wanted to keep them on the edge of their seats.

"Of course, my darling, I'll get right on it." He gestured back to the map. "They're calling themselves Remnant Industries. Providing all sorts of services. Car rental, mining, guarded shipments, all a front, of course. A smokescreen. Very clever, actually, mask your really illegal stuff with some slightly less illegal stuff." Geoff nodded in appreciation.

"What's the really illegal stuff?" asked Ray. Geoff grinned at him.

"Good question," he pulled another piece of paper from the file. "Let's find out. Lindsay and Gavin put together whatever information we have on them. Gav form the inside, and Lindsay from the outside, of course. They are looking for a little more freelancer action."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Michael, that they know exactly who I am, who we are, and are are looking to know what we are capable of. Last night was a test. They wanna see how good my new crew is. And they are looking to do it again. Tell me, how good are all of you at character acting?"

"But who are they? You still haven't explained how they know who you are," Gavin complained.

"Just get on with it and tell them," said Jack, who was getting bored of this elaborate set up.

"Fine," said Geoff, "It's my old crew."

"What!" Gavin squawked. Even the usually unflappable Ryan and Ray looked startled. Geoff sighed. He had rarely talked about his past crew in order to keep the attention on the current one. Sure he had detailed the fact he had been involved with other gangs, that was to be expected, but talking about them felt weird, like talking to your girlfriend about your exes.

"Yeah. We were called Roosterteeth." Geoff seriously without making eye contact with any of them. He kept his head down until he heard a muffled snicker.

"What?" Ray said defensively, as the others looked at him. "It's a fucking stupid name!" he laughed.

"It is pretty weird," admitted Ryan, smirking.

Geoff was indignant at the mocking of his past crew. "Okay, okay, I get it, the name is stupid, will you all shut up. This is a very emotional time for me,"

"Yeah, okay, cock bite" Gavin giggled.

"Why'd you stop working with them?" Ryan asked quietly. Geoff looked at him. There was no fooling the Vagabond. Geoff could tell he knew that there was more to the story, that there had to be some bad blood for Geoff to have never brought them up.

"Let's just say we didn't leave things exactly tidy." He looked at them. They didn't dare ask any more questions. "We need to move fast. They're expecting us to move fast, so we gotta be faster. Let's begin."

There was a pause.

"Okay," said Michael, to everyone's surprise. Of all of them, Geoff had expected Michael to be the most contrary. But here he was, going along with no questions. He was loyal.

"Okay," Geoff echoed.

Thus began a night of planning. Fueled by snacks and alcohol for some, they worked until dawn, constructing the perfect cover to get into Remnant Industries, and to access the more secure servers. Knowledge was power, and this play would give them the upper hand.

Ryan

Geoff had mentioned to Ryan that for this particular operation, he was bringing in a little outside help. It wasn't their usual gig, corporate infiltration, and Geoff really wanted to impress. The guy he was bringing in was supposed to help fix up some phony company as a front for the Fakes to get in contact with the newly resurrected Roosterteeth without the latter knowing.

This guy, whoever he was, was meant to show up to the penthouse at seven in the evening. The fact they were meeting him in Geoff's apartment rather than a neutral location told Ryan and the rest of the crew that Geoff knew him, but was keeping up his new habit of being secretive and mysterious. They were all just mooching around Geoff's place when the doorbell ring.

"7:26," said Ryan pointedly.

"We can forgive his lateness," said Geoff.

He answered the door. Ryan, realising his face was bare, quickly whisked the bandana from Michael's belt loop and tied it over his face as an impromptu mask.

"And here is the infamous crew," Geoff was saying to their guest. He lead the man into the living room.

Ryan got a good look at him, and froze.

"Jon?"

Ryan forgot everyone else in the room. He was just focused on the newcomer, unable to believe his eyes.

The long-haired man looked at this menacing figure, whose hands were curled into fists at his side, and while his face was covered, his eyes, full of shock and anger, were very visible.

Everyone else noticed this as well.

"Rye? You alright?" asked Gavin. Ryan appeared not to hear him.

"Jon," he said, more softly.

Jon looked confused.

"Um, yes?"

Much to the shock of everyone in the room, Ryan pulled the bandanna off his face and strode over to Jon.

"Jon, what are you doing here, I- shit, Jon, I haven't seen you since..."

"Ryan?"

More shock from the others. How did this guy know the Vagabond's real name?

"Ryan, what are you doing here?"

Ryan began laughing in disbelief. He spread his arms wide, gesturing to all his surroundings.

"I'm the Vagabond, Jon, The Mad King. I guess. I got a taste for killing I never looked back. Until now that is," he paused. "What the fuck, Jon? What the fuck."

"Oh my god," Jon took a step back, "Oh my god Ryan, You killed them,"

"Hey can I ask what the fuck is going on here?" interjected Michael.

"Yeah, do you too know each other?" Gavin added.

"Do we know each other?" Ryan finally tore his eyes off of Jon to answer their questions. " I guess you could say that!"

Ryan began laughing maniacally. No one else found the situation funny. Geoff in particular was angry and surprised that his contact had had previous dealings with a member of his crew without his knowledge. He turned to Jon, who was looking especially shell shocked.

"What is this, Risinger? What's your play?" he nodded at Gavin and Michael who simultaneously pulled their pistols from their belts, Michael's a stocky black thing, Gavin's an ostentatious gold Winchester with a mother-of-pearl grip. They aimed them at Jon's head.

Jon noticed this, and put his hands up. "I'm not ..This isn't, I, uh, I didn't know he was here!" he pointed at Ryan, who had fallen silent.

Michael and Gavin advanced towards Jon a few steps, cocking their weapons. Ryan finally moved, stepping between the loaded weapons and Jon. He held up a hand, blocking Gav and Michael. The two looked to Geoff for orders.

"Put 'em away."

They did so. "Ryan? Would you care to explain yourself?"
"No," he spoke gravely. "Not quite yet. I think Jon and I have to have a chat. Then I'll talk to you."

"Fine," Geoff conceded. "My balcony is all yours."