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"The Heist "Written By: Kaeru Shisho Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Gundam Wing
or its characters, nor do I make any monetary profit off this story. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU, male/male pairings, language Pairings: 1x2x1 Summary: Duo's planning a robbery, considering a reality TV show, and falling for the man who can lock him up for good. Can his friends help him? Can he help himself? A/N: This story takes place in a universe more
like ours today, where the colonies exist on land, not in space, and
where the world is on the cusp of change. Thanks goes to Waterlily
for her tireless editing and thoughtful suggestions throughout. "The Heist " Chapter Three - 44 Tons and Deeper in Debt Duo and Heero parted, with mutual foot-dragging, at the downtown bus stop. Heero had work to think about, and Duo had Quatre's TV guy still simmering on the back of the stove. "I wonder if there isn't something to it?" Duo wondered. He decided it couldn't hurt to call the man, this "TK", and make an appointment to talk. Funny thing, the TV man had a time slot open right then, was in the area, could pick him up, have a little coffee? Yes, it seemed too easy, but then Duo hadn't worked with the Hollywood types before. Maybe everything was easy with them? They certainly had money to sling around! A recent-model Mercedes. Duo waited for the windows to glide down before leaning over. "Hi. I'm Duo Maxwell." "TK" gestured for him to get in. He did and they roared off into the traffic. Duo had a few moments to study the TV man and liked what he saw because it lived up to all his expectations of what success in the entertainment industry should look like: handsome man, mid-thirties, a wave of butterscotch-colored hair over a tanned face, perfectly straight, white teeth. "Treize Khushrenada. Nice to meet you, son." Over a light meal and drinks, Duo's questions to Mr. Khushrenada were simple. He put them out there straight off to test if the guy was on the level. "Basically," Duo said, raising one finger in the air to start his count off, "I have a few concerns." "Of course you do! Ask away!" "First, how to remain out of jail; second, what do I rob; and third, how much do I get?" He cleared his throat. "And I'll think of more depending on the answers to those." TV guy assured him with a smile and a large gesture, "I can see that you would need to consider those things, since the job puts you on, what might appear to those uninformed folks on the outside as, the wrong side of the law." "Yeah, my thoughts exactly." Duo smiled. At least the man was no fool and not treating him as one either. "So don't worry. Legal will work it out; they are responsible to work out details like that. Say you need a high speed chase, they see to the roads being cleared and the police being informed." "Oh," Duo said, impressed. He'd like to have a "legal" who could take care of the sticky details like that for all his jobs. "As to pay," Mr. Treize Khushrenada went on, "Standard 20 grand per person up to three, plus a daily budget." Duo held his breath stopping himself from bursting into song or something equally stupid that would give away how incredibly okay he was with the generous deal. He had to dicker or the man would feel cheated. "Five. Five guys. I'm thinking something big." "Big? Big is very, very good. The bigger the better." Mr. Treize Khushrenada tapped in some numbers on the tablet, frowned, tapped again, and then smiled. "Five, but no more." "Okay, and how negotiable's the budget?" "There are limits, of course, but once you get a plan in place, you can firm up those numbers with the accounting office." "Okay, 'cept that leaves the what, doesn't it?" "I was leaving that up to you, but be imaginative and think large, palatial even. Here's the card with the numbers you'll need: accounting and legal. You contact legal after you've chosen the where and cleared the general idea with me. Send accounting your estimates and they'll set you up with accounts from which you'll make withdrawals." "Ah..." Duo took the card and stared at it, the enormity of the problem dancing at the fringes of his consciousness. "And the when?" "Very soon," Mr. Khushrenada said, looking at his watch as if the heist should begin at a moment's notice. They agreed to meet again with a timetable and parted with a handshake deal. (o) Pilfering the Palace would be big and take a lot of imagination to get away with, legal department or not. Duo's first notion was to contact Trowa and bring him in as a firm partner. This was too big for just him to handle. He needed to bounce ideas off someone, and Trowa must have learned some useful things from his trip to the palace. No, it was clear. Trowa wasn't the least trustworthy crook he knew. There was the potential for enough wealth to buy his loyalty, if need be. Trowa picked up on the fourth ring, and listened quietly for Duo to explain the deal. "Ever since our visit to the palace-" Duo began. Trowa smiled. "I thought that opportunity was just too sick to not find a way to take advantage of it." "Yeah, so many possibilities." "I like that aspect," Trowa said. "Me, too. Plenty of maneuvering space," Duo remarked. He felt good vibes coming from his friend. "I think we ought to do something on the side while doing the TV job. To make sure we get our cut." Duo chuckled at that. "So you're not feeling the trust in their legal department either?" "Trust no one. From what I saw, there were camera and motion detectors everywhere. It won't be easy, but I might be able to get a jamming device to help. The guards are a problem. The TV job must have a backdoor out in case things go...wrong." "An out, yeah. What kind of side thing are you thinking about?" Trowa's voice was low, soft like a sip of cream. "Like helping the kingdom of Sanc." Duo wondered where he'd come up with an idea like that? He didn't sound like the familiar soldier of fortune he'd known and loved. "How come you're all gung ho for the kingdom all of a sudden?" "I was talking to Quat." Oh, well that explained everything, Duo thought. He might also be able to confirm the information Heero had passed on about the Alliance wanting to get their hands on the kingdom's wealth. "Oh, he's back to slumming in at the circus?" Duo teased, but he didn't want to push too hard and hurt his friend's feelings. "Sorry, you told him you were back in town, then?" "No." "Tro', he's dying to see you." "Not yet." "I know you got plans to make it big and have something to offer him, but let's face it, how long can a guy like him wait?" "Maybe this job will help," Trowa said. "I could get a reward for serving the kingdom." "Depends on what the service is. You know what I say: reward yourself; no one else will, if you catch my meaning?" Trowa murmured agreement. "So, you and him? Pretty good?" Duo asked. Trowa sighed. "You're not going to let up until I say something, are you?" "I want to hear a progress report." "Not getting that, but, okay, well, then, yeah, we're talking, but that's good. So, back to what you were saying, Quat mentioned using his securities division to help move and safeguard Sanc Kingdom holdings. He doesn't trust that crazy Une woman after hearing her rant at the conference about war debt payments." "Payments? Ha! You and I both know it's to fund her henchmen." "Preventer's. Yeah, I don't like the idea of her faction getting their hands on anyone's money," Trowa declared. "I'm with you on that. Okay, let's think of some way to get the paper loot to your boyfriend so you can look gallant-" "He's not my-!" "Not yet." Trowa changed the subject. "So you and I are thinking 'palace'. Did that TV guy have a place in mind for the burglary?" And being the good friend that he was, Duo allowed him to transition smoothly without pause. "He's leaving that up to me," he said with a touch of pride. "He is?" Trowa asked. "Not sure if I like that. He's got no reason to trust you so much." "He's got Quatre's word for it, is my guess," Duo said, a bit irked at Trowa's hesitancy. "That's true. Forgot that. Okay, so, what's the next step?" "I'm not exactly sure what to go for. There's the art. And I got the perfect cover and fence for that." Trowa said nothing, thinking, running over the names in his head until one resurfaced with annoying repetition. "Chang? You'd trust him not to just turn you over for the reward?" "Funny you should suggest that..." Duo wasn't so sure Trowa wouldn't turn him in for the right amount, but Chang had a fervent sense of honor that could be used to control him. "I'd haveta work the angle on that one that suits him." "He's pretty set on helping his old colony." "Possible angle. Thanks. All right, and then there's paper worth gazillions for stock bonds and getting that out, well, Quat could front that." "He'd do that, I'm pretty sure. He's got the means." "And that's not all!" Duo chuckled. "I heard about the bullion and cash just lying about, and there's the crown jewels-" "That's heavy and a challenge to move," Trowa said mostly to himself. "But I like the prospect of getting my hands on a load of cold hard cash. You have any idea how much there is?" "No, not exact quantities. I need that information, but it all needs to be saved from the clutches of the Alliance goons." "The New Alliance," Trowa ground out, "a resurrected configuration of the previous Old Alliance clusterfuck." "Poison masquerading as candy." Duo knew Trowa was just waiting for a chance to get even with that organization's leader, a nasty piece of work called Lady Une. Trowa looked thoughtful. "If Une and the rest of her cronies are counting on the palace wealth to get them out of financial debt, we might consider getting the royals in on our bogus burglary." Duo shook his head. "I don't think so. I got enough of a problem keeping this from Heero." Trowa raised his visible eyebrow. "Heero? You're still going to see him?" Duo blushed and looked away. "Yeah, well. I kinda like him." "Fuck, Duo, I warned you. A member of the Sanc Royal Family Elite Guard? I may be a dreamer lusting after the heir to the Winner fortune, but you, Duo, you are certifiable." Letting out his breath to muss his bangs relieved some of Duo's stress. "That I am. But he's good people." "How do you figure that?" "I think he was a freedom fighter like us once." Or held out hope that he was. That surprised the circus acrobat. "Oh, yeah? Seems unlikely, but you being blinded by lust-less so." "Well, I trust you. So I'm asking you to trust him," Duo said. "I'll try to keep my distance, but that's all I'm promising. Oh, I'm in, by the way. Thanks for asking." "Of course you are." "Let me know the when part of this plan, so we can work out the how." "Will do." Oddly, as good as it felt having Trowa on board, Duo needed another kind of reassurance. What he was considering was so huge, and talking with his friend had both built up and then shaken up his self-confidence. He had doubts that he could plan it all, carry out something so big and so involved. And his heart wanted a signal of sorts. Maybe he should take Heero into his confidence and include him? But then that could put Heero in a difficult position. Worse, if it turned out that all his foolish hopes for Heero being "one of them" were unfounded, and he'd blown this very, very lucrative job, and messed up whatever possible future he and Heero might have together, then he'd be up shit creek for sure. It was an issue worthy of further consideration before taking any rash action. Duo couldn't help himself from doing something, and he called Heero next. When the guard didn't pick up, Duo wasn't sure whether or not to feel relieved. But when he got a message a few minutes later informing him, "Working. Call tomorrow AM," Duo felt a shift inside, a lift of his spirits, a fluttering excitement. He was falling for the man at the most spectacularly worst time. He needed all his faculties in top-notch condition, full working order, to pull off the heist of the century. Falling in love could be the biggest glitch ever. He sat back and put up his feet with a noisy sigh, glad he had to wait now, cogitate a little. Trowa had a point when he criticized his conduct of late. "Get it together, Maxwell, and get your head outta his pants. You gotta gig to sort out!" (o) Sorting out what he did and didn't know clarified two things for Duo. First, what he didn't know out-weighed what he did know by a gazillion pounds. Secondly, Quatre's image came into focus. When it came to getting information, Quatre was his go-to man of the moment. And it was never too late to call his night-owl friend. "Hey, bro'!" "Who? Oh, Duo! I was just thinking about you. I'm so glad you called." "You're possibly the only person who can say that. You know... combining thinking of me and being glad about it, heh, heh." "Ha! You are so refreshing to talk to." "Yeah, and I know it wasn't me you were thinking of." "Duo, what's on that busy little brain of yours?" "Lots of things, starting with I saw a certain sexy acrobat who says hi." "Trowa's back in town?! We just talked and he didn't tell me!" Duo caught the touch of sorrow in his voice. "He will, eventually, but you know how he is." "He's far too sensitive about the differences in our positions in life. I told him it didn't matter to me and that I'd love to see him again." "Well, it matters to him because he's a guy, and males have this need to be the man and provide for those they care about and not be taken care of." "I'm a man, too," Quatre asserted, "and perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" "But it matters to him." "And I say rubbish!" "You can say whatever, I'm just saying. Anyway, I gotta...job for him that may just change everything and make your dreams come true." "That sounds very... tidy." "Yeah, well it's got a long way to go first. And... I'm doing the research part now." "Don't let him get into any trouble, will you?" "Well, that's why I called. I'm hoping you can get some information for me that will in the end help your sweetie." "What kind of information?" "Well, this ought to be easy for you. I need to find out the amount of cash reserves the Sanc government is currently holding." "That is simple, Duo, the State of the Kingdom report is on the internet. Even you could look it up, but I just so happen to have a copy of the report on my desk." "Cool. See? I knew you were just the guy to go to." "Uh, huh," Quatre sounded dubious. "What are you up to, I ask again? Oh! Has this to do with the reality show? You've met with TK already and not told me about it?!" "I'm telling you now. Yeah, Treize Khushrenada and I met. He's giving me free rein and now I'm in the gathering-data phase. So, how much-approximately?" "The value is nearly-" "Ah, not value, the weight of it. In pounds." "Oh, is that all?" Quatre then grumbled about asking for the impossible. "Not all." Duo heard the young executive's breathing getting heavier, the gears churning, then-bingo! The conclusion drawn! "Duo, are you considering robbing the palace on TV?" "Yes and no, can we put that on hold for a minute?" "Um, okay. I'm watching the time, for your information." "Thanks. I also need to know if there is anything going on at the palace in the next month or so?" "Duo, it is a busy place. Of course there is. They have a calendar of events, which is something you too can access. You do have a computer?" "Who needs one when I got you? Heh, heh... What I need to know is probably not listed for public viewing. I need to know about all kinds of events." "Well, actually, not very much. Surprising... Oh, no it's not! I should have remembered! My sister, Iria, has been notifying me about this." "And this is?" "Spring cleaning." Quatre laughed at Duo's snort. "The palace is closed temporarily each year for refurbishing. Iria invites Relena to stay with her while the palace is cleaned. It's a major overhaul this year. That means painting, washing, repairs-." "How about the art on the walls? Does that get removed? Duo asked. "Well, I suppose. Duo. Your unnatural interest in housekeeping is taking on a devious quality. You are plotting something tricky, aren't you? Something way beyond the bounds of a simple pinch or two of vases." "Yeah. Can't fool you, huh? Heh, heh." "Your minute is up." "Okay, okay. Well, like you told me, that TK dude wants to tape me pulling a caper and turn it into a reality show." "I don't watch those, but I understand they are very popular. So, you liked the idea, I take it?" "I'm still warming to it. I'm not 100 percent sold on it." "Naturally! It's crazy risky!" "But not totally un-doable, and here's why. What oiled my gears was a string of prior occurrences, which had led me to a private tour of the Sanc Palace. I brought Trowa along for backup, though it wasn't necessary as it turned out. Very promising." "Trowa?" "No," Duo said with a long-suffering sigh. "The palace, as a place to burgle." After waiting out Quatre's choking experience, Duo continued to describe his emerging plan. "It's only in its infancy, this idea. But, what with the Alliance threatening to rob them anyway, I might as well turn a profit and make this TV show." "Yes, I see... possibilities... I could get some ... items of interest out of the palace for Relena." "Yeah, that's right, like-" as he heard it from Trowa "- using your resources to move some of the holdings, lots of ideas, but we don't want to work at cross purposes here either. We gotta pool our resources and-" Quatre's voice rose in pitch with his excitement. "I have dozens of sisters who'd love to help Relena pack clothes away, which would provide plenty of space for hiding papers. This is very timely, Duo, although, I wouldn't want that to be captured on film." "I get your drift and I'm working on that part. So far-" "Oh! Oh!" Quatre squealed. "The circus always puts on a little season starter kiddie show on the lawns in front of the palace! Trowa will be there." Duo rubbed his sore ear, "Yeah, fun for all. Well, I'll let you go." He thanked his friend for the help, and signed off. He had plenty to think over and he needed to sleep on it. But... "Oh, shit..." He called Quatre back. "How many circus people and stuff would you estimate shows up at the palace?" "How much what?" "In pounds." Duo clarified. "What?!" Good luck with that. (o) Later that night, Duo was awakened by a phone call. Quatre. "Whatsup?" "160 people, you can average that out anyway you like in pounds, and another 200 people in volume of material and 44,530 pounds of gold and other bullion." "Quatre, you are a doll. Love you to death." "Duo, keep me informed, please?" "Will do." "Oh, and now that there is a prince in residence I don't know what can be done with him... where he will go during the cleaning." "The prince? Oh, drat. Okay, just one more thing on my ever-growing list. Thanks." "Good night." He shut off his phone and flopped onto his back, rattling his wobbly mattress. He considered the numbers before jotting them down and playing around with the numbers. That was a lot of weight to carry out. Too much for a backpack, or a box, or a dozen boxes. "What is big?" After mentally crossing off elephants, balloons, and a fleet of limos, Duo was suddenly stricken with a bolt of brilliance. "Yes!" Of course, how to move the weighty treasure would hinge on the when aspect, so he called Trowa. "No." "Trowa! It's me!" "Go away." "Wakey, wakey!" "Yo." "How soon can the circus come to Sanc palace for that special show they do each year? "It starts the season." Trowa answered immediately. "For the right amount, a couple weeks." "Cool. How do you move the circus?" "Transport it? Trains are cheap. We have our own. Generations ago, special tracks were installed alongside the palace, but the main ones aren't far from there." He cleared a groggy throat. "You've seen them. Yellow and red." "How many people to travel?" "Figure 150, more including the animals. And there's a buncha crap." "Yeah, like I though. Okay. I'll need six or so coaches." "All you want." "All of them the same color. Yellow, with red around the windows. I mean they gotta all look like they're from the circus." "I got what I got... Well, I'll do what I have to. If you give the word now, we can freshen up the paint to make sure they all match." "And a coal tender, of course, and a locomotive. A freight locomotive." Trowa stared into the distance at nothing in particular. He'd borrowed parts, improvised, kept the circus going, but freight locomotives, working ones were hard to come by. Well, he had one that ought to be running by that time. "Six red and yellow coaches," he said at last. "Tender, freight locomotive. That will cost a lot to run, just warning you. That it?" The sarcasm in his tone was not lost on Duo. "In about, say, two weeks. And I need it to travel under the guise of the circus." "Of course." Are you crazy? "So, this is for moving the bullion, right?" "Uh, huh." Trowa sighed. "Let's say you work out how to get at that and move on. You guesitmated a lot of train cars. How did you figure that?" Trowa admired Duo's math skills. It contributed to his success as a robbery strategist. Duo had jotted down a few figures on a scrap of paper. "We gotta haul a total of 88,000 pounds: 360 people-things -43,000 pounds of them averaging 120 lbs/person. Sharing the train with 44,530 pounds of freight." "I'll believe you." "So, 88,000 pounds equaled 44 tons. Figuring two tons to a normal freight car, a locomotive could easily pull twenty cars. Your six passenger coaches would be heavy, but that doesn't matter-they got no suspension to speak of, they'd roll along if the locomotive could pull them." Was 44,530 correct? Duo resisted the instinct to do the figures again. Seven hundred and twelve thousand ounces always made 44,530 pounds, which, divided into five-pound units, always made 8,906. Math is always the same. "That's a lot of gold," Trowa said. He sounded as if he didn't believe Duo, which he didn't, but he wouldn't ask for more explanation than Duo would offer. Not yet. "Yeah, I'm not digging the load, but it might work." Trowa sighed. "I'll get on it." "Oh, and one more thing. If you were a prince and your palace was getting torn up and cleaned, where would you go?" "In spring?" "Yeah." "South of France is nice. Circus is heading in that direction. Don't all the out-of-work monarchs collect in France?" If only it was that simple. "Thanks, Tro'." "Don't mention it." (o) Heero called shortly after. "Hello, Duo. Is this too late to call?" "Hey," Duo greeted him. "It's never too late or too early. Been missing your voice." "That's nice. Sorry about not getting back to you." "Been busy?" "I'm always occupied. The job is demanding." "So, what's that noise in the background?" "Roommates." "You have roomies?" "It's a military boarding house. Two meals and a bed, shared rooms." "Oh, that sounds...sucky, actually, even if it comes with food." Then Duo thought of something. "Are any of the other guys, you know, gay?" "No. Not that I know of. We don't spend much time socializing." "Oh, well that's too bad, or good if you're me wondering who my competition is, heh, heh." "You have none." "Aww, what a sweet-talker." Duo chuckled a little. "Wanna hear a story of mine?" "Yeah." "So the place I lived before this one was a basement. Above me was a pizza shop. The oven heated my room great in winter." "What about the summer?" "I was out by then." "How about the smell? I don't think I could live with that all day," Heero said with emotion. "But that was the best bit. All that cheese! And garlic! Still, you get used to it. Anyway, on the floors above that lived a bunch of girl dancers from a nearby physical education college." "You were the only male in residence?" Heero asked. "That's right. Kinda odd. Suddenly, I was the most popular guy in town, I swear. Every dude I knew was dropping by to say hi." "Was that all?" "Sadly, yes. They weren't gay. They were there to catch a glimpse of the girls and try to ask one out. I was just an excuse." "Tough." "Yeah, and frustrating. Some of the guys were hot. Anyway, it made me think of you in your circumstances. All those men and no connections." "And only the one girl," Heero put in. Duo laughed at his joke. "Good one. Funny thing. At least one of the girls living upstairs had the hots for me. Most of them kept stopping by with treats, you know, cookies or pies. I liked that part." "I should think so. Why did you leave?" "I had a falling out eventually. Mostly, I needed more privacy for my, ah, work." "Your work." Heero's voice dropped an octave, into the grave and serious tenor. "Yeah." His work was something he wished to avoid discussing with Heero. "So, tell me about your day." "That will take a while," Heero muttered. "Even better! I'll get you started. Ahem... It began at 5:30 AM, heh, heh-" "Ha!" Heero's warm chuckle sent a tingling jolt of happiness through him. He'd made Heero laugh. He was going to have to find a way to get together soon. Job or no job!
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