Part 87

"Now, we just gotta get an armored van," I told them, everyone gathered around and fixed on me, all the bullshit and horsing around behind us now, holding a late night meeting while the rest of Venturas was partying,"And re-spray it with the Caligula's Casino logo."

Only problem was, I had no idea how we was going to do that, and I was kind of hoping someone would come up with something smart before they all realized I'd reached a dead end.

"Why don't we steal one while it's on its rounds?" Woozie asked, the only guy sitting, cool and calm, taking everything in, examining the angles,"That way we can make some money too."

"No," I said, shaking my head, I'd thought of this already,"I don't want to get the crew caught up in some street level jacking - it could get ugly."

I looked around at everyone, hoping someone would say something.... and then slowly, Zero raised his arm.



We all turned to look at him, and he took a big gulp and then asked us.

"Have you ever seen those helicopters they use to lift heavy loads?"

"Yeah, they call 'em Sky Cranes," nodded Shèjing,"We could lift the whole truck and take them to someplace safe."

I had to admit, that was a pretty good idea. If I couldn't get in through the front door or the back door, why not come in from the sky? It was a hell of a lot better than digging my way in.

"Unfortunately," noted Woozie, a little smile lifting the corner of his mouth,"I'm not a pilot."

"No, me neither," admitted Zero, who any other time would have insisted flying his model planes meant he could fly the real thing.

"Hey, don't look at me," said Shèjing.

"Or me," added Suzie.

The Janitor didn't even bother replying.

And then everyone turned and looked at me.



"Shiiiit," I sighed,"I'll fly it, then. We can re-spray it at the airstrip."

Shaking my head, I started to move through them, thinking there was no time like the present. I knew just where to get my hands on a Sky Crane, but before I could leave, Zero - who I guess had gotten over his shyness - spoke up.

"Yeah, Carl!" he shouted, excited,"It'll be just like fighting Berkley, only bigger!"





Yeah, thanks for that, Zero.

---



K.A.C.C Military Fuels. I didn't care what the K.A.C.C stood for, just that they had a Sky Crane sitting on top of a helipad inside they base, "protected" by the National Guard (Weekend Soldiers, I remembered Ryder's face for a second then forced it away). Oddly enough, it would be less difficult to get inside the base than it would be to get at the Armored Vans - in Venturas, cash ruled. Also, these assholes weren't military like some of the scary motherfuckers I'd faced off with while doing jobs for Toreno or Truth, just guys with a hard-on for wearing camo and carrying guns. This fuel depot was important to the military, but not important enough to put top guys in charge of it, and best of all it was on the opposite end of the city to where the armored vans was looked for were stashed. Now I just had to wait for my opening and.... NOW!



"Hey hey hey HEY! HEY WHAT THE FUCK!" shouted the guard,"YOU CAN'T COME IN HERE!"

Him and the driver of the Patriot were walking down the parking lots towards me, exchanged confused looks, like I was some idiot who didn't know what he was doing. The looks on they faces changed though, when I pulled my M4 out of the backseat.

"Oh shiiiii-" started one of them, and then I was blasting the M4, spraying bullets everywhere, not aiming at anything in particular, but scaring them into diving behind cars to get out of the way.

"Motherfuckers better call in air support!" I yelled,"I'm gonna fly this motherfucker straight into Area 69!"

I blasted into the air again and then booked, making for the helicopter and hoping they'd take my threat seriously. I needed them to send air support in, crazy as it sounded; it was my key to getting away with this.






I ran up onto the helipad, shouting coming from the guys far below as I heard a welcome sound.... gunships flying in, two of them sent by the REAL military to take out the terrorist planning a suicide attack on they base. And here I stood with just an M4, exposed on the helipad in the military fuel depot..... a military fuel depot.



I put the M4 down and grabbed the handles of the mini-gun, grinning. It had been set up here as a defensive position in the event of a Communist attack, protecting a vital supply chain stretching across America for the US Army. The Wall was down but these places still existed, only now instead of protecting the assets of the United States Military, I was gonna blow some expensive Army Choppers out the sky.



I stepped away from the mini-gun - which was overheating already, making me shake my head, that was just poor maintenance - and turned to the Sky Crane, moving quickly to climb in. I'd set things up as best I could, it was up to fate and karma now - I'd taken out the air support that could have followed me if I'd just stolen the chopper, and made a threat that would have the army moving in force to Area 69 and probably the police being told to keep an eye on the official Army base out in the desert. While they was waiting for me to come screaming in on a suicide charge, I'd be grabbing the armored van and hiding it and the Sky Crane at Verdant Meadows.












"Heeey, CJ!" called out Suzie over the sound of the slowing rotors, running up to me,"You never cease to amaze me! You got anything to do with all the army trucks and soldiers that went zooming by here a few minutes back?"

"Heh heh, good lookin," was all I'd say on that,"Where's Woozie?"

"I don't know," shrugged Suzie,"He insisted on driving here himself.... he could be anywhere."

I burst out laughing, surprised, slapping Suzie on the shoulder.

"Alright, dude, I'm outta here. Get the chopper and the van into the hangar, I'll see y'all later."

Suzie turned and shouted out to Shèjing and Zero to give him a hand, while I moved to the old garage behind the AC Tower and grabbed out the old Bravura I kept in there, wanting to get back to Venturas and get some rest. We had everything we needed for the heist now, and I wanted to start getting things rolling, but first I needed a good day's sleep.

Nothing was gonna get in our way now.

---

The phone ringing woke me up, early evening in Venturas, making me groan as I pulled my pants off of the floor and struggled to find the pocket with my phone in it.

"....hello?" I asked.

"CJ," said Woozie,"We've got a problem. Someone's arrived at the Casino looking for you."

I felt a chill run down my spine. Who could it be? Toreno? Tenpenny? Someone from the army figured out who I was and what I'd done?

"Who?" I asked.

"Kendl, Carl," Woozie said, and I closed my eyes and said a few silent curses at God,"Your sister's in Venturas and she wants to know what the hell you're up to."

Well.... shit.