These robberies had been disappointingly easy, it wasn’t like in the movies. In the movies there’s always a big shoot out, the cops are there in an instant and everyone is very professional and competent. That had not been Matt’s experience with the Ravens, once people saw the guns it was all over, people were weeping or just stared at him dumbly. A deer in the headlights of their own fear. Yes, they were real guns, no Matt probably would not be able to actually shoot someone on purpose.
This third robbery had started much like the others, talk to the driver, brandish the gun and demand the truck, drive away. It wasn’t exactly rocket surgery.
Almost like clock work diver was all vibrato then he saw the gun and stammered as Matt pulled him out of the lifted cab of the armored truck. He used the steering wheel to pull himself up to the drivers seat and his partner Shelly leapt into the passenger seat once the doors where unlocked. It seemed kind of silly that a truck with these crazy safety features used the safe door locks as his beat up Geo Prism.
“Easy work,” Shelly sighed as she stuff the much too large for her handgun into her waistband. The other Ravens had given grief about the unsafe practice so many times that they all lost count but her canned response was always that she didn’t have balls to shoot off.
“Yeah, were not out of here yet” Matt muttered as he felt the delay from pushing the gas pedal to the big diesel engine lurching the truck away from the curb. “The load feels heavier than normal, are you sure Mikey said this was cash?” He asked out loud.
“Maybe he meant gold?”
“Yeah, metal is heavy, that makes sense.” Matt agreed half heartedly.
Again, the hardest part of the heist is driving the enormous Mach truck through the congested downtown blocks. Cars blew their horns as he merged but still no police sirens and pulling onto the freeway Matt let out a sigh of relief. This last job would have them set up and they could actually open the legit business that the Ravens had wanted to set up in the first place. 1.5 million was the goal to buy the property and cover the immediate overhead, all of this craziness was in service of that actual business. It would be an honor to pay taxes once this was all over.
He drove cautiously on the freeway, never passing anyone, and letting the flow of traffic take the truck hoping that no one noticed that he and Shelly were wearing all black and not the normal security officer uniform. The rumble of the engine sputtered as he shifted the gear inelegantly and they both jolted in the air-cushioned seats when the gear hit. 20 minutes that felt like days swept by before they pulled into the nondescript corrugated steel warehouse that the Ravens has called home. The engine echoed as two more black-clad figures stepped into the headlights of the truck.
Kevin was yelling over the sound before Matt and Shelly had even jumped out of the cab.
“This is it!” Exclaimed the bigger man, spreading his arms wide and still wearing black gloves even though he had not been on this job. “Once we get this cash cleared we’re heading to the alley to make our offer, it’s over!”
The shorter figure, Troy walked past him and opened the trailer access as the other three piled behind him. Matt wondered how gold was shipped because he had never seen it. Apparently, it was shipping it wooden crates as they lined the walls of the trailer arranged neatly on shelves from the floor to the self-lit ceiling. Kevin cleared the raised bed in one jump as a crow bar somehow materialized in his hand and Shelly wondered if he had that on him the entire time. Kevin attacked the nearest crate and nails screeched as they gave way under his assault.
Kevin pried open the crate with a triumphant grin, but his expression quickly turned to confusion. Inside the crate were not stacks of cash or bars of gold, but rows of neatly packed, round objects.
“What the hell is this?” Kevin growled, pulling one of the objects out.
Matt’s heart sank. He had a bad feeling about this. “Open it,” he said quietly.
Kevin ripped open the packaging, revealing a shiny, multicolored bowling ball.
Shelly snatched one and looked it over. “Bowling balls?” she exclaimed, her voice a mix of disbelief and frustration.
Matt felt a chill run down his spine. “We’ve been set up,” he said. “Someone wanted us to take the fall for this. They knew we’d never find the cash.”
Before they could process the information, the sound of sirens filled the air. The police had arrived, tipped off and ready to bust what they thought was a major heist.
“We need to get out of here, now!” Matt shouted.
Kevin and Troy looked panicked, but Shelly was already moving. “Follow me!” she called, leading them to the back of the warehouse where an old, rusted hatch lay hidden under a pile of crates.
“This leads to the sewers,” Shelly explained. “It’s our only chance.”
With no time to argue, they pried open the hatch and climbed down, one by one, into the dark, damp tunnels below. As they waded through the murky water, Matt couldn’t help but think about how this was supposed to be their last job. He hoped they could get out of this mess and finally leave their life of crime behind.
They emerged hours later, dirty and exhausted, in a deserted part of the industrial district. The adrenaline was wearing off, and the reality of their situation hit hard.
“What are we going to do now?” Troy asked, his voice shaky.
Matt looked at the bowling ball he still clutched in his hand. “We’re not going to let this be the end of us,” he said firmly. “We’ve got a warehouse full of bowling balls and a dream of starting a legitimate business. Let’s make it happen.”
Kevin and Shelly exchanged a glance. “A bowling alley?” Kevin said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “It’s crazy, but it just might work.”
Over the next few months, the Ravens poured all their energy into transforming the warehouse. They cleaned, painted, and installed lanes and pinsetters. The old crates of bowling balls became the foundation of their new enterprise.
Word spread quickly about the new bowling alley, and it became a hit in the neighborhood. Families, friends, and leagues filled the lanes every night. The Ravens, once known for their heists, were now celebrated as the owners of the hottest spot in town.
Matt stood behind the counter, watching a group of kids laughing as they bowled. Shelly was teaching a young boy how to hold the ball properly, and Kevin was helping an elderly couple choose their shoes.
“This is it,” Matt said softly to himself, a smile spreading across his face. “We’ve finally made it.”
The Ravens had turned their misfortune into a new beginning, and the sound of rolling balls and falling pins became the soundtrack of their success.
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