Gay recently got himself messed up with a loan shark named Rick. Rick offers these horrible loans to pensioners and has insisted that Gary assist with his efforts. Gary initially tries to con an elderly woman into a high interest payday loan, but he morals won't allow him to follow through with it.
Rick decides to teach Gary a lesson on how to con the poor out of their limited funds -- by targeting Alex. He convinces Alex to accept a nearly $400 loan. All Alex needs to do is hand over his passport and bank PIN and agree to regular weekly payments -- with huge interest payments!
Gary later tries to warn Alex off from taking one of Rick's loans, but he ultimately accepts the money.
Honestly, I'm worried to see what happens to Alex when he's at the mercy of a violent loan shark. It's possible that this aspect of the Rick story line will quietly disappear and focus primarily on Gary's involvement with it. But I'm really hoping that Alex continues to receive screen-time -- even if this character is being portrayed as one of Rick's (and Gary's) victims. If nothing else, this story will serve as a warning to other disabled individuals about the dangers of financial exploitation.