SeVen

-Chapter 5-

Matt felt a chill run down his spine.


         It wasn’t cold outside, but he was nervous. The lobby of the bank seemed so inviting, but was it inviting for a thief? He slid the key into the door knowing that he was going to get himself into trouble. Especially on this Sunday morning that the world just suddenly ended, he was now in. The door unlocked in front of him. He swung it open with anxiety now filling his veins, he knew what he had to do now. He had to get into the vault and take the money, simple as that, but how would he do it without getting caught.


         Ideas flooded his mind, he had to draw the attention of someone. Pedraza was close, the police station wasn’t far at all and if he could get Pedraza’s attention right when it was needed maybe he could escape without having any trouble. But what was the point in trying to escape?


         Opening procedures went by smoothly.


         Matt felt even more chills down his spine as he glanced around the freezing cold bank. The emerald tiles gleamed in the rising sunlight. He disarmed the first alarm. There was no annoying beeping sound. Next was the…


         There were tiny pieces of glass lying on the ground.


         A sign of forced entry, but he didn’t see it when he looked for it the first time. Running around the branch, there was someone in the branch with him. He looked back, a car was parked outside. It was the second opener’s car.


         His heart was beating out of his chest.


         There were many places that the intruder could be hiding in the bank. Matt had to keep calm, he knew about the small alarms all over the bank, if he could get to them maybe…and then it hit him.


         A pain so fierce that it could have taken down anyone. He screamed as he fell face first into the ground. He couldn’t move now, all he could do was listen to the voice that slowly commanded him not to move.


         “Don’t move kid. I know you don’t want to die.” The intruder said. It was a female, or at least it sounded like a female. Matt inhaled and exhaled quickly and quietly. “I want you to tell me the combination to the vaults.”


         “I don’t know them by heart!” Matt said.


         “Don’t lie to me.” She snapped.


         “I promise, I’m not lying. I’m new here.”


         “Fine, but if you make any movements towards the alarm I’ll kill you.”


         She lifted Matt up.


         Matt knew her from somewhere, but he couldn’t force himself to look back. If he did what would he see? Sheer surprise in her eyes from looking at the boy’s fearful yet determined expression on his face? She led him to the first door. “Type in the code.” She commanded.


         Matt did so.


         The next door felt as if it was a mile away, but it was so close that Matt could make a break for it then open it in an instant. Right before the intruder would know what was going on. Matt looked at her now.


         She was beautiful.


         Blonde hair draped down her face, she had a scared expression, but he knew that she wasn’t afraid. She was holding a pipe. Matt was lucky the blunt object didn’t cause him brain damage. He forced himself out of her arms. She hesitated to let go and then smiled at her.


         “I think you have made a mistake.” Matt said.


         “What are you talking about?” She asked.


         “You made it to the state choir competition and now you’re here trying to rob a bank? What’s with you Jewel?” Matt asked.


         “I…I don’t know.”


         “Do you expect me to let you rob the bank?”


         “Matt please.”


         “To tell you a secret Jewel…”


         Sirens roared.


         Matt was too late, he needed to escape, Pedraza needed to be here soon. If he wasn’t Matt and Jewel were surely going to die.


         Three police cars slid to a halt behind the bank, and two were in front. Ten officers piled out of the cars holding their Smith and Weston handguns up screaming and shouting. Matt held his breath then said to Jewel, “Well…this is it.” He said. “This is where we fail.”


Pedraza was running.


         He finally had the double barrel shotgun that he was looking for and now he was at his patrol car. “Officer!” the dispatcher yelled as Pedraza climbed into his car.


         “I know, I’m headed to the bank!” Pedraza yelled back.


         The Dispatcher didn’t ask any more questions, Pedraza was gone now. Down Leander Road and to Crystal Falls Parkway where the bank stood, he saw the police officers climbing out of their cars just as the back windows of the bank suddenly shattered.


         He cursed.


         The officers were firing on the bank, and Matt was in there. He saw the shadows of two people, Matt and a…a girl. Pedraza pulled over grabbing his pistol.


         “Damn guys watch out!” Pedraza yelled rushing towards the front door.


         The officers were right behind Pedraza.


         He knew that his mission was in jeopardy if he couldn’t escape the police officers. What would Matt think if Pedraza couldn’t even complete…


         He was in the bank as well as the officers.


         “Everyone stay silent.”


         Matt turned his attention to Pedraza.


         Pedraza cursed knowing that Matt was about to blow his cover. Pedraza spun slamming the butt of his pistol into an officer’s face behind him.


         The other officers were frozen in both horror and shock. “Gotta be ready for anything don’t we?” Pedraza asked the officer as he fell back.


         He aimed the pistol at the other three officers.


         They drew their weapons, “I’m here to make a point.” Pedraza growled. “I’m here to tell you that I can do something that everyone else can. That we’re all stuck here in a life that we don’t have to live. We’re all stuck here! My wife and children were taken by God, I bet some of yours were too. Are we just going to sit here and watch the world crumble? No we’re not so why don’t you trust me for one second. Hear me out!” Pedraza yelled. “Hear me out or I’ll!”


         Pedraza suddenly stopped talking. The officers launched themselves out at him. He didn’t stand a chance until the girl that Matt was talking to jumped over the counter towards the officers.


         Pedraza heard the burst of what seemed like ten weapons. He scrambled for the officers pistol on the floor. “Jewel!” Matt screamed.


         Pedraza shot at the three officers now in front of him. But his bullets seemed to miss him. He was an expert marksman, but right now he knew he was in deep trouble with the police. Right now he knew his job would be gone and everyone would be hunting him.


         But did it matter?


         Jewel hit the ground with a cry of pain. Blood was pouring out of her body from random spots. She was going to die and Pedraza couldn’t help her.


         Matt turned.


         He began walking towards the window.


         The officers sprinted towards him asking if he was alright and what was going on inside the bank.


         “It’s about damned time.” Matt hissed. “You didn’t have to kill her you know.”


         The officers were frozen. “There’s something wrong with you.” One said.


         “I know. You just killed my friend.”


         “She was going to rob your bank!”


         “She was afraid!”


         The mission had been a failure.


         Pedraza lifted his hands, he was going to jail along with Matt, unless there was another plan formed before they were taken in to speak with whoever was still there. Pedraza laughed as an officer clinked the handcuffs together on his wrists. Matt watched pointlessly as they began to pull Pedraza away.


         “You’re now arresting your own officer?” Matt asked.


         The officers nodded.


         “You guys make me sick!” Matt snarled. “It’s your job to protect the innocent yet you kill one and arrest your own officer. Who knows if Pedraza is a bad guy or not? Your officers could be bad!”


         The officers were now laughing. “So what do you want us to do with him?”


         “I want you to let him go.” Matt said.


         They laughed, “Let him go? You mean actually letting the shooter go?”


         “You killed my friend and now you’re taking the other away?”


         They nodded.


         “Fine, then take me in now.” Matt said.


         “You’re an employee of the bank you haven’t done anything wrong!” One officer yelled.


         “There is a bomb under the State Capitol building downtown. In ten minutes it will explode. If you want to take me in for destroying the building then do it, but if not you’re letting a terrorist go.”


         “What are you talking about?”


         “The clock is ticking officers.”


         “You’re lying.”


         Matt smirked pulling his cell phone out of his pocket then putting it towards his ear.


         “Don’t do it!”


         “I can trigger it early with just one word.”


         The phone was thrown to the ground and crushed. The next thing he knew he was shocked and thrown into the back of the same police car as Pedraza.


         Big mistake.