ORIGINAL: Escape
Summary: we had all the time in the world
Word count: 1.464
About this story: I’m not really sure what inspired this story, but I think it must have been some high-speed chase I’ve seen on TV. It’s as close I’ve ever gotten to writing an action sequence.
We drove through the busy streets of the city, the sirens blaring behind us. A few times it seemed like the end was inevitable. We slammed through roadblocks and evaded the helicopters hovering over our heads and the marshal threatening us over the bullhorn if we don’t stop and surrender. My hands fiercely squeezed onto the wheel while the thumping of my heart smothered all other sounds around me, and I stepped on the gas as far as it would go.
In the rearview mirror I could see Robyn laying on the back seat, slowly drifting off. I screamed at her, I don’t know how many times, to stay with me, not to fall asleep. She slowly extended her arm and patted my shoulder, leaving a crimson stain on my sleeve. Over the sound of the engine and the screech of tires I could hear her whispering, over and over, how everything is going to be alright.
The plan was to split up in three groups of two after the heist. The police would take ninety seconds after the alarm was hit to arrive at the scene, we timed it, a million times it seems. It was always a minute and a half. That gave us all the time in the world.
Seven minutes into the security guard’s lunch break, the six of us walked into the lobby of the First National Bank with masks on our faces and guns drawn. Robyn was standing next to me the whole time, calm and steady, like she’s done it all her life. Three of us took the tellers, shoving gym bags over the counter and wordlessly pointing the guns into their heads. They knew what we wanted. The rest of the group, holding machine guns, went for the vault and demanded access. We were never going to be greedy - it was the deal. I looked at my watch; there was still sixty seconds to go. We had all the time in the world.
Forty-five seconds into it - I thought I was imagining things - the sound of sirens came from behind the corner and they were closing in. I looked at Robyn and she looked back; even under the mask I could see a flash of panic in her eyes.
“Time!” Somebody yelled out and the three of us pulled back the half-filled bags from the tellers’ hands and then waved our guns into their faces once again, for good measure. The vault was barely touched but we had to think fast. The sirens were practically deafening now and by the time we burst through the bank’s entrance a line of police cars was only yards away. The officers started jumping out of their vehicles mid motion and instantly drawing their weapons out and pointing them at us. We ran for the cars followed by the shouting coming from the other side of the street ordering us to stop and drop our guns.
Tossing one bag into each backseat, we boarded the cars and stepped on it. The shots went off, dozens at a time, and the sound of metal being pierced and glass smashed echoed all around us. Robyn sat in the back and demanded from me in a raspy voice to go faster. I turned towards her for a second after she let out a guttural growl and then she started blindly shooting back at the police who were right behind us. She got hit, right there in front of the bank and she was in pain, it was obvious. Whenever I could, I turned to look and make sure she was handling it. She yelled for me to keep my eyes on the road and forget about her, to get us away from the chase.
After she emptied her gun, Robyn fell back in the seat, exhausted and bleeding. There were now five police cars on our tail and we were running out of options.
“The docks,” Robyn choked out and I made a sharp left turn, making the rear end swing the car out of control. We swerved, hitting trashcans and mailboxes, but had better luck than three of the police cars behind us who ended up wrapped around the pole and smashed into one another. The remaining two cars from the chase seemed to lose speed, and after I managed to squeeze the car through a narrow street right before a delivery truck closed it up, the noise behind us seized and we were left with only the sound of the tired engine and our heavy breathing.
There was this abandoned storage place down on the docks that we used as a meeting place and I killed the engine just as we were about to enter, letting the car silently roll into the parking space. The second the car came to a stop I jumped out and reached for the back door. Robyn was laying in the back, barely conscious, still clutching the gun in her fist. She had a big hole on her shoulder from which the blood was now gushing out. I grabbed her by the collar of her jacket and lifted her up into a seating position and then pulled her out of the car. I propped her over my shoulder, wrapping my arm around her waist to keep her on her feet. Her head fell backwards and I could feel her burning up when I grabbed her hand.
“I can do it,” she choked out. “I can walk.”
“Are you sure?” I stopped walking and she faintly nodded her head.
“Get the bag and shut the gate. I’ll be fine.”
I hesitated for a moment and then I detached myself from her, leaving her standing on unsteady legs. She slowly walked away as I took the bag out of the car and, swinging it over my shoulder, I pushed the gate to close. For a few seconds more I stayed behind to make sure no one was following us.
“Robyn?” I called out to her when I walked into the room that once served as an office space and she was nowhere to be seen.
“I’m here,” she breathed out and I turned to my left to find her standing with her back against the wall, her face pale and sweaty.
I dropped the bag to the floor and rushed to her, “We must get you to a doctor,” I presses my palm against her wound to contain the bleeding and she flinched, “you’re losing too much blood.”
“No doctor,” she barely spoke out and then reached with her hand to wipe off the sweat from her brow. “Take a seat,” she extended her wounded arm and pointed the barrel of the gun towards the chair in the corner. Her fist and the weapon were both covered in blood that dripped down her arm making a little puddle on the floor. I did what she said and as I sat and drew the bag against the floor to my feet, Robyn limply slid down the wall and landed on the floor. “Count it,” she said and closed her eyes.
I unzipped the bag and took a quick glance inside. Flipping a few stacks of bills in my hand I swallowed. “It must be… at least two hundred thousand in here.”
“Good,” she smiled with her eyes closed, “go out and buy yourself something nice.”
Suddenly my eyes started to well up in tears. “We’ll go out and burn this money together.”
Robyn sighed and opened her eyes. She looked at me with a little smile, “I don’t need nice things where I’m going.”
I jumped on my feet tossing the bag to the side and I landed on my knees in front of her. “You’re not going anywhere!” I lifted her head up so she’d look me in the eyes. “You’re staying right here, with me. We’re staying together.”
She gave me a stern look, like a parent to a petulant child. I understood without the words spoken and I stopped holding back the tears.
“Show it to me.” She nodded towards the bag and I pulled it over. Robyn reached inside and took out a stack of bills. She gave me an impish smile and waved the money in front of my eyes. “So many plans, so little time.”
I moved closer to her and wrapped my arm around her back making her lean into me. Her shirt was completely soaked in blood and I could feel her slowly slipping away. I squeezed her tight in my arms and I buried my face into her hair. “We have all the time in the world,” I whispered into her ear and I’m sure I felt her smile right before she stopped breathing.
The end.
Word count: 1.464
About this story: I’m not really sure what inspired this story, but I think it must have been some high-speed chase I’ve seen on TV. It’s as close I’ve ever gotten to writing an action sequence.
We drove through the busy streets of the city, the sirens blaring behind us. A few times it seemed like the end was inevitable. We slammed through roadblocks and evaded the helicopters hovering over our heads and the marshal threatening us over the bullhorn if we don’t stop and surrender. My hands fiercely squeezed onto the wheel while the thumping of my heart smothered all other sounds around me, and I stepped on the gas as far as it would go.
In the rearview mirror I could see Robyn laying on the back seat, slowly drifting off. I screamed at her, I don’t know how many times, to stay with me, not to fall asleep. She slowly extended her arm and patted my shoulder, leaving a crimson stain on my sleeve. Over the sound of the engine and the screech of tires I could hear her whispering, over and over, how everything is going to be alright.
The plan was to split up in three groups of two after the heist. The police would take ninety seconds after the alarm was hit to arrive at the scene, we timed it, a million times it seems. It was always a minute and a half. That gave us all the time in the world.
Seven minutes into the security guard’s lunch break, the six of us walked into the lobby of the First National Bank with masks on our faces and guns drawn. Robyn was standing next to me the whole time, calm and steady, like she’s done it all her life. Three of us took the tellers, shoving gym bags over the counter and wordlessly pointing the guns into their heads. They knew what we wanted. The rest of the group, holding machine guns, went for the vault and demanded access. We were never going to be greedy - it was the deal. I looked at my watch; there was still sixty seconds to go. We had all the time in the world.
Forty-five seconds into it - I thought I was imagining things - the sound of sirens came from behind the corner and they were closing in. I looked at Robyn and she looked back; even under the mask I could see a flash of panic in her eyes.
“Time!” Somebody yelled out and the three of us pulled back the half-filled bags from the tellers’ hands and then waved our guns into their faces once again, for good measure. The vault was barely touched but we had to think fast. The sirens were practically deafening now and by the time we burst through the bank’s entrance a line of police cars was only yards away. The officers started jumping out of their vehicles mid motion and instantly drawing their weapons out and pointing them at us. We ran for the cars followed by the shouting coming from the other side of the street ordering us to stop and drop our guns.
Tossing one bag into each backseat, we boarded the cars and stepped on it. The shots went off, dozens at a time, and the sound of metal being pierced and glass smashed echoed all around us. Robyn sat in the back and demanded from me in a raspy voice to go faster. I turned towards her for a second after she let out a guttural growl and then she started blindly shooting back at the police who were right behind us. She got hit, right there in front of the bank and she was in pain, it was obvious. Whenever I could, I turned to look and make sure she was handling it. She yelled for me to keep my eyes on the road and forget about her, to get us away from the chase.
After she emptied her gun, Robyn fell back in the seat, exhausted and bleeding. There were now five police cars on our tail and we were running out of options.
“The docks,” Robyn choked out and I made a sharp left turn, making the rear end swing the car out of control. We swerved, hitting trashcans and mailboxes, but had better luck than three of the police cars behind us who ended up wrapped around the pole and smashed into one another. The remaining two cars from the chase seemed to lose speed, and after I managed to squeeze the car through a narrow street right before a delivery truck closed it up, the noise behind us seized and we were left with only the sound of the tired engine and our heavy breathing.
There was this abandoned storage place down on the docks that we used as a meeting place and I killed the engine just as we were about to enter, letting the car silently roll into the parking space. The second the car came to a stop I jumped out and reached for the back door. Robyn was laying in the back, barely conscious, still clutching the gun in her fist. She had a big hole on her shoulder from which the blood was now gushing out. I grabbed her by the collar of her jacket and lifted her up into a seating position and then pulled her out of the car. I propped her over my shoulder, wrapping my arm around her waist to keep her on her feet. Her head fell backwards and I could feel her burning up when I grabbed her hand.
“I can do it,” she choked out. “I can walk.”
“Are you sure?” I stopped walking and she faintly nodded her head.
“Get the bag and shut the gate. I’ll be fine.”
I hesitated for a moment and then I detached myself from her, leaving her standing on unsteady legs. She slowly walked away as I took the bag out of the car and, swinging it over my shoulder, I pushed the gate to close. For a few seconds more I stayed behind to make sure no one was following us.
“Robyn?” I called out to her when I walked into the room that once served as an office space and she was nowhere to be seen.
“I’m here,” she breathed out and I turned to my left to find her standing with her back against the wall, her face pale and sweaty.
I dropped the bag to the floor and rushed to her, “We must get you to a doctor,” I presses my palm against her wound to contain the bleeding and she flinched, “you’re losing too much blood.”
“No doctor,” she barely spoke out and then reached with her hand to wipe off the sweat from her brow. “Take a seat,” she extended her wounded arm and pointed the barrel of the gun towards the chair in the corner. Her fist and the weapon were both covered in blood that dripped down her arm making a little puddle on the floor. I did what she said and as I sat and drew the bag against the floor to my feet, Robyn limply slid down the wall and landed on the floor. “Count it,” she said and closed her eyes.
I unzipped the bag and took a quick glance inside. Flipping a few stacks of bills in my hand I swallowed. “It must be… at least two hundred thousand in here.”
“Good,” she smiled with her eyes closed, “go out and buy yourself something nice.”
Suddenly my eyes started to well up in tears. “We’ll go out and burn this money together.”
Robyn sighed and opened her eyes. She looked at me with a little smile, “I don’t need nice things where I’m going.”
I jumped on my feet tossing the bag to the side and I landed on my knees in front of her. “You’re not going anywhere!” I lifted her head up so she’d look me in the eyes. “You’re staying right here, with me. We’re staying together.”
She gave me a stern look, like a parent to a petulant child. I understood without the words spoken and I stopped holding back the tears.
“Show it to me.” She nodded towards the bag and I pulled it over. Robyn reached inside and took out a stack of bills. She gave me an impish smile and waved the money in front of my eyes. “So many plans, so little time.”
I moved closer to her and wrapped my arm around her back making her lean into me. Her shirt was completely soaked in blood and I could feel her slowly slipping away. I squeezed her tight in my arms and I buried my face into her hair. “We have all the time in the world,” I whispered into her ear and I’m sure I felt her smile right before she stopped breathing.
The end.