A. Zachary had been on the force for a number of years now ---- the youngest graduate from the academy at age twenty-four. She challenged herself to finish a Bachelor of Arts degree and the Police Academy at the same time. Superiors and co-workers alike knew full well that when Zachary set her mind to something, it got done with 110% of her attention. Now after only four years on the force, she made it to Lieutenant in the last year.
"Detective, we just got word on a bank robbery down on 34th and Higgins." A young man in his early 30's announced. He stood 5 feet 7 inches in her doorway and was still not tall enough to meet her eye to eye.
Steel blue eyes gazed at him without a flicker of emotion reflecting on the chiseled plains of her face. "Let's get on it. Why did you run in here? Just to tell me and then stand there? Get some squads out there on the double," she yelled as her anger rose.
Oh, boy, she's mad. I just fucked up big time. Officer Hadley thought to himself as he ran out of the office, and to the switchboard to alert everyone else needed in that location.
What a fucking idiot. If I could, I'd request him transferred somewhere else. Ugh. If only he wasn't such a moron. She grabbed her jacket before heading out to the plain squad car. She keyed in the information she received on her laptop and took off to the location.
At the scene of the robbery, squad cars littered the front of the bank.
"What's the story here?" Zach asked the nearest officer.
"The SWAT team hooked up a video line through the emergency alarm line that records all activity from the bank cameras. There are three assailants inside, and probably around a dozen citizens including employees. The leader of the trio is older, Caucasian and in his mid-thirties. The other two are just teens, maybe sixteen or seventeen years old," the officer responded. "Both of the teens are also Caucasian, and very jumpy. Apparently, they didn't plan for things to go wrong. The leader seems high-tempered. It's going to be very difficult to convince him to come out. Each of them has a gun, we're not sure if they're concealing more."
Zach surveyed the situation. Looking at the front entrance and windows, she pondered what could be done with the least amount of tragedy. "What other exits are there to the building?"
"We've been informed there is a rear entrance to the bank, off of the parking lot, and there is also an emergency exit on the west side of the building off of the alleyway," the officer summed up.
Zach tapped her chin with a forefinger. "I want you to post two officers at the emergency exit, but make sure they are at a distance and completely out of sight. I want to give the impression that the exit is unguarded. As for the rear entrance, have only a few officers with dogs visible back there."
Detective Johnson walked up next to her while she gave instructions. He had been her partner for two years now and knew a plan was already brewing in her mind. "What do you make of this Zach?"
"I have a strong premonition those boys are going to panic and try to make a run for it. As soon as they do, we'll chase them down. This will also give us an open door to get in. That pig fucker leading them may very well crumble under pressure with his boys gone." She turned to the officer again. "When we do get in the building, make sure you have those going inside have their pieces pointing ready to fire."
"Yes, Detective. We'll get to it." The officer ran off to see that Zach's instructions were carried out.
*************
"We're fucked, we're fucked. I can't believe this. What are we gonna do? We gotta get outta here." The red head nervously wiped his sweaty upper lip with the back of his hand.
"Shut up Johnny. I just need a moment to think." The leader scanned the room of people. Everyone was sitting on the floor as they had been told to do. This wasn't supposed to happen. What went wrong? I am not going to prison. I will not get caught. I just need to save my own ass. No need to worry about these two little shits or anyone else.
The silence in the room became unnerving. "What are we gonna do Bret? What are we gonna do?" the blond teen started to get teary eyed. His anxiety was transparent, as he scanned the exterior of the building. "Hey, the emergency exit is unguarded. I checked, and there isn't a sign of anyone out there. We can get out that way."
Red faced from evident irritation, Bret yelled, "What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you that stupid? You think those pigs are actually not out there planning something?"
Johnny interrupted. His long wavy red hair bounced to and fro with every animated movement, "But, it's true. I checked it myself. There is absolutely no one out there. Maybe they thought the bank has only two exits. Most places do, so why would they be thinking there is a third?"
"Because they're cops. They look everywhere you dumb ass." The leader rubbed his hand across his face in order to compose himself. These shits are gonna get me killed. No. I won't allow it. I'll shoot them down along with everyone else here, before I let them take me to prison. Then an idea hit him. "We're taking hostages. Each of you grabs one person to use as a shield. I'll have my own shield and you two as back ups. I'll let you two get shot at first. "Then we can consider that exit."
The young blond man grabbed a Latina woman.
The red head grabbed the woman's little girl, and the girl began screaming. "Mama. Mama."
"Aiy, dios mio," the woman cried out, "please not my baby. Let her go, please I beg you." The horror stricken mother began to cry.
"Shut up bitch." Bret yelled.
Out of nowhere, a soft voice caught their attention, "Please...don't take the little girl. Take me instead."
Everyone turned to the voice's owner. A young strawberry blonde woman slowly stood to her feet. The short woman gently repeated her plea; "Please... leave the little girl."
Johnny looked between the two. My god, what am I doing? This girl is only six years old. How could I want to take her? He shoved her to the floor, and she began to sob. Her mother made the sign of the cross across her chest grateful that her plea was answered. Johnny then grabbed the short woman who volunteered to take the little one's place.
"Okay, this is how we're going to do it. I'm going to let the pigs know we have hostages and that we are ready to shoot. You two head out to the car in the alley," Bret declared.
"No! I'm tired of listening to you. Your ideas haven't worked so far. We're wasting time. Those cops are gonna find this exit eventually. We gotta go NOW!" The blond teen yelled. Without further thought, he rushed for the door and opened it.
BANG!
The young man's body slumped to the floor. The Latina woman passed out at the sight. In the commotion and shock of it all, Johnny suddenly bolted out the door with the young woman in hand.
"That little shit!" Bret exclaimed. He turned to face the crowd. Grabbing the little girl who was still crying, he said, "Okay, anyone moves and I kill you and the girl."
Busy with his threats and deciding what to do next, he didn't realize the door was now partially ajar. Within seconds, two officers quietly peeked in and hurriedly assessed the situation. Without a sound, they filed in pointing their weapons at the leader's head.
Bret got the eerie sensation something was behind him as the eyes of the hostages gazed past him.
One of the officers took notice of the little girl in the leader's grasp and the gun pointing at her face. Without a second thought, he shot. The body fell.
Zach and Johnson chased down the redheaded teen with the hostage into an abandoned warehouse.
Johnny climbed to the second floor of the warehouse and hid behind some machinery. He needed a chance to think of how to get out of this, and hoped to have averted their pursuit of him.
"What are you going to do?" the blonde woman gently asked.
Angered, he said, "Shut up. Shut the fuck up. You say anything else and I'll kill you right here." He waved the barrel of the gun in her face. He was in a panic, as rivers of sweat ran down his face.
The blonde laid a tentative hand on his forearm because she felt his emotions and knew that fear was taking over his rationality.
