The bank robbery
It started on a rainy morning. Nick knew he had a long drive later in the afternoon so he was hoping it would stop raining by then. He had a few errands for himself and the company around town and then he would be off on a long weekend to meet his old mate Robert from High School and his family at a resort. Nick was still single, so he had insisted on meeting at the resort where there were things to do for the whole family while Nick and Robert exchange old memories over a few beers. But first he had a meeting with his lawyers and then a meeting at the bank.
He finished the meeting with the lawyers with a lunch with the new female assistant that would be part of the team they would work with the coming year. Nick had the feeling she was matched for her attractiveness, but the lunch proved surprisingly professional with intense discussion over the outstanding liabilities and other business. Nick was both a little disappointed that there had not been more flirting but also relieved that he would not struggle with an awkward situation.
He drove to the meeting at the bank hoping it would be quick so he could get going on his long weekend.
As he entered the revolving doors, he noticed a party of four sitting in a lounge waiting area. He recognised the face of the beautiful women who was facing him, but it took a few seconds before him could place her. She was a pop star with a global megahit. Something like "Love me like an animal" with a male singer too. He remembered her name was Cindy something and had seen her several places usually with some headlines containing the word "scandal". Something about being drunk and disorderly and hitting a cop etc. She had shoulder-long curly red hair. Too red to be natural hair as her tits were lifting her leather jacket unnaturally indicating a pound of silicone in each. Nick just had time to wonder why anybody had them waiting before a person came to collect them. As they rose Nick recognised her boyfriend. He was more known as an actor and as the papers always noticed: another scandal by Sean. Nick could remember he was once a sports person in a motorsport of some kind.
He recognised his key account manager and started walking towards him as he noticed two people running from the revolving doors in opposite directions. He turned his head to focus and before he could grasp what was happening another two came through the doors yelling and throwing firecrackers.
"This is a bank robbery. Get down on the floor with your hands over your head."
All four now shouted the same sentence and pulled out handguns and shot a couple of rounds.
Nick was stunned for a second then he lifted his hands over his head and kneeled. With some difficulty he could get down on the floor and it surprised him that the first thought he had was:
"Damn I have to lie here in the dirty part of the floors where everybody has stepped" He had turned his head so he could see the hall to the revolving doors and one of the doors to the offices behind. He mostly saw feet and a couple of other customers lying on the floor. The yelling kept going on for a while helped by two hysteric female voices. One was slapped he could hear but it sounded like the other was shot and another took over. The third was stopped by somebody holding her mouth and yelling to her to "shut up".
After some time, there were only fast commands between the guys in mask and yelling at the cashiers to fill bags. Nick tried to count how many they were and see pants and shoes. He did not dare look up further. Suddenly he heard sirens outside very close, and the men were yelling orders. One was ordered to go out and "stop them" but soon after he heard gunfire outside and the very angry voices from the men. Apparently, the man outside was killed. Nick was afraid that was the end of a quick solution for him. Now it had turned into a hostage situation.
The men yelled at everybody and even though Nick tried to listen he could not tell if it was meant for him. Somebody should "Move", and somebody yelled "Get your asses over here" but Nick thought it was other people.
One of the customers that Nick could see that was close to the revolving doors slowly crawled towards them. Nick watched as he inched himself towards the door as and passed first his head and then his shoulders out into the circle. When it looked like he was about to succeed a very loud shot rang out just over Nick's head and it was like the man jumped and inch and slumped down. They had killed him!
Again, a woman started screaming and again somebody tried to cover her mouth. After some time, Nick heard a "Thud", and she was silent.
"You and you" yelled a loud voice almost directly over Nick. "Crawl this way"
Nick looked up at a ski mask waving him forwards. He crawled slowly without fast movement as the man directed.
"In there" he directed as both men had circled around behind the counter and into a small office. Nick recognised Sean the actor sitting there and Cindy the pop star lying on the floor. The other hostages must be somewhere else.
"Is she dead?" Nick whispered to Sean when the ski mask had removed himself.
"What - no I don't think so. They hit her with a rifle butt to make her shut up."
They could hear the ski mask discussing just outside the room. One was almost crying. "We're fucked. How the hell did they get here so fast? What do we do."
"Relax. We have plenty of hostages. We will take a bus out of her and a plane to Mexico or Venezuela or something. We just need to relax"
"But they killed Peter. And we killed two or three of the hostages already. They will never let us go"
"They will - we can start by torturing hostages live. That will force them to send the bus. We must keep calm to survive."
"Let's gather the hostages in the back and here in the front so they won't try to attack"
"I will have a look at the hostages. Secure an inner perimeter where we can be safe from outside eyes."
"Yes Sir. I mean yes John"
The man called John entered the room where Nick was sitting. He was holding a gun in one hand and some large strips in the other.
"Stand up" he said to Nick who slowly, and with raised arms, did as he was told.
"Turn around. Hands on your back" he said and circled the gun towards Nick.
Nick did as he was told, and felt a hand pull his wrist together and tighten the strips. John did the same with the other fellow customer but as he did the same with Sean he stopped and recognised him.
He stepped back and watched until it dawned on him, and he quickly turned Cindy around on the floor.
"My God" he said and stepped out of the room.
He came back with another robber this time and pointed to Sean and Cindy.
"They are our ticket out of this mess." He said.
They poured a cup of water over her face, and she woke up spitting water. She had a short cut over her eye that was bleeding a little. She was initially totally confused until the situation became clear to her. Then she started crying and crawled towards Sean on her hands and knees. Her skirt was caught under her jacket, so her buttocks were visible as her nylon stockings stopped short and only a G-string covered her buttocks. John slapped her ass without Cindy noticing. John looked at Nick and the other customer. Then, with a final glance at Cindy, he walked out.
Sean held onto Cindy and got her to quiet down a bit.
Nick and the other customers eyes met. Both had fear in their eyes. Things were not going well.
Nothing happened for almost an hour. Nick was hoping a good negotiation was going on and they suddenly would be released but nothing happened. Cindy had several periods where she cried uncontrollable. Sean was not much help. At first, he tried to comfort her but then just told her to "shut up" or "stop that shit" and pushed her away. It did not work.
Nick and the other customer sat leaning against some cupboards and Cindy and Sean sat opposite them leaning against a wall and a steel door. Nick had tried a few times to comfort Cindy with comments like
"It will be all right honey" but Sean had sneered back:
"You don't know shit" and that was a short communication stopper.
Suddenly three men burst into the room. One was holding a camera and apparently video filming while the other two were pointing guns at them. Nick was sure it was his final hour as they entered with such determination.
"Strip bitch" the guy called John yelled at Cindy who just rolled up into a ball. John had half a broom stick in his left hand, and he poked her with it.
"Strip or die in a lot of pain bitch. Now" he shifted the stick and gun, so he was now holding the stick in his good right hand. He hit her back a few times and nothing happened. Then he leaned over and pulled her up by her red curly hair. Cindy was screaming and tears were running down her cheeks ruining her makeup. Sean was curled into a ball with his head facing the wall making himself as small and invisible as possible. Nick was sure they would kill her to put pressure on the negotiations. He never knew why but he rose with some difficulty as his hands were tied behind him.
"Take me. She can bring you a fortune in ransom. More than you are getting here! Keep her alive" he said, and the room fell silent.
"Oh, a hero." John said and pointed the gun at Nick. They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds before John turned back to Cindy who was swaying but standing on her own.
"Take the jacket off." He yelled at her, and she obeyed the order with zombie slow motions. Underneath she wore what looked like a school uniform. White blouse with a large butterfly knot around her neck and a colourful knee-length skirt that ended almost under her large breast.
"Loose the skirt" John commanded but Cindy just looked at him with tears and snot running down her face.
John put the gun in his belt at his back. He looked a little around the room and then pulled Cindy by her hair over to Nicks belly. Cindy held on to Nick and the cupboards behind him for balance. John stepped a little sideways, so the camera had a good angle, and he had some room. He smacked the broomstick twice at Cindy's ass which was stretching the skirt. He was so fast that the second landed before Cindy's brain had registered the first. Cindy screamed and her legs gave away at the same time, so she landed at Nick's feet screaming and protecting her buttocks.
John poked her with the broomstick.
"Do as you are told, or pain will become much worse"
Cindy found a zipper at her side and let it slide a little but then stopped.
John found a free thigh and the broomstick landed with a "smack", not even breaking the fine nylon broidery, but Cindy screamed and rolled again into a ball.
