Banked.
Author: Ready1
Chapter One.
It was a cold November night in Sweden. My friend Frank and I were going out for a few beers and some laughs. Well in line to this club called 'Banked' we came across an old acquaintance from my father's job.
-"Josh!" I shouted to the back of the line, trying to get his attention. -"Josh, you black asshole! Meet us inside for a few beers!" I got a quiet nod of recognition.
The three of us always enjoyed each other's company, despite the age difference. Josh was 40+ something and me and Frank were both 25.
Finally, we reach the door man after standing in line for about thirty minutes. Frank pays the entrance fee, and we enter a new line for the wardrobe and to be able to hand in our jackets. Feeling the warmth of being indoors Frank strikes me lightly with his elbow and asks quietly:
-"Recognize that girl?" Frank nods towards the blonde sweatshirt-wearing girl handling the jackets in the wardrobe.
-"It's Heidi Cohen. The daughter of Peter and Maria." Frank explains with a very serious sounding voice.
-"So?" I turn to him.
-"The fucking ambulance chasing lawyer family who landed my uncle in jail last year!"
Now I got it. Frank had told me how his uncle - who actually was an ambulance driver, was involved in a little boy's death because of some roadblocks and the following detour he had to drive as a result of them. The Cohen law firm was hired to drag Frank's uncle to court and landed him a 5 months prison sentence and a forced resignation from the hospital.
And before us stood the Cohen couple's 22-year-old daughter. I told Frank to hand me his jacket and go ahead in to find a clear table and order in some beers. I didn't want the night to be ruined now that we were psyched to finally have a guys night out. I was hoping that this would cool out the burning darkness in Frank's eyes. Just to get the girl out of his sight. Frank agrees and heads in towards the pub area to scout for a clear table. I remain in the line with both our jackets when it's finally my turn.
-"50 kronor." Heidi demands without looking up when she's operating the register. I do a quick evaluation of her curvy body and she sure is hiding something special under that sweatshirt with a big 'Banked'-logo on her chest. She's packing at least a pair of DD under there! I drift off...
-"Hey! Idiot! It says 'Banked'! Do I have to spell it out for you when you ogle me, you mouth breather." Heidi sure is looking me in the eye now.
-"Here." I hand her the money and our jackets and heads toward the table were Frank waits with two cold lagers.
-"Fucking bitch, that one" She noticed when I undressed her in my mind. I giggled to Frank.
-"Yeah, you never were a very quick thinker." Frank smiled. "She's got great body though. Don't know what I would do to them F-cup tits if I got my hands on her in a dark alley" Frank glanced at me, maybe to see how I reacted to the increased darkness that came back in his look. I didn't notice...
-"F?" I smiled at Frank.
-"Yup. Dated one of her girlfriends when Heidi was nineteen. My date noticed of her 36F when they went bra shopping and gave me the regular "does-the-size-matter-bullshit".
-"Fucking F-cups! That's big for a fat chick!" I was in a mild chock after Frank's revelation.
-"Yup. And Heidi sure isn't fat. When they are fat, there is something with the number... It's bigger I think. I never understood. F-cups on that frame is yummy!" Frank leaned over the table to catch a glimpse of her, but he couldn't see her behind the dancing couples on the dance floor. The cover band onstage was playing their third Bryan Adams-cover in a row and about twenty drunks on the dance floor were enjoying the show.
Entering the room was instead Josh who still had his long black coat on. His size and charisma dominated the room when he maneuvered to the bar and then across the dance floor to join us with a bottle of Scotch. Josh was a well-grown guy with a background as a career criminal. He had been involved as muscle in the local mafia but was trying to get straight with the law since two years back. My father had hired him in his tiling company and since the first time we met had Josh showed me a calming respect and the relationship from me and Frank's side was more filled with a fascination of Josh's character and the life that he had experienced.
-"Fucking wardrobe girl" Josh mumbled when he reached our table. "She was giving me lip about handing in my coat. I NEVER take of my coat!!! Especially when I'm packing four guns I just bought." Josh smiled at us. "Nice to see you kids. Glad you waved me in for a drink. I've had a long day."
-"We were actually talking about that wardrobe girl." I nodded to Josh. "She's the daughter of the lawyers who fucked up Pedro's job at the hospital and threw him in jail."
-"You don't say?" Josh enjoys a mouthful of scotch.
-"Yeah, but we were talking about her tits." Frank smiled.
-"Well, that sounds nice." Josh had a troubled look and turned at me. "Well, little guy. I have been involved in a massive screwup tonight involving a few of my friends from the old days." Josh sipped a new mouthful from his Scotch. "Without giving away all the details I can say that me and two other guys will go to jail for a very long time."
-"What the fuck do you mean?!" I slammed my empty beer glass at the table.
-"I mean that I have let you and your father down and screwed up big time." Josh had a vulnerable look in his eyes. "I'm very sorry and I'm going for a piss now" The vulnerability flashed through Josh's eyes I millisecond and was completely gone when he headed towards the toilet.
-"OK." Me and Frank felt deaf-and-dumb when we waited for Josh to return from the toilet.
Seven minutes later he returns with a sneaky smile on his face. "I have plan for a reversed going-away present from me to you." Josh smiled at both of us.
He sat down and explained the plan. He slipped a loaded gun to Frank and an empty one plus a pair of handcuffs under the table to me. We held the equipment under the table when we watched Josh get up and head towards the live band playing on the other side of the dance floor.
Frank left his seat and headed towards the bar at the same time as I went for the club entrance and Heidi Cohen. I heard behind me as Josh according to the plan climbed the stage and took the mic from the band's lead singer. The same moment as I grab Heidi's hair from behind and forces her into the staff toilet just five steps away. I lock the door before Heidi understands what has happened.
-"What the fuck are you doing?!" Heidi shouts at me when I grab after her wrists and press her chest towards the wall. I secure her hands behind her back with the handcuffs and turn her around. At the same time echoes two shots from the pub and the band stop playing. I hear Josh's voice from the speaker system:
-"Everybody gets the fuck out now!!!" Josh has a strict but very clear voice.