6 Hours 42 Minutes, page 6
part #5 of Vigilante Series
“Ford Fusion and a Chevy Malibu, first and third slots out front,” she droned with a dull look in her eyes. “Eclipse across the street in the shopping mall parking lot. Chrysler mini-van in back in the bank’s reserved lot.”
Chris crossed the short distance to the window, looked out through the semi-sheer vertical blinds and noted a chocolate brown Mitsubishi Eclipse parked at Carrefour Laval across the street beyond the mass of police vehicles and officers.
“I’ve never seen an Eclipse of that colour,” he commented as he turned back to the trussed up woman lying in the cabinet. “And, I know cars. Special paint job?”
“The cars are done with a water-based paint,” she said wearily. “It’ll come off in a carwash or with a pressure washer.”
“Where did you guys get your information?” Chris pressed on. “You seemed pretty organized for people who’ve never pulled a bank job. Who’s on the inside?’
“Uh, nobody,” she replied.
“You’re lying to me,” said Chris as he stared at her. “Who’s in this on the inside?”
“I swear to you, I’m not lying,” she argued. “Bull was getting the information from somewhere but I don’t think it was someone from the bank.”
“Is there anything else you can tell me?” Chris asked after a moment, glancing at his watch again.
“No,” she replied, still thinking of Mistah B but deciding to keep an ace up her sleeve in case things somehow turned around. “That’s all I have but, I’ll ask you once again. Who the hell are you?”
“I’m the guy who let you live,” Chris replied before knocking her unconscious, re-taping her mouth and securing the cabinet doors.
He made sure the cabinet was pressed up firmly against the door then climbed onto it and hoisted himself back into the ceiling. After returning the ceiling tile to its original position he went off for another stroll within the ceiling and walls to find a secure spot to give Jonathan a call.
Chapter 15 - 10:51 a.m.
Jonathan Addley cut the connection and turned to Captain Edgar Leblanc inside the mobile command post.
“Here’s the latest from our buddy inside. He’s neutralized a fourth of apparently eight people involved. He interrogated her, the only woman in the group, and she’s who this information is coming from so he can’t be sure that it’s accurate.”
Leblanc nodded and listened as Addley repeated what he had just learned from Chris. A quick glance from their position confirmed the existence of the three alleged getaway vehicles parked by the bank and across the street. He barked out orders and, a moment later, they watched as a couple of cops ran to the cars armed with water bottles and rags. Little effort was required to quickly reveal the true colours of the vehicles under the water-based paint.
“Okay, so the captive was honest about that,” said Leblanc.
“Are you going to get the cars towed?” asked Jonathan.
“Not just yet,” replied the captain. “These guys are getting hit with hang-up after hang-up, thanks to your associate, so they need some time to digest them. If we tow their cars now, they just may start shooting people in there.”
“Fair enough,” Jonathan nodded though he was used to hitting hard in his line of dealing with criminals.
“Now, back to this lady,” said Leblanc, “I just don’t know if she bullshitted about anything else. How good is your man at getting information?”
“He’s probably my best,” Jonathan replied. “But he’s not in the best circumstances to thoroughly question someone in there. If the girl was straight with him, it’s still four against one and anyone of those four could potentially take Chris out. The girl knows that and might have lied about any number of things to try to lull him into a false sense of security.”
“I’m especially concerned about the bomb,” Leblanc admitted. “Armed robbers and hostages is one thing but a blast could take out everyone in there and some of the cops out here. If I was certain that bomb was a fake, I’d be giving the orders to storm the place right now.”
“Well, Chris was off to try to confirm more of what the girl told him,” Jon responded. “I’d suggest giving him a little time to see what he comes up with.”
“Mister Addley, whether I like it or not,” sighed Leblanc, “That’s the only choice I have for now.”
* * * *
Chris slowly inched a little further and the customer service area came into view once again through the ventilation grill. Leaning over to one side, he could still make out the huddle of bank employees in the same corner as before but a quick headcount revealed seven, all female but one. The two managers were missing, probably gone to the vault as the woman had stated.
Pacing back and forth near the central counter where the bomb lay was one of the robbers Chris had seen earlier, Bull, he presumed, who seemed to be in charge. As Chris looked on to try to spot any of the other robbers, the one below suddenly called out, “Shade,” towards the back. A few seconds later, a muscular, black man appeared and the two engaged in a hushed but apparently increasingly agitated discussion.
‘I guess I’m starting to annoy them,’ Chris thought with a smile as he watched on.
* * * *
“How long has she been gone?” Shade asked with concern.
“Ten, maybe fifteen minutes,” Bull replied, well aware of his friend’s relationship with Krystalle.
“And you sent her back there alone?” Shade growled, his anger growing. “Why didn’t you go yourself, you fucking wuss?”
“Shade, calm down,” Bull hissed, pausing as he pulled his flask out for a quick nip. “Krys is part of the team and she’s entitled to an equal share so there’s no giving her any fucking special treatment just cuz she’s a girl.”
“Equal share of shit,” Shade spat back. “All we’re gonna share is death or jail time. This is all fucked up and if you still don’t realize it, you’re even dumber than I thought. Maybe you should stop drinking that shit and get your head straight.”
“My head is fine and we’ll get out of here somehow,” Bull argued. “There’s gotta be a way.”
“Yeah, there’s a way,” Shade sneered. “In a fucking body bag.”
“No, not in a body bag,” Bull disagreed. “We’ve got hostages. The cops will want them back alive. We’ll negotiate our way out of here.”
“Yeah, right,” the black man scoffed. “I’m going to find Krystalle while you negotiate your shit.”
“Hang on a second,” Bull ordered. “They must be nearly done with the cash in the vault. Let’s get everyone back in here and then you can go.”
Shade glared at Bull but stayed put as their ringleader pulled out his own cell phone and speed-dialled a number.
“Sparks, how long are you guys gonna still be back there for?... Good, get back here. We’ve got some talking and planning to do.”
He cut the connection and addressed Shade. “They’re done packing the money and they’re on their way back.”
A moment later, Ian Howard and Simon Chase came through a doorway on the opposite side of the customer service counter with two heavy duffel bags each slung on their shoulders, followed by Sparks and Juice with their guns drawn. They made their way to the gate leading through the counter and crossed to the customer side where Howard and Chase dropped the bags to the floor with a thud.
“You’re wasting your time and ours,” uttered Chase with contempt. “You morons will never get out of here with that money. I hope they shoot you down when you leave. At least then, we won’t be wasting tax dollars to keep you in jail for the rest of your life.”
Bull walked over to the assistant director and gazed at him for a few seconds then suddenly swung his gun upwards, striking the man on the side of the head and sending him sprawling to the floor amidst gasps and screams from the other hostages.
“I’m already pissed off, Mister banker-man.” said Bull as he stood over Chase. “I don’t need you to piss me off some more. Now, shut the fuck up or you’ll be the first one to get shot.”
“What do you mean, the first to get shot?” Ian Howard stepped in. “You told us that nobody would get hurt.”
“That was before everything got screwed up because somebody in here called the cops somehow,” Bull replied. “What was a simple in and out bank robbery has turned into a goddamned hostage taking and if we have to hurt some of you to show we’re not fucking around, that’s how it’s going to be. Now, you and the mouth here get over with the others.”
While Howard helped the dazed Chase to his feet and went to join the rest of the bank staff, Bull turned to the remaining team.
“Goose is dead, Wheels, Ben and Krystalle have disappeared and we’re surrounded by an army of cops so there’s obviously someone in here that’s fucking around with us. Sparks and me are gonna stay here to keep an eye on these idiots. Juice and Shade, I want you to go around this place and search every fucking corner to find the others and especially to find the asshole who fucked everything up for us. Go. Find him.”
Chapter 16 - 10:57 a.m.
Chris watched as two of the robbers, the black one and a scared looking, tall, gangly twenty-something white kid, passed below his ventilation grill, obviously off to search the back office area once more. He quietly crawled backwards through the ductwork, heading in the general direction that the two men were going. He was now pretty sure that the girl had not lied, that four of them remained. He’d be careful but, if he had the slightest opportunity with these two, he’d reduce that number even more. He’d also have to find another moment to give Jonathan an update soon.
* * * *
Juice and Shade found the door of the first office unlocked and the room empty but the second door down the hallway closed and locked. They moved on to the corner room, the mailroom, where they, as Krystalle had, also made the grisly discovery of Ben’s body lying in a pool of blood. A quick search revealed that their dead friend’s gun was missing, adding to their growing fear and tension. They quickly checked the remaining rooms to find them all vacant before returning to the one with the locked door.
“Fucker just might be in here and probably has Krystalle with him,” Shade murmured as he pressed the muzzle of his pistol against the door plate of the knob. “Stand back, bro.”
He fired two shots which shattered the thin metal plate and blew the knob to the floor. Stepping back, he then charged into the door, slamming it solidly with his shoulder but bounced off, nearly falling to the ground.
“Jesus Christ,” he swore as he winced, rubbing his shoulder to lessen the pain.
“Something’s jamming it,” said Juice, pointing to the quarter inch opening which had appeared between the door and jamb.
“Yeah, something fucking heavy,” Shade agreed. “Help me push.”
Both men put their weight against the door and, following a couple of minutes of effort, managed to get the door open enough to enter the room. Shade poked his head through the space, noting that nobody was inside and that a metal cabinet lying on the floor had been blocking the door. He slipped through the opening with Juice following close behind.
“Looks like you killed some stationary,” Juice chuckled as he looked at the two bullet holes punched through the cabinet doors.
“It would be great if that fucker was hiding in there,” Shade laughed as he twisted the handles and flung the cabinet doors open. “Aw, fuck, nooooo!”
Both men stared down in disbelief at Krystalle and her two bloody chest wounds as her lifeless eyes gazed back at them.
Shade dropped to his knees and grasped the woman by the shoulders, shaking her in an attempt to revive her but soon realized that she was not coming back.
“I fucking shot Krystalle, man,” Shade wailed as tears streamed down his cheeks as he stood. “I killed my baby.”
“Dude, get a grip,” Juice said as he clasped the black man’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. “She was probably dead already. The fucker already killed Goose and Ben. Why wouldn’t he kill Krys too?”
“Why would he tape her up if she was dead?” Shade snapped back in anger. “I killed her, Juice, but that mother-fucker put her in there.”
He got to his knees and bent over Krystalle, his tears raining on her face as he gazed at her for a moment before kissing her lips in a gesture of farewell.
“Baby, I’m gonna find this bastard and he’s gonna die slow and painful,” he vowed as he closed the doors of her makeshift coffin. “That’s a promise that I’m gonna keep.”
* * * *
A sense of sadness washed over Chris as he watched the two men leave the room. He had heard their conversation from where he lay in the ventilation duct and couldn’t help but feel that there was some truth in what the black man had said. Had the woman, Krystalle, they had called her, not been in the cabinet, and he had put her in there, she would still be alive. Yet, he felt no remorse for the two men he had killed less than an hour ago.
Perhaps it was a gender issue as he realized that he had never taken a woman’s life over the years. If faced with a cold-blooded, female killer, he wouldn’t hesitate to take her out, would he? Of course, he wouldn’t. No, he hadn’t killed Krystalle because he hadn’t felt that she deserved to die. He had somehow sensed that she had ended up tangled in this situation, one that was way over her head, by mistake and deserved a second chance.
‘Enough of this psycho-analysis crap for now,’ he reasoned after a moment as he moved back further into the duct, on his way to update Jonathan once again. ‘Any which way, the four that are left are male so, no problem.’
Chapter 17 - 11:06 a.m.
Jonathan and Captain Leblanc sat in stoic silence as they watched the bank from the mobile command post, waiting to learn more of the two gun shots they had heard moments earlier. Leblanc had tried to contact the robbers’ spokesman several times since they had first spoken over half an hour earlier but always got the voicemail for someone named Louise.
Somewhat of an expert in hostage negotiations, he had hoped to be able to talk to the man regularly and early on, in order to establish a rapport before irrational thoughts started setting in as time went by. However, with all other means of communication down and the cell phone off, Leblanc had no choice but to wait until the robber called back.
As the captain mulled these thoughts over, Jonathan’s phone chirped.
“Chris, I’m with Edgar Leblanc,” he answered after looking at the call display. “Let me put you on speaker.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Captain,” said Chris, barely over a whisper. “I wish it was under better circumstances but we’ll make up for it later.”
“You’re a brave man, Chris, and I look forward to meeting you when this ordeal is over,” replied Leblanc. “Do you have anything new for us? Do you know anything about the latest gunshots we heard?”
“As it happens, I was witness to those shots. Two of our guys were searching the back offices, most likely for me, and shot through a locked door,” said Chris. “Unfortunately, that was where I had left the girl and the bullets got her. She’s dead.”
“Hazards of the profession,” said Jonathan. “Do you have a better idea about how many are left?”
“I think the girl was straight with me so I’m pretty sure that they’re down to four,” Chris replied, “As long as they don’t find the guy locked in a cupboard upstairs. They have the money out of the vault now but I have no idea what they’re planning next.”
“Any idea on how they’re feeling?” asked Leblanc. “Do they seem under control?”
“Their ringleader is getting pretty antsy,” Chris opined, confirming what the captain already suspected. “He’s pacing like hell and his fuse is short. He smacked one of the manager’s earlier for mouthing off at him. I also think that he’s drinking. I saw him taking a swig from a flask and I doubt it was water. One of the others, a black guy, is the one who shot the girl and that seemed to rip him apart. I got the impression that she was his girlfriend.”
“Jesus,” Leblanc muttered. “Goddamned idiots.”
“I’m with you on that,” Chris continued, “But now this guy’s planning to go on a rampage to find me because her death is my fault.”
“Watch yourself in there, Chris,” Jonathan warned.
“I doubt that I’m in any more danger than I was before, Jon,” Chris rationalised. “The two others seem calm enough to date but I haven’t really seen them much. My impression from what I have seen though is that they’re nervous and scared. As I had mentioned earlier, the girl told me this was their first time on a job like this and I tend to believe it. These guys seem to have zero experience with robbing banks and dealing with the pressure once things screw up. I’m getting more concerned about the hostages because now our friends have the cash ready but can’t go forward with their plan which is to get the hell out. It’s going to get tenser in here.”
“Which means that I should be hearing from them soon?” hoped Leblanc.
“Either that or they’ll come out with hostages to leave in their cars,” Jonathan countered. “I don’t think that you want that to happen.”
“It might be time to tow the cars now,” Leblanc acknowledged.
“I think you should,” Chris agreed. “That will reduce the chance of them using hostages as shields. I doubt they’ll leave the bank without a sure means of transport. This will rattle them up a bit more and hopefully, generate a call to you, Captain.”
“Then, that’s the next course of action,” Leblanc decided. “What are you planning, Chris?”
“I’m pretty sure that they’ll be staying in the customer service area now that the cash is out since that’s where the exits are,” Chris replied, “So I’ll make my way back there through the air ducts and keep an eye on what’s going on.”
