The New Life

This is gonna work. This has got to work. Shev had ran it by me a thousand times. We spent the whole night trying to talk ourselves out of it but damn if we could.

Get in. Get the money. Get out, I repeated to myself. Why did I hve to be the one to do it? Ah yes, Shev was the clever one. I could never pull out what he’d done. The man convinced half a dozen people he was the new employee at the bank this morning.

I’d paid two boys 20 bucks to hit the glass door causing a distraction. Shev turned the system off and I got in with the gun. We’d thought about him handing me one once I got inside but that would be riskier.

I got in line and I reckoned I had about 20 minutes to man the fuck up. Get in. Get the money. Get out, I chanted. One down, Two to go.

The couple in front of me seemed nice and happy, all moon eyes and shit. I looked back at Shev, he nodded. He had my back.

The woman held my backpack for me as I asked and then that was it, now or never.

I pressed my gun to her back on the right side and made sure the other backpack on my shoulder concealed it.

“You scream you die.” I said low in her ear. “What’s your man’s name?”

She didn’t reply and I could see she was panicking. Not good. I pressed the gun harder.

“Tom.” She whispered.

“Give Tom there the backpack and pass it to the teller.” Then looking at her I added

“Fill it full. If you make as much as a suspecious movement, she dies. That goes for you too, Tom.”

They did as I said and the woman started filling the bag behind the counter. When she passed it back I saw there wasn’t enough. I needed more.

“I said full.” I had to remind myself to keep my voice low. She swore that was everything and the rest was in the safe. Fuck. This wouldn’t do. We needed more.

“Fuck!” This time I forgot to speak low.

“Is everything alright?” I heard someone ask from my right. Next, I heard a sob and that’s when it all went to hell.

The guard by the door came my way whithdrawing his gun. He’d seen mine. He had it out and ready to shoot when Shev pulled out his and shot him in the leg. That took him down but not before his bullet hit the man next to us. Tom. Fucking motherfucker! This was all going wrong. Nobody was supposed to ger hurt. People started screaming and I was sure someone had called the police by now.

“C’mon, man! We have to go!” Shev shouted. He had cuffed the guard and was watching the closed doors.

I told the teller to go empty the other drawers and fill the damn spiderman bag so we could get the fuck out of there. The woman I was holding was crying and screaming that we’d killed Tom. I hoped to god he was alive.

“Faster! You all don’t you dare call the police. If I hear a siren outside I kill her.” I told the people hoping to sound convincing enough.

The second she handed me the bag I was running for the door. Shev and I got in the car and he drove like crazy. A few minutes later we were out of the busy downtown traffic and on our was to get Finny.

Backpacks at my feet I felt my stomach churn. I folded down and put my head on my knees.

“Hey, hey it’s okay now.” I heard Shev say as I felt his hand on my hair. “You did it, Ron. We are gonna get Finny.”

I felt a bit calmer at his touch and words, but something was still tormenting me.

“What if he died? The man, Tom.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Shev said, “It was an accident.”

“But it was, Shev. It was all my fault and your pretty words won’t change that.”

He focused on the road and didn’t say anything. He took my hand and laced our fingers, knowing that would calm me down. Soon we were parked in front of that shithole Mardy lived in. There were about 5 men smoking and drinking in front of the house. The mere thought of Finny living here ran my blood cold but the sight, it made my eyes scream murder.

“Ron, you know Quell doesn’t want you here.” Mardy looked half stoned like always.

“Where’s Finn? Finn!” I shouted and went in looking for him. Quell saw me and started pushing me but Shev was on him.

“We’re taking him.” he said.

My heart hurt when I saw him. So small and fragile, playing in the mud with something that once resembled a toy car and some brick crumbs. He was too small for his three years.

“Ron!” He was so small in my arms. He hadn’t called me daddy in a while .

“We’re leaving buddy, lets go.”

“But Quell will come get me back, like last time.”

He fucking wouldn’t.

“No, he won’t, baby. Not this time.”

I walked out to the car and saw Shev was already there waiting for me. As I passed Quell I saw he had the bag and Mardy was screaming at him asking what this was about.

“You even think of coming after him, you’re dead.” I said looking him dead in the eyes.

“I gave you what you asked for, now you forget this boy ever existed in your life.”

I got in the car with Finn in my arms. He was trembling and too frightened to go alone in the back yet.

“Hey buddy.” Shev greeted him. “You’re gonna love your new bedroom.”

“New bedroom?” His eyes were wide open and he looked at me expectant.

“Yes, baby. Shev and I painted it all blue for you.”

“I like blue.” He sighed and rested his head on my shoulder.

“I know.” I replied as we hit the interstate.