Criminal for Life

"Listen Einstein, you just gotta keep the engine running and keep an eye to for the cops okay?" Casanova said. He had pulled a balaclava over his face and was checking that his shotgun was loaded. 

Shelly nodded and checked that the engine was running. It was.

She had a gun too, but hers wasn't loaded, when they had given it to her first with a full clip Ceaser had snatched it from her hands and asked if the others were fucking retarded. 

"She can barely string a sentence together, don't give her a loaded piece you fucking ingrate." Ceaser had said. 

It hurt Shelly's feelings, she could string a sentence together. That sentence didn't make any sense at all, sentences weren't on strings they were on letters. 

Shelly checked the car was still running and nodded to herself. 

Blackbeard grinned at her and pulled a mask over his face. He didn't have a beard and she wasn't really Einstein. It was part of Ceaser's plan, he was the smart one. The Brains of the operation, it didn't make any sense that he wasn't Einstein.

Blackbeard was the nicest one, he was kind and patient. 

Shelly wondered if he'd done something bad to end up in Ceaser's gang. Shelly was here because her uncle Joey was sick and she needed money to pay for his medicine. 

The doctors had said a lot of confusing things that she didn't understand and that Uncle Joey was too sick to explain to her. 

Ceaser had gone with her to the hospital after she spoke to him about it. He'd talked to the doctors and then to Uncle Joey. He always knew what to do. 

Ceaser was sat next to her in the passenger seat of the van. He didn't have a shotgun, he had a big revolver like from a Clint Eastwood movie.

"No one gets hurt??" Shelly said. Casanova laughed at her, he did that a lot. 

"No one gets hurt Einstein, unless there's trouble." Ceaser said. 

"It's time." Blackbeard said. Him and Casanova jumped out of the back of the van and Ceaser opened the passenger door. Shelly gripped the steering wheel hard and made sure the engine was running. 

"Be back in five, Einstein." Ceaser said. 

"Five what?" she asked, but he was already gone. Shelly looked around and checked for cops. There weren't any, but she kept checking just in case. 

She counted five seconds and then decided they would be a little longer then that. She swallowed and tried not to think about the knot in her stomach. 

She felt nervous and like she needed to poop or be sick. Her palms were usually sweaty but now they were wet enough that she had to wipe them on her overalls. 

Casanova had gotten them from somewhere, they were a dull grey and meant to be used by painters. It was too hot with it on and Shelly didn't understand how any one managed to actually work wearing them. The van was from a painting company too. Blackbeard had gotten that. He said that he'd give it back when they were done. Blackbeard was nice. 

Shelly took a deep breath and glanced up and down the street, still no cops. There was a loud bang from inside the building. Then all part of the plan, it was like a play or a TV show. Just for show they weren't really going to hurt anyone. 

An alarm started ringing inside the building, that was part of the plan too Shelly was pretty sure. The alarm went off when the cash registers were opened and the tellers were emptying them for Blackbeard and Casanova. They had bags and shotguns. No one was getting hurt though because the bank was insured.

There was another a bang, then two more. More shouting. Shelly checked the car was running. All going according to plan.

There was another bang and the alarm stopped. Still no cops either but people on the street were looking at the building with concern. A man, holding hands with a little girl, was looking right at Shelly and frowning. Shelly waved at the little girl who waved back. The man picked her up and rushed away. 

Shelly realised she was still holding the gun. 

"It's okay its not loaded." She said. But the man didn't listen, or didn't care, and carried the little girl away. 

The shouting was louder now. The doors to the van slid open and Casanova and Ceaser dropped Blackbeard inside. There was blood on all of them and on the bags. Blackbeard was screaming.

"What are you waiting for Einstein! Fucking drive!" Casanova shouted. 

"You said no one was going to be hurt." Shelly said. 

"Shit happens, now drive the fucking car." Ceaser said. 

"It's actually a van." Shelly said, but did as she was told and pulled out of the alleyway. As they drove away Shelly could hear the sounds of sirens getting closer. Shelly put her foot to the gas and sped up, running a red light and swerving past an oncoming car.

"Jesus what the fuck Einstein!?" Casanova shouted. Blackbeard wasn't screaming anymore, he was just breathing and coughing sometimes.

"Just let her work." Ceaser said.

A car with lights flashing above it pulled out behind them. It raced towards them, accelerating much faster than the painters van. Shelly pulled up the handbrake and spun the wheel. Two of the tyres lifted from the ground but the car didn't roll. The pursuing car slammed the brakes and turned after them. Ceaser opened the door again and fired his gun at the police car.

"Don't hurt anyone!" Shelly shouted, taking her eyes of the road.

"Relax I'm shooting the tyres." Ceaser said. Shelly looked back, there was a sixteen wheeler truck crossing an intersection ahead of them. She didn't have time to do anything, not even take her foot of the accelerator. They hit the side of the truck going just over 50 miles per hour.