Page 13 of Towles

“Thank you, Ethan.”

She thanked the teller and approached the exit as two masked men entered. The first man brandished a shotgun, the second a .45 Glock.

I moved April behind me.

“Don’t,” she whispered. “I told you, I don't need rescuing.”

The second man locked the bank doors, but it didn’t matter. I’d already heard Cindy fumbling for the red button beneath the counter. The police were already en route.

Man number one opened a black trash bag and pointed the shotgun at everyone in the lobby, including us. “Put your shit in the bag and hurry the fuck up.”

Man number two went to the counter, his .45 in Cindy's face. He shoved a black bag across the counter. “Fill that fucker.” He turned and looked up.

“Sup,” I said. He stuck the Glock’s barrel against my chest. I glanced at the safety, still in the lock position. Idiots shouldn’t rob banks.

“Shut the fuck up and put that cash in your hand in the black fucking bag.” He pressed the gun harder. Sweat rolled down his temples. His shirt sleeve rose up his wrist as he stretched his arm toward me. A Punisher tattoo stared back at me. It's funny how the universe has a way of working things out.

“Please don’t,” April said. Her office bullshit wasn’t going to work on this guy.

“Shut the fuck up, bitch,” the man chided.

I glanced at April and shrugged. I needed to make a move before the police arrived. The security camera zoomed in, the asshole in the back too scared to come out. It was probably Arvin Adams. He worked at the Steak and Shake in the evenings, flipping burgers.

I stuffed the twenties into my vest pocket, and the man finally recognized my cut.

“Fuck,” he said.

I grabbed his wrist with my right hand, pushed his arm away, and easily removed the gun with my left hand.

Shotgun yelled some macho bullshit, and I pushed April away, clicking off the safety, firing one shot at Shotgun. The man went down crying like a little bitch. I hit the other man with an elbow as the cops busted in the glass doors, guns pointed at me since I was the only one inside armed.

“Drop it, Towles,” Manning said, eyes excited. He wanted to pull the trigger as much as I wanted to fuck the woman next to me. Neither happened that day.

“He stopped the robbery,” April said, trying to rescue me after I’d rescued her.

“Ma’am, step away.” Manning nodded at me. “Drop the fucking gun, Towles.”

I looked down at the gun in my hand and back at Manning.

“Ethan,” April said.

“Towles,” I replied.

“H-he tried to rob the bank,” the guy I hit said and scrambled away. “He took my shit.”

“If you don’t drop the gun, Ethan, I will shoot you.” Manning took two steps closer, but not close enough for me to grab him. He understood violence and chaos were my best friends. Hell, it’s why he sent me to April in the first place.

“This is what you missed, Mrs. Summers. I’m not the angry one. My surroundings are. I react to the angry world around me.”

“Please drop the gun,” April pleaded.

“This is what it’s like to be me,” I said. “Are you sure you want to help?”

“Last chance, Ethan.” Manning wanted to make sure when he killed a Brothers of Chaos member, that he got it on camera to show he did everything he could not to fire his weapon.

“Ethan,” April whispered. “Please.”

April didn’t believe in gray areas. Her world was black-and-white. Mine was all gray.

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