Page 28 of Desperate Times
“Jahsir man, it's been years.”
“If you're a real businessman, you’ve had years to triple it. Surely you didn’t spend your money on TVs, alcohol and bitches.You should have no issue paying up. I want my 60 thousand, and Rashad needs his, too.”
“ I don't have that kind of money lying around. I have a family now; I have kids to provide for.”
“How will you provide for them if you're dead?”
“Are you threatening me now? After all we've been through?”
“No, I'm promising you. I can't stand a scheming greedy nigga. Especially one that doesn't take care of their kid. I’m not trying to be in town longer than I need to. You got four months to get my money. I’ll see myself out.”
I had learned the hard way that if you give a nigga room, he’ll think he could take the block. I wasn’t in the business of handing out free passes, not anymore. Still, something about the way he looked at me pissed me off. He acted like I stole from him, and I was the one to put him on. The betrayal was on him and only him. I didn’t need that money, not even a penny, but Crimson did. And although I planned to give her the world for the rest of her life, that nigga was gonna pay up. Punk ass didn’t even entertain the conversation about his daughter. I slid into the driver’s seat and let out a long breath. Lighting my blunt, I took a pull. I gave the nigga four months, that was me being more than generous.
ten
. . .
Crimson
One Month Later
For the first time in what felt like forever, I could breathe easily. I had been channeling my inner Whitney Houston for months, waiting for a break and waiting to exhale. I’d gone from being in survival mode to actually living. No was a foreign word to Jahsir; he never accepted it as an answer. I fought him every step. He offered to pay off my payday loans, get my car out of the shop, and take care of Scarlett’s daycare weekly. Each time I said no, and while my words were firm, his dick made me weak. Every no turned into changing every no to a yes.
Now I sat, caught up on everything, which made me bored. I’d usually be checking my account multiple times to see which charge had cleared for me to dispute, so I can have the extra money. Or I’d spend my time blocking collection calls, only for a new one to pop up. Now, nothing; just me, Jahsir, Scarlett, and my sketch book. And to add a cherry on top, the Good Lord above had given me some real relief. I got promoted Being thenew Assistant Bank Manager had me walking through the doors like I owned every dollar in there. I was happy…finally happy.
The only thing ruining my life at the current moment was the clock. Time was moving unnecessarily slowly today. Jahsir told me we had plans, and I couldn’t wait to see what they were. With Zahara willing to babysit, we could possibly spend more alone time together, which meant more dick for me. Yes, I was shamelessly sprung and dangerously in love. Just the thought of Jah made me tingle and smile on the inside.
But it was still early, around 11. I had at least six more hours of work before I could get home and get with him. I knew it would go by quickly because I was tasked with training a new hire today. Now, part of me was blown because I’d planned to sit in my new office all day and get around to my own financial planning. The other part of me was okay because I knew it would make time go by a bit faster. Currently, I was annoyed. It had been three hours of me on my feet, walking her through her very basic role. Smile, be helpful and patient, blah blah blah. Then I taught her how to count her drawers several times. It only took for a penny to be missing and she wouldn’t have a job after that. I was hoping she caught on because I was moving fast. So I checked in on her.
“Do you have any questions for me so far?”
“Um, no, I think I pretty much understand everything. Can we break for a quick lunch or mid-morning coffee break?”
“Yep, I was thinking the same thing. What do you have a taste for? I’ll buy.” I asked, trailing from behind the bank wall.
She turned to face me and asked, “Is there a Pand-” Before she could finish, a loud sound resounded in the bank. Red spray sprouted from her body and...blood..blood splattered from her body, landing onto my face. It smelled, it was warm, and it paralyzed me. She fell forward, her weight sending both of us to the ground. I had zero instincts. I just…froze. I heard chaosaround me, but nothing registered. The only sound that was loud and clear was my heart beating. It boomed loudly and hard. So hard, I felt it in my throat. She was dead, and if I didn’t snap out of this, I’d be next.
Fight, Flight, or Freeze…Flight kicked in. I twisted and squirmed under her lifeless body. I wiggled my way from under her, and my eyes caught hers before I freed myself completely. Standing to my feet, I quickly surveyed the lobby. Everyone was on the floor except for me. I darted toward the front door, my mind willing me to get out alive. But my legs shook, making it impossible to leave. When I finally put one foot in front of the other, I was snatched up.
“Where are you going, Redhead?” The masked assailant asked me as he violently wrapped his hand in my hair. Before I could utter a scream, I was dragged down and slammed back to the floor. Moments ago, I’d worked so hard to get off it, and now I lay with my chest pressed against the dirty, dingy carpet. The robber knelt in front of me. Seconds later, I felt a tickling sensation on my face. I didn’t know if it was the blood specks that were splattered over my face when the new girl was shot or the tears that rolled down my cheeks.
“Please, don’t kill me. I…I have a daughter,” I begged. He took his finger, covered in black leather gloves, and placed it over my lips. He said nothing; instead, he pointed to the ground, and I put my face back on it.
“DON’T FUCKIN MOVE!”
POW
I heard in the background. Did someone else get shot?My God, I thought. Silently, I cried, watching the hands on the clock go by. It seemed that the ordeal had lasted for at least twenty minutes, but in the moment, only two minutes had elapsed. They were professionals. They were quiet, communicating with their hands only, with the exception of the guy who spoke to meearlier. Suddenly, I was pulled up from the floor and forced to follow three of the men, while the other six continued to man the lobby.
They were clearly familiar with the bank, considering they knew exactly where the locked vault was. They pushed me into the vault door, but they said nothing. They pointed their guns at me, and I knew exactly what they expected of me.
“I, I don’t know the code.” I lied. My life flashed before my eyes, and I knew that most times, once robbers got inside the vault, they would spare no lives. I tried to prolong mine as much as possible by lying. Instead of taking my word, one of the men used his gun and pressed it into my back.
“PleaseI swear, I don’t know the code,” I lied as my voice begged. My eyes darted between them, searching for an ounce of humanity within them. Instead, my tears annoyed them. One of them stepped forward with less patience than before. His fist came at me fast and hard. When it landed on me. I thought I’d died and gone straight to heaven. I’d never been struck before. It was enough to whip me straight into shape.
“Okay! Okay. Just please don’t kill me.” I blurted out with blood spilling from my busted lip. My hands trembled as I dialed the code into the PIN pad. It beeped, making me realize I put in the wrong code. I couldn’t breathe and could barely see after that punch. I tried once again, this time more slowly. I entered the code, and the vault pad lit up green. When the door automatically opened, I was pushed inside while the three men quickly filled six duffel bags with cash. They each had two duffel bags apiece, and once they were finished, they forced me back to the front of the bank. I looked back at the clock and was surprised to find only seven minutes had passed completely. With the customers and tellers on their stomachs, I was pushed to the ground to join them.
I struggled to steady my breathing. My heart pounded so loudly in my ears that I barely registered the deep voice barking orders above me.
"Nobody moves until we're gone, or bodies drop. Ya heard me!?"
A wave of terrified murmurs rippled across the lobby that was once filled with laughter. One of the men stood near the entrance, peering outside. His grip on the shotgun tightened. "Five-O!" He spat.
"Aye, yo, wrap this shit up. Grab the redhead and let's go!"
The guy spun around, eyes landing directly on me. “You, MOVE!” He commanded as he yanked me up by my arm. Yanking away, I attempted to run. Where? I didn’t know. I was yanked by my collar and pushed toward the exit before I could get too far, anyway.
My stomach dropped, a wave of fear rushing over me. I was certain they were on their way out, sure this ordeal would be over, but now they were fixated on me. Maybe I was their insurance policy. The cops would hold their fire if they knew there was a hostage with them. Or maybe they wouldn’t. My worst fear of being taken out in a blaze of glory was more imminent than ever. I was terrified. Before I could process what was happening, he was already dragging me toward the back exit. The door flung open, and the last thing I saw before the door slammed behind us was the fearful eyes of my co-workers. After it slammed, multiple shots rang out, and I fell to the ground.
To Be Continued
