The
Hostage
My life
is over. I've got no money, no husband, no kids and no place to call
home. Everything is gone over one stupid mistake. I'm starting to get
desperate. I can't live like this. I've decided I have got to get some
money and I know how to do it. I am going to rob a bank. I know it's
against all my principles, but where have principles ever got me? Anyway
my friend Joe has told me exactly what to do. He's even lent me a gun
to do it with. He says that it is a semi-automatic, whatever that means.
My God, I can see the bank, I'm not sure if I can do it. Just a couple
more metres.
I'm inside the bank now. It's practically empty in here. I'm second in the line, there is just one man in front of me and the rest of the bank is empty. Well it's now or never. I circle my arm around his neck, mutter a silent prayer and then I pull my gun and shout
"This is an armed robbery, give me your money or I'll kill him" God did I just say that? It sounds like one of those lines you hear in movies or on television. Anyway it worked because they start handing me wads of notes and I begin stuffing them in my pockets. When my pockets are full I back away from the cashier, but I keep a firm hand on my hostage. For the first time I look at him, he is young in about his early thirties. He has short blonde spiky hair and blue eyes. He wears blue jeans, black boots and a denim shirt. He looks very calm considering what is happening to him. I lean forward and tell him to start running I am surprised by how fast he can run. I catch up and sprint beside him. We manage to make it to the back of the bank. I was amazed by how dark and cold everything looked in the alley. The pavement was slippery and we had to slow down to avoid falling over. I told him that we were going to the bus station and he merely nodded.
When we got to the station I paid for the two tickets for the next bus and we clambered aboard. We sat down and I made sure that I sat in the aisle seat so that my hostage couldn't get away. I decided that I should at least try to make conversation else it would look very suspicious.
"So,
what's your name then?" I asked I what I hoped was a friendly tone.
"Ray"
he replied coldly.
"So what do you do for a living Ray" I asked, I couldn't believe I had just said that. I take the bloke hostage at gunpoint and expect to have a friendly conversation with him.
"I'm a detective" he muttered with a sense of irony. My mouth dropped open. I could have taken anyone hostage and I have to get a copper. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, when I open them again he is staring intently at my face.
"Please tell me your joking" I whisper to him hopefully. A sad smile fills his face as he shakes his head glumly. "Oh, that's just fantastic" I mutter sarcastically. Joe had forgotten to give me an option for this possibility.
"What
difference does it make to you?" I asked puzzled.
"If I wasn't a copper, then I wouldn't know that the majority of hostage situations ended with either the hostage or the suspect getting shot" he replied coolly.
"You're making that
up" I answered challengingly.
"Am I?" he answered. Oh great not only did I manage to kidnap a cop, but I manage to kidnap a cop that is also a smart-arse. Just my luck.
"Also I wouldn't know that that 9 mm semi- automatic is actually loaded" he continued.
"How do you know
what weapon this is?" I ask hoping I sound as nonchalant as possible.
"Well, I am a cop, I do carry a weapon you know"he continued, coldly,
"Are you armed now?" I asked trying to sound casual.
"Firstly I wouldn't be in this position now if I was, and secondly no"
"Oh"
I mutter feeling defeated. So now he is an expert on weapons as well,
this just keeps getting better and better. Then I remember something
that he forgot to explain. "So how did you know it was loaded then?"
I ask smugly, thinking he'd been bluffing all along. That cloud was soon
burst when he replied.
"You can tell by the weight of it. Your grip is very loose and you have got it rested on my legs" I looked down and discovered he was right. A small smile of satisfaction lit up his face when he realised that I knew he was right. I was surprised when he started speaking to me in friendlier tones.
"This is your first time isn't it?" I merely nodded. "Then why are you doing this?" I took a moment to think about that.
"It's because I'm desperate" I replied "In the last few months I have lost everything. My father died a month ago. I found my wife in bed with another man, so she left and took the kids with her. I got the house for all the good it did me"
"It burnt down on the day the insurance expired. They wouldn't accept my claim" I couldn't believe it when he started laughing. "What?" I ask indignantly.
"Oh
nothing. I can't believe that one woman can have so much bad luck in
such a short time" he replied trying not to laugh "I'm sorry I know it's not funny" he continued. He finally
managed to stop laughing. "Don't' you realise that by doing this you
are making things worse?" he commented seriously. I contemplated that
for a moment before answering.
"I know that what I have done is wrong, but I had nothing else to do. I know that I should be punished for what I have done, but I'm just so scared" I told him honestly. I couldn't believe that I had just said that to a detective, but I couldn't help but like him. He was just that sort of person.
"I'm glad you realise that, so why don't you give yourself up? They'll be lenient on you if you give yourself up."
"Please be honest" Ray replied almost begging.
"What's it to you anyway?" I growled, beginning to lose my temper.
"Maybe I think you're a nice person" Ray replied coldly. That left me speechless. A copper was one thing, but a copper with a heart? As far as I had know such a thing didn't exist. Well Ray had completely turned that idea around.
"If
I give myself up I'll be back to square one, and when I finally get out
of prison I'll have even less chance of getting a job" I replied, trying
hard to keep the desperation out of my voice.
"Yes but at least you'll have a clear conscience" he quickly argued back. I thought about that for a moment, before changing the subject.
"Come on it's our stop," I said, being careful not to look at Ray's face. When the bus stopped at Bradbury we jumped off of the bus. We walked in silence for a few minutes. I almost screamed when he once again started asking me to give myself up.
"Do
you know something?" I asked him.
"What?" he replied.
"I'm really beginning to dislike you" I responded with a grin, he smiled back. That in itself surprised me, my surprise was short-lived when he answered.
"Then give yourself up and you can have all the peace and quiet that you want" he replied smugly. I sigh deeply, well at least he's persistent I think to myself. Maybe I should give myself up; at least it would mean the end of this. The only thing stopping me is that I know I could never survive prison, maybe I should tell him that, but he'd never understand. I take a look over at Ray, he might be a copper, but he's a fine man. In another situation I might have tried my luck with him, but I haven't got time to think of that.
"I can't
go to jail" I whisper "I'd never survive" I continue.
"You might not end up in jail," he said gently, in a
voice I could tell was usually reserved for three-year-olds.
"Don't patronise me!" I retorted angrily, but when I saw the
hurt in his face my anger melted. "I'm sorry," I said softly.
"It's okay, I know you're scared" he placed her hand on my
arm and his touch was electric.
"So how can I stay out of jail then?" I asked with false cheerfulness.
"They might not sentence you to jail. You would probably get
bail when the court hear of your circumstances add that to the fact that
you've given yourself up and you should get off very lightly" he said
with a smile.
"Yeah, but how do I give myself up?"
"I'll just ring the station and explain to them what is going
on, and then you go with them" I thought about that for a few seconds
before replying.
"Yeah, but it won't solve anything" I responded.
"Maybe not, but does committing an armed robbery?" he had
a point there and I had to admit it. Maybe I should give myself up, it
would solve something, and at least it would get me out of this situation.
I finally made my decision.
"Okay, I'll do it. I'll give myself up" I conceded. He didn't
say a word, but he smiled a smug grin. We kept walking. It was a lovely
day, my last of freedom I thought glumly. The wind ruffled my long light
brown hair and I squinted against the sun. I pondered on how my life
had ended up like this. I had a husband, kids a beautiful house and a
brilliant job and what happens. I end up broke with nothing. A bank robber
on the run from the police with an off duty detective who could have
easily overpowered me, but instead tagged along and has just convinced
me to give myself up. I nearly laughed at that train of thought. Well
this afternoon has definitely not one of my best. I decide that I had
better stop thinking like this before I kill myself. Hey there's an idea;
it would be easy to just put a bullet in my head. It would be the perfect
end to the perfect day, God now I'm beginning to depress myself. I'm
not seriously contemplating suicide; I wouldn't have the bottle to top
myself. I just keep getting more and more morbid. I've got to stop this.
I once again turn to look at Ray. At least my last day of freedom will
be spent with a sexgod; I grinned at my thought.
"What?" Ray asked, startling me out of my thoughts.
"What do you mean what?" I asked puzzled.
"Why are you looking at me with that silly grin on your face"
he asked with a smile. Ohoh, he noticed! I could feel the flush creep
up and my face turn a bright shade of red. There was no way I was going
to tell him why I was grinning.
"Just thinking" I replied trying to keep the
embarrassment out of my voice. We rounded a corner and spotted a telephone
box. I took a deep breath before following Ray. This is it. This stupid
phone box is the innocent thing that is guilty of taking away my freedom
I thought. Even though deep down I know that it's me that has taken my
freedom I still hate this telephone box. Ray picked up the receiver I
could hear muted talking from inside the box. I wonder what he's saying.
Mind you what could he say? Something along the lines of;
"Yes you can help me. I'm an off duty detective and I
have been taken hostage by the
worst bank robber of all time" oh yes, that would be just perfect. Only
a few moments went by before he stepped out of the phone box.
"They're
on their way" he told me. If I didn't know better I'd say that he actually
sounded sad. I just nodded. I didn't feel like I'd be capable of speaking
anymore. It must be only a matter of minutes until I'll be put in prison
for God knows how long. I hit the phone box angrily and I was amazed
when Ray wrapped his arms around me as I cried my heart out. This wasn't
the way things were supposed to end whatever happened to getting thousands
of pounds, a home and a good looking man to share my life with? I'd get
none of that now. I suddenly realised that I hadn't even told Ray my
name.
"Ray?"
"Yeah?" he replied pulling away so that his deep blues eyes
looked directly into mine.
"My name's Emma" was all I said. We sat down by the side of
the phone box deep in our own thoughts. We both looked up when we heard
the distant sound of sirens. This is it I'm going to jail. My stomach
started doing cartwheels, and I know that if I had eaten anything I would
have been throwing up by now. I was surprised when I saw that as well
as the police car there was also two police vans. I was shocked when
a load of coppers jumped out wearing bulletproof vests. I noticed that
a few of them were carrying long cylinders. Oh shit, rifles! I turned
to look at Ray.
"You set me up!" I scream at him. He looked like he was crying.
"No I didn't," he shouted back to me. Oh God, what do I do?
I look at Ray. He's crying. How do I get out of this? I once again grab
Ray by his waist and pull him towards me. I pulled the safety off my
gun, just as Joe had said. I looked away from the police, to Ray. I pulled
my gun up and aim it at his head. He opens his eyes and looked into mine.
God he is gorgeous I think. I can't kill him. I'm so scared. I looked
at Ray's beautiful face and I hear him scream something just as my World
turns to black and the police slugs rip through my body.
The End
Ray
Kowalski isn't mine etc etc, he belongs to Alliance etc etc, I'm just
borrowing him etc etc.