When my mom had ordered me to go to the bank and deposit our savings, I had agreed to do it without any arguments. I had expected my afternoon to go in a queue, then a café and then perhaps if I had time left, even a bookstore.
What I had not expected was to get myself tied and gagged and then thrown into a goddamn vault! So here I was, struggling, cursing at the damn thieves to hell while I tried to get the damn cuffs off of me. If dad saw me right now, he would be so disappointed.
Let's start from the beginning, shall we?
It all started about an hour back when I was about to go my merry way after depositing the amount in my account. It went downhill when a few men entered through the main doors, shutting it behind them and raising their guns at us.
Idiots had not even bothered to cover their faces. What type of immature losers were they? It was basic stealing 101. If you don't wanna get caught, you cover your damn faces so that no one recognizes you. Noobs.
Or maybe they were just that influential that they did not mind their identity revealed.
A shiver of fear ran down my spine at that thought, so I quickly dismissed it. No time for that right now.
"Stop screaming!" The shouts that the frightened citizens had been letting out only increased ten-fold, making me want to thwack them. Who knows what they will do if we don't do as they say? A shot rang out, the gun in the man's hand pointed upwards, letting me know no one was shot, yet.
"You know the drill people, put your hands up ladies and gentlemen! Perhaps if you cooperate, there won't be any bloodshed!" The freakishly tall man with dark blonde hair who stood in the middle of the hall spoke in a gruff but amused voice.
Bastard was enjoying this.
Hushed cries fell around the hall, people quickly putting their hands up. I looked around discreetly, trying to see if there was any emergency button anywhere around me. A little panic settles in me as I fail to find one anywhere around me.
Okay Valerie, no time to panic. Remember the basics. Head low, quiet corner, emergency number. Do not catch their attention.
Nodding to myself as I chant the words, I shuffle closer to the group of people around me, raising my hands like all others but not before slipping my phone out of my purse and into my pants. No one was going to check there now, were they?
Still, everything was only going downhill. It was okay, once we got on the straight plains, it won't look that bad.
"Please let us go!!!" A loud wail came, a few meters to my left. I instinctively turned to look at the woman, who looked scared shitless, clutching two little kids on either sides of her. The kids, the boy and the girl, looked beyond terrified, crying in their mother's torso.
The large blond man took a few deliberate steps towards her, the small motherly figure curling further into herself as she pushed her kids behind her. A sweet loving gesture.
Her bottom lip trembled fearfully as the man approached her, tears freely falling from her eyes. The man pulled her away from the kids forcefully, holding the muzzle of his gun on her head as the kids cries got louder upon being torn away from their mother.
Shit! Quickly but discreetly, I pull the phone out of my jeans, trying not to turn to dial the number. We needed help and we needed it quick. A man who had been standing alongside me noticed this and widened his eyes.
Uh-oh. Please don't panic! Pleaseee don't panic!
Thankfully, instead of making any sudden movements, he slowly moved a little in front of me, shielding me from prying eyes and nodded once. A go ahead.
I had just unlocked my phone when an amused and sickly sweet voice stopped me.
I am so screwed.
"Would you look at that? Little girl here is trying to be smart with us..." Before I could make sense, a hand reached out and plucked the phone out of my hands and another pair pushed me with enough force to push me away and down on my knees. Wincing as pain erupted in my left knee, I scrambled to get up.
"Really old man? We told you we were not going to hurt you, didn't we? This is not your age to play hero, it's time to retire and look after grandkids. Too bad you won't be doing that after the stunt you pulled." The brunette man that had shoved me menaced, his gun out and pointed at the man who had helped me. Oh hell no!
"He did not help me. He didn't know I was taking cover behind him. Let him go." I calmly spoke, my eyes levelled with the man who was holding the elderly man who helped me. He chuckled, pushing the man slightly away and walking towards me.
His eyes did not waver from me while he spoke his next words, "Everyone, throw all your belongings- including your phones in front of you." When no one moved, he yelled out with eyes angering, "NOW!!" His boom caused a lot of people to flinch and scurry to follow his orders.
"Now what to do with you little girl?" He spoke with a hiss in his voice that scared me, "Perhaps I should kill you to make an example out of you?" He mockingly asked, walking towards me.
My brain, registering this, started walking away from him, taking steps backwards so that I could get away.
"Or maybe you could be a gentleman and let all of us go?" I mockingly asked to distract him, still backing away while making sure not to take my eyes off of him.
The bastard had the audacity to chuckle. "Amusing little thing you are, are you not? It'll be fun then. Get her." Arms wrapped around my forearm at that very second, making me realize I had walked into one of them.
Stupid Valerie! Always make sure of your surroundings!
I was shoved down again, the barrel of a gun now on my cheek. I thrashed around to get out of the hold that was tightening on my forearm, going as far as to kick the man's shin and making him fall. A loud whimper met my ears before I could get up and run further away from these thieves, stopping me short.
"Do you really want to be the reason a kid dies today little girl?" The brunette tauntingly asked, suddenly appearing with the girl from earlier.
Of course he would manipulate me with them.
My eyes uncertainly drifted to the lady and her son, both of them crying and thrashing around in the arms of a few other men that I knew were with them. My eyes quickly scanned around the room, widening as I saw at least 15 men with guns in their hands and taking the hostages' belongings away.
How exactly had so many people come in? Not all of them entered through the main door. The answer rang clear in my head.
The damn side-exits.
Gritting my teeth, I nodded once to let the brunette know I would oblige. His smirk widened, pushing the girl in my direction roughly.
The poor little girl would have fallen down had I not caught her. Merciless men! I thought, angered that they would manhandle a kid this way.
The mother wailed louder and to my horror I saw the blonde raise his arm again at her with the gun in his hands. Instinctively, my arms curled the little girl further into me and I yelled out, "Stop!"
Silence reigned and I realized what I had just done. Double Uh-oh.
The brunette turned to me, an annoyed expression on his face. Before he could open his mouth to order his men to kill me, I quickly rambled out.
"She's just a mother worried for her kids. Don't hurt her." My voice had held a slight hint of pleading but it was firm; firm enough to get my point across. The man, about to speak, snapped his jaw shut and gestured for the blondie to not do it. I sighed quickly, a little relieved.
It was short-lived when the blonde man hit the lady with the butt of his gun, the woman dropping down on the floor with a distinct sharp noise.
A short cry left the little boy's lips who stood barely two feet away from her crumbled figure. The guy holding the boy grunted out in frustration, pulling the boy away from his mother's unconscious figure and bringing him forward to the brunette.
I'm assuming he's in charge of this whole sick thing.
My favorite brunette stiffly nodded towards me, making me stiffen up.
What were they going to d-
My question was answered when the boy was hurled towards me as well. Quickly wrapping my arms around him, I pulled the two of them close, motherly instincts kicking in.
Who said you had to be a mother to act like one?
"I suggest you get them to shut up unless you want me to kill them." The man hissed, kicking my shin to get his point across. Okay, ouch! No need to get violent! Geez.
When he was a safe distance away, I turned to the two little kids with a soft weary smile on my face, trying to get them to calm down before those idiotic men could hurt any of us.
"Hello there little angels, it's okay. Don't worry. You both will soon be out of here with your mommy, okay? Calm down. It's okay." I softly spoke, running my hands through their hair.
"Bad man killed mommy!" The boy wailed, burying his face into my neck as I shushed them. Poor things don't deserve this.
"No. No. Your mommy is fine. They sent her to nap. Does your mommy not force you to take a nap? They did the same thing." I groaned inside at how lame that excuse was. "Tell me your names, will you? I'm Valerie." I spoke in a hushed tone, hoping the men wouldn't here.
Can't have personal information out now, can I?
"I'm B-Brian." The boy, Brian hiccupped, his eyes lightening as I further assured him that their mom was okay. "I'm Rose." The little girl finally spoke, blinking her teary eyes at me. I smiled at them softly, wiping their tears away. "There- there. No need to cry. No one is going to hurt you."
A helpless 15 minutes had passed when Brian suddenly tugged at my ear. I look at him questioningly, my eyes following his line of sight. The little thing had a phone in his pockets!
My eyes widen, silently wondering where the hell had he got it from. "My mom slipped it into my hands and told me to hand it to an adult sneakily." God bless their mother.
Quick as a flash, my hand darted out and took it out of his hands. "Good job Brian!" I whispered proudly, patting his head. The cheeky thing grinned at me.
Okay, now let's think. I cannot have these two near me when I do this. Who knows what the shithead and sandy bitch would do? Those were the names I had given to the mean brunette and blonde guy.
Yes, I'm very mature.
Quickly whispering to them in hushed tones, I let the two of them slip away from me, with the people that were huddled together scared in the corner. "What the fuck? Get back with that little girl you two!"
I had to hand it to Brian, he would make a perfect actor when he grows up. "No! She's mean!" Brian said, stomping his foot dramatically. Shithead raised his eyebrow in surprise, too dumb-folded that a kid had answered him. Ha!
"Okay then. Go sit down there! No noises!" He darkly spoke the last words, making Rose whimper, my fists clenched angrily at how cruel he was being to a child.
Quickly dialing the emergency number, making sure to keep my hand behind me, I silently begged that it had been the right number. I fumbled around for the call button, trying to make sense of the damn device without looking at it.
Working a phone without your eyes was hard!
Shithead suddenly marching towards me stopped me short and made me widen my eyes. Shit!
Not caring what I pressed, I pushed down the first button that I thought was the right one. I did it just in time because the very next second, shithead had pulled me up. "What the fuck are you playing at?" He hissed coldly, gripping my hair.
The silent vibrations that came from my phone gave me a little strength, as I stood mutely, not answering him. Any second now they will pick up. His grip tightened, making me hiss out in pain.
"Let her go you monster!" A loud voice spoke, hitting the back of shithead, resulting in him stumbling and making me stumble along with him. The phone slipped and fell from my hands in the process.
Dammit Rose!
Small fists hitting shithead's back were heard but his angered gaze was focused somewhere else.
I will give you three guesses to assume who it was on. Looks like the downhill was only a peak and there was another hill I would have to stumble down off to reach the straight road. Just my bloody luck.
Thrashing around wildly, I let my fist fly towards him, now no longer holding the phone. His grip on my hair hadn't loosened, so I went for a new tactic.
Grabbing his fist that was in my hair, I turned around so that my front was to his back, twisting his arm behind me effectively and then pushing, making him stumble forward.
The few seconds of freedom that I got I used in telling Rose to scurry away.
Things were about to get bloody.