Was the alarm triggered? the masked man yelled.
No, the bank manager answered, shaking his head almost violently. I I didnt
Get up, the masked man growled at the manager. Open the vault.
Its already open.
Take me there.
The masked man followed the manager behind the teller counter, around a corner to a short hall where a metal door was wide open. The manager gestured at the door with a trembling hand. There it is.
The masked man pushed at the manager. Get in there.
The managers legs felt like jelly, his heart pounded so hard he thought he was going to have a heart attack. His mouth had gone so dry he could hardly spit out any words. Please dont.
Im not going to kill you. Nobodys going to get hurt, I swear. As long as everyone cooperates.
The masked mans words calmed the manager down a little. He nodded and entered the vault. The masked man held his metal case open. Fill the case up. Take from different stacks.
Back in the bank lobby, the Leader glanced down at his wristwatch. Ninety seconds! Lets move!
The Leader looked over at the tall lanky man who held his gun on the customers; all of the customers were on the floor except one old man who stood his ground. Whats going on over there? The Leader growled.
The tall masked man stepped towards the old man and jabbed his weapon at him. You hard of hearing, old man?
The old man showed no fear of the gun pointed at his face. His ice-blue eyes had a blank look in them, like he was lost in a daydream. Or a trance. He stared at the tall masked man, but he seemed to stare right through him.
Get down on the fucking floor!
The old man made no move to get on the floor; he made no move of any kind. But he did smile at the masked man, his eyes still so far away, seeing something nobody else there could see. Youd better get right with the Lord, boy, the old man said in a low voice.
What the fuck are you babbling about?
You better get right with the Lord, because something real bad is coming for you.
In the vault, the bank manager stuffed stacks of cash into the masked mans metal case. Please, the bank manager whispered. I have a wife. Kids.
Everythings going to be fine, the masked man told the manager. Youll see your wife and kids again. I promise.
The other masked man with the metal case entered the vault, there was money in his metal case from the cash drawers, but there was room for much more. The bank manager stuffed his case full of stacks of money. The masked man closed the full case and handed it to his partner. Get back out to the lobby.
The other masked man ran out of the vault with his metal case.
The masked man pointed his weapon at the bank manager who closed his eyes as tears slipped out. His lips whispered silent prayers.
Open your eyes, the masked man growled.
The bank manager did as he was told.
Get out in the hall, get down on the floor and just stay there.
Her truck slid off the side of the road and ran down through a ditch where it crashed through snow drifts and shrubs, running some of the shrubs over, crunching them to the ground, before finally coming to a stop with a jolt.
Stella sat there for a moment in shock; her fingers gripped the steering wheel like she was still driving. The windshield wipers thumped back and forth, the headlights stabbed through the murky daylight, one of the headlight beams at a crazy angle now.
For a moment Stellas mind buzzed with panic. It was him, her mind whispered, it was the person shed seen standing in the road when theyd left the dig site. But her rational mind fought back. It wasnt the same person. Shed seen the mans face for a split second as she slid past him.
She turned to David. Are you okay?
David nodded as a shudder of breath escaped him, his eyes still wide with shock.
Stella looked back out the windshield as she exhaled a long breath. What who was
A rapping at her drivers window cut her words off, a small scream escaped her throat. She turned and stared straight into Coles ruggedly handsome face.
Are you okay? Cole called through the drivers window. He bent down, his face close to the glass, his breath coming out in plumes, fogging the glass a little.
Stella nodded as she rolled down the window; the freezing air invaded the truck immediately. Yeah, were okay. What were you doing in the middle of the road? Is something wrong?
Cole winced as he pulled his pistol out from his coat pocket. Im sorry, lady. He pointed the gun at her. We need your vehicle.
CHAPTER FIVE
Stella couldnt move or respond; she could only stare at the barrel of Coles gun pointed at her face.
Cole backed up a few steps, his boots sinking down into the snow piled up on the side of the road. He looked across the road, but his pistol was still aimed right at Stella.
Stellas eyes darted to the other robbers who emerged from the trees; they crossed the empty road, they looked like black blurry shapes at first in the snowy mist, but in a moment they crystallized into human beings, criminals with scowls on their faces, metal briefcases and guns clutched in their gloved hands.