Page 28 of The Thief
The young lad next to him screwed his eyes shut in fear, but the man didn’t budge. “I don’t know it. I swear.”
Number One didn’t hesitate, he fired and the man slumped forward, blood oozing out of his head as he slumped on the floor.
I turned to check Ava hadn’t seen anything. She hadn’t. But Jess was clutching her little girl, silent tears falling down her cheeks as she gently rocked her.
“It’s okay. Stay strong,” I soothed, and she nodded but kept her eyes closed.
“Now it’s your turn.” Number One moved to stand behind the young lad who was shaking and crying. “What’s the fucking code?”
“I know the code,” he gasped, pure terror in his voice. “But I can’t get into the room... not without him.” He glanced down at the man, dead on the floor beside him. “The room with the safe in, it’s locked. You need his fingerprint to get in.”
Number One glanced to the side, and I saw one of the men grab something off the desk, then kneel down beside the dead man.It was a pair of scissors, and he started trying to cut the man’s finger off.
“Fuck, these are useless,” he groaned as his efforts to cut through were taking too long. “Anyone got a knife?”
“Here.” One of the men handed him a knife and he cut the guy’s finger off and stood up, holding the bloody digit up like a fucking prize.
“Nice work, but what if it’s his thumb we need, Number Two?” Number One replied, and instantly, Two knelt on the floor, stabbing and cutting right through the man’s wrist until his hand was cut clean off.
“Happy?” he asked, his hands dripping with blood as he held the finger in one hand and the severed hand in the other.
“Over the fucking moon. Come on.”
Number One grabbed the young bank worker off his knees and marched him to the door marked ‘Private’. But before he did, he said to Two, “Put something over those,” nodding to the severed hand and finger. “I don’t want the kid to see them.”
Two made a feeble effort to hide them at his side as he came into the main room.
“Not long now, then it’ll be therealshowtime,” Two said to us as he walked through. “You’re gonna love what we’ve got planned for our finale.” He grinned, then followed One into the private rooms at the back.
“And he’s gonna love what I’ve got planned when I get my hands on him,” I muttered, but Jess just whispered, “Don’t, Tyler. Please. Don’t try anything.”
I glanced around the room at the three remaining gunmen.
Number Three was at the door to the office, watching the female worker back there. Numbers Four and Five, theScotsmen, were a little more relaxed, having moved away from their stations. They were talking quietly together, standing close to the bolted doors and shuttered windows, probably listening to the police activity outside.
The old couple were leaning against each other, taking comfort from each other as they sat staring at the ground in disbelief.
I looked at Jess beside me, one arm chained to the pipes, the other wrapped around Ava. Ava’s head rested on her mum’s chest, but her eyes were staring straight at me. Gorgeous blue eyes that cut me to the bone.
“I don’t like it,” Ava whispered, and her lip quivered as she cried quietly, tears trickling down her beautiful face. “I don’t like those men. They’re mean. I don’t want to be here anymore. I want to go home.”
“I know, baby.” Jess leant down to kiss the top of her head. “We’ll be out of here soon. I promise.”
I shuffled closer to Jess, and on a whisper, I said, “Hey, Ava. Do you want to try a little bit of my magic?”
“You can do magic?” Ava asked, her sad eyes twinkling just a little, like wonder shining through the desolate darkness.
“I can,” I told her, and quietly, I asked her, “Would you like to learn how to do some magic too?”
“Yes.” She nodded, still clinging to her mum, but turning her body slightly towards me as I piqued her interest.
“Thing is...” My eyes darted around, making sure no one was watching. They weren’t. “It’s in my pocket.” I looked up at Jess. “Maybe Mummy can reach into my left pocket through this boiler suit and take out what we need to do the magic.”
Jess’s eyes went wide with fear as she looked at me like I’d gonecompletely crazy.
Ava lifted her head off her chest, the first time she’d moved away from her like that, and she stared up at her and asked, “Please, Mummy.”
Jess looked from Ava to me and back again.
