Page 31 of The Thief
I knew Tyler meant every word he spoke. I also knew his threats were useless, with the cable ties digging into his wrists. I glanced down at those ties as he sat in front of me, and the blood trickling over his wrists and down his hands from where he’d tried to break free caused my chest to constrict and my heart to ache. He was doing everything he could to help us. I knew that.
The gunman went to say something back to Tyler, but another man came to stand by us, and in a commanding voice he announced, “Not her. You leave them alone. They’ve got a bloody kid. I told you once already to back off. Have some fucking humanity.”
Number One.
I recognised his voice, and once again, he was shielding us.
“Humanity?” the other guy responded, laughing ironically. “We’re robbing a bank and using hostages as human shields to escape. What fucking humanity? This is a fucking job.” But after shaking his head, he sauntered off and went over to the old couple. “Come on, Miss Daisy,” he said, pulling the old lady up to stand. “You can talk to the police for us. We’ve got them on the phone now. But it’ll sound better coming from you. We need you to tell them what we want and what’ll happen to you all if we don’t get it.”
The old lady sobbed as she was manhandled into the bank’s office.
“You’ve taken hostages,” Tyler hissed at Number One. “Isn’t that enough? You don’t have to come out here terrorising old ladies and a little kid. Do your own dirty work and talk to the police.There’s no need for any of this.”
I held my breath, waiting to hear what Number One would say.
Then he leaned down, and on a whisper, he said, “If I were you, I’d keep your fucking head down. There’s only so many times I can help you.” Another breath, and he added, “Stay quiet, and you’ll be out of here and home by tonight. No one wants that more than me,Tyler.”
I felt Tyler go rigid beside me, knowing that this man knew his name. I did the same myself.
“Do I know you?” Tyler’s eyes pierced into the man standing in front of us.
“No. But I know you,” he replied, standing back up. I thought he was going to say something else, and from the way he bit his lip, I think he wanted to, but then he must’ve thought better of it. Instead, he stated, “Just lay low. It’ll be over soon. No need to blow this up any more than it already is. Yeah?” And he stalked away.
We both watched him disappear back into the office.
“He’s our key to getting out of here,” Tyler whispered. “I have no idea who he is, but he knows me. He knows who I am.”
It certainly seemed that way, but I wouldn’t trust him. I wouldn’t trust anyone. As if he’d read my mind, Tyler muttered under his breath, “It won’t save him, though. I’ll still make him pay for this. He doesn’t know what he’s done today. But he’s signed his own death warrant, that’s for sure.”
Chapter Eleven
TYLER
Number One might’ve thought he was helping, but all he’d done was move himself from the top of my kill list to further down. He was still on there, though.The fact that he knew who I was, that he was protecting us, meant fuck all. He was still holding us. Restraining us. Causing fucking mayhem for everyone here. He’d shot the bank manager. Watched another guy get shot in front of all the hostages. Terrorised innocent people, old people, and a kid for fuck’s sake. If he really knew me, he’d know that was something I’d never let go.
We could hear the sirens and helicopter outside. The police were in contact. That told me all I needed to know. That my friends, my brothers, they’d know I was here too.
They’d know what was going on.
And they’d be here.
Theywould stop at nothing to get in here and take these men down.
The end was coming, and I couldn’t wait for it to all blow up in their faces.
The heart-breaking sound of Ava’s laboured breaths made me shuffle back to sit beside them both.
Painting on a smile, I asked her, “You love your princesses, don’t you? You have a princess bear, you’re dressed like a princess. I bet…” I raised my eyes to the ceiling in thought as she moved her head to look at me. “That you can’t name every princess there’s ever been.”
“I can,” she replied with a hint of defiance that settled my raging heart a little. I loved that I could distract her from the horrors of this situation, even if it was only for a short while.
Jess smiled down at her and then gave me the warmth of her killer smile as she said, “Ava is an expert on all things princess related. What she doesn’t know, isn’t worth knowing.”
“Is that so?” I replied, quickly glancing at the back office as I heard the old lady’s quivering voice giving the gunmen’s demands to the police over the phone. Then I turned my attention back to Ava. “Come on then. Let’s see how many you can name.”
Ava sat back, a proud grin on her face as she held her hand up and started to count princesses off on her fingers.
“Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Ariel…”
