by Kylie Parker
Jimmy pressed his eye to the optics of his M4. The night vision scope of his rifle allowed him to see everything, as clear as broad daylight. Their plan was simple: Kill the truck driver and his colleague and steal the truck. They would blow up the rear door later, miles away from the small town. However, Jimmy was stunned to discover that Andy was not behind the wheel that night. In his stead, there was a young woman. He couldn’t make out her identity, but, even if he could, Jimmy had never shot a woman before. Adding to his already big surprise, there was another woman in the passenger seat.
“Shit…” He hummed, frowning, as the truck approached at a steady pace. Jimmy leaned back, taking his eye from the scope. For the first time in more than three years as a robber, he was in a dilemma. He was torn by indecision, but Jimmy had to think fast. Tension tightened the back of his neck. The high beams of the truck blinded him, but he would not back down now. The three men had been waiting for this for a while; wasting their chance was not an option. He put his right hand on the edge of his black, ski mask and pulled it down.
“Jimmy? Talk to me baby, what’s going on?” Marty’s question in the intercom forced a quick, but decisive response.
“Change of plans, boys…” Jimmy said. “We blow it up right here.”
The truck began to slow down, as the driver noticed the big Cadillac blocking the way. She pulled over on the right side of the empty, quiet road, less than ten yards away from Jimmy, but neither woman got out. They kept staring at him, as he aimed the driver.
“Out of the truck! Right now!” His stentorian voice rumbled like thunder, audible over the sound of the diesel engine. The driver opened her door with fear-clumsy fingers. She stepped down from the tall vehicle. Jimmy discovered that she was a lot prettier than he could possibly have imagined. Her colleague followed her example, but she was much calmer than her. Her grip on the door handle was firm and her hand did not shake at all.
“On your knees! Hands behind your head!” Jimmy cried, as he approached the truck with caution. Marty and Nicolas brushed past him, as he made his way towards the driver. Her long, whiskey hair was neatly gathered in a ponytail and her chocolate skin shimmered in the ample moonlight. But, her light-green eyes were only partially open and the skin on her face tingled with fear.
“Please, don’t hurt us.” She begged, her voice trembling, looking up at Jimmy. “Just take the money.”
He was about to verbalize, when he settled his gaze on her nametag, on the left side of her chest. It read: “A. Reigns”. Baffled and with blood pounding through his veins, Jimmy could not force a word out of his throat. Something had happened to Andy, but this was not the place or the time to think about it and the woman in front of him was definitely not the one he should discuss it with. Jimmy’s blue, shadowed eyes took every bit of her. She couldn’t be more than 25 years old. Her tiny nose and her full lips struck him. Had they been somewhere else, Jimmy would seriously consider courting her. He averted his gaze from her and threw a rapt glance at her colleague. She squeezed her lips, in an attempt not to speak. Jimmy realized that she was boiling with rage. A simple look in her eyes was enough. They were black with shock and anger, but he couldn’t care less. An angry security clerk would not stop him and his crew. Moments later, a loud, powerful blast rocked the ground, lighting up that warm, early September night. Marty and Nicolas jumped into the truck, as smoke rose from the rear.
“I hope you’ve made peace with God.” Jimmy did not appreciate the blunt tone in the older woman’s voice. Two steps to the left brought him much closer to her. He pointed his rifle at her, gritting his teeth. His fingers clenched the handle on the powerful weapon so tightly that his knuckles nearly snapped out of place. Jimmy leaned his face into hers.
“Have you, missy?” He whispered. At that moment, the sound of footsteps interrupted them. Marty was coming his way fast, followed by the much shorter and heavier Nicolas. They both had had large bags in their hands.
“We’re good. Let’s go.” Marty suggested.
“See you in heaven…” Jimmy winked at her, leaning back, as his thick lips curled into a slow, razored smile. He turned around, following his men. They started running towards Marty’s pickup truck which lay thirty yards away from the stolen Cadillac. Jimmy, Marty and Nicolas jumped in it. This was no time for celebrations; they had to leave that place as quickly as possible. They disappeared into the night, leaving two women behind, shocked to their core…
Chapter Two
“Four hundred and thirty, four hundred and forty, four hundred and fifty… Three million, four hundred and fifty thousand bucks!” Nicolas finished counting the lute with a loud cheer in their safe house, somewhere in the Texas wilderness.
“That’s what I’m talking about…” Martin added, while Jimmy gave a satisfied nod. Relief flashed in his eyes, but he didn’t say anything. Yes, they had accomplished their objective, leaving no trail behind whatsoever. It was a clean, professional job. The world would have no idea about who was behind one of the biggest armored truck robberies in the US. Of course, they would have to be extremely careful from now on, but he trusted them, even though Martin was sometimes a little too impulsive. Nevertheless, Jimmy didn’t share his partners’ enthusiasm. More than that, he couldn’t hide his concern, preferring to stare at the stack of money on the small kitchen table.
“What’s going on, Jimmy?” Nicolas wondered.
“Can somebody tell me where the hell Andy was tonight?” Jimmy answered his question with a question, as his face hardened, raising his eyes from the money to glare at Nicolas.
“Yeah, I noticed Andy wasn’t there tonight…” Martin agreed. “But, who cares anyway?”
“Did you notice his nametag?” Jimmy posed one more question, fixing his gaze on Martin, sat on his right.
“Nope…” Martin shook his head sideways.
“She wore Andy’s nametag…” Jimmy added. However, his friends’ reaction disappointed him even further. Martin and Nicolas glanced at each other, trying very hard not to laugh. To no avail. They burst out laughing, as if they had just heard the funniest joke ever. It then occurred to Jimmy that neither of them was paying attention to his words, despite his persistent attempts to educate them on how security companies operate.
“Jimmy…” Martin chuckled. “I think you worry too much.”
“Do I?!” Jimmy yelled, banging his fist on the table. “What have I told you about security companies?”
“They’re pretty thorough…” Nicolas was quick to reply.
“Right. Which means that she’s either his sister, his wife or something happened to him at the last minute, he couldn’t make it and they gave his nametag to some random chick. We’ve been here for three weeks. Did you notice any… wives or sisters? Because I sure as hell didn’t.” Jimmy stated, finally grabbing their attention. Their smiles were wiped off their faces.
“Jimmy, what are you saying?” Martin asked.
“Andy’s a bad gambler. I don’t know. Maybe they whacked him. Lots of people have seen us hanging out with him. What if the cops show up and start asking questions? What are we going to say? ‘We didn’t do it. We were busy robbing a truck’? That’s one hell of an alibi.” Jimmy’s sharp response made them worry even more.
“Ok, this may sound a little stupid but weren’t you going to take him out?” Martin squinted at him.
“I don’t know. I kind of liked him. Most truckers are douchebags. He’s been good to us.” Jimmy admitted.
“What if someone killed him? What are we going to do?” Nicolas was starting to panic; His squeaky voice quivered.
“Well…” Jimmy croaked, leaning back on his chair, folding his arms behind his head. “Let’s see if Andy’s alive first. Martin, check the internet for any murder reports in the area, will you?”
“It’s too far-fetched, Jimmy…” Martin commented. “Anyway, give me five minutes.” He murmured, rising from his seat.
“I mean no disrespect here Jimmy, but do you real
ize what we’ve just done? We should be celebrating.” Nicolas suggested.
“It’s ok, man.” Jimmy said with a sigh. “I know, but I want to spend this money while I’m young. If we get busted, we’re looking at twenty years. Each. Which reminds me. Don’t buy anything… fancy.”
“You didn’t have to remind me, Jimmy…” Nicholas gave him a big smile.
“Yeah, it’s Martin I’m worried about.” Jimmy claimed. “He could go buy a freaking Ferrari.”
“No, I won’t.” Martin interjected, returning to the table with his laptop in his hands. “See for yourself. It’s been a pretty quiet night in Highland Park. Nothing ever happens here.”
“I’m not celebrating until I see Andy.” Jimmy murmured, still not convinced that Andy was ok. “We’ll pay him a visit tomorrow morning.”
“Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty momma...” Martin hummed the lyrics of “Kokomo”, as a huge grin slowly formed on his face.
“I prefer Brazil.” Nicolas winked at him.
“Hold your horses.” Jimmy grumbled. “You’re not going anywhere just yet and you sure as hell can’t carry all that money with you.”
“I only need 10K.” Martin laughed. “I’ll stash the rest. What happened between you and that security clerk?”
“She said something about… God. I never liked religious freaks, but this one really pissed me off.” Jimmy’s mouth tightened, as he recalled the events of that night.
“What about Andy’s wife?” Martin interjected, laughing even louder.
“Go get some sleep you idiots…” Jimmy groaned, arising to his large, 6’2” stature, unwilling to discuss things any further. It was clear to him that Martin and Nicolas were too happy to share his concern. Eventually, he would snap at them and although he was not afraid of them, Jimmy wanted them to savor this moment. After all, they had earned it. Maybe he was worried too much, as Martin had earlier remarked, or perhaps he was just unable to believe that he was rich. Either way, the questions that filled his mind didn’t allow him to get much sleep that night.
“I sure as hell hope Andy is fine and I’m just overreacting. I don’t know who that girl was but she looked good. Way too good to be his sister or his wife. I couldn’t tell how tall she was, but with a face like that, I wouldn’t mind if she was just five feet tall. What happened to you, Andy? Why couldn’t you make it tonight?”
Chapter Three
The first colors of the sunrise were up in the sky when Jimmy left the safe house the next morning. He wouldn’t wake up his partners. Besides, the chances of them waking up so early were rather slim. Jimmy could hear their loud laughter until 4am and he also found numerous beer bottles in the kitchen, a clear sign that they had celebrated without him. However, the last thing on Jimmy’s mind was to tell them off for having a few beers. He had to find out if Andy was ok and the only way to do that was to drive all the way to Highland Park, thirty two miles away from the safe house.
As one would expect, when he arrived at the small neighborhood, every window of Andy’s house was shut, but Jimmy noticed a feminine figure getting out the house from a distance. Several people were leaving for work in their cars, as he parked his own on the driveway. Without much thought, Jimmy knocked Andy’s front door, looking around him every second or two. Several seconds passed, but still, no one answered. A second knock followed. This time, Jimmy knocked harder and louder, before tapping the fingers of his left hand on the doorknob.
A sigh of relief escaped him, as the door slowly opened. Andy was alive, but he looked in terrible shape. By all appearances, Jimmy had woken him up. His short, blonde hair was messy, his eyes were red and his hand was on his stomach. Andy glanced at the clock on the wall next to the door, before he spoke to Jimmy.
“Jesus Christ, Jimmy.” He spoke in a hoarse voice. “It’s only 7:20 in the morning. Is something wrong?”
“On the contrary…” Jimmy smiled. “Everything’s just fine. I was in the neighborhood. Are you feeling alright? You don’t look so good.”
“Yeah, my stomach’s killing me. Anything else?” Andy couldn’t wait to go back to bed.
“I saw a woman getting out of here. Who is she?” Jimmy asked.
“That’s my sister. She moved in a couple of days ago.” Andy’s reply cleared everything up. For a moment, Jimmy wanted to ask him more questions, but the drowsy look in Andy’s eyes and the fact that he could draw suspicion prevented him from doing so.
“Ok, thanks.” He mumbled. “Get well.”
Andy didn’t even bother to thank him. He just slammed the door, but Jimmy would not pay any attention to that. He was a loner; most of the time, he enjoyed being alone. Despite being sleep deprived, he felt the urgency to celebrate, but he would not return to the safe house. The neighborhood was not so noisy anymore. Jimmy watched, as the last car left. This was maybe his last chance to catch a glimpse of the small town of Highland Park. He would soon leave and go back to San Antonio, his birthplace. Almost each and every house was surrounded by tall trees. The scents from the lush gardens were overwhelming his senses. They were beautiful and well taken care of. Even though it was just four miles away from downtown Dallas, Highland Park was scenic, as if it belonged to another era.
Jimmy began to walk down the street, with a feeling of contentment inside him and a crooked smile on his face. He found himself wondering what to do with his newfound wealth. His partners had given him quite a few ideas the night before, but Jimmy was not the type of man who would go to an exotic island all by himself. Yes, he wanted better things, but such places would be too crowded for a man like him and he would most likely draw unwanted attention. At any rate, Jimmy Holden’s dream of taking a long break had come true and he could not be happier. A long walk in Highland Park sounded much more appealing than driving all the way back to the safe house.
A few minutes into that walk, Jimmy reached a crossroad. Sounds of laughing children filled his ears. Turning his head to the left, he saw the local elementary school. Just like the houses, it featured a lawn and a few tall trees, but Jimmy had seen those before. More than a dozen cars were parked on the big driveway and a few women were gathered on the stone pathway in the middle of the loan. A few yards behind them, Jimmy spotted one more woman. She looked strangely familiar. Her outfit matched the one that Andy’s sister wore: A purple t-shirt and jeans. Her whiskey hair was flopping on her shoulders. She had just come out of the building, locking the door.
“I’ve forgotten the last time I laid my eyes on a hot teacher.” He thought to himself. All that commotion on a Saturday morning intrigued him. Something big was coming up, but he had no idea what it was. Jimmy started forward; his curiosity was growing by the second. During his short walk, he even caught the brunette’s name, as one of the parents addressed her: Anna. She looked much better up close. Her casual outfit accentuated her curves, but the black circles under her eyes indicated that she had been through a terrible ordeal. Jimmy knew exactly what it was, but he was also curious about the parents’ congregation.
“Ahem…” He cleared his throat, as he stopped a few feet behind the parents. Two of them looked over their shoulders, but neither of them addressed him.
“Can I help you with something?” Anna asked in a sweet, feminine voice, looking up at him.
“Um…” Jimmy faltered. “Hi, my name’s Jimmy Holden. What’s the occasion?”
“Mr. Holden, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Anna said, as her lips curled into a polite smile. “We’re throwing a fundraiser for the orphanage.”
“Oh…” Jimmy gave a gasp of surprise. “Thanks.” He muttered. Anna’s words had struck a sensitive chord. Jimmy dropped his eyes away from her intense stare. His face darkened. In a matter of seconds, he was in one of the biggest dilemmas of his life. He slowly turned around, putting his hands in his pockets.
“Mr. Holden...?” Anna’s voice stopped him. He would not face her, though.
“Yes…?” He spoke in a low tone, just before he sensed her soft
hand on his shoulder.
“The fundraiser is tomorrow night. I just thought you should know.” She added. Jimmy wished that her last sentence passed by him unheard. He looked down at her, over his right shoulder.
“Good things I hope…” He attempted to change the subject.
“Yes, my brother likes you a lot.” Anna claimed.
“I read about last night.” Jimmy put a little force in his manly voice. However, his statement froze the faint smile on her face.
“Nice meeting you.” She murmured, before leaving a troubled Jimmy wondering about his next move. He was never subtle with women. In fact, he was rather blunt and had no manners. Had Anna not informed him about the reason of the fundraiser, Jimmy would make a move on her, even though they were in public.
“Orphanage… Brings back a lot of sad memories, that’s for sure. Anna Reigns. Sounds classy. Stupid Andy could have told me that he had a sister. I wonder why he kept it a secret. I’ve just found a reason to stay here a little longer. You will be mine, Anna. It may not be tonight. It may not be tomorrow, but make no mistake: One of these nights, you’re coming home with me.”
Chapter Four
The abrupt ending of his short conversation with Anna disappointed Jimmy, but Saturday night would be all about celebrating with his partners. At last, he was worry-free, although the news of the armored truck heist was in the front page of every newspaper in the state. He was positive that they had executed everything to perfection. Martin and Nicolas would leave for San Antonio the next day. They were planning on going on a long vacation to the Caribbean, but before they did that, they all wanted to pay one last visit to “Pink Lace”, a strip club in the nearby town of University Park. It was much smaller and usually was less crowded than the clubs in Dallas, ideal for a good, long night of fun.