“We just fucking hit a car! I knew I should have drove; I just knew it. I just got done telling you to watch yourself. Damn.”
The driver then quickly scans behind himself to take a look at the car he hit, and then returns his view to the road. The driver while continuing to look forward, responds to his passenger.
“Quit acting like a bitch. That car is fine; all I saw was a scratch. We’re about to do an armed robbery. You think I give a fuck about a hit a run? Just sit tight, we’re almost there. I know you jacked this car, but I’m driving and that’s final. All I need for you to do is shut your trap, and sit down and be quiet.”
The passenger puts his hand over his forehead, and is in complete shock over what the driver said, and is in complete disbelief of himself. He stares at the driver for a few seconds, and responds to him.
“Yeah, but you know, can we like, not draw attention to ourselves? It’s shit like that which is going to ruin us. It’s bad enough you’re driving like Batman, people are already probably calling the cops on us for that shit alone, but here you go and hit a fucking car. Jesus. Just please, I’m begging you to just ease yourself will you?”
The driver then grunts at the passenger, and proceeds to slightly lower his speed, whilst still driving in uncustomary reckless way. He then replies to the passenger, in a determined and triumphant way. Even though his face was covered, you could tell he was smiling and grinning.
“This is going to be our third and final hit. How many people can say they took three banks, all in the same state on the same day? We hit Sacramento, then we hit San Jose, now were gonna hit LA. This is our home turf too as we both cased this bank before, so this is gonna be a piece of cake. After this, we count what we got and we’re leaving California for good. We’re off to New York.”
The passenger even though his face is concealed, has a nervous like grin while looking at the driver. He then looks behind him to the cargo area of the van. The van only has two seats, the driver and the passenger seat. Behind these seats is an open cargo area. This area has contents that are neglectfully arranged and aligned. It contains an array of weapons and items these men have used in their robberies. These include six giant burlap sacks, in which four of the sacks are filled with dollar bills, with the remaining two which are empty. It also contains two semi-automatic machine assault rifles, and ammunition. In addition, there is rope, tape, three small handguns, a bottle of whisky, a can of gasoline, a laptop computer, two steel hammers, a ladder, a chainsaw, grenades, and smoke bombs.
The passenger although he already knew everything was already properly accounted for, checks to see if all the items are in order and ready for use. He once again looks at the driver, and converses with him.
“Yeah, everything is all set man, we should be in and out no problem. As soon as we get to the bank, we’re gonna roll out and roll back in, and we’re done.”
However honestly, the passenger inside did not feel as enthusiastic as he was claiming to be. He was feeling apprehensive and unsafe. The driver looks at the clock on the dashboard, and starts to worry and panic. He then begins to divert himself into speeding the vehicle again.
“Look man, if I don’t go any faster the place is gonna close. I lost track of time, and didn’t expect us to get here this late, we gotta get there fast, so sit down and shut the fuck up. Why don’t you make yourself fucking useful and reload the magazines?”
The passenger then starts to gets out of his seat to comply with the driver’s demand to reload the guns in the back of the van, however he briskly returns to sitting down.
“Are you sure man? We’re not gonna shoot anybody, those are just a scare tactic. I mean we never have, that’s not our style. Don’t worry about it.”
That was not the response and reply which the driver was hoping to expect from his partner. Out of frustration and anger, the driver then purposefully swerves the steering wheel of the van left and right causing the van to jerk in a fast motion, whilst looking at the passenger when doing so. He then ferociously and beastly snaps back at the passenger.
“I said reload the fucking magazines, and do it now. I don’t want to hear another word out of your damn mouth, or I swear to god, I’m gonna throw you out of this fucking car. We’re almost there. I don’t want to hear another word from you.”
The very shocked and stunned passenger then out of instinct shakes his head, and immediately obeys the driver’s instructions, and directs himself to the back of the van. The passenger very quickly assembles the guns and brings both weapons up to the front of the vehicle and sets them in the space between the driver and passenger seat. He as well then goes to get the two empty burlap sacks and sets them on top of them guns. The passenger then returns to his seat and sits down. He puts his head down toward his lap, with his hand covering his forehead. The passenger hesitates to himself as to whether or not to say what’s on his mind, despite the fact the driver told him to stay quiet. However, he just couldn’t keep in it and had to mention what his feelings actually were. While still in a dazed state looking down at his lap, he utters something to the driver.
“I don’t know what has gotten into you man. I’ve known you for almost eight years and I know I have my moments too man, but I don’t know what’s gotten over you. This is our last hit and I think the thrill is making you act crazy.”
The driver turns his head halfway to look at the passenger, who still has his lead lowered, then proceeds to direct his view back facing forward. The driver does not respond to the passenger. He continues to rush through traffic, and continues to speed through lights. The passenger however no longer can look at the road and keeps his head facing down. The driver then makes a sharp turn through an alley, cutting through many streets. He seems to know of a shortcut to get to their destination, and figures this route will be the fastest and most efficient. The passenger starts to calm himself down. Yet however after noticing their surroundings he seems to be puzzled at something. Due to the fact he had his head lowered down and wasn’t paying attention to the streets, he realized that they had passed the bank they were supposed to arrive at. Although he was hesitant to speak after being threatened to stay silent by his partner, he was too concerned and confused to not speak up and alert the driver of the current situation.
“Man I think we passed it. “Washington Credit Union” is on Wilshire, and that’s four blocks over. This is the wrong way I think. Man, you’re going the wrong way.”
The driver at this point is feeling very impatient and fed up with the passenger. He is not comfortable with his remarks and with his bickering. His patience which is already wearing thin, seems to overpower his emotions and actions. The driver, with one hand on the steering wheel, then reaches for one of the assault rifles laying in the center of the floor of the dashboard divided between the both of them, and aims it at the passenger. While still aiming the gun at this head, he gives some remarks to the passenger.
“This is your final warning. If you say one more word I’m pulling the trigger and doing the job myself without you. Shut the fuck up, I know what I’m doing. I’m going to go to a different better bank on Sunset, which I’ve cased before. This is going to be our last hit, and there is no better place to target than this one.”
The driver then puts the gun on his lap with the barrel of it pointed at the passenger. The passenger then instinctively lowers his head once again. Filled with fear and intimidation, the passenger this time promises himself to stay tight lipped and to not speak to his partner again. He feels the proceedings will perhaps will run more smoothly if he just complied and kept to himself during this whole ordeal. Although the passenger has thousands of thoughts running into his head that he wishes to present to the driver, he simply cannot make them known public and he has to keep them to himself. The driver then returns the gun back to the ground, and puts both of his bands back on the wheel. The van continues to make rapid turns, and swerves through the road. The passenger brings his head up with his eyes closed, and le
ans his head back towards the headrest of the seat. He then looks at the driver again, and deep breathes. He starts to question why his partner is acting so erratically, and unusual towards him. In any other case, the relationship between these two men is generally a more positive one, and they both exhibit good rapport. This would in fact be the third bank heist they would commit today, as earlier in the day they successfully were able to do two. Perhaps the driver is feeling some type of superior confidence boost, and doesn’t want the stress to overpower his emotions, and in turn is acting in a more violent way. The passenger however wants to keep a calmer profile to himself, and try and attempt to keep things more mellow and peaceful. The fact they are now switching plans and deciding to heist a bank they weren’t originally planning to visit, worries the passenger. He has no idea what tricks the driver has up his sleeve, and it makes him uncomfortable. However, the driver proclaims to have quite extensive knowledge on this bank, and thus decided to change plans and direct themselves to this bank instead, saying the benefit would reap the reward better at this bank.
These men are headed straight for the “Sunset Credit Union.” The driver who is finally stopped at an intersection, looks towards his right and points his finger in that same direction. Following that, he proceeds to brief himself with the passenger who is also looking in that same direction out the window.
“That’s the Sunset Strip right there. Where that grocery store is, you can’t see it, but the bank is almost kinda hidden behind it. But that’s our spot right there. That shopping center is a bitch to get inside of, especially in this traffic. I got a solution and a plan though, don’t worry. There’s an alley creeping up right beside it, and like cats we’re just gonna sliver our way up in there. We’re gonna draw the least amount of attention to ourselves.”
The passenger while still looking out the window, nods his head quietly in agreement. He is still anxious about what’s about to occur, and is feeling doubtful on himself. The driver is still in control and showing authority. His submissive attitude towards the passenger is definitely showing and coming into light. The van is still stopped at the light, and the driver decided to take advantage of this instance, and continues to relay more information to the passenger.
“You do exactly as I say. I’m the one that picked this spot out, so whatever I say, is whatever goes. If I tell you to do something, I want you to do it, and I want you to do it without any fussing. Do I make myself clear?”
The passenger then nods, but very quickly then shakes his head in astonishment. The signal turns green and the van speeds up. The driver then grabs one of the guns that were laying on the floor, and sets it on the passenger’s lap. The passenger then turns his head to the driver, in which the driver who still has his eyes on the road, continues to give the plan of attack to the passenger, and directions for him to obey.
“We’re gonna be in there in like a minute in a half, so you’re gonna need this. Again, just do as I say, and we’ll be in and out. You don’t know this bank, I do. So just do as I say, and everything will be okay. If you don’t do as I say, then things will get ugly. Very simple.”
The passenger who continues to obey the driver in a polite respectful way, then picks the gun up from his lap and positions the gun in his hands. He looks down towards the ground holding the gun, shaking his head. The passenger is aware his only option is to follow orders and to go with the flow. He doesn’t have any other choice to make for himself at this point. The driver then takes one hand off the wheel, and proceeds to grab the other gun which was laying on the floor, putting it on his lap. Both of the men prepare themselves for the heist, and are very close to approaching the bank. They seem to have mapped and planned everything out, and they seem very confident in themselves. The van makes one final turn creeping up towards the “Oakwood Shopping Center.”. The van pulls up into the parking lot of the shopping center, and parks in an obstructed corner in front of the “Happy Dry Cleaners” and “Sunset Deli” storefronts. The driver then turns the ignition off, and puts the keys into his pocket. While looking at the bank, the driver notices the bank is still open, and people are still patronizing inside. He then looks at the passenger, briefing him some more on how they are going to operate their heist.
“Okay, we need to hustle right now. This bank is a couple minutes from closing and we need to act fast now. This is the plan, and I want you to follow it, that way we’ll both be satisfied and walk out happy. This bank has a vault attached to it, and there is a lot of cash in it. This is most likely going to be our jackpot and worth all of this bullshit and trouble.”
The passenger again respects everything the driver asks and confirms to his actions. He doesn’t dare wish to go against his plan of attack or protocol, he has to just listen to everything he says without complaint or defiance. The driver then makes sure his mask is snug around his face, and his gloves are properly fit around his hands. The passenger then in an identical custom way also makes sure his mask is concealed over his face, and his gloves are set tight as well. The driver reaches behind his seat towards the cargo area, and grabs the tape and the rope that was included in the miscellany items and weapons. He hands them to the passenger.
“What I want for you to do, and to only do, is make sure nobody runs outside. You shouldn’t have to use these, but just in case; this is only to make sure people stay quiet, and stay put. Shoot a few rounds in the floor to scare them too. I can’t promise you that nobody is going to get hurt, I just can’t, but if you listen to me, everything will be smooth and fine. I don’t know why I’m telling you all this shit, you should already know this.”
Even though the passenger felt disrespected and hurt by his remarks, he in accordance nods his head, and without any trouble puts the tape and rope the driver gave him into his poncho pocket. He has an intense unsure feeling for some reason. Even though they both seem prepared and ready, the passenger isn’t as comfortable and at ease with the plan as the driver is. Knowing he has to put all of those thoughts aside and just get ready for the plan. The driver is very sure of himself, and now understands there is no time like the present. They need to act now. The driver looks down at the floor of the van, and reaches for the burlap sacks, and puts both of them into his pocket. The driver would be the only one who would be taking control the money. The passenger would merely and simply be the backup, and act as an aide for the driver. Having everything in order, the driver then picks up his machine gun and makes sure it is loaded and set accordingly. Before both men exit the vehicle, he turns to the passenger, and gives him final words of advice to follow and to understand.
“Here we go, it’s Showtime. I’ll do all of the action and grab all the money, so don’t worry about any of that. I’m just gonna fill both sacks, and we’re home free. We are out of here. I’ll get the cash from the carts at the teller, and clear the vault and were done, and we are out. This is it, let’s roll.”
The bandits then dart out of the van guns drawn, and rush straight towards the bank. The patrons inside the bank have no idea a robbery is about to commence. Even though both men seem focused to get their job done, one of the men is clearly not as sure as optimistic and positive as the other is, and is starting to feel scared and is worried. Mind you, these men have robbed two banks earlier without any issue. This shouldn’t be any different to them at all. From the way their van was parked in front of the other shopping outlets, and the way the bank is positioned, the two of them went virtually unnoticed walking to the entrance of the bank. The driver reaches towards the entrance of the bank and opens the door. Immediately upon entering the bank, the passenger of the van reluctantly inside his mind, but in a very menacingly way, makes his presence known, and yells the following while waving his gun.
“Everyone get the fuck on the floor, you know the drill. I want all of you on the floor right now. Get your asses on the floor, and I want all of you with your faces down. I’m a nice guy, but I can turn into a mean guy too!”
Russell who was sitti
ng in front of Peter’s desk, immediately falls to the floor with his hands behind his head. Peter also does the same. Yvette, who has been a part of a robbery in the past, although was scared and terrified, knew she had to act accordingly and act in a dignified way, and she as well does what the robber tells her to do. A few other customers in the bank also were on the floor, trembling in fear. Everyone in the building shocked that a bank robbery is currently taking place. Russell at this moment, began to fear for the safety of the people in the bank. Russell did witness a bank robbery from when he previously worked at “First National”, but all of that really didn’t matter now. He was terrified and felt frozen. This was the first time that he witnessed a robbery working at the “Sunset Credit Union.” Even though himself and Peter have gone over robbery routines and procedures many times, unfortunately being that the moment is live and is happening now, Russell out of shock and fear could only lay down on the floor like a dog at this moment. He knows being the assistant operations manager, that situations like this fall under him. As tellers such as Jesse and Jennifer, and financial advisors such as Yvette, do not hold responsibility towards robberies, and aren’t instructed to act in reliance towards them.
According to network regulations, Russell was to immediately listen to the robber’s commands, and deescalating the situation so it ends in a peaceful manner. Making sure the silent security alarms located in the bank were pushed, which were located in Russell’s terminal positioned behind the bank tellers. Peter as well was not doing the proper procedure either. Being the bank manager, he’s essentially in an identical manner as Russell, is supposed to mediate the situation and deal with the robbers so that other employees and patrons are not hurt. Making sure the silent alarms located behind the tellers are also pressed and set and that the incident is well established and safely done in a correct way. The men supposedly could have realized that in this particular situation, it was best for them to not cause any immediate action towards themselves, and to just let robbers do their duty. Peter assumed the robbers simply wanted money from the tellers, and they would go on about their business. However, Russell felt extreme guilt that instead of being in his position behind the tellers where the silent alarms were, he was at Peter’s desk mingling with him due to the bank reaching closing time.
Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained Page 4