“I’m one of the Bank Managers. I’m authorized to be in this area.”
The police officers ignore Russell and allow him to proceed. Russell notices Jennifer’s body, and he starts to buckle under shock and pressure. He begins to immediately sob over the sight of this, and is overwhelmed with depression and sorrow. He kneels down and starts to caress her.
Russell moments after that gets up sees Peter’s body as well. Upon noticing Peter’s body, Russell has a panic attack, and begins to have a temper tantrum. He starts to scream and express his depressive emotions.
“NO, NO, FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK, NO. THIS CAN’T BE RIGHT. FUCK!”
The police and other patrons in the bank notice Russell’s fit, and the officers at the scene try to console and calm Russell down. The pain he is currently going through is just too much to handle and he is not in any control of how he feels. Russell then begins to throw papers and chairs located in the bank. He is restrained by a couple police officers. His outrage and impulse depressed actions show a clear sign that Russell feels totally at fault to this instance. Feeling that Jennifer and Peter’s death could have been avoided. He doesn’t understand why Jennifer had to be shot, and why Peter was the one who volunteered himself to go into the vault. Russell felt himself to blame, and that even though Peter told him to stay down, he over estimated how brave Peter was. He had so many rushed emotions that he couldn’t control.
The police inform the other patrons in the bank that the bank is currently on lockdown for a pending investigation, and that two of the bank employees have been killed. Jesse and Yvette immediately go into shock and horror, and understand the severity of the event. Russell then walks over by Peter’s desk. He takes his suit jacket off, hanging it on the back of a chair in front of Peter’s desk. Russell sits down in that same chair, with his head lowered and his hands covering his face, crying heavily.
Chapter 3
NOTHING LOST, NOTHING FOUND
The investigation of the robbery starts, with everyone who witnessed this terrible event still in shock. This bank is now considered a crime scene, with a robbery ending with three deaths. Even though the robbery is over, it is almost as if it’s still active. How could such a heinous act happen in just a few moments? So many unanswered questions and thoughts running though everyone’s mind in the building. Russell who above everyone else is the most shook over the ordeal. He is still feeling extremely guilty over what happened. Blaming himself for a myriad of reasons, saying to himself what he could have done to prevent what happened from occurring. Telling himself that if he didn’t listen to Peter and got up anyways, would Peter and Jennifer would have survived? Having to accept the fact that the disgusting scenario that happened a while ago, actually happened and now having to deal with the feelings that follow. Trying to come to terms that two of his fellow employees of the bank, were killed as a result.
Officers quickly cover Peter and Jennifer’s body and barricade the vault foyer from allowing anyone into that area. The robber’s deceased body who was also near the vault foyer area, is also covered up. Russell who watches them do so, is unable to keep his emotions controlled at this time, and it is taking a major toll on his mental health. The two surviving employees Jesse and Yvette, are also overwhelmed with multiple mixed emotions. A police officer dismisses the customers that were in the bank after getting witness statements. However, for investigation purposes at this time, all employees must stay in the bank. He relays a few statements to the employees.
“Everyone, we are going to try to make this investigation move as quickly as possible, we are here to help you and we want all of you to hang on for just a bit with us. After our investigation, all of you can be released.”
This same police officer walks over to Russell who is now sitting in front of Peter’s desk with his hands over his face and his head lowered, to confer a few things with him.
“So you mentioned that you were the manager of the bank correct? Okay, one of our chief detectives is going to be arriving very momentarily as a part of our investigation. He is specifically going to ask you questions and ask to see surveillance videos and such. After he gets his information, all of you can go home then. The branch operations manager should also be arriving as well I believe due to federal regulations and rules.”
Russell who had his hands covering his face the entire time the officer was speaking to him, looks at the officer and responds to him in an angry condescending manner.
“Well, I’m actually the assistant manager. Being that the manager of the bank was just killed half an hour ago, I guess you can say I’m now the acting manager of the bank. The Branch Operations Manager is John Marshall, and whenever there is a robbery or incident at the bank, he must gather information and send it to the financial corporate office for records.”
Russell after speaking with the officer, lowers his head into his hands again still feeling defeated and upset from the situation, and feeling confused as to what to do. He then starts to look at the pictures on the desk of Peter with his wife and daughter, which in turn makes him more upset than he already was. He glances around the bank and sees Jesse speaking to a police officer, and Yvette crying while she is on the phone on her desk. Yvette then hangs up the phone, while right soon after an officer comes over to speak with her. Russell then eavesdrops on what she says.
“I was talking to my sister, and to the school my kids go to. She’s going to pick them up. I don’t know how long we are going to be locked in here I can’t believe any of this, I can’t.”
Yvette then responds to the officer by explaining her witness accounts of what happened.
“We were all told to just lay face down on the floor, and all I remember is that he asked for someone to open the vault. Only Peter and Russell can open the vault, and I don’t know why Russell allowed for Peter to get up, I don’t. I don’t want to blame Russell, but I don’t know.”
Russell then starts to get agitated over what Yvette said, and tries his best to restrain himself from talking it over with her. He does ultimately decide to get up from Peter’s desk, and walk over to Yvette’s desk to go over and assess this issue with her. Shockingly, Yvette is not at all in the mood to speak to Russell and refuses to give him eye contact. By the way she is behaving and the way she’s exhibiting her body language, she wants nothing to do with him. Yvette feels extremely angered towards him, and would rather not deal with Russell right now.
“Don’t talk to me, get away from me Russell. I’m sorry, I do not want to talk to you right now, or perhaps ever. You should have had Peter’s back. The amount of things that man has done for you, you should have taken that bullet for him, and you didn’t.”
Russell then looks down to the floor and reflects over what Yvette has said. In his mind, he does feel she is correct, and that as the assistant manager of the bank he should have done more to to prevent the actions that happened. He also feels that at the time, he made the choices that he felt were necessary. Peter himself told Russell not to get up, so he didn’t. Russell felt if that he knew the robber had intentions to murder two people, he most definitely would have acted in a more active way. Hindsight doesn’t mean anything once the situation is over, so Russell doesn’t blame himself in that regard. He does blame himself that he should have ignored what Peter said and gone over to the vault area regardless.
Yvette continues to lament herself over the situation, giving her accounts and opinion towards the robbery, and says exactly what is on her mind.
“I don’t know if I can work in this bank anymore. All of the memories, they were shot and I wasn’t. I wasn’t that close with Jennifer, but she was a young pretty girl that had so much for herself. Peter, oh my god, was the nicest guy you would ever know. The man I believe was Christ reborn, he was a saint. Very nice man he was.”
Russell who continues to eavesdrop on Yvette, goes back to Peter’s desk to get his suit jacket, putting it on. He then reaches in the front pocket of the jacket, taking out his handkerchief
. He wipes his forehead with it, folds it up and puts it in his pants pocket. Russell then gets up and goes over to the water cooler to get himself a drink of water. While he’s drinking his water, he sees Jesse standing near the lobby area talking to the officers. Unlike Yvette, Jesse seems to be taking a different approach to the situation, and because of the shock he is feeling wants to display everything in a more cordial and relaxed manner. Russell listens closely to Jesse conversing with the officers.
“This has to be a dream. I refuse to believe this is real life. This is like the Twilight Zone. I cannot believe what happened at all. I’m just surprised that I’m still here and alive. Peter and Jennifer didn’t deserve any of that.”
Jesse then begins to take deep breaths and scoff, while shaking his head. He also has a very confused and depressed look on his face. He makes eye contact with Russell, and stares at him for a handful of seconds. Russell returns this by giving him a disgusted look, which causes Jesse to look away from him. Jesse then takes a seat in the lobby area staring at the ground. Russell then walks over to Jesse is seated and stands over him, leaning his face near Jesse’s and speaks to him, in a very hushed and intimate tone.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine. I won’t pester you at all. Let me know, and I’ll walk away and you don’t have to worry about it. It’s cool, don’t worry about it at all.”
Russell after noticing after a few moments that Jesse isn’t going to reply to him, pats Jesse on the back of his shoulder and walks away from him. Jesse then glances at Russell while he’s walking away to the other side of the building. Jesse decides to ask the officers a question.
“May Yvette and I get our belongings from the employee break room?”
The officer allows the both of them to get their items. While Jesse and Yvette go and attend towards that, Russell receives a text alert on his phone, reminding him that he is late for the reservations he made from himself and Peter. This causes Russell to start to cry, and he begins to again have depressed waves of emotions. Russell while still crying, walks to a supply closet located near the entrance of the bank, and takes out two medium sized cardboard boxes. Russell beings to pull all of Peter’s personal belongings that were on his desk, inside the boxes. These include pictures of his family, his name plate, his certifications and awards, and the drawing that his daughter drew for him. Russell then set the boxes on a counter in the lobby. He then notices that Jesse and Yvette have left the break room, and goes inside after that. He opens up Peter and Jennifer’s lockers, to grab more of their things. He takes Jennifer’s purse out of the locker as well. Returning to the lobby, he puts all of the items together. Russell then taps an officer on the shoulder, speaking to him.
“These belonged to Peter, and this purse belonged to Jennifer. Their family members can have all of these, I just wanted to make sure they were all properly accounted for.”
Russell then once again walks over to Yvette who’s sitting at her desk crying still, in a second attempt to open up towards her. Russell calmly speaks to Yvette.
“I know your upset, okay. I need you to listen to me for a minute though, I…”
Yvette stops Russell by snapping back at him rather quickly. She still feels unsafe around his attitude, and holds some type of resentment that the consequences over Peter and Jennifer’s death, the fault in some shapes and form revolve around Russell.
“Don’t fucking talk to me Russell. I wish you the best of luck in your future life endeavors, but I never ever want to see you or your face again. It’s a miracle myself, you and Jesse weren’t killed, and I feel you should owe it to yourself over that. Russell, you’re a lovely man, you are, but don’t talk to me, don’t look at me, I need you to leave me alone.”
Immediately, Yvette then goes to the same supply closet Russell went to moments earlier, and gets an identical looking cardboard box similar the ones Russell used earlier. She while talking to herself, begins to clear things off her desk and put them in the box.
“I’m not working for this damn bank anymore, I’m not. Too many bad memories, and it’s like a horror movie. I refuse, I can’t work at this bank anymore. After today, I’m never, ever coming back to this bank. I never thought by working in a bank I’d ever see something as scary happen that happened today. I have proven myself wrong, and I’m done. I’ve had it up to here.”
Russell shakes head and walks away from Yvette’s desk. He notices Jesse is still seated in the lobby. He goes over to sit in another adjacent chair by him. Jesse and Russell accidentally for a few split seconds make eye contact. This in turn causes Jesse to smile at him in an irritating way. Russell then in an agitated manner laughs at loud to himself over that. He then takes more gulps of his water emptying the cup. He gets up, while asking Jesse a question.
“Hey, would you like a drink of water?”
Jesse then nods in acceptance to his question. Russell then walks over to Yvette’s desk.
“Can I get you some water at least? Will that calm you down?”
Yvette then finally gives Russell eye contact, and responds to him.
“Russell, yes you can give me some water, that will be the last thing I’ll ever ask from you in this world, then I won’t bother you for a single thing ever.”
Russell shakes his head and walks over to the water cooler. He gives Yvette and Jesse a cup of water, and refills his own water cup. He returns to the chair he was sitting at in the lobby near Jesse. Russell while sitting down, looks outside of the bank entrance and notices a sea of police cars and crime scene tape. He has never seen the “Oakwood Shopping Center”, this bombarded with policy activity. Russell gets up to throw his cup away in the trash can. While looking in the trash, he notices a massive rifle. He immediately alerts the officers inside the bank, that there is a gun inside of the trash can, and he of course recalls it for belonging to one of the robbers. The officers quickly confiscate the gun and put it apart of their evidence. Russell then in that moment started to realize that he himself owns a handgun, and that if he brought his gun to work today, most of what happened possibly could have been prevented. Russell never carried his gun while he was working, but it was a mere thought that he had. An officer comes over to ask Russell something.
“So you’re the guy in charge of the bank right? The detective will be here probably in a couple minutes, but in the meantime, I’m going to ask you to do me a favor if you don’t mind, just for the investigation procedure. I need to know if you can identify the deceased suspect for me. All I need for you to do, is tell me if you recognize him, that’s all.”
Russell agrees to comply with the officer. He goes over to the area where the robber was shot, and the officer pulls back the cover of the corpse. The officer also removes his mask. Russell sees the robber was a Caucasian man with a shaved head, and he looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. Russell did not know who this man was.
“No, I don’t recognize him at all. I’ve never seen this man in my life. I don’t know him.”
The county coroner’s soon come into the bank right after the officers asked Russell if he could identify the corpse of the suspect. Jennifer, Peter and the robber’s bodies are each taken away out of the crime scene. Russell watches as they are all strolled outside of the bank in an eerie sense of sorrow and depression. He immediately begins to feel upset and comfortable, being triggered by that. Russell goes over by the water cooler, and gives himself another cup of water to calm himself down. He takes out his handkerchief and wipes his face once more. While he is wiping his face, Russell noticed that he hasn’t yet checked the security feed of the ordeal. He thought to himself, he wasn’t even sure if it worked or if it was in proper order. As such, he proceeds to go back near the front of the bank, into a room next to the break room. This room contains the surveillance feed of the bank on three small monitors. Russell has always hated the fact the bank used inferior technology when it came to their security systems. The bank did not have a security guard, and it had obso
lete security cameras and feed hardware and software. Russell then using the surveillance DVR machine, takes it back to the time when the robbery started, which was approximately forty-five minutes ago. The picture quality sadly is very poor, and the cameras also do not pick up certain angles, especially near the vault area. However clear shots of the robbers entering the bank were taken. Russell then shakes his head in disappointment and astonishment over the lackluster security camera system. Because the door to the surveillance room was open, an officer leers into the room and asks to see the video feed. Russell allows him to, and also converses with him.
“It sucks we have a shitty security setup. This crap is possibly from the nineties, it’s so bad. But you can see when they came in, there are two robbers and the other one ran away.”
The officer and Russell flashback the entire robbery, as it was shown through the security cameras located in the bank. The picture quality is in black and white, and at times due to the aging of the hardware, ghost grained images also appear making it difficult to assess and see what exactly is happening in the camera at times. All by witnessing on camera, albeit in very poor quality Jennifer and Peter being shot by one of the robbers. Russell notices that one robber virtually stayed in the lobby the entire time, while the other was behind near the vault. Russell continues to chat with the officer while looking at the security tape.
“You see this guy, we all assumed he was the more dangerous one, which is why we didn’t get up and stayed on the ground. We didn’t know this guy wasn’t as dangerous as the other was one. This was the one that most likely ran out.”
They also see on the surveillance cameras when the other robber ran outside of the bank before the police arrived. The robber that shot both Peter and Jennifer, was the one that the police were able to accost. After viewing the whole situation, Russell rewinds it back to the beginning, reaffirming this with the officer.
Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained Page 6