The Bank Robber Jericho Brown Part II
My name is Henry James and I’m a writer for Dark Sides of the Truth Magazine.
Part I, Part II, Part III, Conclusion
This morning I’m thinking my life is kind of like a Laurel and Hardy episode where Oliver tells Stan, “here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into.”
And all I did was walk into my local bank.
Oh yeah, did I mention the bank was getting robbed at the time?
Every telephone in the place was ringing and this skinny punk holding a shotgun on us seemed confused as to what to do next.
“So why do they want to talk to me?”
“I’m guessing you’re new to this bank robbery thing huh?”
The kid didn’t say anything, but it was pretty clear he had no clue what to do next. My thought was to answer the damned phone. The shrill warbles of those telephones was about to drive me insane.
“You want me to talk to them?”
“Yeah, find out what the hell they want.”
I pointed to the counter of teller stations.
“Let’s take the call over there. If I miss my guess they’ve already got several snipers covering this place. You give them one opportunity and it’s going to be lights out.”
“You mean they’re gonna shoot me?”
Wow, really?
“Look, I’m not trying to be an ass here. I mean, you are in fact holding that damned shotgun, but have you been living under a rock most of your life? If they think you’re dangerous, which you are, they won’t pass an opportunity to finish this before somebody get’s hurt.”
“Oh man I never meant for this to happen. I just needed the cash dude.”
Using the bank’s inside wall for protection, we both slipped behind the counter. I snatched the receiver of the nearest phone, punched the blinking button and as we crouched behind the counter said, “this is Henry.”
“Henry, this is federal agent Manual Hermanos. Call me Manny. So what’s going on in there Henry? Is anybody hurt?”
“No, everybody’s fine Manny.”
“Good, very good. So let’s talk a bit you and I. Get to know each other a little better. How about that?”
“Okay, sure.”
“Is there anything you need Henry?”
I covered the phone with my hand.
“He wants to know what you need.”
“Tell him I just need them to go away and let me get out of here. I’ve got to get back to my sister before he leaves.”
Okay, so this is usually the part where I start asking a butt load of questions.
First off, this kid didn’t act like a ruthless bank heist kind of guy. More like a hayseed bumpkin just in from the farm. Second, based on his comment I got the distinct feeling he wasn’t here for shits and giggles. Something far bigger than cash was driving this kid’s actions.
“Sit tight Manny okay?”
“Whatever you say Henry. Just don’t do anything you’ll regret.”
I wished I’d had a quarter for every time my inside voice said that to me.
“So what’s your name son?”
“Jericho. Jericho Brown.”
“Like the walls come tumbling down Jericho?”
The kid snorted a laugh and grinned.
“Yeah, momma used to say when I was born I cried so loud it would have taken down the walls of Jericho.”
The phone crackled into life again.
“Henry, you need to talk to me. How many people are in there with you?”
“Manny just hang on a minute will you?”
I covered up the phone again.
“You hungry Jericho?”
The kid nodded. I was too. I was supposed to meet Sunny Alexander at a local diner we frequented. Lunch was supposed to be on me.
Again.
My way of paying off a bet on which of our recent articles was going to make it as a front feature story in Dark Sides.
I’ve lost that bet three times since she’s come on board and I’m really getting tired of her gloating and rubbing my face in it.
“Jericho, you like pizza?”
“Who doesn’t?”
I nodded and uncovered the phone.
“Okay Manny here’s what we need first.”
“I’m listening Henry.”
“We need six large pizzas. Three pepperoni with extra cheese, two surpremes and one cheese. Oh, and hold the anchovies on those supremes oh and the black olives, hold them too.”
“You serious Henry?”
“How should I put this Manny? Yeah, I’m dead serious. Oh yeah, and we need a couple, three two liter bottles of soda and some cups.”
“You know I could just sit here and sweat you out don’t you Henry? I can have the power and water cut off to the building and we can just sit on our asses until you croak from exhaustion. You know it never ends well in a situation like this don’t you Henry?”
“Yeah, but you won’t. I know how this works as well as you do Manny. You give me something then I give you something in return. That’s how this little bromance of ours is supposed to work right?”
There was several seconds of silence except for sounds of the federal agent’s breathing.
“Okay Henry, let’s deal. I get you the pizzas and soda. What do I get in return?”
“After we all finish our little picnic. Everybody but me and one other walks out.”
“Who’s this other person Henry?”
“The dude who held up the bank in the first place.”
“Wait a minute. You’re not…”
“Just bring the pizzas Manny. We’ll talk later.”
Manny was still saying something when I hung up the phone. For the first time since this shit started I took a hard look at the kid. My first reaction when this scrawny ass kid vaulted that counter was he was nothing but a two bit hoodlum looking for some easy money.
Now, I wasn’t so sure. He looked scared, but somehow I got the impression it wasn’t the current situation bothering him. It was something else, and I was going to find out what it was.
But I needed some time with just him and me talking. Him telling me what he meant by he needed to get back to his sister before he leaves.
He who?
In all the chaos, I never noticed the kid had a watch on his wrist, but as we crouched behind the bank counter he must have checked it at least ten times.
“Okay, I suggest you stay put here. We don’t need some sniper with an itchy trigger finger putting a round in your skull. As long as the police see we’re together in the lobby I doubt they’ll rush the place. Especially if they don’t know where the hell you are.”
Jericho nodded.
“Then what?”
“We have us a nice picnic lunch and you let everybody go out the front door.”
“Everybody?”
“Everybody but me.”
READ ON — THE BANK ROBBER JERICHO BROWN PART III
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