"If you don't pull the trigger, then you're a bastard," said Melody.
****
The bank bustled with its usual routine – customers lined up patiently, some making deposits and others managing their accounts.
The atmosphere buzzed with the sounds of chatter and the occasional beeping of machines until an unexpected uproar shattered the calm.
All eyes shifted towards the entrance as a gang of masked men stormed in. One of them stepped forward, raising his weapon high and firing several shots into the air.
The deafening echo sent shockwaves of panic rippling through the crowd. Screams erupted, a cacophony of fear as people instinctively scrambled for safety, their hearts racing and bodies trembling in terror.
The atmosphere, once bright with a summer afternoon glow, now felt thick with dread.
The menacing figures surrounding them – clad in black, armed with guns, and exuding an aura of danger – swiftly secured the entrances, leaving no escape.
"What's going on!?" The panicked voices mingled in confusion, some colliding with each other in desperate attempts to evade the chaos.
"Everyone, put your heads on the ground!" The commanding voice of the robbers reverberated through the space. To enforce compliance, two enforcers advanced menacingly toward the frightened civilians, their weapons pointed unwaveringly at heads bowed in fear.
Inside the bank, even with the air conditioning hum, the occupants felt beads of sweat trickling down their brows.
The commanding figure continued, "Hand over your phones and everything of value."
They moved through the crowd, rifling through pockets and purses with ruthless efficiency.
"Please, this is all I have," a man stammered as he produced a few crumpled bills from his trembling hands.
The robber before him shot a glare so piercing it could freeze fire, "Strip off your clothes then; they might fetch a price!" His tone was cold, laced with disdain.
The man continued to plead for mercy, his voice shaking as others joined in, desperately offering up their valuables with trembling fingers. Watches slid from wrists, chains were unclasped, and rings were relinquished – everything that glimmered or held value was surrendered to the robbers, like tributes to cruel deities.
"Silence!" barked another robber, anger flaring at the sound of the civilians' pleas. With a quick gesture, he summoned his associates to begin collecting the gathered items into bulging sacks.
Meanwhile, the robbers had already infiltrated the upper floors, seizing the bank manager from behind his desk. With a weapon pressed against his temple, they forced him down the stairs with the staff in tow, rounding them all up on the ground floor, their knees hitting the polished tiles with haunting echoes.
Among the figures kneeling in despair, a woman stood apart. Her gaze was unsettlingly calm, void of the panic that consumed her companions. This caught the attention of the robber who transported her down from the upper floor, and he regarded her with bewildered curiosity.
As the gang moved through the lobby, the unmistakable sound of boots marching in unison filled the air.
One robber came forward as if he were a general surveying his troops, his gun gripped tightly, exuding a pulse of danger that lingered ominously. His cold black eyes locked onto the manager, who trembled in sheer terror.
"P-please, don't hurt us," the manager stuttered, his voice barely a whisper.
"We don't want to hurt anyone," the ominous voice answered through a distorted mask. "Just give us what we want, and everyone walks out of here happily."
"W-what do you want?" the manager quivered, each word escaping his lips with visible effort as fear clawed at his throat.
"The key to the vault," came the succinct reply, the threat it bore clear. "I want all of the cash and gold in there"
The manager's resolve faltered, his head shaking as he attempted to deceive his captors. "I don't have it," he lied, his voice wavering.
A dangerous glint flickered in the robber's eye as he leaned in menacingly, tilting his head to emphasize the gravity of the situation. "Does this seem like a joke to you?" He clicked the gun, and at the same time, the manager's heart skipped a beat in terror.
The atmosphere thickened with tension, and in the blink of an eye, the robber lunged forward with a predatory grace, seizing one of the female staff members by the neck. He brought the cold barrel of his weapon dangerously close to her temple. "I'll pull the trigger right now if I don't get that key," he seethed, annoyance and rage bubbling beneath the surface.
Panic erupted among the staff, tears spilling down their cheeks as they instinctively tried to huddle closer for comfort, a futile attempt against the menacing wall of armed robbers that kept them subdued.
All of them were gripped by fear, their faces pale and eyes wide, except for the woman he held tightly in his grasp. "Shoot if you dare," she whispered fiercely, her voice unwavering and resolute, a stark contrast to the trembling masses around her.
"What did you say?" the man demanded, his breath hot against her ear as he leaned in closer, his grip on her neck tightening like a vice. Yet, she remained poised, her body refusing to flinch or attempt escape.
"I said pull the trigger. If you don't, you're a bastard," she declared, her voice steady yet laced with an unmistakable edge.
He froze momentarily, the weight of her words hanging in the air like a tense fog. His grip on her neck slackened slightly, and in a swift, fluid motion, he pivoted her around to face him. The cold steel of the gun pressed against her temple as he captured her arm in a vice-like hold.
"What did you just call me?" he demanded, his black eyes piercing into her warm brown irises. She was nothing like the submissive victims he had anticipated; she was a puzzle wrapped in defiance, her expression unreadable.
Did she truly want to die? Her gaze was haunting—vacant and resolute, betraying no fear, no struggle. He was transfixed; she was unlike anyone he had encountered. The weight of the mission suddenly felt heavier, and her unwavering challenge struck a chord deep within him.
"A bastard," Melody reiterated, her voice unwavering, unyielding. "Just shoot me already and don't waste my time." The grip on her arm tightened once more, and the gun clicked ominously as she instinctively closed her eyes, bracing herself for the end.
"We don't have time for this, Ryder!" a voice barked, cutting through the thick tension. One of the robbers stormed over, urgency etched across his features. "Remember, no kills!" he warned, his tone low and grave. "Don't let her get into your head!"
Ryder's mind was a chaotic whirlpool, but as he looked back at Melody, the world around him began to fade away. The chaos of the robbery evaporated: the masks, the shouts, the desperate atmosphere—none of it mattered. All that remained was her. Who was she?
Before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, a sharp voice pulled him back to reality.
"Ryder, the siren!" his colleague shouted, snapping him out of his reverie as the sound of police sirens echoed ominously in the distance.
"Get down!" came the immediate order from the robbers. Panic set in as they hastily retreated, gathering the hostages and snatching whatever cash lay within reach. He held Melody firmly, the gun still pressed to her head as he propelled them both toward the exit.
"Who the hell are you?" he questioned, squinting his eyes at her, while paying attention to the chaos unfolding around him.
Melody didn't respond to him until they got to the exit. "I'll find you," He said before letting her go.
As he sprinted away, the world around him resumed its frantic pace.
The van where his accomplices waited revved to life, and he jumped onto his motorbike, the engine roaring to life beneath him.
For a fleeting moment, he turned back to steal one last glance at Melody, their gaze locking. Then, with a twist of the throttle, he sped away. The van followed suit immediately followed by the cars of the police.
**A/N: Hello everyone, welcome to MBG(My Beautiful Gangster) It's a different story and approach from everything I've been writing, and I hope you can join me on this journey to see how it goes. Thank you for giving it a trial, let's see through this together!**