Vince and Mary joked good-naturally as Vince navigated the Toyota Corolla into a space near the front of the bank. They had been married for more than fifteen years. Like many childless couples, the two were inseparable. Vice was tall, but rail thin. Mary appeared at least a decade or so younger than the thirty-nine the calendar said she was. Her trim figure was accented by her cascade of flowing chestnut hair and her crystal blue eyes above her fine nose and bee-stung lips. In truth, many of Vince's friends envied him, Mary. Childbearing and time seemed to have touched their wives in ways that made Vince's friends not unhappy with their lot, but wistful and more than a tad jealous at what their friend had retained. Mary and Vince were very happy.
"That's another thing, Vince." chided Mary gently, "Why do you bank here when there is a branch closer to our house."
"My dear, Mrs..Pruitt, This one is easier to get out of. One right turn and the freeway in half a block, plus it's a smaller, more intimate bank, they know me here, I'm less of a number."
"Oh sure, I'm positive they see you as a regular Daddy Warbucks. How much are you taking out now, Rockefeller?"
"Just a hundred or so. I'll probably use the ATM in the lobby. After that I might sweet talk my favorite teller, unlike you, she appreciates me." stated Vince teasingly.
"Does she now? Well, that's just because she's never had to endure your morning breath!"
Vince mockingly grabbed his chest and said. "Oh, I'm cut to the quick, Mrs. farts like a Mack truck."
Mary stuck her tongue out and said, "Bring me back a lolly pop."
Only then did Mary note the dinged up car in the adjoining space.
"I hope, those folks are here for an auto loan appeal."
"I'll leave the key in the ignition" stated Vince, "In case you need to use the air conditioner to turn this car into an igloo, as is your wont."
"Very funny, just leave the windows open, It's a beautiful day."
Mary watched her husband's slim form vanish into the bank. She brushed her hair back and opened her purse in quest of her cellphone. If Vince was true to form, Mary could get trough a chapter of the book she was working on. She marveled at the fact that her phone could do so much. "When I was a kid," she stated to the emptiness about her, "a phone was just a phone and it never left the wall."
Mary's reverie was interrupted by the sounds of alarms. Mary's eyes opened in terror as she saw two masked figures exiting the bank! Hot on their heels was a guard who had his weapon drawn. Mary forced herself low in the passenger seat, almost too terrified to think. She forced her eyes closed and prayed that Vince was all right. The sound of bullets being exchanged assailed her ears. There was a scream followed almost immediately by another. The masked men seemed to be right outside the car door!
Terror filled Mary did not see the guard thudding to the macadam, a rivulet of blood streaming from his chest. Before the guard expired he emptied his gun at the fleeing thugs. Blood loss and adrenaline caused his aim to fail. The most he was able to accomplish was having one of his bullets tear through through the right front tire of the dinged up car next to Vince and Mary's.
Mary heard a loud "FUCK!" as the sound of bullets firing ceased.
"Rick, the key is in this one! Grab the bags and jump in the back seat. Fuck that guard. We weren't after HIS money."
Mary was positive that her heart would explode from horror as she opened her eyes to note a huge man sliding into the vacant driver's seat! Almost at the same moment a large body dove trough the open back window and landed in the rear passenger compartment. The thug threw Mary and Vince's car into gear and peeled out of the parking lot. In short order, they were on the highway speeding away from the city. Mary felt a hand on her shoulder. The man in the back seat was forcefully compressing her upper arm.
"What do we do about THIS, Joe?"
Mary felt the gaze of the masked driver and was chilled to the bone as he said with no emotion at all, "We'll need a housekeeper at the cabin. Who knows maybe she's good for OTHER things as well."
Mary broke out in a cold sweat.
"P-p-please let me go. I'm just a simple housewife, I don't even know what you look like!"
The huge man in controlling the vehicle pulled off his mask and replied simply, "Stopping is too dangerous, we have this planned in detail. The only thing we didn't count on was having to off a guard. Now if you want us to remain nice you will hand that purse to my partner. You'll find out that Rick and I are fun guys."