Millions

Jet's POV

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There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment before the negotiator on the other end responded.

"Hello, who am I speaking to?" Pax smirked, thinking the whole situation was funny.
"I would be one of the reasons you've been called here," he replied, the smirk growing wider and looking ugly from bitterness.

"Alright," the negotiator said slowly, "my name's Vic, what's your name? Do you have a name?" He sounded like he was trying to verbally disarm a bomb which he was more or less doing.

"Pax, you can call me Pax," I'm not a criminal genius but I don't think you should tell them what your name is.

"Nice to meet you, Pax. Can I ask a few questions?" Pax leaned back and crossed his legs leisurely on the counter.

"I don't see why not."

"Good. How many people have you got in there?" Vic asked, voice shaking ever so slightly, I hope he's not new at this job.

Pax turned to look at the people standing by the wall and did a headcount, mouthing the numbers to himself.

"Thirteen," he told him, "fourteen if you count my wonderful self," Pax added cockily and I really hoped he didn't get out of this situation alive.

"Has anyone been hurt?" He took another look at the people before answering.

"Nobody...yet," Vee shook and I attempted to calm her down with a pat on the back. She had to take pills for anxiety sometimes, only when things got real bad but I get the feeling she'll be needing them soon.

There was a time when we went to school camp and her parents were in an accident and she didn't know if they were okay or not.
She's nearly taken the entire bottle.
I think I could safely say this was an equally high pressure situation as that one.

"Any children? Pregnant women?"

"Nope and if there are then they're hiding well," or the pregnant women could just not be showing, my brain responded.

"Would I be able to talk to any of the hostages?" I glanced at Gee who'd been flat out staring at Vera and me before looking away.

"Yeah," Pax pointed at me, "whatyourface, come over here and talk to the phone guy," I nodded and took a deep breath.

Vee tried to hold onto my arm but I murmured that she needed to let go so I could walk away. She reluctantly loosened her grip and my arm and I walked up to the counter.

"Here she is," Pax put the phone on the bench next to him and turned it in my direction.

"Who's this?" He asked and I warily looked at Pax who grinned at me in response.

"My name's Jet," I told him, having to raise my voice louder than I was comfortable with but I knew he wouldn't hear me otherwise.

"Hi, Jet. Are you alright? Is everyone else alright?" His voice sounded a little anxious and I crossed my arms, trying to hold in the panic I was experiencing from standing so close to someone with a gun.

"I'm fine, everyone is. We're as fine as we can get," I laughed shakily, wanting to go back to my friend and not be anywhere near the grinning psychopath.

"Good, do you know if anyone in there has issues I should know about? Allergies, heart problems, disorders?" Vic probably thought he'd been put onto someone who worked at the bank, I did as far as Pax was concerned.

"Um, I have ADHD and my friend has to take medication for stress, I don't know about everyone else," I shifted uncomfortably on the spot, he should have asked the manager to talk.

"Okay, thank you, Jet," I stood there, not feeling sure as to whether I should move or not.

"Pax, you still with us?" The white haired robber sat the phone in his lap once more.

"Yup," he said, popping the P and continuing his disturbingly joyful behaviour.

"Would you be willing to send a hostage out as sign of good faith?" Vic asked cautiously, seeming to brace himself for whatever Pax's reaction might be.

After spending almost an hour in here with him I've decided it could be just about anything on the spectrum between nice and insane. Pax went thoughtful for a moment, a thinking expression on his face as he cradled his chin in his hands.
Please make him say yes, please.
I looked to Vera who had her hands together and was silently mouthing prayers.

Until now Vee had been an atheist.
I guess things like this make a person turn to God, I won't let myself start praying to him though.
I've never been religious, never gone to church except for once or twice when I was a little kid, I don't see why God would want to listen to me now.
If I was to get out of here alive and in one piece it'll only be thanks to luck and nothing more.

"Alright, give me a few minutes and if anyone tries anything I'll kill everyone in the room," Pax ended the call, put the phone down and looked at Gee who'd been leaning quietly against a bench since the police first made contact.

"You pick someone," he told his friend, gesturing to the people against the wall then finishing his arm sweep with me.

Gee took his gun off then looked around the room putting a hand on his hip as the nine other people remained silent. Not saying a thing he walked to where I stood, grabbed my wrist then started pulling me towards the front door.
It took me a second to realise what he was doing but once I did I put the brakes on and refused to move.
On the sidelines Vee looked as if she were having a complete anxiety attack and I knew I couldn't go.

"I'm not leaving without my friend," I said, attempting to pull my hand away but it didn't work, he was strong.

Instead he grabbed my other wrist, pulled me towards him, wrapped his arms around my shoulders and marched me towards the entrance, protests pouring from my mouth.

"Don't you understand, I'm giving you a chance to get out, take it for fucks sake," he whispered into my ear and I managed to struggle away, running back to Vera who hugged me, immediately calming down.

Pax was amusedly watching the whole exchange from the counter leant back, looking more relaxed than any bank robber should be allowed to.

"Feisty, I like it," he gave me a foxish smile then lifted a hand and pointed to Jolene who was talking to herself in a corner, "might as well take her, her babbling will get annoying after a while."

Jolene almost threw herself onto Gee before he walked her to the front of the building, opening the security doors as he went. He stopped as he got to the automatic doors, unlocking them before pushing one side open. A hand went on Jolene's back before he shoved the crying woman outside then locked everything up again.
It was a high pressure situation that was over in moments.

I saw the sigh of relief escape his lips as he pulled the gating across the front of the bank once more, locking it then walking back to the counter.
The phone started ringing again, Pax answered it like earlier and put the thing on speaker.

"Thank you for sending the woman out," he said, Pax looking satisfied with his response, "now is there some kind of bargaining we could do, anything you'd like?"

"Well there's a lot of things that I'd like, things I'd love but I know you can't give those to me. For the moment lets settle with a guarantee that your people won't come barging in here like a bull in a china shop," he brushed his hair then absentmindedly tapped his fingers on legs, waiting for Vic to say something.

"Alright, that seems fair. Is there anything we can get you, food, drinks, something to do?" This almost reminds me of room service, except this could end in a massacre.

"Mexican sounds good."

Notes