Saturday, April 27th, 9:58 AM
"Bumblebee, status report!" Ironhide barked over the comm. link. Already calling Optimus his secondary line.
"Six humans just went into the bank and started shooting up the place! Primus, Sam's in there! I have to-"
"Stand down! Do not transform!"
"But Ironhide, Sam is in there! What if they hurt him!"
"Ironhide is right, Bumblebee." Optimus' voice came over the line. "Until we can confirm that Sam is in immediate danger of being wounded by one of the gunmen, we are to stand by. Maintain your position, Ironhide is on the way and Ratchet is alerting the proper authorities."
"But Optimus!" Bumblebee whined out, only to be cut off by Ironhide.
"If they hurt Sam, Bumblebee, I will personally shove my cannons up their aft. You hear?"
xxxxxx
South District Police Station, Metro Division
Saturday, April 27th, 10:10 AM
The dispatcher took another sip from her coffee cup, grimacing at the piss-poor excuse for what their station called 'coffee'. She looked up at her monitor, seeing the 911 icon flashing back at her, she quickly put her coffee down and placed her headset back on.
"South District Metro Nine-One-One. What is your emergency?"
'I'm calling to report a robbery in progress.' Ratchet replied to the question.
The dispatcher blinked a little. Normally people reporting a robbery in progress were frantic, panicky at best.
"A robbery, sir? At what address?"
'One-Twenty-Four Silver Street Express Road. The bank there is being robbed now.'
"Can you see any of the robbers, sir?" She asked, starting to take down information.
'There are six of them, wearing body armor and carrying AK-47s.'
"Are you inside the bank, sir?"
'No, but a very good friend of mine is. You have to save him.'
"We shall do everything we can, sir. We are sending units to that location, what is your location, sir?" There was a click on the line. "Hello? Sir?" She switched the microphone over to the police band.
"All units, all units, be advised, 2-11 in progress reported at One-Twenty-Four SS Express. Be advised, suspects have been reported wearing full body armor and carrying assault rifles. Respond code three."
"Supervisor Twenty-Seven to dispatch. Units are responding code three to the 2-11 in progress. Request that you advise Metro Emergency Services, I have a sinking feeling we'll be needing them."
"Copy that, alerting S.W.A.T. ETA is to be determined." The dispatch replied quickly, switching her channel again. "Dispatch to Metro E.S.U. Be advised, robbery in progress at First International Bank on SS Express Street. Suspects seen wearing body armor and carrying assault rifles."
"Ten David here, we copy. E.S.U. to roll out in fifteen."
"Copy Ten David. Be quick."
"We'll bring the rain with us."
xxxxxx
Saturday, April 27th, 10:22 AM
Sam heard the sirens approach quickly while the gunmen patrolled around the main lobby. Two watching the customers, two watching the tellers, and the other two were currently scouting out the safe, vaults, and the safety deposit boxes.
Sam had a clear view outside the bank from his position on the floor. Cops were already setting up barriers and parameters, pointing weapons at the doorway and calling order out to each other.
If Sam didn't know any better, he was in the movies.
But with the dead security guard a few feet away, the man's blood a little too close to Sam for his own comfort, Sam knew better than to even think of this like a movie.
There was no Colin Farrell or Samuel Jackson here, just six men with really large guns and they had already proven they had no intent to play nice.
xxxxxx Outside the Bank xxxxxx
Bumblebee watched while police officers scrambled all around him. They were yelling orders to each other, setting up blue barriers in the streets, redirecting traffic flow. Everything they could think of, they were doing. His sensors picked up Ironhide and Will parked on a side street, just out of his line of sight, but still there.
"I'm here Bumblebee. Are you okay?" Ironhide's voice came over the comm. link.
"I am functional if that is what you are asking."
"Don't get cheeky with me. Ratchet is on his way, Prime says he would draw too much attention, so he's staying behind."
"What are we going to do Ironhide?"
"For now, we let the human police forces do their jobs. Sam is safe for now, so long as he doesn't do anything stupid."
"Shouldn't we try and contact him?" Bumblebee asked, trying hard not to shake on his suspension from frustration.
"I doubt the kid knows Morse Code, Bee." Came Will's voice. "For now just sit tight. I know it's hard, but these guys have undoubtedly called out their S.W.A.T. team. Those guys have a record of tons of wins and no losses. They can handle this, you just need to be patient." Will was about to say more, but a loud horn blast as an oversized truck pulled past their street and into the Bank's parking lot. The navy blue truck read large white letters 'Metro S.W.A.T.' along the side.
It was long after that, there was another loud noise, a human's voice coming over the loud speaker of the truck that had pulled into the lot. "This is Metro S.W.A.T. Come out with your hands up and no one will be hurt."
Getting no response, the negotiator took the next step, tapping into the bank's phone lines. Little did he know, Ironhide, Will, and Bumblebee were listening in.
xxxxxx Inside The Bank xxxxxx
"Find some dumb ass to talk to these cops. I don't want them fucking hearing our voices." One of the hostage takers yelled. Sam felt the large fist grab the back of his shirt as he was lifted off the ground and thrown towards the ringing phone.
"Answer it!" One of the attackers snapped, jamming the business end of the rifle into his back. Sam didn't hesitate, grabbing the phone. "Say anything funny and I blow out your fuckin' skull." He was reminded by the same attacker.
"Hello?" Sam asked, his throat too dry from panic.
'This is Officer Davis Gibraltar with Metro S.W.A.T. Are you one of the terrorists?'
"No. I am a hostage." Sam forced out, wondering just how much information he could give out before being shot.
'Okay. We are going to do everything we can to get you out, okay? What is your name?'
"Sam... Sam Witwhicky."
'Okay Sam. Bet you wish you were having a better day, huh? Okay, I know they are listening in to us, so anything you feel uncomfortable answering or they don't want you to answer, just say so okay? My goal is to get you and everyone else out safely. Now, is anyone in need of immediate medical attention?'
Sam looked around the room. A mother was huddled up in the corner of the room with her daughter who was hyperventilating a little. Another hostage, a elderly man, seemed to be having issues with his breathing as well.
"There is a little girl who is hyperventilating and an old man. I think he is having a heart attack!"
'Alright, Sam, stay calm, okay? Now listen carefully, are you able to get to him and stay on the phone?'
"I... I think so." Sam said, slowly taking a step towards the panting man. One of the attackers went to raise his rifle, but the other stopped him. "Wait." He whispered, turning around to face away from Sam and whisper in his friend's ear. "Let the kid save him, we'll pretend to cooperate and nail us some fucking pigs when the come to retrieve him."
The other nodded, lower his gun. Sam was now kneeling beside the man, his hands shaking a little. This was A LOT different then when he was doing some minor tasks with Mikeala and Ratchet.
'Still there Sam?'
"I'm here."
'Okay. Now I need you to check and see if the man is sweating. Is he?'
Sam pressed two fingers to the older man's hand, feeling the slick cool sweat on his fingers. "Yes."
'He appears to have shortness of breath?'
"Yes."
'Okay Sam, we need to get him out of there. Find out what the demands of the hostage takers are as soon as you can and let us know so we can bargain for that hostage.'
Sam nodded to himself, smartly, placing his hand over the phone as it was obvious the attackers didn't want the cops to hear their voice.
"They want to know what your demands are. They are willing to trade, your demands for that hostage." Sam said, trying to keep his nerves calm.
"Demands?" One of the attackers asked a little, turning to his buddies.
"We want, food and water enough for everyone here. We'll start there and work our way up to the good stuff. Now hurry up and tell them so we can get this shit moving."
Sam nodded, quickly putting the phone back to his ear. "They want food and water. Enough for..." Sam paused, looking around the room. "Fort people." He said, trying hard to keep from breathing hard. It wouldn't do anyone any good, and he knew it.
'Alright. But in order for me to meet those demands we need that hostage. Are they willing to trade?'
"Yes." Sam replied quickly, trying to keep his hands from shaking.
'Alright, we've ordered some take out for everyone. I need that hostage now before he goes into cardiac arrest.'
Sam nodded, looking back at who he figured to be the leader. "They say they want the hostage before they do anything." Sam said, pointing a semi-shaking finger at the man who had since only gotten worse.
The 'leader' of the group seemed to think it over for a moment before nodding, snapping his fingers at two of his men. "Grab him and toss'em out front."
The two stepped forward, slinging their rifles to their backs they each grabbing an arm of the man, dragging him out front and tossing him out the bank doors, standing there while they watched a medic team surrounded by S.W.A.T. members come running up, placing the man on a gurney before they started to retreat back.
Before they could even make it two feet away, the two attackers opened fire upon them. Showering the S.W.A.T. members as well as the unarmed medics in a hail of bullets before ducking back into the bank.
xxxxxx Outside The Bank xxxxxx
"Holy fuck!" One of the S.W.A.T. members yelled out as a bullet connected with his vest, going right through and lodging itself in his lower abdomen. He felled back to the ground, watching his team hit the deck around him. He knew he was in trouble when no one got back up.
"Status check! What the hell just happened?"
The S.W.A.T. officer, Keith, rolled onto his stomach, ignoring the pain in his body as he checked his team members before reaching for his radio. "They fucking opened fire on us, that's what happened! I've got multiple officers down! The medics are hit too! I need a fuckin evac, now!" He said, looking at his tactical gloves, stained with blood of his friends.
xxxxxx
"Holy shit..." Will whispered, watching as the S.W.A.T. team was gunned down just retrieving a hostage. He could feel Ironhide shaking with anger under him. What happened next surprised both of them.
xxxxxx
"Barricade to Ratchet! Don't ignore me!"
"I'm a little busy right now to deal with you, Decepticon. I need to figure out a way to save those humans!"
"Hey! I said don't ignore me! You want to save them, you'll need my help! Follow my lead!"
Barricade quickly closed the comm. link between him and the Autobot medic. Having just watched the cops being gunned down as they were, the cop car was beyond pissed. He shot past the Autobot medic, siren wailing in an eerie howl as he placed himself between the downed officers and the bank's door.
Ratchet figured out what he was up to, the Autobot spinning himself around and slamming into reverse, coming to a stop just a few inches away from the gurney.
The two attackers were back outside night, firing shots at what they thought was a cop car. The pelted Barricade's armor with AK-47 rounds, the car shaking with each hit. Barricade's hologram ducked out his door, Ratchet's doing the same while they started to load the wounded into the medic. The entire time Barricade was hissing with each hit to his car form.
"You alright, Barricade?" Ratchet's hologram asked, loading the last person in before moving to jump into himself.
"It doesn't fucking tickle if that's what you're asking!" The Decepticon growled, climbing back into himself and pulling out behind the medic, shielding Ratchet from any bullets that were fired at them.
xxxxxx
Sam ducked under the desk when they started shooting, worried they were shooting at him.
'Are you still there Sam? Sam, I need you to listen to me!'
"I'm here!" Sam sighed, peeking from behind the desk when he heard a siren wail and tires screech, amazed to himself seeing Barricade helping Ratchet load the wounded into the ambulance while Barricade was being shot at. He kept it to himself.
'Sam, I need to know what's going on in there. They just fired at my officers!'
"I don't know! They said they were going to let the man go! No one said anything about shooting at cops!" Sam yelled out, quickly quietly when he found one of the rifles pointed at him.
"Hang it up." The man said, Sam quickly slammed the phone down, shrinking away from the hostage taker and pulling his knees up to his chest.
He didn't want to go to the movies any more.
He wanted to go home.
xxxxxx
"Why did you help us, Barricade?" Ironhide asked, over riding his pride programming and opening the comm. link channel to Barricade.
"They shot at cops."
"You never seemed to care about any human before."
"Don't get me wrong." Barricade growled. "I'm still a Decepticon. But I'm the last of my kind, and that forced me to take refuge with whoever would have me."
Will nodded in Ironhide's cab. "I get it. He's a cop car, obviously he would feel some compassion for police officers."
"Exactly." Barricade growled out, obviously having heard Will through Ironhide.
"At least someone on this channel has half a processor."
xxxxxx
Chapter 2 - Completed.