A/N: Thanks for your reviews! They keep me going!
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Disclaimer: I do not own any part of CSI or its characters. That honor goes to the good folks over at CBS.
Title: Absolute Terror
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Despite the bank robbers' orders to freeze, panic filled the minds of just about every person in the room. And with the panic, came absolute terror, screaming, and crying.
Sara stood still for a moment, eyeing the petrified teller in front of her. All around her, people continued screaming, looking around in confusion and terror. This isn't happening… I know it's not happening. I'm going to wake up, and this will all be a dream. A very funny dream, involving… Bonnie and Clyde, Sara tried to convince herself, attempting to swallow her own paralyzing fear.
Taking a deep breath, Sara slowly turned around, once again trying to swallow her panic. This definitely isn't happening… it can't be… she assured herself, cautiously glancing around the room. But then she paled, after the realization of what was going on actually hit her. One bank robber was busy chaining up the front door, while three more were dispersed throughout the small lobby of the bank, each pointing a gun at the frightened patrons. Blinking, Sara tried to take a deep breath, in order to steady her nerves. This bank is really being robbed. It's really being robbed… it's really being robbed… it's really being robbed… she told herself, over and over again.
As her panic gave way to an even stronger feeling of raw fear, Sara continued to glance around the room, frowning. Too many possible hostages! There are too many possible hostages! Directly behind her, there were four more people waiting in line to see a teller: Timothy and his mother, a young woman of around twenty-five, and an older gentleman of about seventy. The bank had three actual tellers on duty, and one financial counselor sitting behind a desk, off to the right of the counter. Sitting in front of the counselor, sat two terrified individuals. A newlywed couple, Sara assumed. And then there was the guard, Steve. Steve, an overweight man of around forty, with graying hair, already had his hands up in the air. So that makes… twelve possible hostages, and four bank robbers, she thought to herself, counting the masked men.
Once again swallowing, Sara frowned, as more people continued to scream and try to run.
"WE SAID NOBODY MOVE!" one of the masked men yelled, pointing his gun in the air, and firing off a round.
Sara jumped at the noise, automatically hitting the ground, and covering her head… as did most of the other people in the bank's lobby.
"Mommy…? What's going on…?" Timothy loudly screamed, his eyes wide with fear. "Who are they…? Why are they here? I'm scared!" he wailed, moving to his mother's side, and trying to cling to her.
"EVERYBODY, DOWN ON THE GROUND!" another masked man yelled, waving his gun in the air.
"Mommy, I'm scared!" Timothy repeated, trying to attach himself to his mother's leg.
"It's okay, Timothy, it will be okay…" his mother told him, starting to shake. Wrapping her son in her arms, she slowly knelt down on the ground, pulling him down with her. "It'll be okay, Timmy," she repeated, trying to cover him with her body. "But I need you to do what they say, okay…? And I need you to stay quiet, honey…" she whispered, trying to hide her fear from him.
"I don't want to, mommy," Timothy sniffled, trying to stand back up again. "I'm too scared!"
"Honey, you have to lay down…" Lonnie begged him. "Please!"
"I don't wanna!" Timothy replied, as tears began to form in his eyes. "I'm scared, and I don't wanna!"
Sara, from her position on the floor, watched the exchange between the mother and her son. "Timmy, listen to me," Sara whispered. "Lay back down, okay?" she asked, turning her gaze to take in the masked men. Timothy just shook his head no, the tears streaming down his face even harder. "Lay down, right now!" she hissed, once again swallowing her own fear.
Lonnie blinked, pulling on Timothy's shirt in the hopes of making him fall down.
"No, mommy!" he wailed, as he shakily pushed away from her, trying to move towards the door. "I wanna go home!" he screamed, crying. "I wanna go home!" he repeated, stumbling towards one of the masked men.
"Well, what do we have here…?" the third masked man asked, as Timothy walked towards him. "Who does this kid belong to?" he loudly asked the room full of hostages. "Someone want to claim him, before I kill him?"
"Don't hurt him!" Lonnie screamed, instantly jumping up.
Sara just groaned. There was no way that this day was ever going to end peacefully. Peaceful men did not talk about killing a five year old boy, even just in jest.
"Please, don't hurt him!" Lonnie repeated, running towards the masked man, and her son.
"WHOA, THERE!" the man screamed, pointing his gun at Lonnie. "Don't you take another step, Sweetheart!"
Lonnie froze, swallowing. Looking up at him, she glanced at her son. "Please don't hurt him…" she whispered. "Can I… have him back…?"
"Sure," the robber shrugged, pushing her son at her.
"Thank you," Lonnie whispered, holding her arms out to Timothy.
But before anyone knew what was going on, it all went terribly wrong. Steve, trying to save everyone, pulled his gun on the robbers. Firing off a round at the man by the door, he frowned, when his bullet missed, lodging itself in the door.
The patrons started screaming again, once again trying to protect themselves by covering their heads with their hands.
It's all happening too fast! It's all happening to fast! Sara frantically told herself, glancing around at the chaotic scene in front of her.
"Timothy! Come here!" Lonnie yelled for her son, screaming in fear.
Not good, not good, not good! Sara thought, covering her head, and trying to peer up at the robbers, all at the same time.
But it was too late. It was all too late. Just after Steve fired his gun at the bank robber by the door, one of the other masked men shot him, stopping him cold. And when Lonnie screamed, the man who had been holding Timmy, jumped, accidentally firing at her.
"What the hell!" Sara screamed, as Lonnie fell before her eyes, Timothy still a few feet in front of his mother.
"Oh shit!" one of the masked men yelled, looking around the bank. "EVERYONE STAY ON THE GROUND! DON'T MOVE! DON'T MOVE!"
"Mommy…?" Timothy whispered, staring at his mother. "Mommy…?" he added, running to her side.
Lonnie stared at the ceiling, trying to breathe. "It.. it hurts…" she whispered, swallowing. "It hurts so bad…"
Ignoring the bank robbers, Sara crawled over to Lonnie's side, immediately ripping off her own spare sweater, and pushing it against Lonnie's chest. "It's okay, I've got you," she whispered to her, blinking back her tears. "I've got you…"
"You, woman in the hat!" one of the robbers yelled, pointing his gun at her. "Get away from her!'
"She's going to die without help!" Sara screamed back. "She needs treatment, or she's going to die!" she yelled, keeping pressure on the wound.
Lonnie just stared up at Sara, trying to breathe, and trying to ignore the pain. "Please…" she whispered to Sara. "Help…me…"
"SHE NEEDS MEDICAL ATTENTION!" Sara again yelled. "HELP HER!"
Lonnie put a shaky hand on Sara's arm, trying to get her attention.
"It's going to be okay…." Sara firmly told her. "It's going to be okay…"
Lonnie shook her head, using her eyes to plead with her. "Timmy…"
"Will be fine!" Sara finished her sentence, glancing over at the little boy, who had tears streaming down his face. "He'll be fine!" she repeated.
"Keep… him…safe…" Lonnie struggled to say, once again swallowing. "Tim…" she whispered.
"Mommy…?" Timmy softly said, glancing down at his mother. "It's okay… I'll be a good boy, don't leave me, okay…?" he asked. "I promise… I'll be a good boy…" he told her, as everyone else in the bank watched the scene unfold before their eyes.
"Tim… love… you…" she whispered, as her eyes slowly closed.
"I love you, too, mommy…" Timothy whispered. "But…"
"I'll take care of him," Sara promised, tears forming in her eyes. "I promise…"
"Tim… love…" she repeated, before her heart gave way, and she stopped breathing.
"Mommy…?" Timothy once again asked, nudging her with his hand. "Mommy… wake up!" he mumbled, as fresh tears started to slide down his cheeks. "Wake up, mommy! I'll be good! I told you, I'll be good! We don't ever have to go to McDonalds! I hate McDonalds!"
One of the bank robbers frowned, staring at his partner. "What have we done…?" he whispered. "What have we done…?"
"Listen up, everyone!" the robber by the door spoke up, once again holding his weapon towards the crowd. "Everyone get up, and move to the left side of the counter. NOW!" he screamed, as people got up, quickly running to the wall. "You, too!" he added, pointing his gun at Sara, who still had yet to move.
"How… could you…?" she whispered to the closest robber, slowly reaching her arms out to Timothy, who was desperately clinging to his mother's side. "How…could you…?" she repeated, trying to drain the venom out of her voice.
"Mommy…?" Timothy quietly asked, once again nudging her. "Wake up, okay…?" he asked, oblivious to the fact that all of the hostages were still staring at him, fear and tears in their own eyes.
"Move, now!" the man ordered Sara. "And take him with you!" he screamed, pointing his gun at Timothy.
"Timothy…" Sara whispered, trying to get his attention. "I need you to come sit with me, okay…?"
"I want my mommy…" he replied. "Please… I just want to stay with my mommy…" he added, shoving his thumb into his mouth, and rocking himself back and forth.
"Timothy…" Sara tried again, crawling over to him. Gently pulling him into her arms, she slowly stood up, walking over to the other hostages.
"Mommy…" he whispered, as he clung to Sara's neck. "I want my mommy…"
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TO BE CONTINUED