Chapter 2

Laura gasped and several of the women screamed.

"Nobody move!" the first man yelled. "You move over here with the others" he said pointing the gun at Laura. She quickly moved where she was told.

The second man threw sacks over the counters to the tellers. "Fill those!" he ordered.

The tellers began filling the sacks. One of them reached under the counter and pressed the silent alarm.

"Hurry up," the first man said.

The faint sounds of sirens was heard. They grew lounder as the minutes passed. Four police cars skidded to a stop in front of the bank.

"Rick, it's the cops," said the third man who was watching the door.

Rick walked to the door and looked out. He saw the police cars. He opened the door a little and yelled out, "Don't come any closer. We have hostages in here!"

"Stand by the phone, we'll contact you," the officer in charge said.

A few minutes later the phone rang. Rick walked to the phone and answered it. "Yes?"

"Ok, what do you want to let the hostages go?"

"I want safe passage out of the bank, a car to take us to the airport and a private plane waiting for us. We don't need a pilot. I have a license."

"That will take a while to arrange," the officer said.

"You have one hour," Rick answered.

"You have to give us more time than that."

"You have one hour," Rick repeated. "One hour, then I start killing the hostages." He slammed the phone down.