Alex stood calmly in her tailored charcoal suit in the middle of Grand National Savings Bank at approximately 12:30 pm , brown leather briefcase in one hand, and reached just inside her jacket for the pistol with the other. Without warning, she fired three shots into the air…. A chaos of screams erupted, various bystanders having no idea what was happening…she looked as normal as any other sophisticated businessperson in there, yet now she was holding a loaded firearm.

She walked directly to the closest teller, a middle aged lady, and pointed the gun inches from her face. She tossed a khaki messenger bag over the counter. Alex simply cocked one eyebrow arched up as if to say you know what to do…. The lady immediately opened her drawer full of deposits and the other tellers followed suit, dumping their contents into the bag and scurrying back down below the desks. She glanced at her stopwatch….four minutes had past since she had seen that one of tellers had already tripped the silent alarm. She angrily swept the gun back and forth across the crowd of bewildered bank customers just to make sure that they all stayed put and no one tried anything.

"Open the Vault"…she spoke only those three words..

"We can't the branch manager isn't here….she fumbled nervously, her eyes never leaving the barrel of the gun…

Alex's eyes flashed with impatience, a movement out of the corner of her eye, quickly she looked to see if it was the guard back from the bathroom…but it was just a child running to his mother….she flicked her eyes back to the teller.

"Where is he…?"

"It's lunch time…he's out with his wife like every Tuesday."

Alex fired off two more shots…this time directly into the wall behind her, close enough that she was shaking like a leaf…"I'm not kidding, lady…. open it…. NOW"… her tone was commanding in a way that let it be known that she was the type of person that people obeyed. Eight minutes and counting…..

Sirens began to wail in the distance…her eyes edged towards the exit. The guard who had just spent the last seven minutes playing Candy Crush on his phone decided now was a good time to come out.

Alex simply shot the wall directly in the restroom plaque right where he had poked his head out...He jumped back alarmed...

"I'm thinking if you're a smart man you'll stay in there pal..."

Six shots...that was the final round...she hadn't intended to really use it anyway other than for intimidation. Ten minutes. ..they were nearly upon her.

"M'am, you already have 400 thousand in your bag….don't you think you ought to be leaving soon…I don't have the access code…none of us do…"

Alex made no motion to run as the helicopter blades could be heard before it could be seen…the sirens deafening from the multitude of cars sliding into the parking lot. She took no hostages, made no attempt to shoot at the approaching policeman.

A look of relief was seen clearly on her face as the loud booming voice from bullhorn stated "This is the police, put down your weapon, we have the building surrounded." She simply smiled, laid her pistol and the money on the counter…. raised both hands in the air…and kneeled down on both knees.

District Attorney/Judge

The trial was very short…given that Alex had opted for no better representation than the free court appointed one, though she had the income to hire the best, and pleaded no contest to armed robbery. The judge was incredulous, hardly believing in all her years in the chair that no criminal had ever seemed so willing to be sentenced for their crimes. "Are you sure that you don't want to reaccess your plea?...Alex only shook her head negatively.

The judge narrowed her eyes and surveyed Alex closely…"Very well then, I'll retire to my chambers to decide your sentence.

She was lead back to the holding cell by the baliff, followed closely by her attorney. "Veronica Diaz, Can I have one minute with my client, please.." " Just one minute", he gruffly agreed.

"Don't you understand what you've done…you just gave her all the power and she will use it against you..you'll get a full sentence for this without a trial. You have no prior record of any kind..not even a traffic violation, you don't seem violent in any way, and I can tell by your designer suit they arrested you in and your listed address that you didn't need the money."

Alex's face only flinched slightly at her reasoning…but made no response..her lips pursed tightly. "Now you're just gonna roll over and take a ten year sentence….why won't you let me help you?"

Two hours later

Back in front of the judge again, Alex stood resolute, ready to face her sentence. The judge eyed her suspiciously… "Given your lack of prior criminal conduct, I'm inclined towards probation, but that fact that you discharged a deadly weapon during the criminal act suggests malice and cannot be ignored. For that reason, I find it necessary that you see the inside of jail cell, Ms. Vause. It says here that you've requested to be placed in a facility close to your home. Given your agreeable nature, I'm willing to honor that request. The closest level one facility nearby….

"Level one…that's maxium security..", her attorney interrupted, alarmed

"I would ask counsel to refrain from interrupting me…she replied, clearly rolling her eyes in frustration…As I was saying..the closest level one facility for women will be the Litchfield State penitentiary, as for the duration of your sentence I'm giving you eight years and you'll be eligible for parole in half that time..sentence is to be carried out immediately."

Alex's green eyes glittered like glass with only faintest of smiles on her lips.