Thank you to those who have reviewed this story. This is my first multichapter fic and only my second story. Thanks for the encouragement.
CHAPTER 5
"This boy is your son?" The Ringleader said in a measured voice
"My Godson." Harry replied. The man held Harry's stare for a long time before he glanced at his henchman. "Wait here" he ordered and moved down the line until he reached someone with a name tag.
"You. Darrell Burns, Assistant Bank Manager" the man read the name tag mockingly. Darrell looked up, shaking in response to the attention.
"Where is the staff washroom?" The Ringleader demanded. The cowed man pointed.
"Is there a key?" Darrell nodded again in response to the question.
"Well?" the ringleader waited impatiently. Darrell looked back at him blankly.
"Give … me…the key." The leader spoke derisively, holding out his hand.
Darrell nodded wanting this interaction over as soon as possible and the attention turned on someone else. "It's in my desk." His voice wobbled as he spoke.
"Then, GET IT!" the leader raised his voice to make his point. He gestured to one of the men to follow him. In a moment, Darrell returned handing the key to the Ringleader with shaking hands.
The Ringleader took the key and walked back over to Harry. He watched Harry as he handed the key to his henchman.
"Take the woman and the boy into the washroom and let her clean him up." His gaze shifted to his man, wrinkling his nose. "And get yourself cleaned up as well."
Harry began to follow them, extremely uncomfortable with the thought of that man alone with his wife but the Ringleader stopped him. "Oh no, sir, I think we'll keep you here." Then the Ringleader turned sharply on his heel and took up a position in the middle of the room.
Harry watched the doorway where Ruth and Wes had disappeared, clenching and unclenching his fists as he waited for them to reappear. Wes' puzzling reaction worried Harry. It was never a good idea to draw attention to yourself in a hostage situation.
After a time, Ruth reappeared with her arm around Wes and made her way to Harry. As she took her place beside him, she looked up, noticing the intense relief on his face. She pondered his intense reaction, why is Harry so concerned? She reached out and brushed his fingers, hooking his index finger with her own. He looked down at her. She whispered, "He hasn't spoken a word, Harry. Something is seriously wrong with him." Harry nodded in response, passing a fleeting look over the boy before returning his attention to the bank robbers. There is more to this situation than a bank robbery. Harry had a black feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had felt that way before, usually when an operation went wrong.