Chapter 4

Lillian and Charles rushed out of the stairwell with guns raised.

"EVERYONE ON THE FLOOR!" Charles screamed. "Get those tellers out of there before they push the panic button."f

Lillian ran over to the teller counter. "Out. All of you, out here and on the floor."

Adam stopped inside the door, staring at the scene. He didn't hold up his gun, and despite wanting to help these people, he had no idea how. He watched Charles go into the back and chase out more people, including the bank manager Rachel Miller. In the lobby, she tried to sit down, but wasn't fast enough. Charles shoved her to the floor, onto her stomach. That was more than Adam could take.

He hurried over to her, coming between her and the gun butt blow that was meant for her head. The blow slammed against Adam's head, right behind his ear. He fell to one knee near her, grabbing the spot. White sparks erupted in his vision.

"Quit fucking around, Adam," Charles muttered to him. Louder he demanded, "Who's in charge? Who's the bank manager?"

No one answered.

Charles shot the ceiling. "Who the hell is the bank manager?"

No answer.

Adam shook his head a little as the stun from the blow faded. He looked up, right into Rachel's eyes.

"I'm so sorry," Adam whispered.

And then he was being pulled back to his feet by Charles.

"Who is the bank manager? Who is Rachel Miller?"

Adam shrugged.

"You bank here. You've got to know."

"I've never met the bank manager, dad. I don't know who she is."

"You know she's a she."

"You think a guy would be named Rachel?"

His father backhanded him, splitting his lip. Adam stumbled back a couple steps, pressing his hand against his lip.

Charles grabbed Rachel by the hair, hauling her to her feet, and pushing the end of his pistol to her head.

"WHO IS RACHEL MILLER!"

"I am," Rachel said, starting to cry. "I'm Rachel Miller."

"There? Was that so hard?" Charles shoved her down on a bench nearby. He leaned over the terrified bank manager, looking into her eyes. "You, me, and my wife are going to get forty-four million, six hundred and fifty thousand, one hundred and fifty dollars in cash, and sixty-eight million in bonds. Are we clear?"

Adam turned, staring at Charles. The bank manager noticed and held Adam's eyes instead of Charles's. Charles looked back at Adam. Eventually Lillian noticed the silence and turned.

"Why are you here, dad? Why are you really robbing this bank?" Adam demanded.

"I told you. I'm taking money that belongs to me."

"That amount… That exact amount…"

"It's my money, Adam. It's money my dad and brother should have left me. I'm taking it."

Adam walked up to his dad. "You're after the money? Why didn't you just ask? If you want money, I'll give you everything I have, dad. If that's all it would take to make you disappear, I'll give it to you. You don't have to do this." Adam swung his arm out over the people lying on the floor.

"Wait. The money we're stealing is Adam's?" Lillian questioned. "We could have just withdrawn it?"

"Yes," Adam answered at the same time Charles answered, "No."

"It's in my name. Doesn't it make it mine?" Adam asked.

"It's my money," Charles told him.

"But we could have just withdrawn it instead of robbing a bank for it, Charles," Lillian told him.

Charles backhanded Lillian. "Shut up. This is between me and my son, woman."

Lillian glared at Adam, as if he'd been the one that had hit her.

Charles grabbed the back of Adam's neck, pulling him close. "The money is the ends to the mean. You think you're so smart but you haven't figured this out yet, have you?"

"Tell me what I haven't figured out, father."

Charles leaned in. "I finally figured out why I've never been able to keep you with me, Adam. You always had somewhere to run. But after you rob a few banks with us, kill a couple people; you'll have nowhere to run. The police will be looking for you too; even if you never touch the money or pull a trigger. This is how I plan to keep my family together. And when we have all the money that belongs to me, then we're going to another country. And then, Adam, you'll stay, because you won't have anyone or anywhere to run to. Got it?"

Before his father stopped talking anxiety and fear set in.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Adam whimpered. "Why can't you just go with Lillian and have another child? Why… Why me? Why do you have to keep me?"

"Because you're my son, Adam. You belong to me and I am doing everything I can to show you that. Family stays together. You haven't done much for this family since you were a kid, but that's changing today. Now keep these people in line while your mother and I get my money."

Adam didn't move. "Please… Dad, please… I—"

Charles let Adam's neck go and slammed his fist across his face. It knocked Adam off his feet and he landed on a man. The man moved away. A gun went off and Adam felt moisture hit the side of his face. He turned his head and found the man had a hole in the back of his head. Blood was oozing across the marble floor.

"Oh. Look, Lillian. Adam just shot someone," Charles said.

She laughed.

Adam looked up. Charles had the gun that had been in Adam's hand in his gloved hand. He dropped it next to Adam.

"You're in it for the pound, now, Adam. Not get off your ass and watch these people!"

Adam slowly got to his feet and picked up the gun. He watched his father and Lillian disappear into the back with the bank manager.

Adam turned, looking down at the man. He pulled off his hoodie and draped it over the man's head. He walked over a few people toward the front door. Out on the street people walked past, unaware of the horrors happening inside. Adam had never felt so trapped.

"Aren't you the criminalist the police are looking for?" he heard someone whisper.

Adam looked down at the people. A woman wearing a green blouse and lying near an island counter stared up at him. He nodded.

He turned, looking for Charles, Lillian, and the bank manager.

"Is that really your dad?" she asked.

Adam nodded.

"He's an asshole, Adam Romeo Forty-six."

Adam stopped breathing for a second. That was his radio call sign. He turned, staring at her. She smiled a little.

"You could use a little help, couldn't you?" she asked.

"You're with the NYPD?" Adam whispered

"Yes. Mac has had a plain clothes posted here for the last two days. We didn't think you were coming."

"I wish we hadn't. Do you have a radio on you?"

"Cell phone. What should I tell Detective Taylor?"

Adam smiled. "Lillian parked the car in the alley. I think we'll be exiting west from it. It's a dark green four door coupe. Have the street shut down and be prepared to pursue. I'll try to stop him. Somehow.."

She nodded once.

Adam turned so he could watch the back and hide the woman from view. He didn't hear anything.

"Sent," the officer whispered. "Do you have a plan?"

Adam wagged his head. "Not freak out. Try not to die. You know. The usual."

"I have a can of pepper spray. Will that help you?"

"Might." Adam crouched in front of her. "Put it in my back pocket."

He felt something slide into his back pocket and stood just as Lillian came to the door carrying two heavy bags. She glared at him as she passed and then disappeared into the stairwell.

Charles and the bank manager came out with two tan and two a dark green money bags.

"Set them down right there," Charles ordered the woman, pointing to the spot with the gun. "Get over here, Adam."

Adam walked over.

"Pick up those two bags," his dad said. He dropped his bags and checked his gun clip.

Adam slid his gun into the back of his pants and picked up the two green bags. He turned and found his dad aiming his gun at the bank teller's head.

"NO!" Adam screamed, making everyone jump.

Charles glared at him. "What?"

"Dad, no. She's pregnant. Think about this first. She's gotta have a husband, and he might be the kind that will hunt us down if we kill his unborn child. Law won't matter to a guy that's got nothing left to lose."

Charles hesitated. He shoved the woman and she stumbled a couple steps.

"On the floor," he ordered her.

She laid down as best she could.

"We have more money to grab out of that vault and I will be back for it! If I come back and find anyone has moved, I will shoot you."

Charles put the gun in his bag and grabbed the money bags. He led the way to the stairwell door. Adam followed.

#

Charles and Adam burst out a side door into the alley. Lillian was waiting in the passenger seat of the car for them. The driver and back seat doors were open. Adam got in and dropped the bags. He grabbed his seat belt and put it on. He moved the green canister of pepper spray into his hip pocket and then slammed the door shut.

His father jumped in, tossing the bags to Lillian. He shut his door, put it in drive, and floored the gas.

Charles let out a whoop. Lillian leaned across and kissed him, causing him to swerve a little.

"All right baby!" Lillian laughed, sitting back in her seat. "And we didn't even have to kill your son! Lucky for him."

Adam just stared at his father when he glanced at him.

"What are you so sour puss about?" his father asked.

Adam didn't respond. They turned out of the alley onto a one-way street. Adam saw a line of police cars at the intersection half a block up. But more importantly, Mac's Avalanche was with them. He looked at his father. It was time to end this.

"SHIT!" Charles screamed and gunned it.

With a squeal of tires police cars and Mac's Avalanche pursued.

Lillian turned in her seat, shoving the end of her pistol against Adam's forehead.

"How did they know we'd be coming out this way?" she demanded.

"I don't know."

"You know something, Adam. We didn't even know we were coming out that alley until we got there!"

"I don't know. Maybe the police suspected dad was after my money."

"My money!" Charles bellowed.

"I should shoot you right now." She cocked her gun.

Charles whipped his gun across the space between them, pressing it to her temple. "If anyone kills him, it'll be me. Sit down."

She turned and sat down. "He set us up, Charles!"

"He didn't have time to set us up."

"He was talking to all the people in the bank, whispering to them. I heard him, Charles."

Charles didn't respond.

"You know he set us up."

Quietly Charles said, "I don't believe that."

"Why the hell do you even give a shit about him? You can deny it all you want, Charles, but he's not as stupid as you want to believe. Ever since I got to the house I saw he was playing us! And especially you. Your kid fucking hates you, Charles."

"Really? Do you hate me Adam?"

Adam hadn't planned on an argument, but considering he was planning this on the fly, he had to make it work for him. So he fueled the hostility between the couple

"No, dad," Adam quietly said. "Maybe it was Lillian that tipped them off. Did you even know she left to go sleep with that guard?"

Lillian glared at Adam. "I didn't sleep with him; I seduced him and killed him. And you hate your dad, Adam. I can see it every time you look at him. You wish he were dead!"

"No. I don't," Adam lied. "I love my dad. You, on the other hand… You're nothing but a two-bit tramp looking for a free fuck and easy money."

"You son of a bitch!" Lillian lunged over the seat at him, fingernails aimed for his throat.

Adam pulled the pepper spray from his pocket and drenched her eyes. Lillian let out a scream, clawing at Adam and kicking her feet. She kicked Charles in the head.

"SIT DOWN! JESUS WOMAN! I'M TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THE POLICE! SIT DOWN!"

"He sprayed me with something! Your fucking snitch son sprayed me with something!" she slid back in her seat.

Adam could count out the seconds it took for his father to look at Lillian's face – now red and swollen from the pepper spray – to the exact second he reached a boiling point.

Charles aimed his gun at Adam, trying to drive at the same time.

"What did you do at the bank?"

"I didn't do anything."

"Where did you get the damned pepper spray, Adam?"

"I found it."

"Where? Where did you find it?"

Adam didn't answer. He suddenly smiled and kept it there when Charles looked in the rear-view mirror at him.

"What are you smiling about?"

"You should have listened to Lillian, dad," Adam quietly informed his father.

His father turned his head to look at him and Adam covered Charles's face with pepper spray.

Charles started swerving and quickly lost control of the car. It skidded to the right, almost turned 180, fishtailed left, hit the curb, and catapulted into the air. The car arced and came down on the asphalt on the passenger side. It started rolling.

Adam put his arms over his neck, trying to protect himself from flying debris.

In the front seat Lillian and Charles were thrown around. The bags of money flew around inside the car. One ripped and sent stacks hurtling around the car like Chinese stars.

#

[*] From the front seat of Mac's Avalanche he and Stella watched the accident start. When the car started rolling Stella grabbed the handle above the door and wrapped her fingers tightly into the seat.

"Please let him live through this," Stella prayed. "Please protect him."

Mac glanced at her. She was too scared to cry right now, but he was more concerned about what she was going to be like when they got to Adam.

The car rolled up onto a sidewalk. People scattered. It launched through the air and smashed the front window and wall of a bookstore, disappearing inside.

"Oh God!" Stella whispered.

Mac hit the brakes, screeching to a stop with the police cars. He and Stella jumped out, joining Flack and five officers going inside. They drew their weapons, prepared to fire.

"Don't shoot until you've identified the person," Mac told the officers. "Remember, Adam's in that car and he was last reported with an unloaded pistol."

The group ignored patrons able of to run out. Mac glanced at a dead man as he passed him. There were several wounded that two officers dropped back to check on. Somewhere in the building beams were complaining about their injuries.

"I found Lillian Towers," an officer said.

The group looked toward him, and then down. She had landed on a broken bookshelf and was pierced through the chest with a piece of wood.

"Adam," Stella said softly, looking at the mangled car.

"Adam?" Mac called out. "Can you hear me?"

They heard a noise and stopped.

"Come out with your hands up," Flack ordered.

There was more movement.

"Did Adam call you?" Charles demanded from behind the car. "Did he set me up?"

"Charles, put your hands in the air and come out where we can see you," Mac ordered.

"Did Adam call you? Did my fucking son call you?"

"Where is Adam?" Flack asked.

"He's dead. He looks dead. You bastards told him to cause that accident and got him killed. You mother fuckers!"

"No, Charles, we didn't do this," Stella answered. "You did. If he caused this accident, it was to get away from you."

"Shut up you lying bitch!"

"Come out, Charles. Come out with your hands up," Flack ordered.

"I am not coming out! I'm staying with my son."

"Stand off?" Flack muttered to Mac.

"If Adam's hurt, we have to finish this." Mac turned and tapped an officer on the shoulder. "Come with me."

Mac and the officer hurried back out and found the back door. They went in and started through the back. They spotted the front counter, or what was left of it. Charles was sitting in the ruble with Adam in his arms and holding a gun. He was cut and bleeding, and looked wild eyed. Mac realized the man was probably going into shock, making him even more unpredictable.

Adam wasn't moving and blood dripped off his body. He could see bone sticking out of his left pant leg.

Mac motioned the officer to wait and slowly moved toward Charles.

"Charles," Mac quietly said.

He looked up and aimed at Mac.

"Get back!"

"Adam's hurt, Charles. He needs to go to the hospital. You have to let us take him."

"No. He's not going with you. He's going with me. He's my son. MINE!"

"He's hurt. If you don't let us help him, you'll lose him. I know you don't want that. Otherwise you never would have come back for him."

Charles wasn't persuaded.

Stella, Flack, and another officer came around the car. They aimed at Charles. He stumbled to his feet, keeping hold of Adam.

"Charles, I am taking Adam," Mac told him.

"Over my dead body," Charles snarled.

Mac felt a twinge of sympathy for the man. Despite how brutal he was and how much he'd hurt Adam, Charles's actions now proved he felt something for his son. Maybe he didn't recognize it as love, maybe it was just affection, but he clearly had every intention of keeping Adam. The twinge disappeared. There was no way Mac was letting this man keep Adam and soon a choice would have to be made.

Adam flinched.

"Adam?" Charles said.

He muttered something.

"Adam, wake up. We have to walk out of here."

Adam slowly lifted his head, looking at his father with his one good eye. He turned his head, looking Mac, the policemen, Stella, and Flack.

"Is this hell?" Adam asked Mac.

"No, Adam, you're—"

"Tell them to back off, Adam. I'll shoot them if they don't back off," Charles demanded.

Adam tried to stand up. He couldn't put any weight on his left leg. Charles grabbed his left arm, pulling it over his neck. There was a snap and Adam cried out.

"Stop it! You're not hurt," Charles screamed at him.

"We all just heard his arm break!" Flack said. "You don't call that hurt?

"Shut up! He's my son. You shut up." Charles shook his gun at Flack.

Adam grabbed his father's shirt with his other hand and steadied himself on his right leg. His father put his arm around Adam's waist to support him.

"See? He's fine. Get out of our way."

Adam dug into his hip pocket and pulled something out, hiding it in his hand.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Adam snarled.

His dad looked at him. "Don't talk to me like that. You're in just as much trouble as I am."

Adam laughed a little. "Know what, dad?" Adam looked up, staring at his father's face. "When you kidnapped me this time, I told myself one of us was going down for good." Adam leaned in, nose to nose with his father. "And in the bank, I told them where we'd be coming out and what the car looked like. You. Are going. Down."

He lifted his hand and sprayed what was left of the pepper spray in Charles's face. Charles cried out and let Adam go. Adam slipped on the rubble, hit his head on a jutting edge of the wall, and fell on top of broken bricks and wood.

Stella moved to rush forward but Flack pulled her arm, stopping her.

As Charles rubbed his eyes he waved his gun at them. And then the gun went down, aiming at Adam.

"Put the gun down," Mac ordered. "This is your last warning, Charles."

Charles's aim steadied on Adam's head. "Ungrateful child," Charles hissed at Adam.

Twelve shots could be heard two blocks away.

[*] "Snuff" - Slipknot