Ch. 4
7:36 PM
Walt stood eying the young man. He couldn't be thirty years old. He had dark eyes and dark hair that needed cutting. He had the skin tone of someone who got too much sun but still looked unwell. His clothes were jeans, a t-shirt, and denim jacket. Clearly, he was not well off. His scuffed boots looked like they had seen better days and Walt wondered if they even fit him. He paced the room, gun in hand. Henry still sat slumped in the corner. He had managed to wrap his injured arm but Walt couldn't be sure if he was conscious at this point.
"Shit, shit shit. This was not supposed to go down like this."
"How did you expect it to go down? You were going to rob the bar while it was full?"
He whirled on Vic.
"Shut up! If you people had stayed out of it, none of this would have happened. Shit. I gotta think."
He rubbed at his head with his free hand.
"I just...I just needed some money. I need to get the hell out of this God forsaken state. I just needed some damn money."
9:16 PM
The phone behind the bar rang and they all jumped. Greg stared at it but made no move to answer it.
"There's your call. Talk to them."
"And say what? Something stupid like a want a chopper so I can fly out of here."
Walt shook his head.
"No, so you can negotiate your surrender."
"Surrender. That's funny."
"If you give yourself up willingly, the state will take that into consideration, Greg. It'll show them that you see the wrong in what you've done. It can help at your sentencing."
Greg huffed at him. The phone had stopped ringing.
"Maybe you can be my lawyer."
Walt smiled a little at him.
"My daughter was a lawyer?"
"Maybe she can be mine then. You can put in a good word."
Walt shook his head.
"She's Sheriff now. Don't think it'll work out. She's probably outside now."
Greg glanced towards the door.
"You think there's a lot of them?"
"By now. Probably."
"They're gonna kill me."
"No, it doesn't have to end like that. We can all end this the right way, Greg."
Greg looked over to Vic who was still sitting on the floor next to Henry.
"What you think, Vic. Want to all walk out together holding hands?"
She rolled her head towards him.
"I want to walk out of here and go home."
His intense dark eyes rested on her for a long time.
"Are you in love with her?"
His eyes were still on Vic when he said it. He was met with silence.
"Walt? Are you in love with her?"
"Yep."
Walt was looking at Vic when he said it. Her eyes were focused on him.
"Do you tell her that?"
"Not as often as I should."
"No one ever says it as often as they should."
8:05 PM
"Just put the gun down, son."
The young man shook his head vehemently.
"Don't call me son. I hate it when people do that."
Walt nodded.
"I just don't want anyone else to get hurt."
"Except me. Bet you wouldn't mind that."
"I don't want you to get hurt. I want you to think about what you're doing here and how this could end if you don't make the right choices. You heard the sirens. The police are outside now. More will come. They're not going to be concerned about you. Only us. They know shots have been fired. It's only a matter of time before they take action."
"Shut up, man! I'm trying to think."
"Then think about how you can end this. That man needs medical assistance. He's lost a lot of blood. You, at least, need to let him out."
The young man shook his head.
"No one leaves. No one comes in. They come in here and everyone is gonna die."
Walt studied the young man.
"I don't think you mean that. You don't seem like you really want to kill anyone."
A flash of anger crossed the young man's face. He closed the distance between himself and Vic and jerked his forearm around her neck, jerking her tightly against him. He faced Walt and moved the gun so that it was pointing at her temple. Walt stiffened. He could see the familiar look cross Vic's face. He knew she was having the same sense of deja vu that he was.
"Are you sure about that and are you willing to risk her life on it?"
9:30 PM
The phone was ringing again. He still hadn't answered it. Walt swallowed and kept glancing at the door. He knew they would only reach out so many times. A peaceful solution was always desired. At some point, they would assume complete hostility and take action. He figured the state police would probably be here. Cady would have called for backup. This was a lot for a novice Sheriff to handle. This was a lot for a veteran Sheriff to handle.
"Still not answering?"
Greg shook his head.
"All they're gonna do is act like they're my best friend. They don't know me. They don't know anything."
Walt's eyes returned to the door. If the police came barging, there would be casualties. Greg, for sure. Maybe even he, Henry, or Vic. Sometimes, shots were fired first and questions were asked later. He had seen a lot of situations turn bad over his tenure in law enforcement. He watched Vic. Her head was leaned against the wall. Her eyes were only half open but he knew she was paying attention.
"You know eventually they'll come through that door. They won't be willing to offer you anything at that point."
Greg nodded slowly.
"I've thought about that. I'm not afraid to die."
"That's your business but there are other people in here. You don't seem like a bad guy but you're making some bad choices. There's no reason to take other people down with you."
Walt could see him mulling over the words. He lifted the gun towards Walt and gestured towards Henry.
"I want you to take your friend and leave."
Walt sat confused.
"Take him and go."
He rose at the same time Walt did. Vic started to rise but Greg shook his head.
"No. You stay."
Walt stopped.
"No, Greg."
Greg shook his head in frustration.
"I am the one with the gun. I am the one giving orders. Take Henry here and leave. He's not looking so good."
Walt could feel a sinking feeling in his gut. He looked to Vic, who eyes looked as unsure as he felt. She stood slowly.
"Take Henry and go."
Walt shook his head.
"I'm not leaving you here."
For the first time, his voice gave away his uncertainty.
"Walt, go. I'll be fine."
Greg approached her.
"Yeah, she'll be fine."
"Let her take Henry and leave. I'll stay in here with you."
"No, go."
Walt tensed up. Vic placed a hand on his arm.
"He's unconscious, Walt. I can't get him out anyway. Take Henry and get him to the hospital."
"Vic, I'm not leaving..."
"This is sweet and all but it ain't your choice, man."
Greg was getting antsy now.
"Walt."
Her voice was the only thing he was hearing. Leaving her was unthinkable but so was what might happen if this went south now. He wanted to believe that this kid didn't have it in him to kill but years of experience had taught him you could never tell what another person was capable of until it happened. He looked over to Henry. He was out. He needed medical care. He moved his gaze back to Greg and nodded.
"Don't hurt her."
It was almost a whisper but there was an edge behind it with an edge sharper than any knife. Greg's eyes fixated on his briefly before he turned away.
"Go."
Walt walked over and hauled Henry to his feet. Henry's head lolled and his eyes opened slowly. He glanced at Walt. Walt supported him and started for the entrance to the bar. He turned and cast one last glance at Vic. Another moment flashed through his mind and he was seeing her though the glass of a car window driving away. Away from him.