Hostage
In this story Monica unexpectedly goes through a dramatic episode. All her friends and her parents are desperate about what could happen... none of them can get her out of this situation, but one of them decides to do it no matter the risk. Will he succeed? And what consequences will it bring?
I hope you like the story, and that you tell me your opinions, through them I know if I'm on the right path.
Remember English is not my native language, I hope the translation is correct, check it, but sometimes I miss some incorrect personal pronouns for the phrase, sorry.
I reiterate, I do not own the characters of Friends I only rely on them for the pure pleasure of writing stories without any economic interest, and Monica and Chandler they inspire me
Chapter 1
It was Thursday, Monica had a night shift at the restaurant, but that day she left early, she didn't wait for Rachel to come back, she was in a hurry since she had to get there before the bank closed at 5 pm.
The friends were arriving at Central Perk, they had coffee and talked about their day.
Rachel was elated because, at her job, in the customer service department, she had met an incredible guy, his name was Joshua, he was extremely handsome, he was recently divorced, and he had come to Bloomingdale's to buy all his clothes, apparently his ex-wife had thrown everything out on the street.
"He must have done something to her," Phoebe said.
"Or maybe she's just crazy," Rachel replied, defending her client.
Phoebe said that all the shifts had been filled, "the holidays were approaching and everyone wants to look better," she said.
Chandler remained silent, in reality the ups and downs of his job didn't matter to his friends and they didn't even know what he really did, so he never talked about anything related to his work.
However, when he had a new colleague who was attractive, he would describe her in detail, although he never tried anything with her, he had the premise "where you work, you don't flirt."
As for Joey, he said that he had gone to an audition and had met a Japanese actress who was auditioning for the role of an oriental doctor. Obviously he had gotten a date for that night.
While they were talking, Ross arrived. He was upset that he had been delayed at the Museum because one of the dinosaur skeletons had fallen apart. Although it was not a large one, it took time to put it back together under his instructions. And then he began to explain scientifically what the specimen was and give its characteristics.
Obviously, his friends began to get bored with Ross's details and each one let their minds wander to other places while they looked at Ross pretending that they were listening to his explanations.
Until the moment came when Joey began to complain about food.
They all went up to apartment 20, since, although they knew that Monica worked at night that day, they still liked to meet at her house. In reality, apartment 20 had become their home.
They ordered pizza and got ready to play Monopoly.
Around 8 pm the phone rang, Rachel answered.
"Hello, who is this?"
"I'm Alfred, the sous chef at Alexanders. Monica is there, since she hasn't arrived yet and she's always the first to do so."
"No, she's not here. I assumed she had gone to the restaurant, how strange."
"Please tell her to call us when you see her, we're worried," said Alfred.
"Yes, of course I'll tell her. If she does arrive, please call us so we can rest easy."
Rachel cut the connection.
"What's wrong?" asked Ross.
"Monica hasn't arrived at the restaurant yet. It's already 8 pm. She should have been there by 5:30 pm."
"Didn't she leave a note? There's no message from her on our phones?" asked Chandler.
Everyone checked their phones, but there was no message.
"Oh god," said Ross. "Something must have happened to her on the street."
"Don't bring bad luck with your thoughts. Maybe she ran into someone and time passed" answered Phoebe.
"Yes, with Richard," said Rachel.
Everyone laughed except Chandler, who was annoyed by the idea. That idiot had made her suffer. He didn't deserve any attention from Monica. The mere idea that that was the reason for Monica's delay mortified him too much.
"Ross, I know the route Monica takes to get to the restaurant, I have accompanied her there and back several times, because we don't go there, maybe we can find out if she had any problems on the way" Chandler said
"You're thinking of a traffic accident" said Ross with his eyes open and clearly scared
"I don't know Ross, maybe we'll find her in a bar chatting with someone, or we can ask around the area if there was an accident" answered Chandler
The three friends went to look for her.
They got to the restaurant, but by that time, 9:30 pm, she had not arrived nor had she contacted them.
Monica was not one to disappear, and much less to leave her job, she was terribly responsible, so the three of them returned extremely worried.
Chandler suggested going to the police station to file a missing person's report, none of them had seen her or heard from her since breakfast, but since she was of legal age, the police explained to them that they had to wait 48 hours to file the report.
They returned to apartment 20, and from their serious and clearly worried faces, the girls realized that they had no news of Monica.
They explained to them that they even went to file a complaint at the police station, but they didn't take it until 48 hours had passed.
The hours passed and the worry and fear that something serious had happened paralyzed them, they were sitting in the living room, in silence, not knowing what to do.
In a rush Ross asked them "should I tell mom?"
"Ross it's midnight, they won't be able to do anything and you'll scare them terribly, wait until tomorrow, if we still don't hear from her, let them know" Rachel told him
At some point sleep began to overcome all of them except Chandler, he had a knot in his stomach, what would he do if something had happened to Monica, she was his favorite person... well, in reality he had known for a long time that she was much more.
Chandler went to the kitchen to make coffee, it hadn't dawned yet and the smoky smell woke the others up, none of them had had a peaceful sleep.
Chandler quickly finished his coffee, "I'll look for her at the hospitals, if she had an accident she might not be in condition to let us know"
"I'll go with you said Ross" they left, but after a long tour of several hospitals they returned, around 12 pm without news.
By that time everyone was in a panic.
Monica arrived at the bank 20 minutes before closing time, but there were several customers so she had to wait, anyway, she knew that, even if closing time came, the customers who were inside the bank would be attended to.
She had her customer service number, so she sat in the waiting area.
From her seat Monica observed some customers wearing thick jackets or raincoats, something strange since it wasn't a very cold day and the sun was shining, there were no signs of rain.
She then began to look through a magazine when she suddenly heard a man shouting, "Everyone on the floor, this is a robbery."
Monica raised her head. There was a man with black hair and large dark glasses and a gray jacket who stood in front of the entrance door, brandishing a gun in his hand. She instantly heard a shot and turned her head to see one of the guards lying on the floor in a pool of blood, while the man who had shot him, wearing a red jacket, was pointing his gun at the customers.
Monica saw the other guard approaching, running, trying to take out his gun, but was instantly shot in the head by a third man who was behind him.
Monica was stunned, paralyzed, watching the guards bleeding out on the floor, her body shaking.
The man in the gray jacket shouted, "Everyone on the floor now, lie down on the floor, whoever doesn't will die."
Monica's legs were like jelly, with a superhuman effort she managed to get from the chair to the floor where she lay down trembling.
Next to her was a woman praying in Spanish, and she heard the cries of other hostages.
She also heard another man seem to order the bank staff to move away from the cash registers and to lie on the floor.
One of the men, Monica thought she recognized the voice of the one in the gray jacket, ordered them to bring the bank manager.
Monica raised her eyes and saw that one of the men had the manager by the neck, and the one in the gray jacket ordered him to give the keys and the code for the back door of the bank.
The manager's voice was trembling, he told them that the keys were with the guards, and that he did not remember the code, but it was in a notebook in the top drawer of his desk.
The manager was taken with the rest, the one who had him by the neck pushed him hard to the floor.
The man in the grey jacket ordered one of his colleagues to check the guards' pockets.
"Boss, I found them."
Another man shouted from behind, "I have the key."
Monica heard voices coming from the back, they were from more people.
"Boss, we're bringing everything, more pistols and assault rifles."
"Quick, arrange the weapons according to the diagram, the police will be here soon, one of the cashiers managed to ring the alarm."
Monica and the other customers were still lying on the floor.
The boss, as the other men called him, ordered them to take two customers at a time to the other side of the cash registers.
Monica was taken along with the praying lady and they were made to sit against the wall, Monica estimated that there were about 50 people between employees and customers.
Two men were now pointing their rifles at them and ordered them to remain silent, they could not speak to each other or they would be silent forever.
The man on the other side next to Monica couldn't hold back his urine, he just looked at her with a gesture asking for forgiveness.
One of the men said to the Chief "as you said, the phone lines are cut, the police must be on the way"
Everyone heard the sirens clearly coming from several cars.
Through loudspeakers the police ordered them to get out, that they were surrounded.
The Chief ordered two of his men to open the door a crack and throw the bodies of the guards outside and added
"Put this note on one of them, so the police will see that we are not playing, that we are not apprentices"
The Chief went to where the hostages were. "The police are surrounding us, we are prepared for anything, this is not a robbery for money, if they want to get out alive they will have to free our Chief Ivanov, if anyone sees the news, you will know who we are"
Monica had no idea who they were talking about, her friends and she were not used to listening to the news on television, maybe her brother and Chandler knew who it was about since they read the newspapers every day.
"So pray that they free him otherwise no one will get out alive" the Chief sentenced