A Cut Above The Rest

Chapter 1: ASH POV

 Rory, the getaway driver, was completely unaware that this would be his last mission. Instead of his cut of the profit, he would get a bullet in the skull. It was a shame. He was a young kid.

Fox, someone I have yet to decide if he will survive, was peering out the tinted windows. His hands were trembling over the gun. He kept lifting the wolf mask so that he could see the Toronto streets better. I shoved the end of my gun into his ribs. He groaned and pushed himself away from the window.

"Don't act like a rookie," I said.

"We're going to get caught," Fox said.

"If you keep up that attitude we will definitely be caught," Jace said. "Don't make us leave you behind."

Leave you behind.

It did not just mean him staying back in the van. It would mean him joining Rory in being shot. I tightened my grip on the gun as I waited for his response.

"No." Fox shook his head. "We can do this."

"Good," Rory said. "Because we're here."

He parked the car next to the bank. It was about to close in fifteen minutes, so only a handful of people were inside. Jace waved for me to lead the way. He was too soft to kill anyone, so he always made me go first.

I took in a deep breath before bursting through the van doors. We ran into the bank. Rory drove the van around back. The people inside turned and their jaws dropped when they saw us. A few shrieks ran through the air. I raised my gun in the air, and most people raised their hands in defense.

"Everyone on the ground!" I shouted. "Hands out!"

The people dropped to the floor. They held their hands out in front of themselves. Jace pulled the zip ties out of his bag and secured the handle of the door, blocking anyone from entering. I looked over my shoulder to see Fox's hands trembling as he held the gun out. I rolled my eyes and jumped over the teller's desk. I opened the cash drawers, thumbed through the bills, and then shoved them into my bag.

Fox was frozen on the spot. He definitely wasn't surviving tonight.

"Go collect everyone's phones!" I ordered him.

He nodded and grabbed the bowl of candies on the counter. He poured the red and white bonbons onto the floor. He pointed the gun down at the civilians.

"Phones in the bowl," he said.

He tried to make his voice sound intimidating, but I could hear it wobble. By some miracle, he terrified the people into dropping their phones in the bowl. Once he collected them all, he pulled the bottle of bleach out of his bag and filled the bowl.

Jace put one hand on the counter and jumped to the other side. He pointed the gun down at one of the tellers. She whimpered and covered her head with her hands. He reached down and grabbed her arm. He pulled her onto her feet and she sobbed.

"Don't cry," Jace said. "Just open the safe."

He pushed her toward the vault. She was chewing on her bottom lip to suppress her cries, but she was not doing a good job. She squeezed her eyes shut as tears ran down her cheeks. I finished getting money out of the rest of the drawers.

Red and blue lights flashed inside the bank. I looked up to see two cop cars pulling up and sirens were blaring. I swore and grabbed the remaining money in the drawer.

"Cops!" Fox yelled. "How are they here so quick?"

"Someone set off the silent alarm," I said. "Let's go."