“Come on Derek!” I shouted “The cops will be here any minute!” I screamed. Derek filled the duffel bags to the top with cash. We were walking out with millions of dollars.
“Cops coming in on the right,” Derek exclaimed. Our other gunman, Ron, shot blistering bullets across the vault. Blood splattered everywhere from the fallen cops as they crumpled to the ground, dead as rocks. We sprinted out of the vault doors, and fled the bank to our getaway car. We hopped in the bed of the truck, and drove off as millionaires.
“We don’t have much time until the police are back on us!” I shouted.
“Don’t worry, Michael,” Derek calmly stated. “We will take them out right here from the back.”
I was right. The cops were already on to us. A huge van with S.W.A.T members trailed us on the side; bullets were flying at the steel back of the truck. Then they shot two of the tires out.
“Derek! We gotta…” A heavy, titanium ball hit Derek square in the head, and knocked him out cold. It rolled around in the bed of the truck. It was a grenade.”
“Derek!” I shouted as I jumped out of the truck. He was still knocked out. “BOOM!” The grenade exploded, and the truck and cop car went flying in the air on a rope of flames. I lay on the street with one duffel bag of money around my neck, as fire tore through my field of vision. Derek was gone.
It has been seven years since Derek passed away. I fled to Minneapolis with the money. The FBI has been searching for me for years. I am a wanted criminal. A few years after the robbery, I got married, and now have three kids. Some of the money from that bank robbery went into buying a decent home for my family.
One day, as I was relaxing on the sofa, and flipping through the television channels, I glanced at a news reporter standing in front of a jewelry store. “Breaking News! An unidentified man barged through the doors of ‘Diamond Love’, shot all the customers and staff in sight and made off with over five million dollars worth of jewelry.”
I turned off the television without a second thought. This was a pretty serious crime, and even though Minneapolis was a big city, stuff like that didn’t happen here often. But what did I care?
Narration Change
It’s been seven years since I’ve seen Michael. I nearly died when our getaway car blew up in that cop chase in San Francisco. I flew out of the truck when Michael jumped out, and barely survived the explosion. The name… Derek.
I was arrested that day, and was unable to see Michael just one last time. He had disappeared when I awoke, so I assumed that he had died. I have just been released from prison, and have relocated to Minneapolis. I still have to show up to meet my parole officer and check in, but it didn’t take me long to get back to my former ways. I just scored five million dollars worth of jewels from Diamond Love. I really needed something to start of my new life here, and what’s better then starting off as a millionaire. The government has set me up in a halfway house in a trailer park until I get back on my feet. The good thing, nobody even suspect that I was the thief.
Narration Change (Michael)
After the TV broadcast, I got a call from my buddy, Archie. He was our “geek” guy who helped plan out our heists with all his computers and technology. He knew just about everything there was to know about using technology and it he didn’t, he’d find out. “Hear about the robbery?” Archie asked me without a greeting. “Yeah, and it seems like we got some competition,” I answered humorously. “Well, you think this sound crazy, but that heist sounds like something Derek would try.” “What in God’s name are you talking about, Archie? Derek’s dead.” “Well, I never told you this, but they never found Derek’s body, he was never confirmed dead,” Archie said seriously. “What are you trying to say?” I asked, as I shot up in my seat. “I’m saying there is a slight chance that Derek is alive. You see, I’ve been searching on the computers, and it appears that there is a Derek Phillips living here in Minneapolis at the Evergreen Trailer Park.” Archie let me ask you something. Are you under the influence right now?” I chuckled. “Oh shut up, Michael.” He answered. “I could be wrong, but would you like to pay this address a visit, just in case?” “You are crazy, Arch. But I got nothing else better to do. Text me the address.” I hung up, and giggled. Derek being alive? Crazy. But for kicks, I’ll check it out.
I drove out to the address that Archie had given me, and banged on the old metal steel door. “Whose there?” I heard. “Is that Derek Phillips I hear?” I answered. “Who wants to know?” I smashed on the door, and as it swung open, it nailed someone square in the face. When he arose, standing before me was my best friend, Derek.
“Michael wants to know,” I said in a negative tone. “Michael wants to know why the hell my best friend is still alive. Michael wants to know why I mourned for you for seven years!” By this point, I had him up against the wall, grasping his throat, squeezing it to the bone. I released. “Oh hey, Michael. Uh how you doing?”
“How am I doing? After seven years of nothing, you ask me how I'm doing?Wow you’re pathetic.” “Listen man. It’s complicated.” “Oh I bet it is!” I jeered. “And-and the fact that you didn’t even call me to tell me you weren’t dead. Wow. Just wow.” “I just got out of prison, so how about a little_” “Shut up,” I interrupted him. “And how about that jewelry heist on Wednesday?” Derek just stared at me with his pale eyes wide open. “How did you know about that?” He asked, quietly. “One word,” I said, “Archie.” “Oh that son of a_” “Shut up you worthless piece of junk. I mourned for you Derek. I mourned for you.”
“Well anyways,” he mumbled. “How about I make it up to you?” “Whatcha mean?” I asked, curiously. “I mean you should come out of retirement for one last heist. Think about it man.” “Are you crazy? Plus how is that making it up to me?” “You could all the money you have every wanted,” he answered. “Ugh, alright I’m in. I need the money,” I gave in. “I can call Archie to set it up.” “Alright cool. Hey Michael?” “Yeah?” I said, my hand pushing open the mental door. “It’s good to see you.” “As much as I am furious with you, it’s good to see you too man.” I walked out with that old feeling of exhilaration. I was back in business.
I called Archie the minute I left. “Hey Archie,” I said, pleasantly. “I owe you one, man. It was Derek. Our Derek. “Really? Wow,” he answered, as if he already knew he was right. “This is a bit crazier though,” I said. “Derek and I discussed this, and I want us to come out of retirement for one more heist. What do you say?” “Michael, you have no idea how long I have been waiting for you to say that. I have had a plan for three years. Stop by my place now and I’ll give you all the details.” “Thanks Arch,” I said excitedly. “I’ll be there soon.”
When I arrived at Archie’s house, he had a huge poster board set up over the fireplace in his living room. It had all of the details mapped out of the heist.
“Okay so the heist, robbing the Minneapolis City Bank, one of the biggest, richest, and highly secured banks in the nation. The plan is quite simple, really. You guys walk in, and eliminate all workers and pedestrians except for the worker behind the desk. Get her to open the main vault. Walk in, steal the money, and walk out. It’s that simple. Our goal: $10 million.” “Wow,” I said, overwhelmed. “That’s a huge job, but I’m in. What do we need to do to get this all set up?”
“Michael, you idiot. I told you I have had this plan for years. I’ve got two gunmen on hold, a getaway car in storage, and guns for everyone. We are set. Friday is the day. The getaway will be parked outside the bank. “Wow, Arch. Thanks man.” “And of course,” he clarified, “I’m back behind my computers for this heist, helping you from behind the scenes”. I laughed in excitement. It was so odd to be pumped up to risk my life for money. Friday is the day I, once again, become a millionaire.

On Friday, I shot out of bed at 8 o’clock, sharp. I dug up my old heist suit from back in the day, and threw it on. I must have gained weight because it was pretty snug.

When I walked out of my house, Derek was leaning up against my car. “Derek how did you know where I live?” “No time. But I just talked to Archie. I know the plan. He told me to tell you the getaway is parked out front, and our other gunmen are outside the bank already, so let’s bounce.” We drove in silence to the bank, and spotted our getaway outside front, a black Audi R8. Our other gunmen were prepared on the side of the building.
“You ready?” Derek whispered.” “You have no idea,” I replied. Derek kicked the doors open, and we trolled in. We yanked our guns out, and shot wildly at all civilians and workers, except for the young lady behind the desk. “Where the hell is the vault?” Derek asked angrily. “R-R-Right behind there,” the lady stuttered in an over-shocked tone. She opened it up, and tried to run. I was forced to shoot her dead to ensure she would not call for help. We needed more time before the cops arrived. Derek and I went inside the vault, and stacks of money neatly organized filled our vision. Our other gunmen stood in front of the vault doors to protect us.
We began stuffing all the cash we saw until our bags were full. I heard shots behind us, and when I turned around, our gunmen were shooting at one lone cop, but they had failed to hit him once. Derek pulled out his gun, and shot him clean. The man exploded like a blood volcano. We dragged the bags reached out of the bank to our getaway car.
I started the engine, and accelerated immediately, soaring through the cop cars that were headed towards the bank. Seconds later, several cop cars trailed us, and began some shooting at us from outside car their windows. The back windshield of our car shattered as a bullet penetrated through it like a knife in mayonnaise. I jerked the car left onto an over pass, and was bumped off the road by another cop car. The Audi went flying through the air towards a slow moving train. The backside of the car hit the train, and we tumbled into a nearby wheat field.
I forcefully kicked my door open, and fell out, landing in extreme pain. “Come on!” I screamed to the gunmen with Derek trailing right behind me. “Screw you guys!” one gunman said in a negative tone. “We are going to hide in the wheat field.”
Minutes later, an attack helicopter clattered over us. Derek and I sprinted away from the other gunmen towards the train. We hid behind it so we were out of the chopper’s sight. The brilliant gunmen that Archie hired began sprinting through the wheat field, despite the warnings given by the pilot in the helicopter. Instantly, several bullets shot out of the helicopter like torpedoes, and struck the gunmen dead.
Before any other cops spotted us, Derek and I hopped in an empty boxcar on a train, dragging our heavy duffle bags with us. We shut the boxcar door and threw the bags of money on the floor as we plopped down in exhaustion. It was pitch black in the car. “Derek?” I whispered. “Yeah?” he whispered with pain and agony in his voice. “We did it. We got away.” “Well not yet. In case you didn’t realize it, we are in a train. We are not home free.” “It’s fine. I answered. “I’ll give Archie a call. He’ll know just what to do. I dialed up Archie’s number, and he answered immediately. “Hey you guy alright?” He asked, nervously.
“Yeah. The other smart gunmen you hired are dead. But Derek and I are just fine. We are hiding in a boxcar of a train going at a staggering 1 mile per hour. But no one knows were in here.”
Archie chuckled. “Well according to the location of your cell phone, the train changes routes at a station about forty miles away. I will send a pickup car to that location to wait for your arrival.
“Thanks Arch,” I replied. I hung up the phone, and shoved it back into my pocket. It was another successful robbery to add to our book of greatness. Our book of destiny. Our book of heists.