OUT OF TIME - PART ONE

The Time: Not So Distant Future The Place: 1st National Bank of Llanview The Players: Cassie Carpenter with her son River, Bo Buchanan, his nephew Joey Buchanan, Kelly Cramer, Todd Manning and his daughter Starr, his estranged wife Tea Delgado Manning, and other various residents of Llanview, all of whom are attending to business within the bank. Outside are Nora Buchanan, waiting in the car for her husband Bo, Andrew Carpenter, who has just exited the building, and four young men in a running car just outside the building. Three are about to enter the building, for a transaction of an entirely different sort...

It was always busy on Saturdays's; since the bank closed at noon there were always people scrambling to get their transactions done for the weekend. Today was especially busy. A small crowd was milling around the lobby. Repair work was being done on the drive-thru teller system, so all transactions needed to take place inside. Which made it rather crowded, and rather unpleasant for the tellers who were anxious to be done with work and off for the weekend.

Bo Buchanan had just finished with his business, and had stopped on his way out to chat with his nephew Joey, who was on his way in. Things had been pretty crazy with their family since that summer. It never rains but it pours. Joey was filling in idle details on his parents and siblings. He was also eying Kelly Cramer, who was getting her turn at the counter. Of course, he was over her now. Had been over her for some time. But there would always be something there, that bit of electricity that flowed through him every time he looked at her.

Kelly had arrived with her cousin Cassie, who was now going through her checkbook at the side counter to make sure the teller hadn't made a mistake. That can't be right, she muttered, or else I've done my checkbook all wrong. I've had so much on my mind lately... River was flying his toy airplane in lazy circles around his mom. He waved to Starr Manning when she came in with her father, but she didn't see him. He wanted to go show her his new airplane with the laser lights and sound effects, but his mom said he should stay with her. She had that tight look on her face so he wouldn't bother her just yet.

Starr hadn't seen River, but she did spot her stepmother Tea in line. Tea hadn't come to see her for quite awhile, although she had talked to her on the phone a few times. Star missed her stepmom. She was fun. She tugged on her dad's hand, but he must not have seen her yet.
"Daddy," she urged.. "Just a minute, Shorty," he said. Todd was looking for that skinny guy with the glasses that he was supposed to meet. He hadn't had to go to the bank in ages, but there had been some problem, with something or other at the Sun, and he was supposed to sign some papers. Or something. Too much stuff going on, and not enough of it was business. He could handle that. It was everything else that got crazy. There were too many people in here. This had better not take long.

The only person to notice the three men walk through the front doors were Cassie Carpenter and an old woman in a pink dress. They barreled into her on their way in, nearly knocking her over. "You kids!" she shouted after them. "No consideration!" Andrew Carpenter held the door open for her on his way out. "Hello Mrs. Sanders, how are you today!" "Terrible, Reverend Carpenter, just terrible. Has everyone forgotten how to be polite, have respect for their elders," she continues to complain to Andrew as they exit the building.

Cassie Carpenter looked up to see the men pass in front of her. They were wearing hooded jackets. In September? It's not cold yet... The face of the last, she could see, was obscured by a ski mask...

My god...
Cassie grabbed her son.

Kelly was signing her deposit slip when she heard people exclaiming behind her. Cries of annoyance and displeasure rang out behind her as a tall man in a black hooded coat shoved up to the counter, his two compatriots in tow. Her only warning before she was pushed aside was the voice of Tea Delgado from behind her, snapping, "Hey! What do you think you're doing!" Kelly managed a bemused chuckle over Ms. Delgado/Manning's temperament before the object of Tea's ire pushed her aside as well. "Excuse me, I wasn't finished yet.." Kelly reached for her receipt and started to turn away, when she heard the sharp gasp from the teller and saw the gun.

Kelly backed away a step before colliding with one of the hooded men. He grabbed her by the shoulders roughly, but said nothing.
"Okay," the tall one said, "let's make this quick. All the money you can grab. In bags. Nothing from the bottom of the register either, and unpackaged. Just the loose bills."
Involuntarily, Kelly found herself drawing in the breath to scream. And felt a hand clamp over her mouth. "That wouldn't be a good idea," a voice whispered in her ear.

Cassie only had a few seconds between the time she saw the mask and the appearance of the gun at the counter. By then she had grabbed River and was looking desperately for an escape. The doors were much to far away to run, especially if they were armed. She was, however, near the far end of the counter which curved all along that half of the room.
The other people around her had noticed nothing amiss yet. They hadn't seen the masks and they also hadn't seen the tall man pull the gun on the teller, facing as he was, away from their view. People were still milling around the door, conversing idly.

Cassie was discreetly urging River towards the counter edge trying not to draw any attention, and looking wildly for her cousin. She spotted Kelly at about the time the gun went off, and suddenly the room was deadly silent.

"&$@$!!" The skinny 3rd robber swore emphatically and repeatedly as he shoved his way up to the front counter. He peered over it at the wounded teller. "What the hell'd you do that for?"
He grimaced, and banged the gun on the counter. "I told her not to pull anything. She hit the alarm..."
"We were supposed to get in and get out! What the hell we gonna do now?" He grabbed his partner by the arm.
"Change in plan."
The tall gunman turned from the counter to face the crowd, and fired the gun once more into the air. Everyone who had not hit the floor at this point now did so. "Ladies and Gentlemen! In case you haven't guessed..THIS IS A ROBBERY!! Faces to the floor, and anyone moving WILL BE SHOT."

Robbers 2 and 3 were hurriedly conversing: "Hey where'd the tellers go? HEY!! GET US THE MONEY!!" "I don't see them. Jump over there and get it." "YOU get it." One of them struggled over the counter and started shoving money into bags, swearing loudly. He spotted a teller cowering nearby and ordered her to help him.
"HURRY IT UP, BOYS!" The booming voice of the man with the gun sent trembles through the crowd. Kelly, now released, was crouching on the floor near a crying little boy and his mother, who was desperately trying to quiet him. She had worked her way back into the small crowd as soon as the gun had gone off and she had been let go of. A small number of people were trapped directly in front of the main counter. One of them was Tea, who met Kelly's gaze. She was breathing hard and fast, and darted looks at the man with the gun, who stood not 3 feet from her.

"Tee!" Starr cried out, having spotted her. Her father hurriedly shushed her. They were up against the wall, and Todd concealed his small daughter behind his larger frame. He urged her to be quiet. It took a few moments after to register what she had said.
No. Tea. Oh no.

Kelly wondered futilely at her chances of making a break for the door. Apparently a man kneeling by the wall was thinking the same thing, because as all three of the robbers faced the counter, he suddenly jumped to his feet and raced for the door. He didn't get very far. BANG!
He fell to the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut, and lay in the middle of the room. The tall man lowered his arm, and stalked in a small circle with an unnatural calmness. "Didn't I say. To STAY DOWN!! Don't even BLINK!" Kelly was shaking like a leaf, and tears squeezed out of her eyes. Gotta think, gotta stay focused. Have to stay in control. Have to stay alive..
"J! We gotta go, the cops are coming!" "Well hurry it up!" he fired back. The skinny man handed over several bags bulging with money, and struggled over the counter. "Go GO GO!!" The three men raced for the door, last of all the gunman.
Suddenly all was confusion. The sound of a siren, several gunshots, the shattering of glass.

And the men were back in the room. The police were outside. It had all happened in a matter of minutes, but a cruiser had been nearby and had arrived quickly with the alarm. They were trapped. They were all trapped.
"What do we do? They got us. We're stuck. We're screwed." The skinny robber was fully panicking, as the silent 3rd looked to their leader.
He looked out of the glass doors with grim determination. "Yeah, they've got us. But. We've got them."
He walked once more to the middle of the room. "Well folks," he said with a chilling mock cheerfulness, "it looks like we're going to be here for awhile. So you all had better be real good. Or nobody is getting out of here alive."

Next: The crowd gathers outside.
Desperate measures by several hostages.
A reunion. Sort of.

TO BE CONTINUED