Slowburn

Chapter 17

        It was 30 minutes until closing time and I was happy to be wrapping things up. All I need to do now is collect the register drawers once they announce the last call and close all tabs. I already had a bunch of zipped closed bags that were full and waiting for Renzo's men to take to the bank, or maybe an armored truck makes those pick ups. I'm never here for that part. 

Even though the door was closed to separate the dancer's back area and the office I can usually hear everything if I pay any attention to it. The first sound I heard sounded like somebody swung a door too harshly into the wall or something. Then I heard all the women scream and a males voice saying, "Where are your safes? Gimme everything." 

        My fight or flight reaction kicked in and I snatched all the full bags that were sitting in the open safe and threw them into a miscellaneous drawer under a bunch of folders and staplers and things. Then I threw the empty money bags into the safe and shut it. 

Someone must've told the men where the office was because I heard them telling the women to shut up and not scream so they wouldn't alert the front of the club. It's too loud. I doubt anyone even heard the women scream, and now they're probably all at gunpoint and I am about to be too.

My limbs began to tremble as I sat at that desk waiting for them to kick the door open. Once they did I flinched back and gasped. 

I had been pretending to use the computer, so I shrunk in my chair as they started yelling orders at me. There were two men and they didn't even try to cover their faces. They were in t-shirts and held shiny silver guns that made me tremble even harder. 

They had accents though I couldn't place them as they shouted at me. Everything started moving in slow motion when a gun was held up to me. 

        "Open the safe bitch! Let's go" he shouted. They had blondish hair and honestly looked to be related with their similar build and features. One of them had a tattooed hand and I was trying to remember descriptors so when the police arrive I can give a good description of these robbers. 

I whirled around in my chair and started to fumble with the locked safe as I tried to get my words out. "Tt-there is nothing-g in hh-ere" my voice shook as I began the lie my fight or flight reaction created when I hid the money. 

The man grabbed me by the hair and forced my head closer to the safe. I yelped and started trying to stop my hand from shaking so I could properly enter the numbers I've only just learned tonight. 0-0-5 "Please" I pleaded with them. 

My heart has never beat so hard and fast. It was making me breathless without me even moving. 2-1-8 When the safe door opened there were only the empty money bags inside. 

        "Where is it?" The man who'd been holding me by the hair hissed at me. He yanked me by the tendrils to face his partner in crime and he still held the gun to my head. I started to cry. "They already took the money away. It's Friday. Our boss doesn't like keeping so much cash in the building overnight" I weeped. 

One of them cursed but I'm not sure which because all I could focus on was the cold metal that was pressed to my temple. Every second that ticked by felt like a lifetime. One small trigger stood between me seeing the light of tomorrow or turning this desk into a mess of blown out brains.

"Stand up, wipe your tears and take these empty money bags up to the register. If you try to alert anyone that we're back here we'll shoot all the dancers we have hostage in the other room. You understand me bitch?" The man made me stand up on my wobbling legs. 

        I don't know if there is a God, but if there is I need you right now. I don't want to die and I don't want anyone else to die tonight either. I could hear the blood whooshing in my ears, and I'd be light headed if my fear wasn't so gripping. My mind told me to listen and to move when they tell me too, but my body was frozen with utter fear.