VIENNA'S ESCAPE (Money Heist)

Capitulo 18

'If you had lived longer, you could've been Paulo Coelho's successor. Too bad the world is going to miss out.' I heard Berlin sneer and I raced ahead of Denver and Nairobi, knowing what would happen to Rio if Berlin wasn't stopped. 

This madness that had overcome all of us had to stop, things were escalating out of hand with death threats being handed out left, right and centre. We were meant to be a fucking team. We were already down two members and I sure as hell wasn't going to let Rio become the third.

'Berlin! What the fuck are you doing? Put the gun down.' I called breathlessly as I arrived and saw the unnerving scene below. Berlin had Rio at gunpoint, his hand shaking as Helsinki obediently stood by. Nairobi and Denver had my back, aiming their weapons at Berlin as I slowly descended the stairs, my hands raised in surrender. 

'Put the fucking gun down!' Denver yelled. 

'The time for democracy is over! I've decided on a sentence for Rio.' 

'I won't let you do this, I let you kick Rio's sorry ass once before but I will not let you kill him. For fuck's sake, I can't believe I'm even having to say this sentence, this is crazy!' My voice cracked as I realised the seriousness of the situation; Rio could die if anyone said the wrong thing and set Berlin off. 

'We're all on edge, Berlin let's not screw around!' Denver kept speaking as I neared Berlin. Rio was trembling and it made me realise that he was just a boy. Him and I were the youngest, we'd never done anything like this before and he didn't deserve to die for letting the pressure get to him in such a tense situation as this heist. 

Whilst Denver had been speaking, I had positioned myself in between the gun and Rio, my chest heaving as I had to pin Rio's safety on the fact that Berlin wouldn't shoot me. I didn't think he would. I hoped that he wouldn't. 

'Move.' Berlin demanded coldly, his mind still firmly set on Rio's execution. 

'No.' I replied but I lacked the authority that he had, it came out more as a desperate whimper and I hated that. I seemed weak. But the graveness of what was happening had overwhelmed me and now I just had to roll with it and try to appeal to the emotions that Berlin clearly didn't have. 'Please Berlin, he's just a kid, he doesn't know what he's doing, shit I don't think any of us really know what we're doing and we need each other if we want to get through this. We won't let you do this.' I closed my eyes and edged forwards until I felt the coldness of the gun pressed against my forehead. 

'Justice has to be served Vienna and if you think you will be able to guilt trip me into backing down then you're clearly not as intelligent as I thought.' Berlin growled, not removing the gun from my head.

 'You've got some nerve, I'll give you that, but I am the dictator and I am the executioner so stand down Vienna!' Berlin's voice rose to a deafening bellow, I had never heard him shout that loud before. My eyes remained closed, a stray tear trailing down my cheek as I flinched at his voice but I shook  my head profusely. 

'The Professor wouldn't allow this.' I whispered, 'Berlin you're my...' 

I was sharply interrupted by the shrill ring of the phone, the noise cutting through the tension in the air. I breathed a sigh of relief and let out something between a sob and a laugh as I realised that the Professor was finally calling. He hadn't left us. 

I opened my eyes slowly and saw the conflict on Berlin's face. He wanted to assert his control and punish Rio for his betrayal but he knew the Professor would be furious, this was not at all part of the plan. 

'Go down there.' Nairobi muttered and Denver proceeded to slowly make his way down the steps, his gun constantly on Berlin. 'Berlin you better put that gun down now because if you don't you're going to be in a lot of pain, I found your painkillers.'