LITMIR.BIZ

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and started spraying paint over the security cameras that were set in three corners of the room. Once the cameras were disabled, he tossed the spray can aside and stationed himself near a doorway that appeared to lead back to the public bathrooms. Daniel noticed he had a small limp and tended to drag his right foot a bit.

      “We’re not here for you,” the leader yelled over the confusion, still pacing from his perch on the countertop. “We just want to make a small withdrawal.” He made a point of making eye contact with any of the hostages who dared to look in his direction. “No one will get hurt as long as you do everything we say.”

      Daniel looked to the left and saw two men, both crawling away from the front counter area and heading toward the back of the bank where the desks and offices were found. One was wearing a suit and appeared to be a bank employee. The other was wearing shorts and a button-down shirt and seemed to be following the other one. It was apparent that both were looking for a safe place to hide. They didn’t escape the notice of the lead robber, however, who jumped down, ran so that he was directly in front of them and pointed his gun straight at their heads. “Put your faces on the floor. Both of you. Now!”

      Daniel moved so he could get a better look at the leader but still be shielded by the counter. So far, he had escaped the robbers’ notice, but he knew it couldn’t last much longer. He raised his gun, taking aim at the man’s chest. One quick shot was all it would take to stop the leader in his tracks and foil this robbery attempt here and now. He might even save the two men on the floor in the process. His finger flexed on the trigger.

      “Freeze.” The cold metal of the barrel pushed against his skull. He tried to turn a bit to see who was behind him, but the pressure increased against his head and he stopped. He hadn’t realized there was a fifth robber. He mentally kicked himself for missing that important fact. His inconceivable mistake might just have cost him his life.

      “Hands up. Now.”

      The voice sounded familiar to him, but he couldn’t place it. He guessed that the robber was a woman by the tone of her voice, even though she was obviously trying to disguise the sound by making it gritty and deeper. He slowly raised his hands as she leaned forward and grabbed his pistol, then pushed him from behind. “Get over there by the wall, hero.”

      He chanced a look behind him but only got a quick glance before she pushed him again. It was enough of a look to get a basic impression of the robber, but little else. All he could tell was that she was definitely a woman. Her stature was lean but still feminine, despite the baggy jeans and hoodie she was wearing, and she was quite a bit shorter than the other robbers. Even with the mask that disguised her features, he’d also gotten a good enough look to tell that the eyes and lips were quite ladylike.

      “Against the wall, everyone,” the leader yelled. The robbers continued motioning with their guns and herding the customers and bank staff toward the far wall until the whole group was lined up against it. Daniel watched the process as the woman robber marched him over to join the rest of the hostages. So far, he counted eighteen of them, including both customers and bank employees. He saw the old lady that had been near him when the robbers had entered the bank, and her eyes were large and wet beneath her glasses. Her skin had paled, and her weathered hands desperately gripped her large black pocketbook that she held close to her chest. She was obviously terrified. He glanced at the others. There were seven other women and ten men, including himself. He kept his hands up as he walked to the group of frightened people, but when he took his place at the end of the line, he didn’t sit like the others. Instead, he turned and kept his hands raised in mock surrender and took a step toward the woman robber. When he spoke, he kept his tone low and calm.

      “You don’t have to do this. Nobody’s been hurt. You can turn around and walk away now before this goes any further.”

      “Just shut up and do as you’re told,” she responded, her voice cold.

      “Think about what you’re doing,” Daniel implored softly, still trying to sound as non-threatening as possible.

      “I can assure you that we’ve given this a great deal of thought. Now have a seat.” She gestured with her gun and Daniel acknowledged her but didn’t sit. He could see the bulge of the weapon that she had taken from him and stuffed into the waistband of her jeans. No cop wanted his service pistol to end up in the hands of a criminal, and Daniel was no exception. He made a vow to recover that gun before this episode was over. Funny—she hadn’t asked why he had been carrying a gun. Tennessee did have very liberal concealed weapon permit laws, but still...

      He pushed that thought aside and decided to try talking to her one more time. “The laws have gotten tougher,” he said quietly. “Bank robbery is federal. You could get a life sentence. The minimum is twenty-five years when guns are involved. If you give up now—”

      “Not happening,” she said roughly, aiming her gun directly at his midriff. “Don’t be a hero. Sit down with the others.” Her voice was low but threatening.

      “Is this guy giving you a problem?” Daniel turned and saw one of the younger robbers coming toward him. He thought it was Hairy, the one who had been tossing the gun around, but he couldn’t be sure. The criminal’s stance was aggressive as he approached, and Daniel braced for the battle that was heading his way.

      “It’s under control,” she snarled.

      “Doesn’t look like it’s under control to me.” He lifted his rifle as if to hit Daniel in the face, but before he could do anything further, the woman stepped in front of Daniel, her stance protective.

      “Back off,” the woman exclaimed angrily. “I said I have it under control.”

      The young man paused a moment, his body moving from foot to foot as if he was filled with energy and was about to explode. “Sure you do.”

      She took a step closer to the other robber, her voice tight. “The deal was nobody gets hurt. Now stay out of my way, J.P.,” she growled.

      He leaned closer and his whisper was a low hiss. “No names, remember?”

      She motioned around her. “Who’s gonna hear me? I’m serious. Stay out of my way.”

      “You stay out of my way, girl. I didn’t want you here in the first place.” He spun around and angrily threatened one of the other customers with his rifle. “Get back, did you hear me?” He raised the weapon up as if he was going to hit someone else, then abruptly stalked off.

      * * *

      Bethany blew out a breath of relief as the man moved away. Her heart was beating so strongly she was sure J.P. could hear it. What in the world was Daniel doing here, of all places? Thankfully, she had been able to distract J.P. before any further violence had happened. She had once seen J.P. beat a man into unconsciousness for borrowing his truck without asking. He was vengeful and a loose cannon, and there was no telling how far he would go if he continued unchecked. She said a small prayer of thanks under her breath, then motioned to Daniel with her gun.

      “Sit with the others. Now.”

      Daniel put his hands up in a motion of mock surrender, then nodded and sat. She didn’t like the way he was studying her, but it couldn’t be helped.

      She glanced over at J.P., who was stalking the floor, threatening anyone who dared to look up. The kid was a hothead, and she had been trying to avoid him ever since she’d infiltrated this band for the FBI a year ago. He was always challenging her, and if anyone was going to blow her cover, it would probably be him.

      She looked down at Daniel and her heart continued to pound. She didn’t think he had recognized her, and she wondered how long she could keep her identity a secret from him if this robbery took longer than expected. Her feelings were in a jumbled mess where Daniel was concerned. She had loved him once, or thought she had, but that seemed like a lifetime ago. Their last words had been said in anger, and she had taken this undercover assignment only a few days later. It had been an excellent escape and helped her refocus her energy after their breakup. Now that a year had passed, she had no desire to bring those feelings to the surface and sort through

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