Revenge [Working Title]

I had always known that I was meant for this line of work. I was horrible at regular jobs. They were so mundane and boring. I just couldn’t handle it and New Orleans was full of opportunities.

I honestly did try when I first got married and found out I had a baby on the way. I tried to go straight but then I realized that I could make so much more money doing what I was great at – stealing. I hoped that tonight’s job would be the last one I would ever have to do because it would set up my family for life.

I left my wife, son, and daughter at home telling them that I had to work late. My wife knew what I was up to. It was hard for her not to see through my lies as we had been together for way too long. She knew what I did when I left the house and she pursed her lips in disapproval when I shut the door to go.

As I did so, my ten-year-old daughter ran outside to catch up with me. “Father,” she said, “do you have to go? You're supposed to read me a story.” She paused and then said, “I worry about you papa.”

I turned to look at her as she caught me before I could unlock the door to my car. “Lindsay, you must be a good girl and go back inside. You need to help your mama. I will read you a story tomorrow night, I promise.” I smiled at Lindsay reassuringly knowing that if tonight went well, I would never have to pull another job again.

That put a smile on Lindsay's face and she hugged me. “OK papa, but tomorrow night you're going to have to read TWO stories to make up for tonight.” She winked at me and gave me a hug.

Lindsay is a smart girl for a ten year old. She really knows how to bend her papa around her finger. I guess you could call her daddy's girl, which she was. “Now, go back inside and help your mother and brother put away the dishes and leftovers from dinner. I want you in bed on time young lady.”

She rolled her eyes but gave me one more hug goodbye and went inside. I didn't know at the time that I wouldn't see her again for at least twelve more years. So, I got into my car and turned the key in the ignition. I was to meet Danny at the rendezvous point in exactly an hour. I thought I knew what I was getting into so I pulled out of the driveway to my future. The ally was dark when I reached in. Danny was there pacing back and forth. I got out of my car and approached him apprehensively. He turned to look at me and grunted.

“Did you bring the goods?”

I nodded and gestured to the trunk of my car. “It's in there.” I explained in few words.

Danny nodded and popped the trunk. He grabbed the black ski masks and the glock 33s that were shoved down next to the spare tire and smiled. “This should go good. Real good. The vault is in the back and Walsh said he got the code. He's gonna crack it. All we have to do is stand guard and make sure that no one decides to play hero or get too nosy.” Danny said as he grinned and showed a mouthful of decaying teeth.

He was a big guy, one that you never would want to cross. He probably played a linebacker in high school football before he was kicked out. I shrugged and returned the grin. I had been itching to shoot someone for the longest. Now, the guys were going to trust me to do so ... that meant that I had graduated to the level where they trusted me. That was good, real good.

So, then we got down to business. Walsh gave us the signal we were waiting for. The codes to the doors had been cracked so that we could make our way to the vault without any of those pesky alarms going off. Danny and I put on our masks and holstered our guns for now. We had some rope and tape that I had brought along just in case. You never know with these types of jobs. Danny made it to Walsh who stood up and gazed over him like he was a general inspecting his troops.

“What took you so damn long?” Walsh said as he opened the door.

Danny grinned at him and handed him a ski mask and a gun. Walsh gave an ugly grin with rotted teeth back because he loved guns. Walsh was a frightening person to work with. He had a prior criminal record that he liked to brag about of how he killed his wife and her lover. He hacked into his wife’s computer and started sending the guy death threats and completely driving the guy to the brink of insanity. Then, he went over to the guy's house and forced his wife to come with him and he tortured them for hours with knives.

Afterwards, he made his wife castrate her lover and then he shot them both in the head. He was never convicted though because there wasn't enough evidence for the cops to go on. Despite his appearance, he was really smart. He cleaned all of his fingerprints and made sure that the computer evidence was untraceable.

That's Walsh's favorite story.

Danny, Walsh, and I make it to the back of the bank to the vault. Walsh was grinning and playing with the toys he brought to crack the code on the vault. Danny was fidgeting in the corner waiting for instructions to blow something up. I stood there grinning thinking about all of the money that we're going to get. My daughter will be set for college. Then, I look up at a security camera staring back at me.

“Walsh?” I ask pointing at the camera.

“Oh, that's right. Hey, don't worry about the camera. It can't really see us. I recorded an hour of video and it’s on a loop. They can't see us and will never know we were here until they open for business in the morning and realize that an hour of feed is missing.”

He grins and cracks the code. “Brilliant.” I mutter. The vault squeaked open. Inside were all of my dreams and my way out. I smiled. Danny and Walsh both smiled and started going in with bags piling the money to the brim. It was like Christmas.

I started to grab my bag and dive in when I heard someone on a megaphone outside scream, “THIS IS THE POLICE! COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP! NOW!”

Danny and I looked at Walsh. “I thought you said you deactivated all of the alarms!” Danny screamed at him.

“I did, asshole! They were ALL deactivated. I was VERY careful. This can't be fucking happening!” Walsh screamed back at me.

“Is there no way out of here? Can't we just blow a hole in the floor?” I asked ducking down.

“That's not going to be possible...I don't have the plans for the bank because this was so carefully done and I didn't think any fucking cops were going to come crash our party.” Walsh said grabbing more money and shoving it into the bag.

Just then, a black canister broke through the window and rolled to us in the back. It started letting out this yellowish colored gas.

“Jesus Christ! Cover up with something so that you can't breathe in the gas! They're tryin' to smoke us out!” Danny yelled and covered his ski mask with a bandana that he had in his pocket.

I fell down to my hands and knees trying not to breathe in the gas. My eyes were watering. I could see Walsh ducking in a corner and then I saw him open a door in the floor that I didn't notice before. I winced.

Then, I realized with a sinking feeling in my stomach that he had lied to us. Walsh caught eye contact with me and smiled. It was such a cold smile that let me know he had planned this and planned for Danny and I to take the fall so that he could enjoy the money. I should have known better. Looking back on it, I don’t know how I could have been so stupid.

The cops were yelling at us to come out. Walsh was gone. Then, I heard gunshots. Danny, I guess, had opened fire, which resulted in the cops opening fire on us. I took out my gun and fired shots. I managed to kill three policemen in the crossfire, as I found out later and Danny managed to kill two.

And that’s the story of how I ended up in prison. I have been here for twelve years since I was tried and convicted. I am currently on death row awaiting my execution. Danny was tried as well, although we're not in the same prison. I’m not sure what his sentence was. Walsh got away scot-free and is a carefree millionaire who lives in Malibu, I believe. I'm planning on visiting him real soon. REAL soon. It would be worth it to break out of this dump just to go and wipe that smug look off of his face.

I get to see my family maybe twice a week. My daughter is the only one who comes to visit me. My wife divorced me and my son doesn’t want anything to do with me. He’s ashamed of me. My daughter understands why I did what I did. She knows that deep down; I’m not a violent person.

My daughter has also come up with a plan to get me out. I’ve tried to talk her out of it but she’s stubborn and determined, like her father. To my surprise, she became a world class thief and assassin. I discouraged this by pointing out where I ended up but it did not deter her at all. She told me that she craved excitement and the pay was better than any regular job she could work. Her mom doesn’t know but Lindsay told me, very proud.

She’s rich in her own right and very independent. Lindsay did graduate from college and was really smart. She learned French, Spanish, and Japanese on her own. She explained to me that when she travels, she doesn't want to have a translator in case something went wrong.

Little did she know that I had a plan of my own to escape. I had a long time to think about what to do. I mean, who wants to die?