“What?” He croaks, his voice barely audible as if he's been blindsided.
“Shut up!” I snap back reflexively, my heart hammering against my ribs.
This wasn’t part of the plan, and now the lines between duty and the personal stakes of this heist are dangerously blurred.
The tension in the room thickens. Some guests scream and run, while others drop to the floor, all caught up in a madness neither they nor I expected. Even through the chaos we still remember our roles; some members stand guard with the hostages, pointing their weapons in their faces to frighten them, while the rest of us run to the room where the safe is, armed with more duffel bags than we can count. I focus on the job, quickly getting into the safe since I know the code, and stepping aside while the guys fill the bags with money, drugs, and jewelry—all the shit the captain stole from the evidence room, and the only way they know that is because me and Carter flipped and told them all about it and how dirty the captain was.
As the bags fill up, a sick sense of satisfaction creeps into my chest. I'm doing what I swore to fight against—stealing from someone who’s supposed to uphold the law. The bitter irony is almost exhausting, and I push the thought aside, focusing on the task at hand.
“Quickly! We’ve got to move!" I hiss, glancing nervously back toward the main room.
The sounds of chaos continue to swirl around me like a storm, an unsettling symphony of panic. Havoc stands guard by the entrance, eyes darting around, his breathing quickening with each passing moment. Crow shouts orders, but I can sense his own unease. The captain has yet to move, his gaze fixed on me with a mix of betrayal and confusion. I can’t afford to falter now.
I grab another bag, stuffing it full enough to begin weighing heavily in my hands, then nod to the group. “Let’s go!”
But just as we turn to make our exit, the unexpected happens. The sound of sirens slices through the air, drawing closer with alarming speed. Adrenaline floods my system as the realization hits. If we don’t get out soon, we're going to be stuck in a nightmarish situation that has shifted from a heist to an armed standoff.
“Shit! The cops!” Crow yells, his voice suddenly frantic. The atmosphere shifts, and I can feel the tension reaching a boiling point.
“Get the rest of the bags! We need to move!” Havoc barks, his fierce demeanor morphing into one of urgent desperation.
We scramble, nearly knocking into each other as we race to gather whatever we can carry. My heart races. I can see the internal struggle reflected in the captain's expression; he's trying to process the betrayal and the chaos of the moment.
“Don’t,” I warn, keeping my voice low yet firm. “It’s not worth it. Just get on the fucking ground like everyone else and stay out of it.”
With one last look at him—the authority figure I once respected, now a lawbreaker tangled in his own web of deceit—I turn back to the task at hand. I shove a wad of cash into one bag and shove it toward Crow, who shoves it into the oversized duffel bag slung over his back before he takes off.
“We need to go now!” Havoc’s voice draws me back.
Gunshots suddenly echo from outside, punctuated by the shouts of officers barking orders—a dangerous reminder that we don’t have much time.
“Let’s fucking move!” I shout, adrenaline surging through me, each thump of my heart synchronizing with the urgency of the moment.
In a flash, I push past the captain one last time, knowing there’s no chance I’ll get caught here—not with my own safety and cover on the line. Outside, shadows dart around as figures in police uniforms join the fray, ready to converge on the mansion as chaos unfolds in the street.
“Shut the door, you fucking idiot!” I yell at one of the members still lingering behind.
As the person finally slams the door shut, I pull the nearest duffel tighter against my shoulder and motion to the others to follow me. Utilizing every ounce of training I’d acquired, I lead us through the back alleyway behind the house, dodging the growing spotlight of law enforcement that drew closer with each passing second. The thrill of the escape takes precedence over the dire situation unfolding in the mansion. Just as we navigate the tight space between two buildings, I catch a glimpse of the captain rushing to a nearby window, uncertainty etched across his features. But there’s no turning back now. I’m no longer just a cop; I’m a part of this mob, a player in this deadly game.
“Over here!” Havoc motions, pointing toward a side exit that could lead to the main street.
The sirens grow louder, and I can feel every pulse in my body urging me forward. Crow veers off toward a fire escape while I break away from the main group and end up closer to the street. The moment our feet hit the pavement, I realize how fast my mind is racing. The captain nearby would have undoubtedly remembered my face, and now I am shoulder-deep in the very corruption I vowed to dismantle. With police forces converging all around us, I step to the edge of the street, adrenaline pumping blood through my veins, leaving behind everything I ever stood for. This is madness, and yet…there's no going back.
“Red!” Havoc yells, urgency spilling over. “Get moving—we need to blend in!”
As we continue ahead, chaos engulfs us. Law enforcement officers are scattered, desperately trying to get a handle on the situation, pointing their weapons around as bystanders are left bewildered by the eruption of violence. This is it—my heart races not from fear but from a newfound exhilaration, the thrill of a high-stakes escape fueling my instincts. Fragments of my former life flash before my eyes, the lines of right and wrong distorted beyond recognition.
There’s no time to dwell on the choices I’ve made.
“Take that alley there!” Havoc shouts, steering me toward a narrow passageway.
A thought hits me—I need to get away from here and away from my past as quickly as possible. It’s safe over where I belong now. We dart into the alley, the darkness wrapping around us like a blanket. I hear sirens wailing in the distance, but it’s the sound of my own intensifying breathing that overwhelms me. This is not the life I envisioned, but somehow, it feels like a sick twist of fate has pushed me into this moment, a moment where everything is fragile yet electric.
We reach the end of the alley, jumping over debris and fleeing into the obscured safety of the streetlights about four blocksfrom the heart of the action, stashing the bags in the waiting cars and watching them speed off. Every moment is a test, and with every step, I realize that I'm no longer just playing a role—I’m living it. As the chaos fades into the background, I catch sight of Havoc and Crow, who seem to have evaded the turmoil alongside me.
“Did we get it?” Crow breathlessly asks, looking at all of us as the bulging bags disappear in the dead of night to a safe house.
My chest heaves with the weight of emotions—a rush of guilt, satisfaction, and fear intertwining into one.
