Gargoyle Sighted: The Vortex Series Read online

  “Yes, I understand,” Sally said, stammering with fear.

  She snatched up the first bag and pulled open her till. Sally grabbed handfuls of money, forcing it into the open bag. Her hands moved faster, trying to get done in time. Once the first till was empty, he forced her on to the next one until the first bag was full. Then he placed the next one in front of her. Cassie watched in silence as each bag got filled and every till stood empty. Her eyes darted to the clock, hoping Sally had finished in time. She only had one minute left. Then everything went wrong.

  The door to the manager’s office opened and Tim, Gregory’s boss, stepped out. He wore his usual navy-blue suit with a white hanky in his right pocket. It looked like he’d just gotten a haircut, for his hair was shorter and he had mousse in it. He only used mousse when his hair was short and tidy. His blue eyes filled with shock at the scene laid out before him.

  “What in God's name is going on here!”

  The leader turned towards him with a frown. He walked towards Tim with his teeth grinding together in irritation.

  “Apparently you missed one, boys!”

  The four men looked at each other as if trying to decide who to blame. Tim raised his hands once he saw the gun pointed at him. The blond-haired leader growled, grabbed Tim by the arm, and forced him onto the floor.

  “If you move, you die, understand?”

  Tim nodded as he whimpered. It was hard to see him on his knees. He always seemed so put together. Cassie scanned the crowd once again, realizing that Gregory was still missing. Dread filled her stomach as she understood what the vision was trying to show her. A few seconds later, the security door cracked open. Eyes peered out as Gregory scanned the room. He waited for the right moment to strike.

  “Is there anyone else in this damn bank I should know about?” the leader yelled, slamming his fist down on the countertop in rage.

  “Yeah, me!”

  Gregory threw open the door, his gun poised to take out the leader with one shot. His gun went off, but the leader ducked behind the front counter as Gregory slipped back behind the protection of the door.

  “What the hell are you waiting for, an invitation?” yelled the leader. “Shoot!”

  All at once, the room filled with the sound of guns going off as they aimed at the security door. After what seemed like an eternity, silence fell. The captives were still cowering on the floor. Cassie’s breath caught in her throat—waiting to find out if her friend was okay.

  The leader stepped out from behind the counter he’d taken refuge behind. He motioned to the masked man that was shorter than the rest. His red hair stood out as he slid against the wall to position himself alongside the closed door. Once in position, he grabbed the door and flung it open. Nothing. Cassie felt a pang in her chest. Gregory couldn’t be dead.

  The red-haired man stepped slowly around the door frame with his gun ready. He moved forward into the darkened room. Time stood still until a gunshot rang out again. There was a loud thud as someone fell to the floor.

  “I’ve had enough of this shit!” the leader yelled out. He grabbed Tim by the arm, hoisting him to his feet. “You get your ass out here, or I’ll put a bullet in this guy’s head.”

  She heard footsteps come from the room—anticipation filled her. A figure took shape as a man wearing a black mask stood in the doorway. Cassie gasped, thinking at first that Gregory was dead, then realizing that the man standing before her was a head taller than the one who had entered.

  The leader growled in fury.

  “You son of a bitch!” the leader screamed. He pointed the gun at the man in the doorway and fired. The other men stood in shock for a second, not grasping what was going on until Gregory ripped the black hood from his head. He lunged behind the counter and took out one of the four men who stood gaping in surprise. However, his victory was short-lived—the leader got him in the chest. Gregory looked surprised as he fell to the floor. Sally screamed as he collapsed next to her with his empty eyes resting on her.

  Cassie wanted to run to Gregory to will his wound away. But the gunmen weren’t done yet.

  “Now look at what you've done! You sure made a mess of things,” the leader said, glaring at Gregory’s fallen form. He swung around to face Tim. “I suppose we might as well end this.”

  The leader made a motion with his hand, and the others raised their guns. In a matter of seconds, gunshots rang out, and one by one, each captive fell to the floor, dead. Cassie watched on in horror as blood flooded the floor like water consuming a drowning victim. She wanted to throw up at the sight of such ruthlessness. The lights flickered as tears fell from her eyes. And then she fell forward…

  ***

  Cassie felt like she was falling until she landed in Gregory’s arms. Gasping for air, she steadied herself as she grasped onto his chest.

  “Cass, you okay?” Gregory asked with concern.

  Her eyes adjusted, and the spinning room slowly stopped. She looked at Gregory’s concerned face. He held her firmly in his grip, trying to keep her from falling over on her butt. She faked a smile through the pain.

  “I’m okay. I just need to use the restroom.”

  “Okay, I have to go into the security room to check the camera settings, anyway. Promise you will say goodbye in person before you leave.”

  “I would never dream of doing anything else.”

  Cassie walked away from him as he turned towards the security room. Next time he steps out of that room could well be his last, she thought. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in everything once again. It all seemed so peaceful. Her gaze finally rested on the clock—it read 8:56 a.m. Holy shit, there is still time. Dashing to the restroom, a plan formed in her mind. Going up to the mirror, she splashed cool water in her face. She looked at her reflection for a few seconds.

  “I’ve got only one shot at this.” Closing her eyes, she prepared herself for what was to come and hoped the odds were in her favor. God, please help me.

  Chapter Three

  Max

  He sat in the car patiently waiting for Cassie to run in and do her errands. The woman was testing his patience, though. He was getting to where he was going to blow up at her. How could she be so stubborn, let alone rude? Yeah, they hadn’t met and partnered up under the best of circumstances, but she didn’t have to be such a bitch. Max wondered if Richie had gotten the better deal. After all, he was going to sit on his royal ass for the next six months healing while Max had to put up with crabby McCrabby pants.

  “Are you about done there?” he asked over his walkie. The sun was beating in on him through the windshield, roasting his legs. Max rolled down the window to let in some air and cool off the smoldering vehicle. His thumb drummed on the armrest as his temper fumed. He was sure that by this point, smoke was coming out of his ears.

  “Be out in a moment—keep your pants on,” Cassie snapped over the walkie.

  Fed up with roasting to death, he flung the passenger door open and stepped out into the summer heat. Like this feels any better, he thought. Max raised his hand over his eyes to look down the street. Still no sign of miss cranky pants.

  Indecision weighed on him as he pondered his next move. He could go stomping into the bank and demand she hurry her pretty ass up, or he could take a walk around the bank and enjoy the summer sun. Max decided it wouldn’t do any good to fan the flames of his partner’s temperamental state of mind. Slowly, Max walked through the parking lot behind the bank, turning south onto eighth street. People were all over the place. Traffic was backed up for miles with the rush to work.

  “You’d think it would have died down by now.”

  “Excuse me?” a woman asked, turning away from her SUV. Max did a double take—she was drop dead gorgeous. He had to do everything in his power to keep his mouth from hanging wide open. She smiled at him, looking him up and down in his police uniform.

  “Were you talking to me, sir?” she asked with the voice of an angel.

  He shook himself and t
ried to wrap his mind around her words. Those blue eyes…he could get lost in them for days. His wolf’s side would have jumped at the chance of having her in his bed. Max gulped as his eyes trailed down her beautifully curved body.

  “Uh…sorry, I wasn’t talking to you,” he stammered. “Was kind of talking to myself, I suppose. If that isn’t weird or anything.”

  She giggled, raising her hand to cover her pink lips. Oh, how I want to kiss those lips. Images of her in his arms filled his mind, making him swoon. Then everything went to hell when a guy with a muscular build and an army cut walked out of a nearby store. The dude walked right up to the woman Max was talking to and wrapped his arm around her like she belonged to him.

  “Is something the matter, officer?”

  Noooo, his wolf's side screamed. Man, why did all the hot ones have to be taken?

  “Nope. Was just talking to this pretty lady, that’s all,” he said with the biggest fake smile he could muster. The guy smirked back, raising an eyebrow. Dude must be used to his girl being hit on, Max thought.

  “It was a pleasure talking with you.” Max saluted the lovely girl and, with slumped shoulders, continued down the sidewalk to the corner of Main Street. The bank was there, set about a hundred yards back from the road. The building’s architecture was mesmerizing; his eyes couldn’t stop trailing along its walls. His gaze took in the girl and her husband making their way towards the bank entrance. Max just wanted to kick himself for acting like such a love-struck fool. For God's sake, man, you’re a werewolf! You shouldn’t be drooling over some girl off the street.

  Max leaned up against the light post, his form hidden behind a few trees planted along the street. That was probably a good thing, since he was still sulking.

  Tires squealed to a halt farther down the road. It was a black SUV that had parked right in front of the bank in the fire lane. What the hell are these douchebags trying to pull? I better not get stuck having to write a damn ticket on top of everything else.

  Making sure not to be seen, Max moved closer, using the trees as cover. One by one, five men climbed out of the vehicle with big black bags. Each gave off a scent of nerves and sweat. Was the scent of fear on the wind coming from one of them? A bad feeling was growing in the pit of Max’s stomach. Then the smell of gunpowder hit him. Son of a bitch! Those guys intend to rob the bank.

  Max was about to give Cassie the heads up when his phone went off. Without thinking, he snickered. The ringtone, “shake your money maker,” always made him laugh when he heard it. Giving that ringtone to Sergeant Murphy made it even funnier. The guy definitely needed to relax every once in a while.

  “Serge?”

  “Where are you and Armel right now?” Sergeant Murphy barked in his gruff voice.

  He watched as the men made their way towards the bank, leaving behind the getaway driver. Max didn’t want to lose sight of them, but another five feet, and they would reach the door. Even if he called out to Cassie, it wouldn’t be enough time for her to act.

  “We are at Gaston Bank, Serge.” Max said, talking fast. “A vehicle with license plate ARV 361 just pulled into the fire lane. Five men wearing black clothes got out of the vehicle carrying large black bags. They are making their way inside as we speak. Two were 6’2 or close to it in height. There was one close to 5’3 and the final two ranges between 5’9 to 5’11.”

  “Got it! Where is Armel? Is she with you?”

  The urgency in Serge's voice gave him pause. “She is inside as we speak. Should I take out the driver before the men come back out?”

  “Damn it! No. Get your ass in that bank without blowing your cover. I’ll have dispatch send units your way. They will deal with the driver—you back up Armel.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Max hung up his phone, ready to follow orders. He shot the car a quick glance before dashing from his hiding place. Once he made it to the corner, Max looked back to see if they had noticed him. Great, they did not see me. Without another thought, he put his strength into running down the street back to the parking lot where their car was. From there, he could get to the employee entrance at the back of the bank. Max grabbed the door handle. But of course, the dang thing was locked. Looking over his shoulder to confirm he was alone, he let loose his claws. Slamming his hand down on the handle, he busted it to smithereens.

  The door swung open easily as he walked into the back room. He tiptoed past the restrooms into the main hallway. The sound of someone crying greeted him as he made his way towards the lobby area. From the shadows, he watched the men herd the people into a circle then force them to the floor. He counted three bank chicks in dressed-up attire, two frumpy women holding each other, and the overly muscular military guy who had his arm around the woman Max had once thought was the most gorgeous creature ever. She was the one in tears. Max couldn't help but think she had the ugliest crying face on the planet. What he didn’t see was anyone in a police uniform. Where the hell is Cassie? Max searched every angle of the room that he could from his position. That was when he saw her sneaking behind a teller's desk. She was wearing a white tank top. What the hell is she up to? He remembered Serge saying something about her always getting into trouble. He only hoped that this trouble she’d found wasn’t about to kill them. Instead of acting on instinct, he hunkered down and waited.

  ***

  Murphy

  He slammed the phone down on his desk. Gut wrenching fear clenched his heart again, like always when he found out Cassie was in danger. Murphy put a lock down on his emotions and picked up his radio.

  “Code Blue. All nearby officers report to Gaston Bank. Report on arrival. Sergeant on route.”

  He snatched his keys off the desk and was in motion. Murphy turned down the hall and didn’t miss Lucy wishing him good luck. The woman was a godsend most of the time, but in moments like this, he couldn’t take the distraction.

  Murphy scanned the parking lot, looking for his black SUV. It hadn't moved from its spot all day until now. A smile caressed his lips as he walked to it and climbed in. His keys were in the ignition, and he was out on Main Street in a second flat. Time slowed for him as every streetlight turned red at his approach. Murphy gritted his teeth in irritation and grew tired of the ordeal. He leaned forward to turn on his siren. He sped the rest of the way to the bank and stopped outside. Murphy didn’t know what to expect inside. But something told him Cassie did something stupid, as always. Just be alive, you royal pain in the ass. Just be alive.

  Chapter Four

  Cassie

  Water dripped down her chin. Hands reached out blindly, looking for a paper towel. She took two deep breaths as time slowly ticked by. Cassie waited. How am I going to get this done with no one getting killed? she thought. Her eyes glanced down at her watch. It was 8:58 a.m. If she was going to do this, the time was now. Closing her eyes, Cassie ran her hands down her uniform shirt and unbuttoned each clasp one at a time. Tearing it free of her body left her standing with only her white tank top. I can’t take the chance of them knowing I’m a cop. A lump formed in her throat as she gulped. Tenderly, Cassie folded up the shirt, allowing her walkie to lie across the top. She then opened the trash can and placed the uniform top within.

  “I will come back for you later.”

  Cassie rolled her shoulders and pulled her gun from the holster, gripping it tightly. She inched towards the bathroom door, opened it, and moved down the short hallway. Voices drifted down the hall as people talked peacefully amongst each other. Suddenly, a loud bang rang out that shook her to her core. She peeked around the corner as five men walked in carrying black bags, just like in her vision. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in all the people who were there. As before, Gregory wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

  The leader broke off from the group and walked to the teller stand. Cassie didn’t need to be in close range to understand what was being said. He was demanding the money in the tills and poor Sally shook with fear. Her muscles tightened as she lowered herself in he
r cubicle to start bagging the money. The four men scanned the crowd of people, circling them into a small group. They were then forced to sit on the floor and wait.

  Any minute now, Tim would come out of his office, so she had to act fast. Looking at the two desks sitting in the back of the room, Cassie made a dash to the closest one. Her butt slid across the floor as she turned to peek above the top. Good, no one saw me. Now only feet away from the hostages, Cassie took in each. She assessed the situation as an officer should. If only she would have turned her head slightly, her eyes would have connected with a figure standing in the shadows of the hall.

  One woman was crying her eyes out. She was with a large, bulky man who was probably her husband. His shoulders were squared and ready to strike if anyone touched, but his focus was on the woman in tears. His arm cradled her as his eyes danced over the masked men. He has military training or could be in the force. This might work to my benefit if I give him a big enough opening to act.

  Slowly, she inched her way towards the edge of the desk. Her eyes peered out, watching every movement the leader took. Cassie shot a glance at the security door. Still closed. It didn’t look like it was the right time yet for Gregory to make his move. The leader looked in her direction. She twisted herself around, pressing her back up against the wall of the desk. Closing her eyes, she prayed he hadn’t seen her. A few moments passed and nothing happened. She released a sigh of relief.

  “What are you waiting for, missy? I want these bags filled and ready in less than five minutes. You understand?”

  Cassie snuck a glance over her shoulder to see the leader pacing along the teller stand. Sally was grabbing cash and flinging it into the bags as fast as she could. She breathed slowly, trying to keep her heart from racing. Easy girl, it’s almost time. Panic couldn’t cripple her right now. She had to keep a level head, because seconds later, the shit was going to hit the fan.