Thanks to Danis Lou from Unsplash for photo.

He pressed his foot down harder on the accelerator and swerved to miss a parked car. His tires screeched as he did a left-hand turn with such speed that his whole body lent over. His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel, his persistent sweat making it slippery. He was on a beeline to the freeway and he was almost there.

He knew he had to get there quickly because it was different this time. This time he was sure they would discover who he was as he had gone too far. He looked to the passenger seat to see the duffel bag overflowing with hundred-dollar notes and the rifle on the floor, still warm from being recently discharged. He went into this knowing this would be the last time, that he would finally have what he needed, what they needed. He had to get home to his sweet Marie, the love of his life and they could finally be free.

The freeway entrance was upon him, so he sped up to a dangerous speed. Cars quickly moved out of the way as he crossed three lanes at once. He kept speeding up and weaving around the cars as they got in his way. He had to be fast but careful, he couldn’t hurt anyone else today.

His memory flashed back to the bank only an hour before. Everyone down on the ground obeying his orders as he waved the rifle in the tellers’ face. Her terror saw no bounds and she sweated and shook, tears pouring down her face as she panicked. Men in suits and name tags moved quickly and stuffed the money into the duffel bag, trying to be fast but clumsily kept dropping notes. But he didn’t care, he just had to get out as quickly as possible. He was sweating under his balaclava; the cheap material was making his skin itch.

He drove on, the freeway stretched for kilometres, never ending. He was determined to get home as he knew Marie would be waiting. She could never know how he was getting their money, she could never know about the robberies. She was always so worried, so quiet. But she was his, and that was enough for him.

He could hear sirens now in the distance. He wasn’t surprised by this as this was the first time that he had shot someone. An older woman got in his way, her voice shrieking and irritating him, pulling at his mask. She had almost exposed him. So, he aimed his gun at her and fired. Red bloomed from her abdomen and she fell to the ground, another bystander rushing to her aid. A backward glance revealed her face to be pale and still, the bystander examining the wound. He leapt into his car and sped off, money in tow.

He drove on, his home getting closer and closer, but the sirens were getting closer too. He was way above the speed limit now, he needed to get to Marie as soon as he could. He wondered if they had discovered who he was and if they did, then Marie was in danger. Marie couldn’t take care of herself he thought, she couldn’t be left alone without him. He thought about when they first met, she was so busy and outspoken and then she really came into herself and now loved their secluded property in the bush.

He could see the police cars in his rear vision mirror now, they must know who he is. It only pushed him to drive faster and faster, he couldn’t lose, not the last time. He had planned to take Marie to Central America, the flights were booked, their bags packed. He’d hoped they would live on the beach and would have enough money to last them for years.

He swerved off the freeway now and hit the small, winding country road. The corners would be tough, but he knew them well. Not long now and he would be picking Marie up to take her away. He smiled to himself as he thought about how this would all be such a wonderful surprise for Marie, she didn’t know about the packed bags and the plane tickets.

He drove on, the bush was getting thicker now, the trees lining the road. Could those be sirens he heard behind him? Or were they ahead of him? It was so unclear. He just kept his thoughts on getting out of this and getting to Marie. On the home stretch now, he could definitely hear sirens and they were getting louder. He took one hand off the steering wheel and lent down to get his gun. He had to be ready. As he came across his property he could see the police cars in the distance, surrounding his house. Their blue and red lights filling the clear blue horizon. His chest felt tight, he was wondering if Marie was ok. He gripped his gun, ready to shoot if he needed to. Suddenly there were police cars behind him, escorting him down the long driveway to his house, there was no turning back now. He slowly approached the scene. Police officers were standing around, again, his fear for Marie worsened. He came to a stop and was ordered out of the car by police, their guns drawn, too many for him to take down. He put his rifle down and got out of the car with his hands up.

He was told to walk ahead, surrounded by police, their guns pointed at him, accusing him. As he walked towards the house he saw more officers near the door. They weren’t milling around, they were at attention and staring at him. They must have found the other guns he thought, none of which were legal. He cursed himself for not hiding them better. He walked on, he was fearful now, not because of what he did earlier that day, but because of Marie. He knew he would be arrested and he didn’t know how she would survive without him, she needed him.

One of the officers ordered him down on his knees and hands behind his back so they could cuff him. The cuffs were cold and tight. Then he looked up and saw her. Two female police officers were holding each of Marie’s arms with a comforting hand behind her back. Her hair was unwashed and knotted, her clothes dirty and dishevelled. She looked up and saw him and immediately tried to run backwards but was stopped by the police, they supported her back on her feet. It was like her fear seeped from every pore and the look of horror on her face echoed around the property.

“We found her in the laundry out the back, chained to a pipe. She’s pretty banged up…” One of the female police officers said to one of his arresting officers as she walked past.

He stared at Marie as they walked her past and into an ambulance. He knew this would be the last time he set his eyes on her angelic face, the last time he would see his love. The officer roughly pulled him up and shoved him in the back seat of the police car. He heard him mutter, “Animal…” as he shut the door.

THE END.