The Outlaws

~ Jerome Hill Trevor (Jem) ~ Today is a regular Monday, just as typical days at the Bank of Ringdom City (BRC). The bank where I am working now is named after the city’s name, Ringdom City. Currently, everything seems so normal.  As a banker, particularly a loan banker, my primary job is to assess each loan request’s feasibility. So, I should analyze if each of the debtors can return the loan. Then, I should collect their financial data. For sure, I should check their stock values. I am then counting their ROI (Return on Investment) and NPV (Net Present Value). It is to measure how good their financial situation is. Since last year, I have been appointed as an assistant manager of BRC because of my success doing loan syndication for a giant company here with another bank. So, loan syndication is giving a loan to a debtor by more than a bank. We work on the loan syndication usually because of two factors. First, the enormous amount of debt involved. Second, it is risk management and control by the bank. So, by sharing the loan with another bank, we minimize the risk for our bank.  Okay, enough rambling about that. Sorry, I cannot help it when explaining things within my expertise. Aside from assessing the loans, my daily routine at work is keeping a good relationship with my clients. As the new assistant manager, I helped my manager in watching the daily routine of the bank. Somehow, as I accepted his offer, my manager often left the bank in my capable hands. Well, it was his said, not mine. So far, there is no problem at all monitoring the bank. At least, I have found nothing beyond my ability to manage it. Consider, it is January 4th, 2100, the first day after New Year, at half-past eleven, the bank is full. It is because so many customers enter the bank. I check on a loan’s feasibility when Ann Horace, one of the new tellers, approaches my desk.  “Uh…, sorry to interrupt, Mr. Trevor.” “Yes, Ann? What can I do for you?” “So, there’s a failure in the transaction. The customer’s waiting. Other tellers seem busy at this moment.” Ann stares at me. “I hope I don’t bother you either for this.” Something is wrong, but somehow, I cannot tell what it is. Ann seems nervous, but it feels like she is anxious about something else. Don’t ask me how I can know about it. I know it, just like that.  “Oh, okay, let’s see then,” I say.  I walk with Ann to her desk. A beautiful customer is waiting for us.  “Good morning-” I glance at the bank account book on Ann’s desk, “-Mrs. Stephenson.” I smile at Mrs. Stephenson. “Thank you for your patience. There is a little trouble here with your transaction, yet don’t worry. We will sort this out.” I give her a reassuring smile.  Mrs. Stephenson nods a little. “Not to worry, Mr….” “Trevor, ma’am,” I reply. “Yes, Mr. Trevor. However, I expect to leave before lunchtime. So, please hurry!” “Yes, ma’am.”  I am checking the transaction. Then I find the culprit. It seems the account number for transferring money is one digit less than it should be. No wonder the transaction failed. “Ah, we have found the problem. So, Mrs. Stephenson, the account number for the transfer is wrong.” I show Mrs. Stephenson the account number. “We have twelve digits. However, this one is only eleven.” Mrs. Stephenson puts her hand over her mouth. “Oh, dear. What a silly mistake I made! Sorry for the trouble.” I give her a reassuring smile. “Not at all, ma’am. I will let Miss Horace assist you again.” Mrs. Stephenson rises, then offers her hand to me. “Thank you for helping me, dear good sir.” Then she bats her eyelids.  Is she trying to flirt with me? Her gesture shows it, yet I cannot feel it at all—strange. I shake her hand for a few seconds. There is no wedding ring on her ring finger.  “My pleasure, ma’am. It is my delight to give the best service to our customers.” Then I am walking to return to my desk. Yet, before I get there, there is a sound of a gun popping. Instinctively I freeze. “Everyone, don’t move. Stay in your position, get on your knees. It is a robbery. None will get hurt if you cooperate with us,” the bank robber says.  I see there are four robbers. All of them wear masks to cover their faces. With guns pointed at some customers and the bank tellers, we have no choice but to follow their command. “Give us all the money! Hurry!” A teller screams to hear the urge. She is far from my desk, so I cannot see her expression clearly from here. Yet, she is genuinely anxious. I feel it so clearly. The bandit points the gun at her forehead. “Scream one more time. Then the bullet will be in your head.” Another bank burglar near me points his gun at Ann. “Hurry! Give me all the money!”  Ann looks at me. I nod at her. Then she takes the money from the desk drawer and puts it on the desk. The robber throws her a bag. Ann catches it, and then she fills the money there.  “Hurry!” the robber asked again. “Why are you so slow?” “I-I’m trying. I-It’s a lot of money here,” Ann says.  The bank robber hits the back of his gun to Ann’s head.  Ann is screaming, “I’ll be faster! P-please, don’t hit me again.”  I don’t know why, but something is wrong. I cannot sense Ann’s fear. Yes, she sounds terrified. Yet, I cannot feel it at all. What is going on here?  *** ~ Benjamin Dwight (Ben) ~ I’ve already received the passcode to the facility system database from Honey Turner. I checked her background before accepting this project. She’s a personal team of the president. So, the assignment may come directly from the president himself. When hired me, she used an alias, of course. I always check my customers’ backgrounds before accepting their projects—for safety. Our country’s been in a heavy battle for unauthorized firearms sales. Then, last year, there’s a mass shooting at Reach Your Dream (RYD) high school. A depressed student killed twenty or more students to avenge his suffering. It’s said that the student’s the victim of bullying at the school. Then he shot himself and died. It’s so ironic, I mean, considering the name of the school. The student died so young for nothing.   I sigh. Considering the mass shooting in RYD, since Belle, my sister, is also in high school, this project becomes personal. So, when Honey Turner sent me this assignment, I think it’s an excellent way to protect my sister indirectly. Okay, I’ve inputted the passcode. Wait a minute, it’s weird. Why’d an illegal firearms facility produce vaccines and medicines? It doesn’t make sense at all. I’m checking more of the company’s databases—no firearms whatsoever. Is it a joke? I dial Honey’s number at once.  “Hello, Benjamin, have you already had what I required?” Honey asked in her hoarse voice. I’m startled. Honey knows my identity too, but I pretend to be calm and say, “Not yet. I’ve got something in mind.” I’m thinking for a few seconds before continuing, “As I entered their database, I didn’t see any firearm. Is it an April Fool’s joke?” My voice is pitching high now.  Honey chuckles. “Calm down, Benjamin. First, I don’t have time for a joke. Second, I only hire the best. Are you the best, Benjamin?” “You bet I am.” “Then do your job. Enter the database, send me the passcode for the facility safety area.” “I can’t do that.” “Oh? Why is that? Do you find any trouble getting it?” I shake my head. Realizing Honey can’t see it, I reply, “Not at all. However, it’s not a secret firearm facility, as you mentioned before.” “So? It is a change in the plan. It is not a big deal, Benjamin.” “I can’t believe you tricked me! For your information, ma’am, I’m a white hat hacker. There’s no amount of money you can offer me so that I will break the safety of a legal system! So, I cancel the project!” I yell on the phone.  “Benjamin, none can cancel the assignment. Only I have the authority to do it. If you break this one, I assure you, you will regret it in no time. No need for long; 24 hours is sufficient.” I shudder to hear her threatening voice. Since she’s access to the president, who knows what she’s capable of doing. “What do you mean?” “You will see. However, Benjamin, none will live without receiving severe consequences for double-crossing me. I repeat, no one!” There’s silence for a few seconds before Honey talks again, “Mark my word. In 24 hours from now or less, you will call me again and receive any assignment I will give you.” “And how’ll you do that? There’s nothing, absolutely nothing you can offer to me.” Honey’s voice is getting colder when she replies again, “We will see, Benjamin. You will take back your own words, and I-” Honey stops for two seconds, “-will enjoy it to the fullest. Have a good day. Enjoy it while you can.”