Bandit Hearts (First Page)

The boy’s stomach was in knots. It was an obvious observation. I held the gat tightly in my right hand & pointed a good five inches from his face. I breathed heavy, but low under the bandana covering my nose & mouth. The brim of my fedora fit snug & low over my brow displaying my baby browns that gave a crazy stare like a homicide dressed to the nines, wrapped in a fine, tailored fit pinstripe three piece. I always thought that if you were to do something dangerously stupid…at least look good doing it.

               The day was dark & the town was quiet. The filling station was all but empty with the exception of the clerk & some mechanic with the bad luck of having to stick around that night, now with his hands poised, with fingers interlocked, on the top of his head standing behind the counter with his back towards me. I made the clerk keep his left hand atop his head & perform everything slowly with his right. I ordered him to open up a paper bag and place it open & upright on the counter top. Then open the register & withdraw all the cash & place it in the bag. Then slowly reach into the pocket of the mechanic for his wallet & put it in the bag. Then for the clerk himself, to SLOWLY reach into his own pocket for his own wallet. I emphasized “slowly” as I cocked the pistol, moving it closer to the upper ridge of his nose. I saw him trembling. He was young. About seventeen years would be my guess. Probably his first stick up. His face was tightening, eyes squinting, wanting to shed a tear but trying to hide the fear & not really doing a good job at it. Just a few more seconds kid & it’ll all be over. He dropped his wallet into the bag & raised his free hand up to his head & clasped his fingers. There, that wasn’t so bad. I told him to turn around & the both of them to count to one hundred & if I even think they we’re gonna stop, I’ll still be behind them & I’d lodge a bullet right through the back of their skulls. They started counting. I picked up the bag & started side stepping toward the door. Then I noticed a display of jerky. God I’m a sucker for some good jerky. I grabbed the entire display.

             “I’ll be takin’ this here jar of jerky, boy.” I snickered. “You just go & put it on my tab.”

               I exited the door & hopped into the engine-revving sedan that was awaiting my return & the mobile gunned it out onto the road spitting up a helping of dust, dirt & gravel & raced off into the darkening sky of dusk.

             

                “Yeeeehawww!!!” Screamed Danny from behind the wheel, “Just like a couple-a down right outlaws, huh!? God Damn it feels good to be alive! Woooh!”

                “S**t, man…” I told ‘em, “that was some brick-shittin’ kid in there. Although, he was a damn good trooper, I gotta admit. Stayed together throughout the whole thing. I really thought he was gonna bust, ya know. I told him to just play it jake. Which he did. And everything went smooth.

                 “What ‘bout the other guy?”

                 “Well, he gave off a bit of an attitude but he wasn’t gonna cause no fuse. I could see it right off the bat that he didn’t have it in him. He wasn’t ‘bout to play hero for some grease monkey outfit he had to bust balls for after hours.”

                 “S**t yeah, boy! What’s the take?”

                 I stashed the rod in my front pocket, opened up the bag & pulled out the greenbacks. I knew it wasn’t gonna be much but it was a nice handful. Mostly small bills but enough to keep me & Danny heading north.