Robbery In Progress

*Emma*

I put my hands up gently and took a small step forward, "I'm sorry for what my colleagues did to you. You didn't deserve that. You helped us out and we didn't hold up our end of the bargain. I understand why you're angry." "You don't understand. You can't possibly know what you've caused."

"I want to tell you a story, Jason. And if at the end, it sounds like something you might relate to, I'd like you to tell me. Because I think I have a pretty good idea of what we did. And I'm doing this because I want you to know that your feelings are valid. Okay?" He still held this poor man in front of him as a shield, the gun pointed into his side. But he gave me a jerky nod, so I continued. "A young boy, looked up to his father. But he could never seem to make him proud. Didn't matter what he did, good grades, smashing records in sports, helped keep the house clean. Nothing he did got a 'good job, son' or a 'proud of you, boy'. So when this boy, now a teenager, had a new sister added to the family, and his parents adored this little girl. The boy got a bit resentful.

"He started acting out. Doing drugs, selling drugs, stealing things, damaging property. Whatever he thought might get him some attention, any at this point. But that didn't work, so when he turned 18, he moved away from home and tried college. Hoping maybe, this is it. This is the thing that will finally get him a pat on the back.

"But New York City is expensive. How was he supposed to pay for school on top of paying to live there? So he went back to selling drugs. Just to help on the side, bring his income up. But he fell down the rabbit hole of crime. In and out of jail, recidivism is a tough cycle to break. Eventually he left school. Finally got that attention he wanted, but not the good kind.

"His encounter with his parents was one of shame, disappointment, and judgement. Mostly, he didn't engage with his parents after that. But he still went home for holidays sometimes, however awkward the visits may be. He would get to see snippets of his little sister's life as she grew. As she got older, it became harder and harder for him to resent her for receiving the love he rightfully deserved. She was just so darn loveable. She was the light in the dark, like the moon. People couldn't help but be fascinated by her, they were drawn to her. And so was he.

"Unexpectedly, their parents died when his little sister was still underage. Out of nowhere he needed to care for another person, and he knew that the life he was leading was not one for her. So he cleaned up his act, brought her out to him. An adjustment was, of course, needed. But the longer she was there, the more he loved having her around. The more he loved her.

"Then, she got sick. This sweet little girl, that had weasled her way into his heart even as he actively fought her off, was dying. But not to worry, because he had cleaned up his act. He had a job with benefits and insurance. They were covered as she went through treatment. He was there for her, like he wished his dad had been there for him. Things were hard, but they had each other."

Jason seemed to be receptive to my story but also a bit put off, I suspect, by how accurate it was to his life. Since he wasn't escalating I continued on, "One day, the FBI came to him about wanting his help. They offer him a deal for his assistance taking down his boss. With that, they promised to set him and his sister up with a stable option after his job no longer existed. They would be okay.

"But then, the FBI took down the company where he worked and left him out to dry. Not long after, his insurance at the cancer center where his sister was staying, got denied. He tried to reach out to the FBI and ask them about their end of the deal, but he was stonewalled. His sister needed a kidney replacement but he couldn't pay for it. No job, no insurance, no support system. He felt alone and like he was out of options.

"So he used his contacts from his life of crime, to set up this elaborate plan. A plan that needed to work. Not for him, but for his sister's life. He collected the best people he could, no matter the risks to help him make this a reality. Desperate for results and growing less hopeful each day, with every step the FBI took to capture him for the thing he was driven to do by them.

"By now he had gone so far that there really was no coming back. No one was going to stop him from finishing the plan. So when a security guard tried to play hero, he took him out of play. His cohorts were disturbed by this development, but by this point he was too far gone to reason with. So they helped him and themselves the best way they knew how. They reached out to the very officers working their case.

"That didn't matter though, because this man got the amount he needed. He got it to the center for his sister's surgery. And he got out of town."

I sat in silence for a second while we all soaked that in, "a perfect plan really. Except, here we all are. In the airport. Still hoping that we can change your mind. Still hoping that we can help you see that it's not the end of the line." "That was a nice trick, but just because you can know my history doesn't mean I should trust you. And it doesn't change the fact that I'm going to go back to prison if I let you take me in."

"You're right, I don't have the rapport with you for trust yet. But please, give me the opportunity to earn it. We have," I glanced at the monitors for his flight, "27 minutes before your flight starts to board. Give me the chance to show you that this road your on isn't too far gone just yet."

"There isn't anything you could say to me that would change my mind, but go ahead and talk your heart out until I board that plane and leave here forever."

I really didn't think his hostage was going to make it 27 minutes based on the shade of red on his face and the sweat rolling off his forehead so I hoped to wrap this us a bit quicker than that.

"You know, Jason, we've been talking to your sister recently. Just this morning, actually. She's going into surgery today, for your new kidney. She has no idea where the money donation came from, but she is relieved to be receiving this life- saving operation." I paused to look at him intently, "with all that going on, do you know what she said to us today? 'I wish my brother was here. He's the only family I've got left, and I wish he was here with me.""

His armour cracked a little bit at that, the quick intake of breath made that obvious to me. So I stepped in for the kill, "you saved your sister with that money. You fought like crazy just so you wouldn't lose her. But this choice here, this choice to flee the country and avoid retribution for your crimes, it means losing your sister. It means never seeing her again."

He shook his head, "she could come live with me when she gets the all clear from the doctor's. We can see each other again. Plus there's the internet, we could stay connected."

"Rose is a nineteen year old girl that you're going to leave all by herself in New York City while she battles cancer. You gave up crime for her once. You know she needs you here with her." "How can I be here with her if I'm in prison?"

"There are prisons in New York. And sentences end, you have the possibility to be a free man in this country again one day. With your sister. Committed a crime, doesn't make you a bad person." I was getting through to him, I could see it. His hold on the man started to loosen.

"How am I supposed to maintain her medical bills if I'm in prison?"

"We can work that out," I assured him, hoping he would believe me.

He shook his head, "someone said that to me once. I'm not going to fall for it again. I'm not going back to prison."

In hindsight, I should have seen it. I should have seen the switch in him. But I didn't. I was so sure I could help him see the other options, that I didn't stop to consider he might have some of his own.

My ears were still ringing from the gunshot that went off. The image of blood pooling on the airport floor burned into my eyes.

The airplane was silent as Drew and I flew back home. The rage I had bubbling up in me was becoming almost unbearable. As I looked out the window I said quietly, "he wanted you to kill him. He was giving it up and you handed it to him." Drew nodded in my peripheral, "he pointed his gun at you. I couldn't risk it."

"He wasn't going to shoot. He knew someone would kill him if he did that. But he wasn't going to shoot."

Drew didn't respond.