looked at them before they landed on the ground. Oliver’s face bloated with rage. His once blue eyes had instantly turned to blood-red color.
“Diplomatic solution! Why they didn’t do the same! They were swift to invade and slaughter our people. I say we do the same. A cheek for a cheek. You must get out!”
Bryson breathed heavily.
“We don’t want others to be in this situation. When will this stop? We invade with swiftness and tomorrow someone will raise your issues too. People will keep dying.”
“I don’t care. What about the blood that was spilled? Who will quench the wailing souls? The spirits haven’t rested. There is restlessness. Too much evil still going on. We need a conclusion to all this and that can only be achieved if we match evil with evil.”
“I understand. I feel your pain too.”
“No! You don’t!!”
Bryson kept quiet for a while whilst Oliver raged.
“Did you see innocent women and kids die?”
Bryson did not answer. He could only look down.
“I saw women beg for their lives. I saw helpless kids being shot at point-blank. So, don’t tell me you feel my pain. Everyone knows they have fallen below standard.
“I am doing my best.”
“Your best? You think this is a joke. You should have listened to me. Invade! A test of their own medicine. We could be in a better position now. All your fault. Look seventeen years now and they have only become more devious and cleverer and manipulating. Just imagine the pain and suffering for the past seventeen years. Still no change. You should have listened. If you hadn’t stepped in today, things could be for the better. You cost us lives and precious time. There are some things not to negotiate and this is one of them. There is no room for negotiations. So, don’t waste more of our time and lives. You leave now. Escape as planned.”
“But...”
“Listen this is not negotiable. They will never change.”
“Sir. With all due respect the main idea behind me negotiating was for us to gather enough evidence so we bring them to the international court.”
“Seventeen years! What do you have?”
Bryson stood up and walked toward the window.
“You are right there. Nothing, but I think we can still bring them to the court.”
“You know that can be another ten years? Who has that time? You saw it yourself they erased the documents submitted just a few days ago.”
Bryson breathed heavily before sitting down.
“You know I have a point. Time for negotiations is over. Send the word. Leave now. Once you are out, we will invade swiftly and ruthlessly. Like I have been saying evil can only breed evil.”
“But I sent all the documents to the court can we at least wait for the court’s decision.”
“You haven’t heard!”
“Heard what?” asked Bryson.
“Judge Kaden died of blood-sugar this morning?”
Bryson sunk in his chair and looked at Oliver.
“Excuse me I have to make a phone call.” said Bryson getting up.
Miles away a couple were watching the news.
Seth a man in his forties was in the lounge area with his girlfriend Jacqueline.
“Just in. Armed men have entered the bank in broad daylight and ordered everyone down before leaving with hundred thousands of dollars if not millions. Surprising no one called the authorities until after the robbers had long gone. The manager of the bank is under criticism today and many hope and wish that he should lose his job over the incident. The men are believed to have ordered everyone to cooperate at gunpoint. Even if this is the case it took minutes for those involved to have called the authorities. No one was shot. Often most expected someone to have called the authorities soon after. This is one of the strange occurrences that have hit the cities across the country. Susan reporting for Touchladybirdlucky Studios.”
Jacqueline sat up straight and looked at Seth.
“Have I heard correctly? I find that very strange. How can the bank staff get robbed and no one alert the authorities soon after the robbers had left?”
“Odd but there could be a lot of reasons to explain that?”
“Seth! What reasons?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they threatened them?”
“But they said that they alerted the authorities long after the robbers had gone.”
“I don’t know babe.”
A knock at the door of the bank manager’s office startled Mr. Trenton the bank manager.
The door suddenly opened, and Mr. Trenton came face-to-face with Detective Braden. A young detective late twenties with well shaven face with dark long hair.
“Don’t worry it’s just me.”
Mr. Trenton's face changed from a haunted face to a welcoming face.
“Come in Detective. What a relief. I have been through a lot. Just don’t think I can go through that again and survive. They nearly blasted me at point-blank.”
The detective walked in and looked around. He looked at the bank manager and retrieved a small pager like device. He retracted a pen attached on the side and pointed at the screen.
“Don’t get me wrong. I understand what you have been through but....”
He paused and sat down.
“Yes, go on Detective.”
“All the people I asked said there was no struggle at all. Most didn’t panic as they might have had in other robbery situations. To put it in one of the witnesses’ words it was like a collection if you know what I mean rather than a bank robbery. What do you say to that?”
Mr. Trenton’s face creased as his eyes squinted.
“What are you implying Detective?”
“I am just saying there was no struggle at all. Lets’ see...”
“Do you struggle with people holding guns Detective? They were armed. They said cooperate and live, struggle and die.”
The detective coughed slightly clearing his throat.
“Even in the given circumstances it took you more than twenty minutes to call for help.”
“We did what we can do in the given circumstances. Maybe that’s why also that no one was shot or killed for that matter. We were just afraid.”
“It seemed also that no emergence buttons were activated when the robbers were still in the vicinity why is that? Isn’t it your job to alert the authorities as soon as possible?”
“It happened so fast my main concern was with the safety of the people.”
“But still you have a duty to alert the authorities so that we try to trace these robbers as soon as possible.”
“Not trying to be funny Detective I did what I can in the given circumstance.”
“Have they threatened your family, threatened to come back for you, threatened you personally?”
Mr. Trenton looked surprised for a while.
“No Detective. They just walked in with guns and demanded that we cooperate.”
“But still you should have followed protocol. Increase the chances of these robbers getting caught by alerting us quickly.”
“That I will leave to you Detective. They