Smooth Criminals

The four of us, including Donatello, made our way down the dark tunnel. Michael led us with Donatello behind him and me behind Don with John behind me. I sighed under my bandanna after a while because it felt like we were crawling forever.

"We're almost to the city again," Michael said from ahead of me.

We kept crawling. John came up next to me and I felt his arm brush against mine as we moved.

"Hello," he said with a smile that I could hear in his voice.

I nodded in the dark. "Hello," I said underneath the bandanna.

"So," he said, "have you ever robbed a bank?"

"No." It was true. I've never been the type that is bad. I've been the bad to the bad, more like an unsung hero to the good people. I really didn't know if I could rob a bank.

"Then what is it that the Masked Ghost does?," he asked.

"Well, I don't really consider myself much of a criminal."

"But you still run from the police," he stated.

"Well, yeah. They still want me because I've murdered people before and what not."

He laughed. "Alright, so you can murder, but not rob a bank?"

I sighed. "The people I've killed were people who were criminals."

"So, what is it?," he asked. "Alyssa, you aren't really a hero, but you aren't really a villain either."

"I'm a ghost, I suppose."

He laughed again. "The Masked Ghost needs to decide what she is. You won't be able to survive in this world with so many secrets and by being so undecisive."

We kept crawling down the hole. "Alyssa," he said, "from what I've heard about you, you are a serious controversial issue. People either like you or hate you. To some people you are the hero, to others, they want you dead almost as badly as they want us dead. That's why you have to stay with us. We're the same way."

I took this in. John was right. I was on the most wanted list, but they were higher up on it. Some people loved me for killing criminals, other people hated me for being a murderer. I just had to make my own decision of what I wanted to do. I could either remain the secret girl who was the Masked Ghost with her Black Horse, or I could become one of the most wanted people in America. To be honest, I was tired of only being known in the city of Chicago. I was going to stay with Michael and John and become infamous. I smiled at the thought.

"So," John said, "does the Masked Ghost want to be the same smalltown criminal, or does she want to be in the big leagues?"

I smiled. "I'm sick and tired of being the small town type."

John grunted. "Good choice."

We crawled for a few more minutes and then Michael stopped us. I could hear him shuffling and getting up to his feet. I heard scraping metal and then light flowed into the dark tunnel.

"Alright, lets go," Michael said.

I could now see Michael from the light above. I could tell we were coming out of a pot hole somewhere on a street. Michael picked up Don again and hauled him up the metal ladder. He pushed him over the side and followed him up. I quickly got up and followed after them. John came up right behind me.

Michael took the pot hole cover and placed it back over the gap. I looked around at where we were. We were in an alley with two big buildings on either side of us. A group of garbage cans was set up against a fence that was at the end of the alley. I turned and looked the other way towards the opening of the alley. Cars zoomed by on the street. Sunlight fell on all of us and I squinted up at it. It was great to no longer be in the dark. Although, the dark did help.

"Alright," Michael said. I looked back at him. The white of his clothing was even more bright than it was in the dark. His black curly hair fell down around his hat. He carefully pushed some of it back under the hat.

"The bank is three buildings down," Michael said. "We'll go in and take several thousands of dollars in about one minute.'

"Do we have any weapons?" I asked.

Michael and John both smiled and laughed. John looked at me. "Of course we do."

Michael walked back towards the garbage cans and opened each of them up. He pulled out two Tommy guns and turned and threw one to John. He pulled another gun out, a smaller one, and closed the garbage cans and walked over to me. He spun it around on his finger and then stopped it and held the handle out to me.

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you know how to use it?"

I raised both my eyebrows and looked down at it. "Really? A Magnum Revolver?"

John smiled. "We weren't entirely expecting to recruit you to our team."

Michael stared at me in my eyes. "I know you can use it. Hide it under your dress for now. Later on we'll get more guns that you will be satisfied with, I promise."

I took the gun and lifted up my dress and tucked the gun into my gun holster I kept on my leg. Both of them watched me. I smiled and put my dress back down. Both of their heads came back up to eye level.

"Good to know you come prepared," Michael said with a devilish smile.

I smiled. "I'm one of the few women in this entire world that appreciates the invention of weaponry."

John slung his gun over his shoulder. "I like you already."

Michael laughed a little and put his gun over his white jacket. "Alright. So, here's how this is going to happen. Alyssa, you'll go into the bank, draw as much attention to yourself as possible without revealing what you're going to do."

"Meaning, what exactly?" I asked.

Michael smiled. "Use your mind, Alyssa. 90% of the people that are going to be in there are men. What turns most men's heads?"

I raised my eyebrows and smirked under the black bandanna. "I see."

He nodded. "So, once you get their attention, pull out your gun and lift it up above everyone so they can see it. Tell everyone to get down. If they don't, fire a shot and we'll come in then. Otherwise, we'll come in when we hear screaming. Whatever you do, don't kill anyone. Can you do that?"

I nodded. "It is indeed do-able."

They both nodded. Michael tilted his head. "Ready when you are, Alyssa."

I nodded and turned towards the street. I began walking towards it. I made my way to the road and then turned onto the sidewalk towards the Unity Trust and Savings Bank. I smiled under my bandanna as I felt eyes falling on me for wearing such a thing over my mouth. No one would know it was me until they put two and two together after this.

My dress swayed with me as I moved. I wished it was shorter. I hoped Michael would buy me one much more soothing to my taste after this. I focused on the plan. I go in, use my sex appeal, draw everyone's attention, and then pull out my gun and have a little fun. Hey, that could be my new motto. Pull out my gun and have a little fun. I like it.

I came before the bank and quickly and gracefully made my way up the stairs in my heels. I came to the front door of the bank and pushed through the swivel door. I stopped and looked around. The bank was quite large.

Michael was right. Most of the people in here were men. I took in a deep breath and then let it out. I walked slowly with one foot in front of the other with my heels clicking against the wood floor. I pulled the tie out of my hairand shook my head slowly, letting my curly brown and blonde hair fall over my shoulders just over my collarbone. I looked around casually.

Some of the men began to look at me. I smiled under the bandanna. I stopped walking and stood in the middle of the bank. I put the leg with the gun on it forward. I bent down over the leg and slowly lifted my dress up. I stopped just before revealing the gun. I looked up. Most of the men were looking at me now.

I slowly lifted the dress up more. In one quick motion, I grabbed the gun from the holster and held it above my head.

"Everybody down!"

People began screaming and some of them did as I told. I heard the swivel door open behind me with two pairs of jogging legs. I looked over one of my shoulders and saw John. He lifted the gun off of his back and pointed it towards the people. I looked over my other shoulder and saw Michael do the same. Everybody instantly fell down to the ground at the sight of them.

"Put your hands behind your head! All of you!" John yelled.

Michael walked over to me. "You go the opposite way of John. Threaten anyone that doesn't listen." He handed me his gun and took mine out of my hand.

I held the Tommy gun and walked to the other side of the bank. Michael took off with the gun. He held it above his head and fired two shots. People began screaming. My adrenaline began pumping and I liked it. I went over to a group of people and pointed the gun at them.

"Hands behind your heads! Now!" I yelled with my eyebrows furrowed.

They all did as I told as they whimpered. I caught of of the corner of my eye a man's hand slowly moving towards a phone. I walked over to him and stamped my heel onto his hand. He cried out in pain and moved his hand away from the phone. I gave him a cold stare. He held his hand looking up at me. His middle finger was bleeding and bent.

"You don't need that finger anyways," I muttered. "Hands behind your head!" I repeated pointing the gun at the man.

I could hear Michael yelling at a man to move faster. In another ten seconds, Michael came out from the back of the bank with three full potato bags under his arm with a man under his other arm with a the gun pointed at the man. He released the man and walked over to me. He nodded and I walked away with him. Michael nodded towards John and John came over to us.

"Alyssa, give me your gun," Michael said. I gave it to him. "You're going to play the hostage. They can't shoot at a lady. Take off your bandanna." I took it off quickly and stowed it in my dress. "There's a car waiting outside."

Michael put his arm around my neck and he gave the sacks full of money to John. "Lets go," Michael said.

Michael began walking while holding me. He held the gun in his other hand. We casually walked out of the swivel door and down the steps. There was a car in at the bottom of the stairs parked on the side of the road. I could see Donatello in the backseat. There were people across the road down the street with guns pointed at us. They saw me and didn't fire.

We got to car and I got in the passenger seat. Michael went around to the drivers and began firing every shot he had at the men down the street. John flung the money in the back and got in after it. Michael quickly got in the drivers seat and we sped away.