Alexander Knight's POV
Las Vegas
Stealing is fun. Robbing banks is even more fun, but you know what's more fun? Seeing the expressions on people's faces when they realize they've just been robbed. It is a delight to my darkened heart. Ever since my baby brother ran away from home 5 years ago, I've had to do something with my life in order to keep myself busy other than to keep looking for him. These five years have been hell without him. He was my rock, my reason to live, but since he's currently gone from my life, I've had to turn to other things to keep myself going. I've done things in these past five years that I'm not the most proud of, but they're the reason I've been alive until now, so I don't necessarily regret doing them.
Anyways, right now I'm headed to my tiny ass apartment. I've been trying to find a legal job to help pay my bills - and my debts - but it's that time of the year where every position has already been filled, and no one is in need of a new hire. Which only leaves me with the jobs that don't pay well, like working at a gas station or grocery store. Sure, you might say that I could just keep doing my illegal shit, well it's not that simple. Since I'm a lone wolf - I work alone - and have no one to back me up, it takes weeks to plan a single heist. Whether it'd be a bank, a person's house, or even a museum. Most of the time, I need to study the layout weeks in advance, just so I can make sure I don't get caught. So, I'm sure you can imagine that it's impossible for me to just steal every single night. It's just not possible for me.
Parking the car. Getting out. Closing the door. Locking the car. This was the routine I had gotten into doing every night. Every night when I come back from job interviews. The supervisors always telling me the same thing. "Sorry, we don't have any positions available." "Sorry Sir, we don't currently have any vacant positions available." "Sorry, at this time of year, all of our positions have been filled." All I keep hearing is sorry, sorry, sorry... and I am tired of it. It's come to the point where I am willing to take any job I can get, even if it means I have to do such a thing as petty theft to get the money I so desperately need.
With these thoughts in mind, I unlocked my apartment door and set to make a list. I know I said it's impossible for me to steal every night - and it is - but at this point I am literally willing to do anything. I guess you may wonder why I so desperately need this money, well that is because of the amount of money I owe to the Italian mafia. I took out a loan 4 years ago when I was about as broke as a glass shard, and since the interest rates keep rising almost all of my money goes to them.
I had spent all my money on ways that could potentially help me find my missing baby brother, but they all came up with nothing. Now that I need to pay back the loan though, I don't have 20 million dollars on me. On top of that, I need to pay the interest rates which adds roughly another 5 million dollars to the already very high amount of money I owe them. I just wish my brother was here, then I wouldn't have to worry about whether he's alive and living well. I don't even really know what prompted him to run away in the first place. Even if I may have an idea as to what caused him to run away, I can't be sure until I find him.
Okay, list, list, list. What could I possibly do for work? Work at a gas station, sure. Even if that pays less than minimum wage, it's a start. Maybe a grocery store? That's not bad either. I couldn't work at a retail store since there's too many people around. Um, maybe do drug runs for a gang? That could work. I can't heist a bank every night so my next best bet would be to get hired to-
The ringing of my phone is what interrupts my thoughts. Who the fuck would call me at this hour. I'm not on speaking terms with my parents, so who the fuck is it? Staring at the caller ID, I see it's an unknown number. The hell!?
I pick up the phone reluctantly, and wait until I hear someone before speaking. "Hello?" I've never heard this voice before. I just hope it's not some stalker or someone who could have possibly found out what I do at midnight.
"Hello? Who is this?" I replied. I won't trust this person 'til I am sure I know them, or what they want from me.
"Hi, are you Midnight Hawk? This is Phantom speaking." Okay, first of all, how the fuck did he get my number, and second of all, what could a drug lord, car lord, gang leader, and more possibly want from me.
"Yes, this is he. What the fuck do you want Phantom. Last I heard, you're best man got arrested," I said harshly into the phone.
"Yeah, that's why I have a job for you. We needed the money that car could have brought yesterday, and since Shadow Rider got arrested, none of my men want to risk getting caught, since he was the best after all," Phantom explained. Okay, but what makes him think I'd want to risk getting arrested either. Who does he think I am? "You're my best option. I know you need the money, my men have been keeping an eye on you for a while now, and your last heist was a huge success. Imagine what you could achieve if you had a team behind you. I know you live for the thrill a bank heist can give you, and I desperately need 3.5M tomorrow, since that's the latest the buyer is expecting the money. You'll be getting paid double that amount if you choose to do it, and you would also be earning a future favour from me."
He kept speaking, but all I could hear was how much I would be getting paid to do this. The most I've ever been paid by someone is 2 million dollars, what he's offering is almost four times that amount. I do need the money right now, otherwise I'll lose my place to live. Then again, what if I get caught. No, I can't think like that. "Alright, fine. I'll do it. But you better stick to that promise of a favour of yours, otherwise you can say goodbye to the money you owe the buyer."
He chuckled into the line. "Alright. Okay, so this is what we'll do..."
***
It's time.
It's time to rob the biggest bank of America, Central Bank of America, CBoA for short.
After finishing the last details of the plan with Phantom, choosing gang members of the Hellhounds to be my backup, and studying the layout of the bank, I was ready for the night. It's time Midnight Hawk came back in action. My last heist was a few months ago, since then, I've only been taking on jobs that are smaller and have a lower risk of attracting the attention of bystanders.
To get ready, I packed my duffle bag with the tools I will need to complete this heist undetected, as well as my computer to control the cameras. I packed a black hoodie and my go-to leather jacket, as well as my black leather gloves. I put on a black beanie, making sure to hide my dirty blonde hair, and some black shades, grabbed my car keys and I was out the door.
I was supposed to meet with Phantom's goons at an unmarked warehouse, so that we could all make our way to the bank in the van that was prepared. The minivan was equipped with security monitoring devices, as well as communication technologies. You might ask why I'm bringing my computer, well that would be so I can keep studying the layout, and the notes I had laid out.
When I arrived at the warehouse, everyone else was already present. I made my way over to the others once I had gotten out of my car. "You must be the famous Midnight Hawk," one of the guys that I now recognize as Vex said. From what I hear, he's a ruthless man and will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if it means he has to kill you to get to it.
Looking around, I notice that Vex has two other companions with him. From what Phantom told me, the girl goes by the name of Rogue and the man is Havoc. In our line of work, most of us always have cover names, or nicknames that we go by. The first rule to work as a criminal is to never let others know your identity.
"Yeah, and you guys must be Vex, Havoc, and who I assume is Rogue," she nods in response. "Can I ask why Rogue, or is that too personal?" She seems to have expected this question, but nevertheless chooses the latter, so I leave it at that.
I sighed. "Alright guys, let's do this thing."
***
"Okay, stick to the plan guys. Hawk, you do your thing. Rogue, you take care of the distraction, and please don't make anything explode again. It was a nightmare last time. Havoc, you deal with the guards so that Hawk can have straight access to the vault. I'll back you guys up here and take care of the cameras. Everyone got it?" Vex set out the plan that had been made earlier. Everyone nodded their apprehension and we set to work. Little did we know we wouldn't make it very far.
Rogue, Havoc and I left the van and made our way inside. As Rogue made her way to the front desk to be the distraction Havoc and I needed to make our way into the back, a man approached me. Immediately, I took notice of his badge. Looking around, I could tell everyone that was looking at me had a badge. With that, I knew I wouldn't get out of this, but Vex and the others could. So I did the only thing I could think of.
"Run," I said into the earpiece that we each had in our ears as a means of communication. Rogue and Havoc both seemed to understand what I was insinuating as they both immediately - quickly, but subtly - made their way out of the bank and back into the van. With that done, I gave the police an opening to get to me.
"Put your hands where I can see them and get down on the ground."
Fuck my life.
I was caught red handed.