DANIEL FERRANDI - BIG RIG ROBBERY

Daniel Ferrandi is 19-year-old college student from Long Island, NY. He enjoyed stories and became fascinated with how they were told after he spontaneously wrote a poem at the age of nine. Daniel has enjoyed entertainment in many mediums from a very young age, and that love has stuck with him and drove him to begin his writing journey. He is currently attending University as a Creative Writing for Entertainment major and working as a cashier for a supermarket chain. 

​                                        Big Rig Robbery
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  Sweat dripped down my brow as I punched someone out of my way. Slamming through the revolving doors, I made a beeline for the truck. The skyscrapers are watching over the bustling streets and blocking the harsh sunlight. The horn of the rig drowned out the rampant chatter of civilians going about their day, forcing traffic to honk and swerve as the truck abandoned its parking spot. We slowly gained momentum towards the outskirts of the city. The bay was on our left. Seagulls made their shrill calls overhead.
 
 Adrenaline was exiting my system, and I remembered I could put the duffel bag I was clutching so tightly down as well as the one around my shoulder. Driver finally said something for the first time as we crossed a red suspension bridge. “How much did ya nab? No sign of cops either, you’re a pro.”
 
 “’Course I am. Been in the business for years.” I assured him after taking off my facemask. Unzipping my exterminator’s suit, I sighed in relief. How do people wear those when it’s sweltering outside? It’s the dead of summer and they work in that.
 
 We got free of the worst urban invention -traffic- and heard sirens for the first time. “Make a right, gotta avoid the blue.” Nodding in compliance, the driver’s gloved hands turned the wheel and the tires screeched. There is less cover in this area; the buildings are dwarves.
 
 “Wanna take that gun off your back? Must be uncomfortable sitting like that.” This amateur was considerate. However, the torn, rubbery leather covering the hardwood of the seats was just as pleasant as the steel, aluminum, and plastic of my assault rifle.
 
 “Nah, I’m good. We’re good.” With a celebratory high-five, we continued onto the interstate. “Amazing that by the gulf you go from the water to a desert in only a couple of minutes. But, no matter where you go, the heat is too much.” I looked at the winds picking up sand, whirling past cacti and a red Audi getting ahead of us. Beautiful car, but its radiance doesn’t have the same effect on me while being in something much larger than it.  If you looked at a vermillion butterfly, its wings luminescent in the moonlight, it still wouldn’t compare to a peacock flashing its tail feathers.
 
 “This heat is too much? You a northerner or somethin’? The only heat we should be worried about is still looking for us in the industrial area.”
 
 “For the sake of you and me both, I hope that’s true. If it is, this was one clean heist.” I sat forward, noticing the driver approaching an exit. “This wasn’t the route we agreed upon.”
 “I know, there’s been a change of plan. I have this police radio on me. There’s a roadblock up ahead, so we’re changing the drop off point. Here, have a listen.”
 
 “No need, I trust you. Let’s just get out of here.” I shuffled around in my seat, prying my jeans loose. The humidity was making me stick to the damn thing.
 
 “You alright, bud? You seem a bit on edge now. Don’t worry about it. We’re almost there.” A tunnel through a mountain was staring us down. Surprisingly short, daylight assaulted my pupils, and a siren penetrated my ears. Ahead of us, the police cruiser blocked the one-way road. “Punch it!”
 
 Instead of complying, John stepped on the brake. His wool glove tapped my shoulder. “Hide the gun under the dash quick, and get out with me.”
 
 Fear was welling up inside me, but I opened the door and climbed down. Approaching the officer with a nonchalant gait, I was opening my mouth to ask about the blockade obliviously, when my partner tackled me to the asphalt. My head slammed against the hard and blazingly hot surface. My hair became soaked, and my vision blurry.
 
 “What the HELL!?” It probably came out jumbled with my injury, but I couldn’t tell. “This ‘officer’ is my partner.” He turned to the policeman. “They’re all so gullible, even the old ones.” They shared a laugh, and more sirens closed in. John’s partner knocked him to the ground and pointed his standard issue pistol at him. Officers exited cruisers and surrounded us.
 
 “Wait, wait WAIT!” John desperately shouted. I already gave up.
 
“Got the robbers! Help me get them in cuffs!” The other officers came over and I felt the cold steel around my wrists. Both of us were played.