The moment was surreal, as if time had slowed down and everything was moving in slow motion. We found ourselves backed against the wall, with no escape route in sight. The fear that gripped us was palpable, and we felt like we were at the mercy of our captors. Our hands were raised above our heads, a symbol of our submission and vulnerability.
It was a moment that made me realize that danger lurked around anytime and any day, even at the most unexpected time. I had never anticipated such a situation, not in this bar at least.
I blinked my eyes in disbelief and great fear when I heard the door get locked up and someone stood guarding it.
As I stood there, frozen with fear, I felt a hot sweat rush down from every part of my body, soaking my clothes and making me shiver. Tears stung my eyes as I struggled to control my breathing, but my heart was beating so fast that I thought it would burst out of my chest. At that moment, my mind was racing like a river, hitting over stones and rocks, trying to process this situation. The big guns I had seen them hold were the only thing in my head.
I had to get away.
I scanned the room with my side eyes trying to look for something. a phone, a weapon, an escape route, anything at all. There was nothing in sight, nothing of help and even if there was, how would I use it? how would I escape these bulked-up men with guns and weapons?
I gave up looking for something while my mind raced like a crazy driver on the road.
What is happening? Who are these people? What will they do to us? All six of us? We were the only ones that had been in the bar tonight.
I could never have regretted coming out here tonight as I could never have imagined this attack. This scenario was beyond anything I could have ever envisioned. I never thought twice about being cautious in this neighbourhood or in this bar that was as familiar as my name.
There was movement everywhere in the bar, it suddenly seemed very rowdy. The men were walking about the bar. There was movement everywhere. Some of them were turning over chairs and tables, some were switching off the major lights of the bar like the bright white bulb outside while some were entering inside other rooms, perhaps looking out for more people hiding or for something else that we didn't know
My heart jumped at each sound they made. I wanted to cry and run away. I imagined the worst that these men could be. Kidnappers? Armed robbers? Organ harvesters? Assassins? Each thought sent a shiver down my spine and my mouth felt very dry. Whoever they were, they meant harm and I felt it deep in my bones. I had looked at them properly even in my drunken state. My vision had suddenly gotten clearer and I could see them in clear view. They wore masks and they carried big guns, all 10 of them. They were armed from head to foot. Aside from their eyes, no other feature was visible. They were bulked up and they seemed very vicious and prepared for something. They could not just be armed robbers, they wouldn't have done this much just to rob a small bar. There were even bigger bars in front, there were big houses everywhere too. I knew that it was something different and something big. I wondered who brought them out here and what they were to do here.
There was no clue on who these men were and there was no clue on how to get help. There was no hope. Every light in the bar was now switched off except the small green light in the centre of the room. Outside was dark and it was very quiet. We were officially delivered into the hands of these men, there was nothing else to be done. I glanced over at the clock with my side eyes. The time was 11:59 pm. There was no other person around, nobody except the six persons including me who had been drinking in the bar before these men barged in. There was no extra person, not even a fly.
I saw fear in all their faces, even Mr Daniel who owned the bar. Before now, he used to walk about in a fearless air and with a confident gait but tonight, he was whimpering like a child. I wondered if he knew something about these men, something that made him this fearful. if he did, I wanted to hold him by his collar and shake him vigorously and scream at him and ask him a million questions about why we were in this mess with him. If he didn't know anything about these men, then we were all doomed together. We were finished. Mr Daniel stood two persons away from me. I was the second person on the line they made us stand in, the first person being the man who had been sitting down opposite me in the bar and trying to stir up conversations with me.
The air suddenly grew cold as they filled up the space behind us.
It was time for whatever.
I gulped and water streamed down my eyes.
"Begin." Someone commanded. That accent, I had heard it from somewhere. I had heard it from a movie or maybe a radio show or at work or maybe at the neighborhood but I knew it sounded familiar. it was Spanish. it was definitely Spanish. I was sure it that.
Suddenly, they turned someone around and I gasped when I heard his whimpers. I recognized his voice instantly. It was the man that had been sitting opposite me in the bar, the man I was standing next to, the man with a nerdish grin and open curious eyes.
"There's no time to waste. Comply immediately. Give us everything on you. Every dollar bill, every document, every piece of equipment you have with you." A hoarse voice said to him and I suddenly felt nauseous. I almost laughed too, it was funny and it was stupid. A document at this time of the night? Who would come to a bar with documents or with anything of value? it made no sense, no sense at all. It was even funnier when I thought about myself. I had nothing on me, not even my phone, not even a dollar note. I had grabbed just some cash and I had used all of it to buy bottles of beer. Nothing remained from the money. My house was just a few blocks away so I had nothing to use money or my phone for.
"I have nothing on me." He said interrupting my thoughts. I took a few seconds to analyze his words and then the message. His voice was shaky but firm. He was trying to show no signs of fear but his shaky voice betrayed him and I wished he wouldn't do that. I wished he wouldn't try to put up a strong air, not now, not with these men. They didn't come for jokes.
"Search him!" The Spanish voice commanded again, furiously and in haste. I tightened my grip panting like I would faint any moment. I heard a hand grab him fiercely and I closed my eyes tight. I felt my heart pound in my stomach. Everything was turning, even the ground.
There was a sudden silence. No command, no conversation, just heavy breathing from the remaining five of us, mine being the loudest. Seconds passed in deep grave silence. I tried to calm myself down. I tried to calm my heavy breathing down and fight the wild thoughts rushing through my head. I tried to be calm but my lips were already trembling vigorously. My shut eyes were burning.
My body suddenly jerked in full force and I opened my eyes wide in horror when a gun rang. It happened like a blur, in a very fast moment and then someone dropped to the floor dead.
I felt madness. I screamed and I screamed hysterically. I was shaking and I was out of breath, I held the wall to prevent myself from crashing to the floor. They shot him. They killed the man that had been talking to me just a few minutes ago. I crashed to the ground and I screamed more. I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't see anything, all I felt was a maddening fear and great pain.
Suddenly, a large hand covered my mouth. I felt two other hands grab me from behind.
"Hold her up." The Italian man commanded again and I was held up in a standing position.
I heard him grin behind his mask.
"it's your turn now."
A gun cocked from somewhere in the room and my body suddenly grew cold.