The alarm echoes about the bank, clanging and whooping like a demented circus parade. The tellers all drop behind their cages, and the bank guards drop their cards and scurry from the break room. Except for Sherman, the newest guard. He has 3 aces, and is hoping that they'll finish this hand when the excitement is over.
The bank guards arrange themselves in a circle around the bank robber, with their pistols pointed at various points close to the position occupied by the robber. Sherman moves a little to the left, as he notices that Wyatt, the oldest guard, has his gun is pointed mostly at him. Wyatt should have retired several years ago, and is getting a little shaky in his old age.
The bank robber pulls off the ski-mask, and uses the back of the mask to wipe off his eyes. When he can open them again, all he sees is a battalion of artillery staring at him. It's actually only 3 small pistols, but they look like field cannons from his angle.
The robber drops his mask and slowly puts his hands on his head. The way the old fellow keeps jerking his pistol makes him very nervous, and he doesn't want to startle him.
The bank officer, a slight, waspish, man in his middle 60's comes out of the back office.
"Oh, what an infernal racket! Do turn that off this instant." He points at the redhaired teller who has peeked above her station.
"Thank you." The bank officer looks back at the robber and the phalanx of guards surrounding him. "I do believe that you have thwarted an attempted robbery! Good work!"
The red-haired teller stands up and points at Brain-Dead Boy. "He did it!" she shouts. "The robber was pointing the gun at me when he made him turn around and..." she pauses for a moment, "distracted him."
The bank officer looks at Brain-Dead Boy who is pale as a blank deposit slip, and green as a freshly minted bill.
"Well, you don't look much like a hero," the bank officer states with an air of defying anyone to dispute with him. "But you are certainly entitled to some reward. Miss Next, give him one of the certificates for the all you can eat brunch at the NoTel Hotel."
FINI