Chapter One Part Two
Daybreak was upon the desert, and so began the tyrannical reign of the sun. The lizards began to find spots to bask in, and snakes went in search of the mice. The snakes, however, were growing complacent.
"I don't know how much more of this I can take." One snake said to the other.
"We just have to bear with this a little longer, and soon the mice will come out of hiding, for they must be growing hungry by now." The other snake hissed back.
"I know, but I am starving now! Who knows if I will even make it when the mice come out for food."
"Just stay patient."
"Maybe God will let it slide if I just eat one little lizard."
"No! You know the reason we can't. If you do, you will punish us all with another one thousand years of suffering."
The snakes had vowed to God that they would not eat the lizards because the lizards obeyed Him and the snakes betrayed Him and all of mankind by tempting the woman to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge.
"Sometimes I wish it was us that ate from the tree of knowledge."
"We did. That's how we got the idea of tempting man."
"So why can't we eat the lizards?"
"Because they are the ones that did not sin. When we sinned, God cursed us to slither on our bellies for eternity, and we vowed to Him that we would spare the lizards if He would lift the curse. All we have to do is live one thousand years and not eat the lizards.
The snakes scavenged the open desert searching for anything they could devour. Their ribs protruded through their scaly flesh, and you could physically feel their hunger just by looking at one. The sun saw these things and paid no attention other than a quick glance here and there. In the distance between visible and invisible, the threshold between time and space, a snake found a lizard and ate it.
Eric finally decided what he would do.
"I'll join you." he said to Alex
"Are you sure?" Alex replied
"Yes."
"Alright, your first task will be in Moab. There is an armored truck that is heading to one of the local banks. We'll need you to infiltrate it. What you are doing may end up with some people's lives taken. Can you handle that?"
"Kind of, but am I the only one that is going in?"
"No, the rest of the crew is joining you. Richard will be your group leader."
"And what are you going to do?"
"I'll be a distraction."
"Ok, when is it?"
"Tomorrow morning at 11:30."
Night was approaching rapidly over the desert. Eric watched the sun fall into the ground. A fire was built outside of the abandoned gas station. Discussion grew and soon Eric joined the rest of them
"How long have y'all been doing this." Eric asked.
"Couple years." Alex replied.
"Ya we've been all around this area of the country for some time pulling these crazy heists. Only been caught a couple times but we got friends in the courts." Jose added.
"So, how are we going to do this?" Eric questioned.
"I don't know." replied Alex, "Most of my life is filled with unknowns."
"I have a plan." Jose then suggested, "If Alex will be a distraction we will have him driving in front of the armored truck and brake check them so that they are distracted with the road. Then, Alex will stop in the middle of the road and Richard will then threaten the driver while Eric, Val, and I will unload the truck."
A harsh silence was bestowed among the talk. A noise then filled the air as quickly as the silence came.
"If anybody thinks that this won't work please speak now or forever hold your peace." Alex stated.
No one spoke, and just like a marriage between two in love, the criminals and the crime were now bound in vows that they will never leave each other.
The sun fell out of the sky and the birds chirped no more. Night had its grimly deathly haunting hands on the warm face of the desert like the touch of a forgotten friend. The crickets were now the leaders in song once more, and their bands filled the cool air with music and peace. However, death was always present. Lurking over the shoulder of each inhabitant of the desert, breathing on the ear, whispering and luring the individual to partake in his delight, death was waiting for his next victim, and he was patient and willing to remain until the correct being was presented. Death was murky waters.
Morning broke death's temptations and soon the face of the desert was filled with song from the birds. The cool air was quickly replaced with the rays of the sun and the tyranny of heat, and the lizards once more began to talk.
"Where did man learn laws?" The first lizard asked
"No one knows." The second lizard replied, "What we know for certain is that at some point man devised a system where he is the ruler of all and he decides what will be done."
"But what keeps one from disobeying?"
"Murky waters."
And all that heard the lizard agreed with him, and all who did not hear, did not understand.
October was creeping around the corner. Summer was officially dead. The world was in a state of shock, so the heat of the desert persuaded the rest of the land to exist in the warmth. However the mountains were turning. Those deathly jagged peaks were now participating with fall and winter in order to relieve the damage that the summer had caused. Decay presented itself in the leaves and the trees, the rivers and the lakes, and the valley and the canyon, but the desert was already dead and void of life.
The time was rapidly approaching for the group of criminals to create their scene, so they began to drive towards Moab. Each one of them was filled with the idea of their demise, but this did not stop them, and they continued on driving into town to prepare for their crime. Alex, who was driving, was dreaming in his head a world where he did not know, and what the world he did know would think when he left its corpse.
Once they had arrived in the town, everyone got to their positions and Alex drove to reach the armored vehicle. He approached it, and when he did, he switched lanes, sped up past it, and merged into the lane that the bank vehicle was in. Slamming his breaks, Alex convinced the armored truck driver to stop his car. Then Richard approached the driver's window holding a gun, but the driver knew what was going on.
"Shit!" Alex screamed.
The truck driver then pushed Alex's car a couple hundred feet where a bridge over the Colorado river was. Alex lost control of his vehicle and his car tumbled off the side of the bridge. At that very moment when his car first hit the water, Alex tried his best to escape, but the doors were locked and the windows shut so he was quickly sinking. One issue became clear however, there was a hole in the floorboard which started to fill the car with thick brown, chocolatey water. Alex tried to scream for help, but it was no use. No one could hear him over the roaring river. Desperately, he attempted to open his window, but it was no use. The rollers were completely stuck from them sitting for years without ever being used. The water was now about chest deep and he was beginning to panic. He kept making an effort at keeping himself calm. Eventually, the water was chin high and filling fast. Alex took a final breath and allowed the water to engulf him. It was similar to a baptism, and just like most things in his life, even his death was in murky waters.
After this, the police were notified and Richard was trying to hold them back so the others could escape. One of his bullets flew through the air landing in one of the heads of the officers. Then, from the police officers' side an array of bullets were fired at Richard. One hit his shoulder, the next one hit his stomach, and the third one squared him right in the forehead. Richard then fell backwards, and while doing so he looked at the sky. He saw the birds fly and the trees sing. He saw the clouds float throughout the atmosphere, and he saw a morning moon. In this split second, he saw these things, and then his head hit the floor and he was no longer conscious or alive.
Eric and Jose were able to escape, but Val, on the other hand, raised her hands up, and surrendered to the police.