Bandito

• Grant Mugridge, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2004

Bandito, the most wanted and elusive criminal this world has ever known. He was captured just days ago; this is his story…
Having robbed a jewellery shop of all its most expensive items, Madigen, or Bandito, was now hiding from the police. He pressed himself against the alley wall and awaited their passing. Once he could no longer hear them, Bandito pulled off the black clothes he had worn during the robbery to reveal a bright coloured suit. He put on a pair of sunglasses he’d kept in his pocket and pulled off the wig he’d been wearing. Leaving the alley casually, he headed towards his porsche and threw in the suitcase of loot as he climbed in, starting the engine and speeding off to his apartment. This is where he became worried; the police had surrounded the apartment and were watching for the car that he’d taken to the robbery, a blue, beat-up Ford.
“That ain’t good…” he said to himself, turning around to find another place to hide out. He soon came to a hotel, where he found a ‘No Vacancy’ sign in the window. Bandito swore angrily and turned again, now aiming for an abandoned warehouse.
He was finally given a break; the warehouse and the lot it was in were empty. Picking up the suitcase and stopping the car, Bandito checked the area one last time. He couldn’t see anyone but it felt too easy, so he pulled his revolver from the glove-box just in case something did go wrong. Slowly exiting the car, gun in his pocket and suitcase in hands, he headed into the warehouse. Entering the building he gave one last glance at his surroundings; all was still quiet. He went on in, unaware of the police that had followed him moving in from around a corner.
He dropped the suitcase onto a desk in the warehouse and looked inside at the jewels that winked at him. He smiled and went through the case carefully, separating the jewels into what he would keep and sell (The sell pile would always have the majority of his loot, but the keep would have the most expensive).
Suddenly, all of the doors into the warehouse burst open and police moved in, all holding their guns at the ready. “Freeze!” they all ordered, hiding behind anything that would provide cover. Bandito had dropped his hands into his pockets when the doors had come open and had managed to conceal the revolver up his sleeve. He raised his hands over his head and dropped to his knees slowly. The police moved in on him and once they were close enough for him not to miss, he slid the gun into his hand and fired.
Click…
He had forgotten to load the gun and now the police were enraged because of his attempt. They approached more quickly and pushed him onto his back, slapping on the handcuffs.