Short Story: Waking The Giant

Short Story: Waking The Giant

Hudson Terraplane flicked the thin cotton curtain away from his face, and peered with snake eyes through the grubby glass of the window. The shuttered window looked out over the wide expanse of the schoolyard, and from here he guessed he would be able to easily check any movements, coming or going. The view afforded from the old empty schoolhouse was ideal, and designs began to crank over in his mind. Across the way, the street was clear and wide, as it swept into the town. The grey light was lifting in the new morning, and he could see clear across the street and into the Municipal City Bank opposite.

‘Babe’ was late, and Hudson grew impatient at the delay and lowered the heavy Tommy gun and rested it against the inner wall. He dropped the curtain back across his wide-jawed face, and pulled away from the window. He withdrew an expensive silver case from an inner pocket of his sharp city suit, and flicked a cigarette to his mouth. He watched carefully as the thin smoke curdled high into the cool air, and strode manfully over to the heavy desk that sat in the corner of the dimly lit classroom. ‘…Son of a bitch, he’s gonna get us all killed one day,’ he cursed under his breath. He blew out another volume of smoke, drew heavily again upon the contents of the cigarette, perched himself upon the desk, and considered his scheme.

They had pulled off many jobs similar to this, and the Municipal City Bank and its meagre security would be child’s play, like taking candy. The Coppers might show when the alarm sounded, but if they all kept cool, and no-one lost their heads, they would be loaded with cash and away in the big heavy Ford, long before the law could show. Hudson could feel the rush coursing through his veins, as he anticipated the hold up - banks were his speciality, and he had the notoriety to prove it, but he enjoyed it. It was what he did. Rob banks, steal from the rich who stole from the poor, as he would recant it, and to anyone who would listen to him, and they did. He was revered in the underworld, feared by the police, hated by the Bureau, but openly admired by the people. The people had a strange fascination for his lifestyle, living on the edge, staying in the headlines, and living life to the full – it was a hell of a ride.

Loose gravel sprayed noisily across the empty schoolyard outside, and the slow throb of a powerful motor engine pulsed through the morning air. Hudson skipped to the window and peered out at the slowly approaching silhouette of the dark automobile. The heavy Ford ground its large tyres into the yard and pulled to a halt. The engine maintained its tick over, as if the driver was waiting, waiting for something, anything. Nothing came, and the engine was switched off. The large black driver’s door swung forward, and two glossy, jet-black overshoes landed softly onto the gravel. A small man in a pin stripe three-piece slowly emerged from behind the door of the automobile. The small figure was compact and neat, and topped with a wide brimmed grey hat. The man stood and paused at length behind the door as if waiting for something, he looked nervously around in all directions, then turned and reached behind the driving seat and pulled at something dark. He stood upright and quickly pushed a menacing shape beneath his jacket. He closed the door carefully, and squinted through thick spectacles in the direction of the schoolhouse.

‘Babe’!’ Uttered Hudson under his breath, and he flicked the curtain back and forth. The figure in the yard turned to the window and moved quickly to the schoolhouse. Hudson pulled the front door ajar, and grinned at the approaching figure. The door opened fully and daylight spilled into the schoolhouse, "Come on, get in – you’re late!"

"Hud – you ok?”

"Sure, never better. …How’s the hand?"

"Aww… can’t complain," offered the small man softly, holding up his bandaged hand. "Yeah, the Doc’s fixed me up pretty good, but I can still shoot, if that’s what you’re getting out.

Hudson reached out and laid his large hand on the shoulder of the small man, "Ok, take it easy, I’m jes’ asking…"

"Say is Mollie with ya, kinda hoped I’d see her again ‘fore I set back to Chicago… if you know what I mean…"

"Yeah, but there ain’t time for that Babe. …Don’t wanna be here too long, the town’s startin’ to stir.”

"…Where is she?"

Hudson nodded his dark head at an inner door, "She’s out back, supposed to be keepin’ a check on the drops. …Hell, she’s probably fixin’ herself or some damn thing… Say listen Babe, you brought the hardware?"

The small man did not answer, but simply pulled back upon the silk lining of his jacket and flashed a string of white teeth in Hudson’s direction. "…Will that do?"

Hudson Terraplane returned a crooked grin of his own and pointed, "You got enough ammunition for that thing…?"

"It’s loaded, and there’s a couple of boxes in the back of the Ford with the pistols, and I reckon’ Johnny’s goin’ to be carryin’ heavy too."

"Well he ain’t here, an’ I don’t want him till he’s needed, he gets anxious before the ‘game’, and anxious gets ya killed…"

"Sure, whatever you say Hud, you’re the boss, an’ I know you like things cool and calm - say when you gonna tell him?"

"When he’s needed, the less he knows the better. He drives, and I want to leave him clear o’ this ‘til its time." Hudson moved from the dark shadows of the window and stared into the thick spectacles of the small man, and the crystal blue eyes beyond. "If he gets liquoured up, he could blab, and we’ll end up shootin’ our way out, like before. The Feds are gettin’ hot, and I reckon’ there’s a snitch in the fold, and it riles me…" Hudson Terraplane grabbed the lapels of the small man and pulled him close to his face. "It wouldn’t be you now Babe, eh? Or maybe one of your contacts in the ‘speak easy’?"

"No. …No Hud it’s not me, why would you say that after all we’ve been through..."

"Yep, well I’m jes’ pushing back, but someone’s talkin’ to the law, and I aim to find out who – you got yer hand shot to pieces, an’ that copper was tipped off. Just watch who you’re with Babe, from now on, eh?"

"Why sure Hud, you know you can rely on me."

Hudson Terraplane pushed the small man back against the wall, and turned his head to the inner door. "Hey! Mollie, get out here, we got ourselves a visitor…"

The long lithe figure of Mollie Rampier slid into the half-light of the room, and she rested her blonde head against the edge of the door. "Well if it ain’t Babe… You bastard! …Why I ought to smack ya real good…" The slim woman in the tight red dress curled herself around the edge of the door and propelled her tall frame across the drab room, to where Hudson was pulling a cigarette from the silver case.

Without taking his eyes from the window, he held out the cigarette at arm’s length. It was taken quickly, and he reached for a match.

Mollie lowered her bright face to the lighted match, and pulled heavily upon the lighted cigarette. At once she tossed back her blonde curls, and blew out a spear of grey smoke into ‘Babe’s’ face. "Shoot! I needed that… Hud, this is a shit-hole of a place, when can we get the hell outta here? …My feet are killin’…"

"Hey c’mon, it’s not me, reckon that Copper had it comin’," retorted ‘Babe’, and he stepped forward and pushed his arm around her waist, "Anyways, reckon it’s time you an’ me got together again - what do ya say?"

"Quiet, there’s a truck pulling up in front of the bank…how many did you make it around the back Mollie?" asked Hudson quickly.

"Leave it out Shorty, you’re wastin’ your time," said Mollie, and at once she turned and struck her free hand fully across the fleshy face of the small man, "and you ain’t man enough…"

"Hey! There’s no call for that – I’m jes’ tryin’ to be friendly…"

"Will you knock it off you two! This is important - reckon they takin’ delivery of a cage, could mean an armed guard an’ tear gas," offered Hudson pushing his face to the edge of the window frame.

"Well you weren’t too friendly with that Copper, shootin’ his guts all over the boardwalk – you’re getting too thirsty with that mower, if you ask me," continued Mollie, and she pulled away and stood close to Hudson.

"Says you…" replied ‘Babe’ indignantly, and he followed her movements carefully with his sharp blue eyes.

Mollie felt the weight of his gaze, and began to run her long fingers across the heavy fabric of Hudson’s capacious trousers, and pushed on into his groin. "…Hud’s man enough," she said softly.

"I said cut it out," and he pushed her hand away, "C’mon how many?" barked Hudson, maintaining his vigil at the window.

"Oh! …Three, two trucks and a big Ford. …Sorry Hud…"

"Yeah, sure..." Hudson pulled his gaunt frame from the window and cast a frown at the woman in the red dress, "Reckon they know something, they’re settin’ to shore up the tellers suite – armed guard behind a steel cage most like… Gonna have to think this one through," and he stepped away from the window, lowered his head and flicked his cigarette butt to the floor, and squashed out its life.

"What you figgerin’ Hud…" whispered the young woman, turning her curvaceous body to his movements.

Hudson pushed his hand back through his thinning hair and pulled upon the hard jaw-line, "Yep, sure feels as if things have changed since ‘thirty three’, things are tougher now. Why feels like a whole army is after me, things ain’t simple no more – Feds are sure set on bustin’ me if they can… reckon we’ve woken a sleepin’ giant…"

The lean frame of Hudson Terraplane paced up and down, occasionally glancing into the faces that watched and waited upon his inner struggle.

"Yeah, got to thinkin’, maybe our luck has run kinda thin. Can’t hold up in the Lakes no more for sure; hell drove a thousand miles jes’ to get to this one horse town; and the Bank here," he said with a casual wave of his hand, "she’s only half full…"

"What you gonna do Hud, I’m done running. Can’t we go to Mexico, or some place where they never heard of us, got so’s we don’t belong to no place anymore…. What do ya say honey, we still got time to settle some place nice and start a new life - why you got plenty stashed by…"

"Hush woman, I’m thinkin’, have to see this straight, or the law is gonna mow us down. Public Enemy Number One’s gettin’ kinda heavy, but I got my reputation on the line here." Hudson pulled off his pin-stripe jacket, and cast it over his left shoulder, and sat himself upon the corner of the desk. The money belt he wore beneath his silk shirt showed clearly, which only accentuated the holster that braced his broad chest. "From the papers, seems my name’s tied up with every bank and filling station hold-up across five States – hell they even got me fingered for springing Charlie Mattocks!"

"Reckon we slip away, Hud, give this one a miss, could be you’re right," said ‘Babe’. "Things have changed, the Government’s on our back for sure, an’ they ain’t gonna let up. They’re trigger-happy, even got so they are shootin’ up their own guys…"

"Yeah, maybe you’re right - but I’ve out smarted them before, an’ I ain’t dead yet, why there ain’t a Copper alive that can take Hudson Terraplane… Yeah, thing is to stay ahead, not to give ‘em time to set against us… Come on let’s do it!" With a rapid turn of his body Hudson sprang from the table, pulled on his jacket and reached down for the Tommy gun.

"Hey! …You not aimin’ to do her now are ya?" asked the small man.

"Sure… Why not? Let’s take it now before they’re ready – they won’t be expectin’ anythin’ this soon."

"No Hud!" squealed Mollie, and she threw her body onto Hudson’s arm, "You’ll get killed – it ain’t worth it!"

"…What about Johnny? …We’ve got no driver."

"Yeah, well Mollie can drive; give her the keys," and with a twist of his arm he freed himself from her grip. "Besides, if it comes to it, Johnny could be useful on the ‘outside’, to put the squeeze on the attorney… C’mon doll, you with me or not?"

"You know I am Hud, always, but I don’t have the right shoes…"

Hudson shot a cold stare from his snake eyes to her tottering high heels, "…Take ‘em off then … C’mon Babe let’s do it!" Hudson cranked forward the trigger of the heavy gun noisily. He pushed its butt under his arm, and closed his jacket across his chest, "... And Babe," he continued in a solemn tone, "No shootin’ till I signal, remember we’re not wearin’ vests, jes’ keep it calm, nice an’ easy – let’s go…"

The two men slipped from the schoolhouse and stepped boldly across the gravel with heavy footsteps. Hudson turned his frame back to the doorway and looked into the shining eyes of the woman in the red dress. "Give us six minutes, an’ pull up to the front of the bank, and he winked at her, " …Don’t worry about it honey, jes’ drive slow an’ keep the engine running, trust me, it’ll be sweet…."

‘Babe’ and Hudson strode across the deserted highway at a steady pace to the adjoining street, and stepped up onto the boardwalk of the nearby mercantile and storefronts. The sun had reached high enough in the morning sky to cast long shadows along the deserted street. The two men in the sharp suits quickly entered one of the smoked glass doors of the Municipal City Bank. A tall woman in an overly tight grey suit approached them inside from across the Teller’s suite, and her high heels clicked noisily as she neared.

"…Good mornin’ ma’am, let me get the door," offered Hudson Terraplane with a cool soft voice, and he smiled in her direction as he held the door open.

‘Babe’ stared at him with wide-open eyes, and pushed back his spectacles with his free hand as the woman passed them by.

"Why you thank kindly sir I’m sure, good morning…"

Hudson closed the door behind him and quickly scanned the pink marble floor, the ornate wooden counter and the four teller bays, two of which were occupied. "Stay here and watch the door," he whispered.

Hudson approached the counter and pushed his hand slowly inside his jacket, "Good mornin’," he said calmly to the balding man behind the wire cage.

"Good morning to you sir, how may I help? …Fine morning. "

"Yep, it sure is – I’d like to make a big withdrawal please."

"Do you have an account with us sir?"

"No, but this should explain everthin’…"