Instrumental Criminal ◎ 〈COMPLETE〉

The money wasn't for a spree or a fast car. It was for a quiet retirement account in a non-extradition country. It wasn't personal; it was just a very effective business model.

When the day finally came, Arthur didn't feel a rush of adrenaline. He felt the quiet satisfaction of a mathematician reaching the final line of a proof. He wore a nondescript jumpsuit—neither too bright to be remembered nor too dark to be suspicious. He used a stolen vehicle he had acquired two towns over, knowing it wouldn't be reported missing until the owner returned from a weekend trip.

Inside the bank, his movements were surgical. He didn't shout or wave his weapon—an unloaded handgun, because a loaded one carried a higher sentencing risk and he had no intention of using it. He spoke in a low, level voice, providing clear instructions to the teller. He knew that fear was a tool, but panic was a variable he couldn't control.

Arthur sat in his parked sedan, a lukewarm coffee in the cup holder and a digital stopwatch in his hand. He wasn’t angry at the bank, nor did he have a desperate debt to pay. To Arthur, the local credit union was simply an inefficiently guarded container of capital.

For three weeks, he had treated the corner of 5th and Main like a laboratory. He knew exactly when the armored truck arrived (8:12 AM) and that the secondary security guard always took his cigarette break by the service entrance at 10:15 AM.