Emily said to Gordon, her brother who was seven, as they looked at a poster in the post office, “That’s Mary. That’s Old Henry’s mother. She is 102 years old. Henry drove that Land Rover when he was your age, Gordon.” Emily reminded him.
Gordon nodded, but he was more interested in the poster itself. It was a wanted poster, with a photo of a man wearing a mask and a hat. The poster said that the man was a notorious bank robber, who had escaped from prison and was on the run. The poster also said that there was a reward of 10,000 pounds for any information leading to his capture.
“Wow, that’s a lot of money,” Gordon said, his eyes wide. “Do you think we could find him, Emily?”
Emily shook her head. “Don’t be silly, Gordon. He’s probably far away from here by now. Besides, we’re just kids. We can’t catch a criminal.”
But Gordon was not convinced. He had a feeling that the bank robber was closer than they thought. He had noticed something strange about the Land Rover parked outside the post office. It had a dent on the side, and a sticker of a skull on the back window. Gordon remembered seeing the same Land Rover on the news, when they showed the footage of the bank robbery. The Land Rover was the getaway car.
Gordon tugged on Emily’s sleeve. “Emily, look,” he whispered, pointing at the Land Rover. “That’s the bank robber’s car. I’m sure of it.”
Emily looked at the car, and then at the poster. She gasped. “You’re right, Gordon. It is. But what is it doing here?”
Gordon had a hunch. He looked at the post office door, and saw a sign that said “Closed for lunch”. He looked at his watch, and saw that it was 12:15. He looked at the Land Rover again, and saw that the engine was still running.
“Gordon, what are you thinking?” Emily asked, sensing his excitement.
Gordon grinned. “I’m thinking that the bank robber is inside the post office, and he’s going to rob it. And I’m thinking that we can stop him, and get the reward.”
Emily gasped again. “Gordon, no. That’s too dangerous. We can’t do that. We should call the police.”
Gordon shook his head. “There’s no time, Emily. He could be out any minute. We have to act fast. Come on, follow me.”
Gordon ran towards the Land Rover, with Emily following reluctantly. He reached the car, and opened the door. He climbed inside, and looked for the keys. He found them in the ignition.
“Gordon, what are you doing?” Emily asked, as she got in the car with him.
Gordon smiled. “I’m going to drive the car away, Emily. That way, the bank robber won’t have a way to escape. He’ll be trapped inside the post office, and we can call the police then.”
Emily was shocked. “Gordon, you can’t drive. You’re only seven. You’ll crash the car.”
Gordon shrugged. “I can drive, Emily. I’ve seen Henry do it. It’s easy. You just turn the key, and press the pedals. Come on, it’ll be fun.”
Gordon turned the key, and the car roared to life. He put the car in gear, and stepped on the gas. The car lurched forward, and sped away from the post office.
Emily screamed. “Gordon, stop. You’re going too fast. You’re going to hit something.”
Gordon laughed. “Don’t worry, Emily. I know what I’m doing. We’re going to be heroes. We’re going to catch the bank robber.”
But Gordon didn’t know what he was doing. He didn’t know how to steer, or brake, or avoid obstacles. He didn’t see the traffic light, or the truck, or the tree. He didn’t hear the sirens, or the horns, or the screams. He only saw the road ahead, and the thrill of the chase.
He didn’t see the end coming, until it was too the chase.
Old Henry changed his ways and said kindly to them for he liked them and become and good and kind man he apologized to them for all the trouble his done
He didn’t see the end coming, until it was too late.