Free Running the Risk by Lesley Choyce

Chapter One
    The gunmen arrived at Burger Heaven shortly after midnight on Friday. I was on the frontline, taking orders along with Lacey and Cam. It was like a dream at first. The place had been quiet except for some workmen laughing over their French fries, and a couple of slightly drunk kids from school goofing around at a table by the windows.
    And then the door opened and two guys with ski masks on walked in nervously. One walked straight to me. The other went toLacey. As they approached, the guns came up. Lacey, Cam and I froze. The room suddenly went dead quiet except for the sound of hamburgers sizzling in the back and the buzz of the overhead fluorescent lights. I’d never even noticed the hum of the fluorescent lights before.
    The guy with the gun pointed at Lacey spoke first. “Open it, girl.”
    Lacey froze.
    â€œI said open it.”
    The guy with the gun on me said nothing. I was looking at Lacey. And then at Cam. There was a panic button on the floor beneath each register. A silent alarm. You triggered it and the cops would know we were in trouble. I saw Cam looking down at the floor.
    But something told me that right here, right now, hitting that button would be the wrong thing to do. These two guys were nervous. I was looking my gunman right in the eyes. I knew there was something there. These guys were whacked on something. Anything could make them freak. The guns were real. Everything was real.
    And that’s when it kicked in.
    This feeling of calm.
    â€œBe cool,” I said to the guy pointing the gun at Lacey. Then I looked at the guy with the gun on me. I stared straight into his eyes, and then I looked at the barrel of the gun like it was no big deal.
    â€œI’m going to push this key and the drawer will open,” I said. “Okay?”
    My gunman nodded. I pushed the key, and the drawer opened. I saw one of the workmen get up. At first I thought he was going to try to do something. And I didn’t want that.
    But I was wrong. First he and then his buddy got up and slipped out the front door. Lacey’s gunman turned and aimed in their direction. He pulled the trigger and the shot was deafening. “Shit,” was all he said. The bullet must have hit the ceiling because no glass shattered. He turned back quickly and pushed the gun into Lacey’s face.
    â€œHere,” I said, cleaning all the bills out of my register and handing them across the counter. “Now I’ll get you the rest,” I said.
    â€œYeah,” my gunman said.
    I walked to Lacey and made sure it was obvious what I was doing. I hit the key, the drawer opened and I offered over more bills.
    Then I walked over to Cam’s station and did the same. It was only money. Nothing to die for, that’s for sure. It was all clear as day in my head.
    The two gunmen stuffed the money into their coat pockets, turned and ran. As soon as they were out the door and away from the parking lot, I hit the silent alarm.
    Lacey began to cry and Cam said the stupidest thing in the world. “Why’d you give them the money?”
    â€œYou all right, Lacey?” I asked.
    â€œNo, Sean,” she said, “I’m not all right.”
    â€œWhat were you thinking?” Cam asked. Somehow he wasn’t getting it.
    The kids at the table were standing up now. “I don’t freaking believe it,” one of them said and then puked on the floor.
    Riley and Jeanette, who’d been listeningfrom the food-prep area, came up to the counter now.
    â€œIs everyone all right?” Riley asked.
    â€œYeah, we’re all alive anyway,” I said.
    â€œDid you see what this jerk did?” Cam said, pointing at me.
    â€œYeah,” Jeanette said. “I saw what he did. He saved you from getting killed.”
    Cam looked mad. He looked at me like it was all my fault.
    The kids at the table out front were helping their buddy who had just barfed on the floor get himself together. Then