Paralyzed

Última Milla

For the next two years, Martín and Andrés worked tirelessly on their plan to rob the Bank of Spain. There were ups and downs along the way, but even during the tough times, there were moments of joy—like when they discovered that their plan was technically feasible. Despite its seemingly suicidal nature, and the skepticism from Sergio, who insisted they were living in a fantasy, they remained determined.

But this wasn't a fairy tale with a happily ever after. Andrés and Martín had nearly completed their plan when several obstacles interrupted their progress. First, Andrés divorced Tatiana, then he vandalized a bar in downtown Madrid, resulting in his arrest. He ended up spending a couple of months in prison, where he had ample time to think. It became clear to him that his brother was right: he was living in a fantasy, and their plan was unlikely to succeed. He realized he couldn't waste his remaining time on a scheme that would never work.

However, he felt a strong urge to execute one last heist before his death. Then he remembered his brother's plan; Sergio intended to print and escape with €2.4 billion from the Royal Mint of Spain. Andrés recognized that this heist was realistic and achievable, and that's when he decided to take charge of Sergio's team.

When he got out of prison, he went to see Martín to say his goodbyes. They were difficult farewells, but deep down, Andrés knew he was abandoning his best friend to protect him. He looked at Martín one last time, smiled, and then left, closing his eyes as he walked away without looking back.

When he opened his eyes, he could hear his brother through his earpiece, urgently begging him to get out of the bank. Everything felt numb; time seemed to move in slow motion. He looked at Ariadna, who was crying and covering her ears in fear. Shifting his gaze to the wall, he charged his M16 and fired at the police force that had managed to breach the Royal Mint. Everything around him was blurry; he could barely process what was happening.

When Andrés first told his brother that he wanted to be part of the heist, he had known deep down that he wasn't going to make it out alive. His terminal illness loomed over him like a shadow. The doctor had mentioned the possibility of treatment, but Andrés sensed the truth beneath those words. Even though Martín, Jakov, Santiago, Tatiana, and Sergio had promised to find a cure for him, he knew they were only trying to comfort him. Their well-meaning lies only compounded his despair; all he wanted was to hear the truth.

"ANDRÉS, GET OUT NOW!"

Sergio's voice jolted Andrés back to reality. He gulped and took a deep breath, continuing to shoot at the advancing officers.

"ANDRÉS, STOP SHOOTING AND GET THE FUCK OUT!"

"SERGIO! They are too close; it's too late! You need to leave NOW, goddammit!"

"Andrés, I'm not leaving without you, and you know that!"

"SERGIO!! Stop begging me to come back! Don't you get it? I have a terminal illness; it's over for me! I don't want to lose control of my body. I don't want to be a vegetable like Oslo wasduring his final moments."

"Andrés, I'm begging you—please get out of there!"

"Sergio! You promised me you would leave if the heist got out of hand, and it did!"

A heavy silence hung in the air.

"Andrés..." Sergio's voice cracked, tears spilling over.

"Hey, hermanito, do you remember the promise I made you when we were younger?" Andrés said, his voice tinged with sadness.

"And which promise is that?"

"That I would do anything to protect you." Andrés struggled to catch his breath, his heart racing. "That I would do whatever it took to keep you safe... even if it meant I had to die."

"Andrés... What are you doing?"

"I'm finally keeping a promise I made, for once in my life."

"But you already kept it! I don't understand! Please don't do what I think you're doing!"

Andrés let out a humorless laugh. "Sergio, you have no idea how many promises I've made and broken." He chuckled softly, though the gravity of the moment weighed heavily on him. "The only promise I'm forcing myself to keep now is to make sure you're safe. And you're not safe yet!"

"Andrés, if you do this, I don't know what I'll do without you! I need you, Andrés! You're my only family left!"

"I'm sorry, Sergio..." He paused, his voice steadying. "Helsinki, destroy the tunnel."  

Sergio looked at Helsinki, shaking his head in disbelief. "Wait?! No, Helsinki, please!"

"Helsinki, that's an order, soldier. Blow the tunnel!"

"No, no, no! Please!"

"Helsinki, I said that's an order! BLOW THE FUCKING TUNNEL!"

"ANDRÉS!"

"I love you so much, hermanito. Don't forget it."

Sergio knew there was nothing he could do to save his brother. Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. Helsinki was holding him back, while Nairobi screamed at them to hurry up. Sergio stopped fighting and turned to his computer set. He pulled up the security camera feeds and saw Andrés valiantly holding off the police.

"Andrés... look at the camera on your right, in the corner," he urged.

Andrés turned his gaze to the camera, and as it zoomed in, tears welled up in his eyes.

"I love you too, Andrés," he whispered, the weight of their bond resonating through the silence.  

Andrés nodded and leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes as he took one final deep breath. They say that in your last moments, you relive your life. All Andrés could think about was the day he first met Sergio, followed by memories of his mother and father. He recalled his friendship with Martín and, finally, he thought of Alicia. Her piercing blue eyes and radiant smile flooded his mind, bringing a faint smile to his lips one last time.

He stood up and charged at the police force, firing his weapon. The first bullet struck his abdomen, the second hit his liver, and after the third shot, Andrés began to fall. When he finally hit the ground, more than ten bullets had pierced his body, but they hadn't killed him instantly. He found himself staring up at the ceiling, coughing up blood. He felt his heartbeat slowing, his skin growing cold, and his internal organs failing as his blood pressure plummeted.

He locked eyes with Suárez, who was watching him intently. Suárez pointed his rifle at Andrés' face, and as Andrés closed his eyes, he whispered, "I did it, Mom."

The end