The Gift

Chapter 2

The bank had an unusual atmosphere after the attempted armed robbery, the peaceful, relaxing ambiance seemed unnatural. Daqing and the team just stared at everyone without any explanation of how the robbers were caught or why the customers and staff acted as if they had just come out of a spa. The silent alarm at the bank had been triggered by someone but it was obviously not one of the staff or the customers and the team had responded immediately, arriving ten minutes after the report.

"Sha Ya, see if any of the customers can tell you anything about the raid or who stopped it." Daqing asked while he looked for Chu who was a part time medic.

"Chu, are they all drugged, why are they all so relaxed, there's no panic or screaming, can you have a quick look and check to see if they been given something?" Daqing asked and then walked towards the restrained bank robbers.

"I suppose you're saying nothing until your lawyer gets here." He said sarcastically, not expecting an answer.

"What would you like to know?" The boss replied.

"Are you the leader, who stopped the raid and tied you up?" Daqing asked.

"He was dressed in black but we didn't ask his name. We were too busy trying to kill him, but he was too fast and knocked us out one at a time. When we came around, he was gone, but he must have triggered the alarm before he left and told us to tell you everything. He hypnotised the customers and staff and calmed them, because there was nothing to worry about. We can tell you more after you take us back to your office."

During this conversation several other members of the team came to listen and couldn't believe what they were hearing, a voluntary confession from the robbers, making their job very easy this morning and when Sha Ya had spoken to some of the customers, they had said exactly the same thing. Chu escorted the criminals to the awaiting transport, taking them to be charged with attempted armed robbery and everyone returned to the office to write out their reports.

The team sat in their office quietly stunned, even while drinking their coffees, they couldn't think of how the mysterious man in black had managed to subdue the three bank robbers and make everyone else feel safe. In the cells below the office, all three were willingly talking about their past experiences, the successes and the failures of all their raids. There was enough information to close at least four open case files involving robbery with violence. Chu took a break and left the men in the cells while he came up for air and a coffee, dropping with exhaustion onto the soft leather couch.

"They just keep talking on and on, I don't know who did it to them, but he convinced them to tell us about every crime they've ever committed, could someone else please go, I'm tired just listening?" Chu begged before he got himself a cup of coffee.

"I'll go, they probably won't have much else to admit," and Zhu Hong went downstairs to continue with the interviews.

Everyone who was a customer during the raid had gone home and the calmness was wearing off the staff members when they reopened for business. One of their first customers in the afternoon was a tall quiet spoken man who only came in to withdraw some money, and he asked about the raid. The bank teller was able to describe in great detail everything that had happened and included that the robbers were unsuccessful, no money had been lost and the customer left with a smile. He looked just like a normal person, very smartly dressed as if he worked in an office or somewhere dealing with the public and appearance was important.

He slowed down and glanced in a small café window, watching the reflection of a couple of men who looked as if they were following him, and he went inside for a pot of tea, positioning himself at a window table with a good view of the street, where he could people watch and enjoy his drink without any need to move.

The two men outside felt awkward, they had been spotted but were reluctant to give up on their next target, especially since he had just left the bank, he would be carrying a great deal of money and he looked like easy prey, tall and thin with glasses. So they tried to be less obvious and hide out of sight.

They chose a lane without CCTV and waited for him, ready to attack when they heard the footsteps but it wasn't his shoes that had made the noise bringing them out of hiding. The man in black held them both by their throats before they could inflict any injuries. His movements had been fast and silent as he pinned them against the wall, while staring deeply into their eyes from behind his mask.

"You will be truthful when you answer my questions. Are you independent or do you work for someone, and if yes, then who?" Black Robe asked.

"We work alone, the local gangs take most of our wages." They both agreed on this point.

"Look into my eyes and see the darkness within, you will turn yourselves in and admit to all your crimes, you will forget your last target in the teashop but you will remember me ...sleep until I have left."

The man in black released them and hurriedly went back to finish his tea while watching out of the window at the two muggers staggering out from a lane and heading in the direction of the police office.

Zhu Hong had been down in the cells for at least two hours listening to the continual confessions of all three bank raiders who had finally reached the end of their stories and she was feeling the same as Chu had been earlier, and was also heading for a cup of coffee, just in time to witness the two muggers entering the building. They approached the reception desk and immediately started to confess their crimes. Zhu Hong choked and put her mug down as she stared while trying to remove the coffee stain on her blouse.

Daqing looked towards her and she shook her head violently, he then looked at Chu who more or less gave the same answer, and so it was Lin Jing who took the men below and sat through the eternal never ending confession, of everything that they had ever done wrong during their lives. It had been one of the strangest days in the history of the department, never before had criminals actually been so willing to admit their crimes. The man in black was mentioned again and the team were beginning to wonder if he had an ulterior motive behind his actions. He hadn't gained anything, he hadn't used force or coercion, and all this happened on one day, was this the beginning of something. Daqing really hoped that he wasn't a new caped crusader, super hero, someone who took the law into their own hands, a vigilante, otherwise they would need to hunt him down. So far, he hadn't done anything wrong and there had been no violence, and the boss had to pick today to stay off work.