Minjung held the bills up to her face, crumpling the green paper in her fingers and inhaling deeply. She held her breath for only a moment, and then let in out in a sigh of exhilaration. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, making her heart rate quicken and her senses more alert. Money. The feel, the smell, the rush of it had her on a high that she didn’t want down from.  She laughed, rubbing the crinkled bills between the pads of her fingers. As she threw her head back in glee, her eyes glanced over at the shorter man sitting beside her, smirking slightly as he gripped the steering wheel. She her side to face him, reaching out to rub her unoccupied hand down his arm.

  “Kibum, darling, you were so fantastic!” she shouted over the wind that blew through their uncovered convertible. He nodded slightly in acknowledgement, momentarily redirecting his eyes onto her face. She grinned wider when they made eye contact, tilting her head to the side and balancing her hand on his shoulder. Minjung recounted the events that just occurred in her mind. She had been involved in heists before, but always as the getaway driver, never directly involved in the action. She had been nervous, certainly, but the adrenaline only fueled her on, made her more aware of her surroundings. Going into the bank first, she had been the distraction. She had walked directly into a young male, forcing him to spill his coffee down her dress. The boy was so flustered and apologetic, eyes bulging wide when she started screaming about how hot the coffee was, and how he should look where he’s going. She almost felt bad for the kid as he offered her numerous napkins and mumbled apologies. Almost. It was at that moment that Kibum came in, signaling Minjung that it was time. She offered to give the man her number, in order for him to dry clean the dress. He had accepted quickly, giving her an excuse and allowing her to reach into her purse to pull out the Colt M1877 she had packed into it just hours before, whipping it out and pointing it straight at the man’s heart.

  “Put your damn hands up,” she commanded, the sound of Kibum firing a warning shot into the air resonating behind her. Screams followed, along with the sound of several bodies hitting the floor, cowering in fear. Minjung could see sweat forming on the young boy’s hairline, as he held up his hands and gulped hard. She leaned in, pressing the barrel of her revolver against the artery on his neck.

  “I won’t kill you baby, just give me your wallet ok?” she crooned, feeling him nod vigorously and reach one hand into his pocket. When she felt the press of a leather square into her waiting palm, she pulled back and left a searing kiss on his cheek.

 “Good boy, now get on your knees,” the man complied, bowing down in front of her. Minjung smiled as she felt power overcome her, the sensation of being in control was thrilling. She turned to see Kibum, her partner in crime and lover, walking to each person and filling a bag with valuables he collected as he shouted at them. Minjung went ahead to the bank tellers, demanding that they give her all the money they had. She heard another gunshot, and whirled around just in time to see a large man fall to the ground, bellowing while gripping his thigh. Kibum looked enraged, kicking the man in the side when he was down. She chuckled. It was funny how people tended to underestimate her lover and his violent tendencies. She swiveled on her heel back to the tellers, shoving bills into her purse as they were handed to her. Going down the line, she grabbed at wads of cash, stuffing them in all the available space she had. What felt like only a few seconds later, Kibum fired another shot, letting Minjung know it was time to go. She adjusted her now very full bag onto her shoulder and jogged outside, following Kibum out of the front doors. Giggling with glee as she hopped over the side of the car, she threw her bag down to the floorboard and leaned over to give her boyfriend a kiss before they sped away, leaving the stench of burnt tires and exhaust in their wake as they peeled out. Minjung sighed in happiness, stretching out in the passenger’s seat as their car cruised down the lonely desert highway they were on, fondly remembering their events for the day. This had been the best she felt in months, content and excited all at the same time. The light hum of the radio was on in the background, relaxing her as she put her bare feet up onto the dashboard and letting the warm desert air cover her like a blanket. She lazily turned her head to the side, watching Kibum concentrate on the road ahead of them, one hand on the steering wheel and the other placed on her outstretched thigh.

  “Can we go to the beach, Bummie?” she inquired, wiggling the thigh his hand was currently resting on to catch his attention.

  “Why Minnie? Didn’t you want to go to Vegas before?” he remarked, his eyes flickering to her form just for a moment. She shrugged nonchalantly, squeezing his wrist.

  “You said some things, I said some things, but I really want to have my feet in the sand and an iced fruity beverage being offered to me by gorgeous ladies in swimsuits right now. Don’t you agree?” she suggested, smiling her most convincing smile at Kibum. He rolled his eyes, but Minjung was always so agreeable and so irresistible, he had a hard time denying her of whatever she desired. So upon reaching the exit that he knew would take them towards Nevada, he made the executive decision to ignore it, and smirked to himself when he heard his girlfriend squeal in delight, knowing she would pay him back tenfold later that evening. To the beach it was.

______________________________________________________________________________

  “Keep your hands where I can see them!” the angry buzz from the megaphone made Minjung cringe, wanting to shield her ears from the electric crackle but knowing she would be shot if she moved an inch. Her frightened eyes trained on the chipped cinderblock wall she was facing, wanting desperately to cling onto Kibum, who was standing stock still and unemotional beside her. She let the tears fall freely, a trail of fear left plainly on her face for the world to see. How had they tracked them down? How could they have known they would be here? A million questions flooded her mind as she tried not to let it show, although she could feel her own muscles betray her when they trembled. The blare of the horn filled the air once again.

  “Turn around slowly, with your hands still up!” the police man warned, Minjung was sure one hand was on the holster of each of the men surrounding them.

  “Minjung,” a quiet voice whispered, catching her attention abruptly. “Minjung,” Kibum repeated, “On the count of three, we’ll pull out our guns and shoot as many as we can,” he urged, urgency permeating his command.

  “Are you insane?” she countered, “They’ll kill us instantly!” She felt like hitting him. Did he lose all of his sense at once?

  “That’s the point. What do you think these dogs will do to us if they take us alive? Put us in time out? No, they’ll execute us in the most sadistic way possible. Do you want to let someone else control how you’re snuffed out? Or would you rather go out in a blaze of glory?” he proclaimed, leaving Minjung dumbfounded. So this is it. I die here and now or I die later, she thought, quizzing what would honestly be the best option. She turned her head to look into Kibum’s eyes, and what she saw there decided for her. The swirl of emotion, the dark hint of anger, the tinge of sadness, his love for her, and his dread for the situation all shone through at that moment. Minjung decided she had never seen anything more breathtaking in her short life. She took it all in, and noticed the most prominent emotion. Determination. Straight, powerful, determined Kibum had accepted his fate. He had already grieved for both her and himself, and now he was set. She nodded slightly. Taking in as much as she could of her lover, she mumbled an “Ok,” and left it at that. He nodded back at her, an affirmative action. “On three, don’t be scared love,” he repeated, his eyes softening as he continued to stare at Minjung.

  “One,” he started, turning slightly in towards her. “Two,” he continued, leaning in to peck her on the lips, as the cops shouted in the back and sirens whined. “Three,” he concluded, placing his hand at his belt. Minjung let out as sob as she dug into her purse, fingers curling around the of her revolver. She whipped it out, pointing it at the first uniformed officer she saw, although she was mostly blinded by the bright spotlights. The last thing she heard and the moment she will treasure until her last breath was the sound of gunshots and a muffled “I love you” coming from her left.