June flasher runners up. Most honorable mentions

Momma's Boys, by Ginny

On a sweltering night in mid-July, Vince Brown stands at the window, staring out at the flashing lights. He mumbles something about not being able to see the stars and turns around to face his captive audience. “What the hell you gonna do now, Einstein?” a voice taunts in his head.
He looks to the sweaty faces huddled in the corner of the Quik Mart, silenced by duct tape and tries to figure out what his options are.
Only hours ago, he and his brother were headed home after six months on a rodeo circuit that took them all the way to California. They’d won some money in Vegas and Boulder but just as they were headed into California, they got the call that their mother had been taken to the hospital.
They pooled what little cash they had and raced back to Oklahoma. As they pulled into a station just outside of Tulsa, Vince noticed something in Russel’s pocket.
“What you got there, little brother?” he asked.
Russel scowled and shoved his hand in his pocket. “Nuthin,” he muttered.
“Like hell. Give it here!” Vince shouted as he put the truck in park and struggled with his brother. Finally, he took the object and stared at it with a mix of surprise and anger.
“Lemme explain, Vince. I -”
Vince exploded. “What the hell are you thinkin’? I oughtta wup yer ass fer this! Momma’s in the hospital and yer monkeyin’ around with a pistol! Boy, you are some kind of stupid!”
“It’s not real, asshole!” Russel shot back. “You’re the stupid one! I bought it from that old, snaggletoothed cowboy back in New Mexico who always tries to sell us dirty horse blankets. Now, give it here!” he reached for his gun.
“No” Vince said.
Russel continued to plead “Aww, c’mon, Vince! We ain’t got no money to bring home to Momma and I thought we could, you know, use this to git some.”
“How’s a dumb ass like you gonna use this to git money? Even if someone handed the money to you, you’d probably fuck it up somehow.” Vince said.
Russel looked at the floorboard. “I wuz hopin’ you’d help me.” He waited for a response and when he didn’t get one, he looked over at his brother. “Vince?”
Vince stared at a spot in the horizon as pictures of his mother filled his mind. He’d never amounted to much back home. Just an average guy who could hang on to a bucking bronco longer than some around him. He pictured Momma, sitting in her rocking chair in the living room, reading from her Bible and he felt like she could see the evil he was contemplating.
He looked over at his younger brother and shook his head. “You ain’t gettin’ this gun back and we ain’t robbin no store. Now, start pumping while I go call Misty to see how Momma’s doin and see if they need us to bring ‘em anything.”
He got out of the truck and headed to the pay phone. He fished in his pocket for his calling card, dialed the number, and tapped his boot while he waited for his sister to answer.
“Misty?” Vince said, raising his voice as an eighteen wheeler roared past the station. “It’s me, Vince, how’s Momma?”
“We ain’t got no money and the shit-for-brains nurse won’t give momma any more medicine until she gets papers from the Medicaid office.” Misty said flatly. “You know how broke we are, Vincent. Medicaid ain’t doin shit fer us and…and… Oh god, Vince, she’s looks real bad. Doctor said she’s got blockage in her heart.” The toughest woman Vince had ever known in his life sobbed in his ear. “Jest git here, Vince. Momma asked if you would bring her a newspaper so’s I can read it to her.”
“I’m at the Quick Mart right outside of town. I’ll pick up the paper right now. You hang in there, girl and I’ll make it all right when I git there.”
Misty sniffed, “Okay. See you soon”
Vince hung up the phone and went inside to pay for the gas and the paper. The elderly woman behind the counter gave him the total and Vince pulled out his wallet only to discover that he didn’t have enough money. His mother’s sweet, wrinkled face loomed in his mind as he searched his other pockets for more money. When his hand touched the handle of Russel’s gun, something in him snapped.
He didn’t care about anything but getting enough money to take care of his family. He glanced around the place, noted quickly that there were only a few people there, and carefully pointed the gun at the cashier. “I’m sorry ma’m but I can’t afford that and I’m gonna need all the money you got in that drawer.”
With fear in her eyes, the woman said “You shure you wanna do this, sonny?”
Vince raised the gun a bit more and answered “I ain’t got no choice. Now, git the money and I’ll git outta here and nobody gits hurt. Got that?”
She nodded and started pressing buttons. Just as she was about to grab the money, the door opened. Russel stood in the doorway, gaping at the scene before him. Vincent Brown, the most honorable man in the world was robbing some old lady. “Holy shit, Vince!” Was all he could muster to say.
They both jumped as they heard police cars in the distance. Vince looked at the old woman “Did you hit some alarm, lady? Why do I hear cops?”
“We got cameras wired directly to the Sheriff’s office.” she said with a smirk on her face.
“Give me the money, Granny!” he shouted. She took a bag near the register and started to fill it with the cash from the drawer. The sirens came closer and before he could grab the sack, two police cars pulled up to the front door. Vince’s mind snapped to attention as he spoke to his brother. “Russ, go lock them doors.” Russ did as he was told. “I’m gonna show the cops that I’ve got a gun aimed at Granny here and you’re gonna go make sure the back door is locked and that everyone in here comes to the front.”
“Got it!” Russel said as he rushed off.
“Now, Granny, I don’t want to hurt you but I gotta show the cops that I mean business. So come around here and let’s show them who’s in control.”
She limped around to the front and stood next to him while he yelled through the window, “DON’T DO A DAMN THING OR I’LL SHOOT HER! I SWEAR TO GOD, I WILL!”
From outside a bullhorn bellowed “Lower your weapon and come outside with your hands up.” Vince knew that they could pick him off with a single shot. He grabbed the woman and put her in front of him as he backed away toward the corner where his brother had rounded up a teenage girl, a middle-aged man in a business suit, a little boy and his younger sister. The teenage girl and the kids were crying while Russel began taping their mouths.
“What in the hell are you doin, Russel?”
“We can’t have em screemin the whole time, dummy. Plus, I seen it on TV. We’re supposed to do it thisa way.”
Vince groaned. They both jumped when the phone rang. Vince kept the gun aimed at the hostages and picked up the phone.
“This is Sheriff Billings. You boys are in way over your heads. We’ve been watching you on the cameras this whole time. Let the people go and we’ll get you outta there.”
Vince snorted. “Right. Just like that. Nice and easy, right? Well it ain’t gonna be that easy today, Sheriff. Since I got hostages, I got some demands and you better git me what I want or I’m gonna start killin em.”
“What do you think you’re gonna get out of me, Son?” Sheriff Billings asked, amused at the boy’s naiveté.
“My brother and me want a ride to the hospital, enough money to cover Momma’s medical expenses and,” he glanced around the room and his eyes rested on a pile of newspapers “and today’s newspaper so’s Misty can read it to her.”
Vince heard a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. “You gonna git it for me or what?”
“I’ll see what I can do, Son. In the meantime, why don’t you let those people go?”
“No way, Sheriff. No way. As long as I’ve got them, you’ll git what I want. You gonna give me what I asked for?”
“I’ll do my best. I’ll call you back in a minute.”
Sheriff Billings sighed again and looked up at Deputy Fowler. “The boys’ momma is in the hospital and they want her bills paid.”
Deputy Fowler just shook his head. “What are you gonna do, Mike?”
“Do you know who that is in there, Brian?” the Deputy shook his head. “That’s Harry Brown’s oldest boy, Vince. Could have gone pro rodeo except he decided to quit when his dad died. I can’t believe he’d do something like this. I guess we’ll just have to take ‘em down. It’s a shame but I it’s the law.”
Deputy Fowler nodded and told the others. Some went round to the back and Sheriff Billings dialed the number. “I’m sorry, Son but we just can’t do that. I know you’re in a rough place but this isn’t the answer.”
Russel watches his brother and sees the worry on his face. “We’re fucked, aren’t we, Vince?” Vince nods as he walks over to the hostages.
“I’m sorry for all of this.” he says in a whisper and walks over to the front door to unlock it to let the people out. He sees the rifles aimed at him and doesn’t seem to notice. Nothing matters to him.
He watches the people rush out to the protection of the flashing lights and scans the faces of the policemen. From the right, he hears a familiar voice shout “Come on out, boys, with your hands up.” Vince drops the weapon and walks out the door and Russel follows looking confused.
Vince stares out past the flashing lights to a place on the horizon as men come out to put them in cuffs and throw them in the back of a car.
He feels his brother bounce against him, whimpering. He wants to say something but the despair is too great and he just leans back and closes his eyes. He tries to block out the sound of the sirens and the pain in his heart by picturing his mother’s face. His thoughts are interrupted by a voice speaking to him from the front seat.
“Which hospital is your mother at?” the voice asked.
“St. Luke’s,” Russel answers.
Again, Vince tries to picture his mother’s face. But he notices that the siren has ceased and they are parked in front of the hospital. The door opens and a Sheriff Billings helps them out, unlocks their cuffs and stuffs something into Vince’s hand.
“I knew your dad.” the sheriff told them. “Fought in Nam with him. He was a good man and you are good boys. Get goin. I won’t tell your Momma if you won’t.”
Vince frowned. “I don’t understand.” he said.
“When she’s doin’ better, come by the station and we’ll see what we can do about making things right.”
Vince nodded, tears gathering in his eyes. He put his hand out and Sheriff Billings shook it. “I apologize, Son, but I didn’t get a newspaper.”
“That’s okay,” Vince said as he felt the envelope in his hand and guessed it was money, “Somehow, I think she’ll understand.”
Sheriff Billings smiled and got back in his car as the two brothers entered the sliding doors.