Johnathan Reinhart

## **Early Life**

Johnathan was born around 1963, to the surname of his father; O'Neil, though, that was only his legal name. With him more often taking the surname of his mother. Though the date of his birth isn't 100% clear, he states it was 1963. He was born to his mother, Clara, and his father, Travis. He had a half-sister, Sarah, whom was 3 years older than him. As he grew up, his half-sister, who he considered as his regular sister, grew closer. Meanwhile, John's mother and father grew further apart, until one night, where Travis struck his mother. He of course apologised, begging her to stay, but this abuse on his mother continued, until the summer of '74, where Clara filed for divorce from Travis. Travis wanted to keep the kids, and certainly he had a right to John, due to John being his blood. Sarah. Clara didn't want to split up her kids, but decided to leave it to Sarah to choose. At the age of 14, she knew that her step-father would take out all of his anger on John, and didn't want him to face that only. So, she left tearily, it being a decision she regretted later in life, due to what was to come.

## Adolescence

During this time, John become more hateful of his father, as he began to take out his anger on the children, most commonly on his older sister, Sarah. From the ages of 12-14, he started to learn about the world, and about the situation he was in. He recognised he was in poverty, with them regularly moving in the middle of the night, bouncing around Wisconsin, to avoid debt collectors and to skip any and all bills they could. With the money he did have left-over from all the money he had spent on keeping kids he didn't want, he spent on alcohol. This time period is most likely what turned John into the man he is today. He and his sister were saving up any money they could find, and keep, to run away from home, and begin the pursuit of happiness.

### The Robbery

#### - Ten Days Before

One night, John and his sister were hungry, hadn't been fed in days, as his father was spending his entire unemployment check on booze. They snuck out and bought a box of cereal, splitting it. John also stole a candy bar, which he split with his sister. His sister was disappointed in him, and told him about how stealing is wrong, and how he could get in trouble. John debated with her, until eventually she hesitantly ate the candy bar. They decided to stop by a local abandoned train station, and hang out there, making a small fire to keep warm, and split their cereal. He searched for a moment for newspapers to throw in the fire, before stopping and reading one. A bank robbery by the notorious "Van Der Linde Gang" in Illinois. He read up on it, before his sister caught a glimpse about what he was reading. Before his sister could say what John already knew what she was going to say, he asked her to hear him out, which she did. He explained about how, if they did rob a bank, it wouldn't hurt the people of the bank, it would only hurt the rich corporate companies, and even if they got caught, they'd be sent to jail, which he went on to explain would probably be a better living situation then where they currently were anyway, with them getting meals 3 times a day, a bed to sleep, showers, etc. Sarah was dismissive, deciding to just snatch the paper, and throw it in the fire, telling John that he shouldn't be thinking like that, and they want to improve their life in the long run, not just in the short-term.

Arriving home, at the Lone Star Motel, Fon Du Lac, they saw Travis sitting at the table, drinking. He turned around looking at them scornfully, he asked "Where have you two been?", taking another sip of his drink. Before they could answer, he began yelling at them, John needed to use the bathroom, and walked past Travis, however, Travis grabbed John's backpack, demanding to take a look at it. He struggled with John for a moment, before Sarah walked over, stepping up for John, and trying to pull Travis off of him, before punching him in the back of the head, Travis turned around, and threw her away, her slamming back first into the wall.

John then began hitting him, with Travis snapping around, and pushing him away, before, in a fit of pure rage, grabbing a chair, proceeding to slam it downwards on his shoulder, it shattering. John fell to the ground instantly, being in a world of pain. Sarah walked up, trying to hit him as hard as she could, however, Travis being a lot heavier than her, he took it, now grabbing her by the throat, picking her up, and throwing her face first into the wall. As he did this, he noticed some money had fallen out of Sarah's pocket. He bent down, picking up the money. Sarah cried out: "Please, don't take it! It's our money!" He responded "Well, now your money is going to the great bartenders of Wisconsin." Travis laughed, walking out of the motel room.

#### - Seven Days Before

Sarah looked after John for the next few days, all while Travis was nowhere to be found. Day 4 of Travis being a no-show, some debt collectors showed up to the house. They demanded to see Travis, however, of course, they had no idea where he was, stating the last they knew, he had gone out to drink. The debt collectors forced their way in, and ransacked the place, looking for any money they could, and clues to where they went. Sarah decided not to stop them, as they were carrying pistols, and she didn't want her or her brother to lose her life over her shithead stepfather's money. John and Sarah hid in the corner, waiting until they left. With them not being able to find anything, they just ended up leaving, taking everything of value they found.

Later that night, Travis finally showed his face. opening the door, as drunk as anything. He saw how destroyed the place was, and he was furious, blaming them for not stopping the debt collectors. He walked over to John, telling him to go into the kitchen, as Sarah was the one who didn't stop them. John hesitated for a moment, but remembering what happened to him last time, he obliged, walking into the kitchen. He heard his sister being struck, over, and over, and over. He heard her sobbing, and something snapped inside of him. He couldn't take hearing it. He looked through the sink, finding a steak knife, he grabbed it, now running over, and jumping on Travis's back, he stabbed him as many times as he could, striking his shoulder, and eventually, jamming it through the side of the neck, it exiting out the front, Travis threw John off of his back, before falling to the floor. Sarah pulled John away, looking at Travis. Travis grabbed the knife, pulling it out, blood gushing. He held his neck, looking at John and Sarah, saying, weakly, with fear in his eyes: "Get out... Please." Sarah grabbed John, then running.

#### - Three Days Before

They ended up hiding in the foreclosed building in the strip mall for a couple of days, not knowing what to do, before eventually, John brought up the idea of robbery again, Sarah was hesitant, but was seriously considering it this time. Sarah inquired about what they'd need, and John recalled from the newspaper he had read, telling her they'd need a gun, a car, and a mask. Sarah is hesitant about the idea of a gun, but he says it'd be just in-case. Sarah, being hungry, suggested they start somewhere small, like the Gas Station, John agreed, and they got to work.
John worked on getting the masks, while Sarah worked on getting the gun. John walked into the clothing store, searching for some ski masks, where he met Mariam, the employee at the clothing store. The employee greeted him, and he sheepishly asked where the sporting goods were, she pointed to a section in the back, and John walked over, sneakily stuffing two ski masks and gloves in his backpack while he was pretending to look around. After picking up a pair of baseball gloves and doing the "I don't have enough money, I guess i'll come back another time" routine, he got halfway to the door, before Mariam stopped him, walking over, and asking what was in his pockets. John instantly bolted for it, Mariam pursuing for a very short while, before stopping, and thinking; "He's just a kid, he probably doesn't actually have enough money for it, i'll leave him be."

While running away, he sees Sarah also running, he runs across the road to meet her, and they stop in an alley to have a quick debrief, in which, Sarah hands John his pistol, with John showing her the ski masks and gloves. Sarah asks where they plan to get a car from, and John suggests they take it from the Gas Station employee, Sarah agrees, and they go back to the foreclosed building in the strip mall, getting some sleep before tomorrow.

#### - Two Days Before

John wakes up bright and early, ready to do this. He shakes Sarah awake, telling her it's time to start walking. They walk to the Gas Station, stopping behind the building, and putting on their masks, and gloves. He tells Sarah that they'll bust in, he'll open the register, while she grabs the keys, he grabs the money while she starts the getaway car. Sarah agrees, and they do as such, storming the front door, after assuring that nobody was around. "HANDS UP!" John shouted, the employee was freaked out, keeping their hands up, with John opening the register, and Sarah taking his keys. John assured the man that if they didn't move, then nothing would happen to them. The employee nodded. Sarah then ran out to start the car.

The moment she left, the employee quickly pulled a revolver, John pulled the trigger, but he hadn't pulled down the hammer yet. He assumed the gun was broken, and he threw the gun at the employee, now rushing over to struggle for the gun. After a struggle, with John only being a fair match due to the pure adrenaline on his part, he punched the employee in the throat, and interlocked his leg with the back of their ankle, making them fall to a crouch. John grabbed the cash register to use as a weapon, as the person picked up the weapon, standing up, and turning around. John slammed the cash register down on the persons arms, their wrist breaking. John, then, still in pure adrenaline instinct mode, smashed the cash register across the employees face, a cracking sound could be heard, as their head hit into the wall, their legs collapsing, proceeding to fall the opposite direction, and hitting their head on the corner of the counter.

John couldn't believe what he had just done, dropping the cash register, he quickly grabbed as much of the cash as he could, making out with about $75, About $400 adjusting for inflation. He looked at the employee, crouching down slightly to look at them, before he was startled by the sound of a car engine starting, he ran outside, quickly getting in the passenger side door. Sarah was cheering, with an adrenaline high, before looking over at John, seeing him completely wide/teary-eyed, in utter shock. Sarah asks if everything was okay, then asking what happened in the store. John realised if he told the truth, she probably wouldn't continue with the bank robbery. He responded "Nothing... Just... They uh, fought back, and I had to knock them out. That's all." Sarah nodded, as John buried his true emotions, and faked it, to match her enthusiasm.

#### - One Day Before

Bright and early in the morning, John and Sarah both woke up. They began scouting the place, using the previous knowledge they have from observing the town to draw conclusions. They concluded that every Tuesday, a van left with money, and every Wednesday, a van came back with money. Thankfully, today was Tuesday. They check out the inside of the bank, and around the back, just getting ready for everything.

#### - The Day Of

They both woke up, again, bright and early, just going over the plan. They were going to do this. Arrested, or not. Eventually, it gets to Mid-day, and the security truck is heard driving along the street. They both bolt up, putting on their masks. John drives to the bank parking lot, going over the plan one more time.

"Alright, I'm going in the back, you're gonna go in front, and draw their attention, I take their security truck, and when you hear me honk, you bolt into the car. That's a solid plan." John said, with Sarah nodding in agreement. John and Sarah share a hug before John heads around to the back. Eventually, the guards suddenly seem like they have some place better to be, and John sneaks in, and grabs some keys they left on the table. He starts trying to unlock the truck, but can't find the right set of keys, before realising it's not on the keyring.

A guard walks around the corner, seeing John trying to rob the truck, they pull up their CAR-15, aiming it, and screaming "HALT!". John runs from the guard, but ends up being grabbed, and placed against a wall, the CAR-15 is aimed at his stomach, and the man looks ready to fire. A gunshot goes off, the guard's brain splatters all over the wall, and all over him, as the guard's body falls limp onto the floor. John stands there in a state of shock for a few moments, before slowly turning his head. He raises his hands slightly, before realising who it is: Dutch Van Der Linde, of the Van Der Linde Gang. Dutch speaks: "You alright? You get hurt?", whilst slowly lowering the shotgun. The bank alarm sounds, with John exclaiming: "MY SISTER! She's at the front of the bank! You gotta help her!" Dutch speaks: "Alright, alright, kid." He moves over, revealing a man behind him in a blue woollen coat. Dutch speaks to the man: "David, I'm gonna head around front, you get the truck, make sure the kid's alright, and pull around front. I gotta go help his sister." David nods, and Dutch walks off.

Eventually, Sarah is brung into the back of the security truck, next to John. Sarah gives John a warm hug. "Are you hurt?!" She then said, pulling off. John responds: "No... He saved my life, Dutch." Sarah nods, still just trying to process the situation. A few minutes later, the car comes to a halt, everyone getting out. The back doors are opened for Sarah and John, them stepping out. Dutch announces: "You folks can stay with us if you want.", before following it up with "You'll get your cut either way." John nods, before looking over at Sarah. They debate on wether or not they should stay there, before coming to a conclusion.