One guy stayed behind with a gun aimed at my brothers. The other two prodded me along. With a gun in my back I walked into my dad's study. The wall safe was in there.
"It's behind the family portrait," I said. The leader removed the painting and there was the safe. "Untie me and I'll open it."
"Nice try," the leader said. "What's the combination?"
I told him the combination and he said, "This had better be right. If it's not, I'll waste the skater boy." The combination worked.
Inside the safe he saw some paperwork and documents that he threw on my dad's desk. "Crap," he said. "Ah hah!" he said, noticing my mom's jewelry. "That's more like it." He started loading the jewelry into a bag, but then he stopped.
"What the fuck is this?" he said, pulling out my dad's handgun. I didn't respond. "`Untie me and I'll open it for you.' Nice trick," he put the gun in his pocket.
Then he wound up and I saw him start to punch at my face. I tensed my face up and then felt a punch to my stomach that doubled me over. "I can be sneaky, too, asshole," the leader said. "Take him back out and tie him up like the others."
The second man marched me back into the living room. My two brothers were still tied up on the couch. They were both tough kids, but I could see them trying to hide their fear. The other robber was sitting on the armchair drinking one of the beers from the case.
I was shoved down onto the couch next to Chris. Rope was wrapped around my ankles and knees the same way it was around my wrists. Then rope was wrapped around my chest a few times, securely pinning my arms to my sides. There was absolutely no chance I could fight back now. My brothers and I were totally at their mercy. They gagged me the same way they did my brothers.
A few seconds later the leader came back from the study. "OK, open the garage door and get the vans," he said, lighting one of my cigarettes. "Let's get this place cleaned out."
Next chapter