Under a threatening steel sky, Patch walks into Merchants National to rob it, unaware that an additional guard has been posted by the side door and is hiding behind a newspaper. Patch pulls his gun and demands money, and the teller stuffs bills into an envelope before glancing past Patch’s shoulder as he hands it over.

A shot cracks through the bank, shattering the glass divider and dropping Patch to the floor along with everyone else as screams erupt. While the alarm sounds and sprinklers begin falling, Patch crawls across the carpet and hides behind a desk, trying to steady himself amid the chaos. The guard advances with a shaking gun and keeps firing.

Patch quickly calculates the danger by recognizing the guard’s Model 36 revolver and counting the shots. When Patch hears the sixth and final bullet slam into the desk behind him, Patch realizes the weapon is empty, gets to his feet, and runs for the door.

After escaping, Patch understands that his robberies are no longer the controlled "redistribution of wealth" he had told himself they were. The violence strips away the sense that it has been a game. Even so, Patch still mails the stolen money, still wet from the sprinklers, to the Forever United charity.