[ WP ] Write a story where the protagonist dies at the end but it turns out to be a happy ending .

I liked this prompt! My ending got a little lazy though, because of time constraints, so it is n't the ending I wanted, sadly. Please, forgive me for that! Thank you! 
 
 Joe Pratchett glanced over at his partner, wondering if he was ready. They'd trained for this moment, although training never could *really* prepare someone for the real deal. He sighed quietly, steering his Toyota Camry down an alley and switching it off. `` You ready to do this?'' His voice was strong and forceful, a tone he used when he did n't want questions. 
 
 `` Of course.'' His partner, a 20-something male by the name of Richard, was unbuckling, having already gloved his hands in his nervousness. Joe followed suit, gloving up and then unbuckling the seat belt. He pulled out wipes and handed them to Richard so he could get rid of any fingerprints. 
 
 Finally, they were ready. They took a quick look at the building, a small town bank, giving themselves just a moment to pump themselves up. `` Alright, get the guns.'' Joe commanded, his voice unwavering. He'd done this a hundred times before, he was sure it would be the same this time. 
 
 While Richard walked to the trunk, Joe leaned down and strapped a pistol he'd kept under his seat to his ankle. This was in case he became disarmed and needed to save himself. He'd covered it with his pants before Richard even had the duffel bag out of the trunk. `` Here.'' He tossed the bag at Joe, who caught it with ease and unzipped it in one, fluid motion. 
 
 As always, he grabbed a large semi-automatic machine gun that took up most of the room in the bag. That left an revolver for Richard, who had claimed to be more of a pistol man anyways. He grumbled something about Joe compensating, then reluctantly took the gun and checked the clip. Full. 
 
 Joe motioned for his partner to go, then opened his door and sprinted up to the back entrance of the bank. Richard went to work picking the lock, and after a minute or two the door swung open. Instantaneously, alarms started blaring, alerting the one security guard of an invasion. Joe took the lead, holding his weapon at the ready and keeping his knees bent. Richard took the rear, keeping his pistol pointed at the ground but his arms straight in case he needed to shoot. 
 
 Everything went smoothly as they approached the safe, a large metal door with a code lock on the door. This was where they'd gotten lucky. They'd had an inside connection. Joe smirked and tapped away at the keypad, inputting the code they'd been told. The numbers lit up, then turned green as Joe finished the code, and they heard a loud metallic *click*. 
 
 Just as the door opened, a single shot rang out, and Joe stopped suddenly. Slowly, he looked down to find blood leaking from his chest, soaking his black shirt and making it slightly darker. `` What the...?'' He wheezed, and then fell over, his breaths short and labored. 
 
 Richard glanced in the door, and noticed a small, barrel sized hole in the wall on the back of the vault. Knowing protocol, he grabbed the SMG and stepped over the dying body of his partner and began to loot like they'd planned. Joe watched as it became harder to breathe, trying to put pressure on his wound. This was not what he'd planned. 
 
 Fighting his pain, he reached down and grabbed the pistol he'd strapped to his ankle, taking careful aim. He would aim for the head, but he needed to have perfect aim or it'd be a waste. `` I'm sorry, Dick.'' Richard stopped and turned, having never been called that by his partner. However, instead of a sincere moment, the last thing he heard was a gunshot. 
 
 Joe laid back, his breathing slowing and finally stopping. As he drew his last breath, he smiled. He'd done this a hundred and one times. It was fitting, that as he'd ended the lives of so many thieves with a bullet, a bullet should be his undoing.
