The Humvee, being driven by Gobber, tore through the industrial estate at top speed, heading for the largest building in the area while Dogsbreath stood guard at the entrance.
The building was a liquid soap factory, roughly the size of an average football field, with five floors below a roof that was topped by chimneys of various heights.
There was also a helipad on the roof, where helicopters could land, ferrying newly released prisoners and current convicts to work in the factory as part of their prison labour, under careful supervision of course.
Directly opposite the soap factory was a large warehouse, filled with barrels of lye and the other ingredients required to make liquid soap, as well as half a dozen pallets stacked with boxes of the finished product.
A truck was parked at the furthest end of the warehouse, its curtain slider trailer filled with several pallets of the soap, waiting as a forklift truck drove towards it carrying one such pallet, the last one to be loaded into it for the day, while the other Outcasts paused in their work as the Humvee roared past.
On the back wall of the warehouse, a collection of CCTV cameras tracked the vehicle's movements as it came to a stop outside of the front doors of the factory, passing the warehouse and the cantine hall where the "workers" ate that was right next to said warehouse in the process.
As soon as the Humvee came to a stop by the doors of the factory, all four got out and burst through the automatic double doors, the sound of the helicopter's engine notably louder by that point.
Inside, they spotted a security station on the left; devoid of any personnel and consisting of overhead monitors linked to the CCTV cameras outside.
And on the right, there was a reception area, where a female guard was making idle conversation with the receptionist there, sitting on a chair behind the glass as he conversed with her.
And last but not least, there were two lifts built into the back wall of the foyer.
"We should call the police, you know..." said the guard to the receptionist.
"And risk those Outcasts acting out? Yeah, no thanks." Then he glanced past her, towards the doors. "Hey, who are you four and why are you here?"
At that, the guard's head snapped around and she was immediately all business.
"I do hope you're not about to cause trouble," she stated, even as her hand drifted down her leg to her holster and the gun within.
"We're from the Berk Guard," announced Gobber. "I'm Major Belch, this is the Draugr Squad. We require access to the helipad on the roof of this building."
"A likely story. I'm going to need to check your ID's before I let you go anywhere, but only if you are who you say you are, that is."
"Seriously?" Groaned Cami. "Girl, there's a certain stereotype for women with blond hair, and you're living up to it. We don't have time for this right now."
"Zip it, or I'll have you all arrested for trespassing. Now, ID's, all of you. Even you there, blond moustache."
"Oh, fine," Hiccup heaved a sigh before reaching into the left inner pocket of the coat he had on and taking out his ID card. "Give her what she wants, guys, quickly."
Once all four of them had presented the guard with their ID's, she was apologetic and more than happy to help them out.
"Sorry, just doing my job," she told them with a shrug. "There are lifts back there that take you to the top floor. Hope you find whatever it is you're looking for, up there."
YOU ARE READING
The Gentle Sniper
FanfictionAfter losing his partner on a mission, Hiccup resolves to put General Finn Hofferson, secret traitor to Berk, behind bars or send him to Valhalla. Then a romantic rendezvous with his target's niece throws a wrench into his plan. Things aren't helped...
