Manic [h.s]

#027

"I want to break my baby"

Break My Baby | KALEO

February 11, 1999

IRIS XANDER

Matthew Hart is a businessman—an automative parts supplier, or at least that's what he claims. He owns a massive warehouse somewhere near Scappoose, Oregon. From what I've gathered, this isn't just any warehouse; it was once an abandoned military base that Matthew repurposed for his own use.

The warehouse is a fortress to say the least. It appears to be a single story building, but according to the intel we've got, the real action happens underground. The place is more active in the basement levels, each more secure than the last. The exterior is secured with corrugated metal walls and a few scattered windows with different trucks coming and going and the workers moving about.

But what raises the suspicions is the heavy security detail. A few armed guards patrol the perimeter, as if the place is a high security prison rather than a mere warehouse. Who needs that kind of protection for car parts? Unless, of course, Matthew is hiding something far more valuable than what he claims to sell.

It's almost six in the morning, the sky barely beginning to lighten as the sun starts its slow climb. Zayn, Liam, Louis, and Harry are already out there, scoping the area around the warehouse. Meanwhile, the rest of us are huddled quietly in a van parked in a spot where the guards can't see us. The van is quiet, the tension palpable as we wait for any updates from them, ready to get out the moment they give us the signal. Louis had handed out two way radio for each of us to maintain an easier communication. The devices are clipped to our belts, cracking occasionally with static.

I glance outside the van through the window, my fingers drumming on the gun hidden beneath my shirt. The warehouse looms large in the distance, my knee bouncing up and down in anticipation. The chip could be anywhere, and there's no way in hell we can search the entire place without those guards spotting us. There's just too many of them to take down on our own. They're armed to the teeth, and their numbers are far from comforting.

I remember asking Meredith about this, and she gave me a look like I was the dumbest person alive. "Matthew wouldn't be stupid enough to hide it in plain sight or somewhere easily accessible," she had said. "Nobody trusts their own henchmen with something valuable. If the chip is here, it's gotta be in a heavily secured spot only he can access. We just need to find that."

She made sense in a way. Of course, Matthew wouldn't leave the chip somewhere any random person could stumble upon it. But that's the problem. If nobody can fucking access it, what chance do we have of getting our hands on it?

I glance around at the rest of the team in the van. Niall is almost nodding off beside me, so I give him a nudge to wake him up. He blinks at me groggily, muttering something under his breath as he sits up straighter. The others are quiet, lost in their own thoughts. We've given our respective roles to play. But right now, it feels like we're grasping at straws.

My thoughts are interrupted as Meredith's radio crackles to life. Everyone straightens in their seats, the static snapping us to attention. She fumbles with the radio for a moment before Liam's voice comes through, muffled but urgent. "The back area is clear. Time to get moving," he says.

"About fucking time," Dominic says.

"Alright, let's get this done," Meredith snaps, her voice cutting through the air. "We'll move faster if we split into pairs. Iris, you're with Brian. Dominic, you're with me." She pauses, glancing at Niall who's eyes widen with mock offence.