4:12am

I leave the house. The morning air is cool against my skin. Mom left only a few minutes ago to start work extra early. I was obviously awake. I didn't get a wink of sleep, told her I just happened to hear her get up so I said goodbye, gave her a kiss, hugged her tighter than usual then watched her leave. My stomach has been queasy ever since.

The lights are off at Leo's house. I linger outside his yard for a moment staring, just staring. A lump forms in my throat. My hands are shaking but I take a deep breath and move on. The bus arrives and the driver is confused to see me; a teen awake so early on a weekend but says nothing. There are a few others on the bus, likely commuters for weekend work. A few of them give sympathetic looks when I get off at my stop about two blocks away from the warehouse, probably more people thinking I'm some drugged up kid.

I hide, go invisible and continue my journey unseen while keeping my eyes peeled for the others. There's no one in sight, not even at the warehouse when I arrive. Stepping into the open space, somehow, is what hammers it in for me. I'm doing this. I either succeed or fail. This can go two ways and, if I fuck this up even a little, then it's over. I'm over.

It's almost scary how calm I'm starting to feel. My hands have stopped shaking. The sweat is no longer dripping down my cheeks. Each move is calculated, clean and quiet. The only sound comes from that of the occasional vehicle outside followed by a few birds that flutter around their nests on the rooftops. I'm locking the back doors ahead of time, making sure to leave the main door alone so they can come in.

Each window is thoroughly checked and secure. Most have locks on the inside so it'll at least stall them before ripping one open. I go over every inch of every damn thing, looking for any hidden weapons, checking if they planned on backstabbing me but there's nothing. This is it. This is their plan and I'm gonna mess it up either way.

It's not even five thirty by the time I've finished everything yet I don't feel restless. I continue checking, continue looking out and there's nothing on my mind. It's blank, so blank it's almost scary but I'm grateful for it, otherwise, I would be panicking by now.

I end up waiting outside watching the streets. A cop car drives past and it's the first one I've seen since I arrived. They don't come around here often and that worries me. How long will it take for them to arrive after the call? Can I knock the others out or restrain them in time? Once they hear those sirens they'll scatter and there's only one of me.

But such thoughts are put on hold when I realize; it's time.

The getaway car is heading this way. I can only assume they're all in it when the vehicle drives past the wired fence. While they park the car in an unseen location, I return to the warehouse and wait patiently. Now my heart is beating so loudly in my ears that it hurts. The taser is in my hand, remaining locks needed in the other, zip ties in one pocket and a phone the other.

Their voices are growing closer. I'm waiting outside the main entrance when I finally see them. Mop Head, Blondie, Clover and the one I have never seen until now, Gena, are heading this way. Gena is a thin girl with long and scraggly brown hair. Her wide green eyes are like a bugs', practically bulging out of her head. I think it's safe to say she's done her fair share of narcotics and it shows. The four are speaking quietly to one another until Blondie lets out a loud laugh that has Mop Head whacking her over the back of the head. She quiets just as the four pass me by, completely unaware that I've been here for over an hour.

My eyes catch a glimpse of a gun barely visible under Clover's hoodie. So I know he has one. Blondie obviously has a pocket knife in her jeans but I'm not sure about the other two. Kane said to take out Blondie first but, wouldn't it be a better idea to get rid of those with a gun? Blondie can't catch me if she doesn't see me.

"When do you suppose the freak will get 'ere?" Mop Head asks with a low chuckle just as I squeeze in behind them before the door shuts. I lock it from the inside while quietly doing the same to the others. None are even looking my way so they don't see a lock magically appear on the doors.

"Bet he'll be late," Blondie answers. "He's such a lil pussy, probably cryin' in his room as we speak!"

Oh, I am going to enjoy this.

"S-Suppose he rats on us though?" Gena asks timidly. I glance back just in time to see Clover glare at her. She bows her head immediately.

"He ain't gonna even think about it. Kane is watchin' his mom and got the address to his friends house. He'd be an idiot to try anything," Clover says far too confidently. It's actually helping my nerves because all I feel now is this immense rage, this desire to make their stupid plan blow up in their stupid fucking faces.

They're going to regret the day they ever messed with me.

"What are we gonna do after this? When the boss finds out he'll wanna see the freak, suppose he'll let us work with him some more?" Mop Head asks while I head to the far end of the warehouse in the corner. Their voices are softer here but I can make the phone call without them noticing so I wait patiently (not really) for Kane's call.

"Does it matter? Let us work with 'im or not, we're bound to finally get recognized. He'll love us for bringin' this kid in. He's the perfect thief material."

I bite my lip. Although it was obvious that Clover's "boss" would meet me should this go the way he wants it, it's scarier hearing the truth from him. They planned to hand me over like some art project to be sold. I can't imagine what would have happened if Kane didn't show up.

Speaking of Kane, I check my phone to find it's eight after six. Clover is looking at his own phone, seeming to be annoyed with my absence. That's proven correct when Blondie chimes in, claiming that she was right and should have bet on me. While they're arguing amongst themselves, I take that as the time to call the cops.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"There's some group stationed out in a warehouse on Schaeffer Street. They have guns," I whisper while keeping my eyes on Clover. None seem to have heard me because they haven't so much as glanced in my general direction.

"Please do not engage with them. Where are you now?"

"I'm across the street-oh god, I-I think they saw me. They're coming this way. I have to go, please, please send help," I hiss as frantically as I can. The dispatcher tries to keep me on the line but I'm quick to hang up. Regardless of whether he sends someone, I imagine there will be gun shots in a few moments and that is a sure fire way to call for the cops.

Kane's call follows my own just as I'm making my way towards them.

"Kane, what's going-" Clover's brows furrow in obvious frustration. "What do you mean she's gone?!"

I don't know what face Mop Head or Blondie are making. Their backs are facing me but Gena is already frantically digging at her hair and jumping up and down. Now my hands are definitely shaking but my eyes are locked on Clover. He has the gun.

This is it.

"You were supposed to fucking watch her! How did she just get away? Damn it, go to that brats-"

Then Clover's eyes widen. He's reaching to his side and I know it's too late to move around the table to get him first. The next option is the very person Kane told me to knock out first. I ram the taser into the back of Blondie's neck. Sure enough, the moment it goes off I appear behind her and all eyes are on me.

They always say the world feels like it's going in slow motion but, whoever they are, were lying. It's pure adrenaline in a second. Everything is so fast that I don't know what's happening until Blondie's unconscious body hits the ground. Clover's gun is nearly pointing at me while Mop Head has reached for his; hidden behind his back. I disappear moments before Clover fires off the first shot. I can feel the air from the bullet whizz past my arm.

The world's a blur, a complete mess of shouts and orders tangled together while my mind desperately tries to focus on the task at hand. Gena is bolting for the doors. She finds them locked, struggling with it while shouting, "He locked the doors!"

"What the hell are you doin', Micah?" Clover shouts. I'm shocked he used my name. The growl in his voice is enough to know he plans to kill me because of this. "Think this through. Do you honestly think you can stop all of us? You think your mom can hide forever? Kane's on his way to get those stupid friends of yours right now!"

I smirk. It feels good to have the upper hand.

Mop Head and Clover are watching for me. The disadvantage is they now know I'm here. My foot happens to hit against a grocery bag on the floor. Immediately Mop Head fires then my footsteps echo in the empty space. Neither can tell where I'm at so, with a single look to one another, the two start unloading bullet after bullet in no particular direction.

Movies have always made action scenes obscenely loud but now I know they aren't loud enough. Each shot echoes stronger than the last, so intense that I can barely hear sirens in the distance but I got a job to do. I can't focus on the coming headache so I make my way to Gena, already long gone from the firing range of those two idiots.

Gena's unlocking one of the windows. She jumps out, which was a dumb idea since I'm right behind her. When the taser makes contact with her back, she spazzes out but drops quietly, much to my luck. She's the first that I manage to tie up, leaving her zip tied to the door handle outside. Blondie passed out likely because of where I got her while Gena is more in pain, moaning and crying softly while trying to regain her movement but it's too late.

"Talley, wake the fuck up!" Clover shouts from inside. I'm already jumping back in through the window while Mop Head is keeping his eyes peeled. My foot hits the floor, he hears it and I bolt when his gun is pointed at the line of windows.

"Did he follow Gena?!" Mop Head asks while running to the window. I'm right next to him. Looking back, I find Clover trying to shake Talley awake. The taser is no good with them both having a gun so, when Mop Head leans out the window to check for Gena, I reach up and slam the window down on his head, twice.

The man shouts and drops the gun, which I proceed to kick as hard as I can. It goes skidding across the floor but Clover uses that to find out where I am. He must have half a brain because he manages to run across the room and tackle me. I'm surprised he didn't fire the gun, seems he cares about his "friends" more than I thought. Mop Head is still dazed, stumbling back with a few drops of blood trickling down his temple while Clover is on top of me.

My heart races when I see the gun in his hand. I manage to grab hold of his wrist before he can point it at me but he fires off a shot that goes through the door. First, my ear rings so loud that I squint my eyes, which then widen in fear but, when only light comes in, I know that Gena wasn't hit. Am I an idiot for not wanting them to die during this debacle? Probably, but I rather be an idiot than a murderer.