the ultimatum ↬ elliot alderson ✔

<stee1m0unta1n23.xlam>

Trenton and Mobley are trying to create a more secure base around the warehouse, but I know it won't do us good if we can't protect ourselves on our own. Getting access to alarms and automatic system shutdowns won't save our own skin. 

But I don't want to argue with them whilst we're working together. 

"After we get into Steel Mountain, there's no way we're staying here," Darlene suddenly says, gazing at Mobley. He's setting up a sensor so when the front door opens all our screens go black. It's an idiotic technique. If anyone were to come in, it would make us looking at black screens more suspicious. Plus, we might even lose our data.

"No. We should reboot the system so we can have a different browser open. Have an instant switch from Kali to Windows," I respond. Mobley glances over at me and so does Trenton. They know that could work. 

"Or instead of wasting time on this, we should be finishing off everything for tomorrow morning," Dawn says, rolling her eyes. Her gaze shifts to me. I know I should stay in her apartment from now on. I'm going to be the man she deserves. 

"STOP!" I exclaim, making everyone turn around to face me. I have a better idea. "We need to scrap out as much evidence as possible for now. We execute tomorrow, we need to make sure we only have what we need, so erasure is quicker. We cannot mess up like last time." 

Darlene looks at Dawn, who nods in agreement. 

"Yeah. Fuck the whole security system. It would be a waste of time anyway," Darlene replies. I begin to tear apart the laptop I used to do all the research, the sounds of every one of us smashing bits of our technology somehow freeing. 

It's as if we let go of what burdened us. 

***

Today is the day we execute. I slept over at Dawn's last night. She said we're okay now. 

I get inside the black van with a logo I don't recognise. Perks of having someone like Mobley in fsociety is that he has access to advantages like this one. He said his cousin knew someone who worked at a car disposal warehouse. I hop in the passenger seat, with Dawn at the back and Mobley at the front, making sure we have everything we need. 

"Do the mics all work?" Dawn asks, talking inside the piece.

"Too well," I say, flinching from the loud volume of the ear piece. I exchange a smile with Dawn, something I've rarely done. I know I need to be a better boyfriend to her, because lately I haven't been exemplary. This is why I'm doing this. I need to fight for the future I deserve. And this is my way of getting there. 

We drive for hours from New York City to Pennsylvania where Steel Mountain have their database centre. Dawn fell asleep and I managed to pull a blanket on her. I have to start doing these things for her. 

An hour and a half later, we arrive at the entrance of the Steel Mountain plateau, where a dozen guards are standing at the gate. I give Mobley a glance. Dawn is staring at the men with furrowed brows. She's nervous. 

Mobley stops the van in front of the entrance booth. He lowers the window so he can talk to the man covered in black from head to toe. 

"We're making a delivery for, uh..." Mobley starts, gazing over at a notepad with a name on it. "Delivery for Mr Josh Barnes." 

Josh Barnes is the head of reception, which makes our delivery seem discrete. The man eyes us, especially me. I scrapped off the hoodie to make it look like I work for this company. 

"What company?" the security guard asks me and Dawn. 

"We work for Tech Queries," I respond. The guard gives me a glare before sighing.