Chapter 239
LA BLANCA THE CHLOROS
IAM shook his head. "So your point is that the sector mayors…"
"It's possible," Thor said. "The middle sector mayor—or perhaps just some of his subordinates—could be the ones backing the Chloros, pushing them to expand into the higher sector. It's not impossible. It's just a matter of benefits."
"So… they might be doing this to create chaos in the higher sector, to make the higher sector mayor look incompetent? Because he couldn't handle the conflict between La Blanca and the Chloros?" IAM asked.
"Yes," Thor replied. "That would be the most effective way for them to expand. I doubt they'd act without a plan. They stir up problems, let the public become dissatisfied with the current mayor, and when the middle sector mayor eventually takes over as the higher sector mayor, the issue 'magically disappears.' He not only gains merit and improves his image, but he also undermines his competition. It's like killing two birds with one stone."
IAM cleared his throat. "So what do you plan to do? It's complicated because…" He trailed off, thinking for a moment. "Because it's only speculation, there's no solid proof, and even if there was, the people we've caught are probably just grunts."
Thor nodded. "Exactly. It's all circumstantial so far. There's going to be a proper investigation into the matter, but it might take a while. We only have low-ranking members here—none of them are ascenders, and even if they were, they likely wouldn't be entrusted with sensitive information. Any direct connections they have to their backers, if those even exist, are probably well-hidden."
"We're hoping to catch higher-ranking members eventually," Thor added, rubbing his forehead.
IAM shrugged. "Nothing to do with me..."
He slowed down slightly, realising the bright red flag he had just waved. His face tightened, and he quickly added, "You wouldn't put a seventeen-year-old against a bunch of gang members... right?"
Thor gave him an appalled look. "Of course not!"
"But you made me follow them!"
"I didn't know! If I did, I wouldn't have made you!?"
IAM looked at him with a deadpan expression. "You're an unreliable adult... I'd prefer Kai."
Thor recoiled like he'd been slapped. "You don't know Jack shit! Kai is definitely far less mature than me. She's... she's..." He flailed for words, then gave up with a sigh. "You know what... never mind!"
A few people working nearby glanced in their direction, briefly distracted by the random outburst between the two.
Thor sighed heavily and muttered to himself, "I need a smoke."
IAM, who had been idly watching the warehouse doors swing open and closed, tilted his head slightly. "You smoke?"
Thor froze mid-thought, caught off guard. He hesitated for a moment before scratching his jaw and replying, "I used to... but then I quit. Kai said she didn't like the smell, and she wouldn't stop complaining—ever. So I just decided to quit."
There was a pause.
"Friends..." IAM said quietly.
Thor didn't even look at him. "Shut up."
After waiting for a bit longer, things began to return to a tense sort of normal.
Officers and investigators moved around the area. A few were still sweeping the inside of the warehouse, their gloved hands running across shelves and packages as they documented everything. Someone had brought in two scanning devices and they were being used to check for hidden compartments in the walls or under the floorboards.
Outside, the atmosphere was more relaxed but no less busy. Two of the suspects were still groaning faintly, being treated by medics while shackled to stretchers.
Another had just been loaded into the back of a secure police van that had arrived only minutes ago, its doors still creaking from being yanked open in a rush. His leg was propped up awkwardly on a folded blanket, and his wrists were bound tight and secured to a metal bar along the van's interior.
The officers kept their distance from IAM and Thor, though they threw curious glances their way every now and then—especially at IAM.
Eventually, someone came up to the two holding a slim black folder in his hands. He was dressed in a dark uniform. He gave Thor a respectful nod, then paused at IAM for a moment—almost assessing him—before offering a shorter, but still polite nod.
"I have the initial report ready," he said, flipping the folder open and clearing his throat.
"The interior of the warehouse appears to have been recently cleaned and kept in a maintained state, suggesting regular activity. There are several long tables set up in structured rows. We found various sealed containers, marked with coded labels, most of which require deeper analysis. No strong scents or active agents, but there were chemical traces on the surfaces—light powder residue, mostly alkaloid-based, though nothing confirmed yet."
He flipped a page.
"There's a storage section in the back corner—about two dozen brown packages, all tightly wrapped. They seem ready for distribution. They are also unmarked. We also found ventilation ducts retrofitted with silencers and insulation foam, possibly to muffle machine noise or regulate fumes without raising suspicion."
The man looked up at Thor.
"Given the setup, the materials present, and how hidden the location was, we believe this space was used for some kind of controlled processing and packaging. What exactly they were making, we can't say yet. Could be narcotics, or maybe something less conventional. We'll need the lab to confirm."
He closed the folder.
"But whoever was running it knew what they were doing. Everything's compartmentalized. Theres no paper trail or digital logs... "
Thor's gave a simple nod.
"Understood. Make sure the packages get sealed and taken in for testing."
The officer nodded again and left with the same quiet professionalism he came with.
IAM glanced at the warehouse in the distance, then back to Thor. "Drugs? "
Thor didn't answer immediately.
"Let's wait for the lab. Could be anything."
He continued, "They probably led you here to make use of the path formation that was set up. This seems to be one of their hidden bases of operation. Now that it's exposed, we might be able to dig something out—maybe even find other places like this."
IAM gave a slow nod, his gaze fixed on the warehouse. More personnel were arriving by the minute, and the operation had shifted into full swing. People in gloves and masks moved in and out, carefully carrying sealed bags, tools, and equipment. A few others had started branching off to inspect the surrounding warehouses—just in case.
Thor let out a short breath and looked at the sky. "In any case, it's time to get your ass back to the academy. It's getting late."
It was indeed getting late as the night grew darker.
The two made their way toward Thor's truck, IAM walking a little slower now that the adrenaline had worn off. Thor stopped just as they reached the front and narrowed his eyes.
"IAM… What is this dent on my hood?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," IAM replied immediately, feigning ignorance with a straight face as he casually gestured toward the driver's side. "Shouldn't we be focused on getting back to the academy?"
Thor took another step forward, squinting at the surface. "There's also a bit of blood here and there… I… I…"
"—Need to get me to the academy as soon as possible?" IAM cut in, this time with a hopeful smile, already reaching for the passenger door.
Thor stared at him, silent for a long moment. Then, with a tired sigh and a muttered, "Unbelievable," he got into the truck and started the engine.
IAM climbed in beside him.