To Catch a Cheat

by Varian Johnson

  Jackson looked at Charlie, who was still slumped against the wall. He had avoided asking for Charlie’s opinion since the operation began, mostly so he wouldn’t have to deal with any possible attitude. But that suddenly seemed silly. “What do you think?” he asked.

  Charlie twisted a short tuft of his hair. Jackson wasn’t sure if he was thinking or hesitating. Finally, he said, “We’re close to Mrs. Cooper’s room, so we’d have a shot at making it back before the cameras start recording. But there’s no way Hashemi and Megan would reach us. Not in forty-five seconds.” He stepped toward Jackson. “But you don’t think it’s a security system backup, do you?”

  Jackson shook his head. “We’re being played. There are just too many coincidences.” He picked up his microphone. “Megan, do you think Kayla could be behind this?”

  After another few seconds of silence, Megan said, “I suppose she could figure out a way to set up a system like the Pikachu. And then Rob and Thom could have installed it when they broke into the school and stole the NVR’s hard drive.”

  “If it really is Kayla, maybe we can wait her out,” Bradley said, still waving the molds. “She has to go to bed eventually. She can’t turn the cameras off if she’s asleep.”

  “Kayla could have set up the cameras to automatically power on in her absence,” Megan said. “It’s what I would have done.”

  “Well, I don’t want to hang around until midnight, hoping she falls asleep,” Jackson said. “I’m guessing that wouldn’t go over so well with our parents.” He smiled at Gaby, but she wasn’t smiling back. “What’s wrong?”

  “We’ve got another problem.” Gaby pointed to the rings of keys on one of the desks. “We have to return the masters to the security room.”

  “It’s bad enough if we get caught on video sneaking out of the school,” Charlie said. “But if Kelsey knows we have the master keys …”

  “So now what?” Megan asked. “We sit here and wait to be caught?”

  “The good thing is, we’re not in any immediate danger,” Jackson said. “Hash, make sure you finish the setup on the Pikachu. If we ever get out of here, I want to be able to monitor those cameras. And Megan, I still want you to download the video from all the cameras to a flash drive. Then see if you can figure out a way to shut down those cameras for a little longer. But I need minutes, not seconds.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” Megan said, “but Hashemi’s not going to like it.”

  “Acknowledged. Will call back in a bit.” Jackson turned off his microphone, then motioned for Charlie to do the same. “Whoever is behind this is smart.”

  “Too smart,” Charlie added. “This isn’t something he or she just thought about tonight.”

  Jackson led him to the farthest window, away from the others. “I think Kayla planted the schematics for the Pikachu. I think she wanted us to find them and use them to sneak in.”

  “That’s crazy,” Charlie said.

  “Okay, let’s start at the beginning and talk this through,” Jackson said. “I didn’t tell the others about this, but I’m pretty sure I was set up so I wouldn’t have an alibi on Saturday night. The same night you and the crew snuck into Riggins.”

  “But even if you were set up, how would they know I was going to case Riggins the same day? I only told the crew, and I know they didn’t tell anyone.”

  “Did you write it down? In the red notebook they stole from your locker?”

  Charlie nodded. “Okay, fair enough. So it wasn’t a coincidence that we didn’t have alibis. But what does that have to do with us being stuck here tonight?”

  Jackson pulled his pencil from behind his ear and tapped it against his palm. “Back to your locker…. They broke into it and swiped your messenger bag and the notebook. But how did they get the combination to the padlock? More importantly, how did they know the bag and the notebook were there in the first place?”

  Charlie leaned against the window. He had always been wary of the camera positioned outside of his locker — at times it seemed like it was focused directly on him. But he had told himself not to worry about it, because Dr. Kelsey already knew the combination to his padlock. He didn’t need to review a video to get it.

  “The cameras,” Charlie said. “You think the mastermind found a way to monitor and control them.”

  “It’s the only explanation that makes sense. If they had access to the cameras, they could easily track what you were putting in your locker. They could get your combination by zooming in as you opened the padlock.”

  Charlie ran his fingers through his hair. “I bet that’s how they knew about the meeting in the newsroom.”

  “And the text message they delivered to Gaby on Monday — how else would they know I was standing next to her?” Jackson shook his head. “I was so happy when Rob and Thom said they weren’t coming with us today. That way, we could set everything up without them knowing.” He looked down at the notebook in his jacket pocket. “I thought they were scared of getting caught…. But maybe they were never supposed to come in the first place. Maybe —”

  “What are you two talking about?” Gaby asked as she and Bradley joined them. “Are you figuring out a way to get us out of this mess?”

  Charlie glanced out the window. “More like, figuring out how bad of a mess we’re in.”

  “I’ve been all wrong about this,” Jackson mumbled to himself. “How could I be so stupid? This isn’t about the exam. It’s never been about the exam.”

  “Without the answers, Rob and Thom fail,” Bradley said.

  “But they aren’t the ones calling the shots,” Jackson said. “Think about it — what’s better than a fake video of a break-in?”

  Charlie sighed. “A real one.”

  “Exactly. Our mastermind doesn’t only want the answers to the exam. He wants revenge. He wants to see us humiliated. He wants to catch us in the act. On video. And we just played right into his hands.”

  They all remained silent for a few seconds, letting this new revelation sink in.

  As Charlie stared at his shoes, he wondered if they would have figured this out sooner if he’d been more honest with Jackson.

  A few feet away, Jackson wondered if they could have avoided this mess if he had talked to Charlie like Gaby had asked him to.

  “Dude,” Charlie said.

  “I know,” Jackson replied. “I should have —”

  “Me too.”

  They both took a deep breath, then smiled. “So we’re good?” Jackson asked.

  Charlie nodded. “We’re good.”

  Gaby stepped between the two boys. “Hold on. Did you two make up? Just like that?”

  “Yeah,” Charlie said. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  She crossed her arms. “I had this big speech planned out….”

  “Don’t worry — I’m sure Charlie and I will fight again. Save it for then. First things first.” Jackson turned his microphone back on. “Megan, you still there?”

  “Duh.”

  “Have you figured out how to buy us some more time?”

  “I have an idea. But it’s a stretch.” There was a pause as she rustled through some papers. “We could infect the Pikachu with malware.”

  “Because both the NVR and the cameras have their own storage systems, CPU, et cetera,” Hashemi said, “the KRX Supreme’s operating system has security measures in place to limit and compartmentalize damage. If there’s some type of threat, the entire system shuts down, which protects any unaffected pieces until a fix is installed.”

  “How long would that buy us?” Jackson asked.

  “If Kayla’s monitoring us, she should be able to upload a patch pretty quickly,” Megan said. “It’ll take about three to four minutes for the fix to start working.”

  “But there are some negatives,” Hashemi said. “In the process of delivering the malware, we’ll more than likely lose the ability to turn the cameras on and off later.”

  “Can’t we sneak back in like we did tonight a
nd install another Pikachu?” Bradley asked.

  Jackson was already shaking his head. “Guys, Kayla somehow hacked into the security cameras.” He quickly laid out what he and Charlie had deduced moments before. “That’s the only way they could have set this up,” he concluded. “So no, we’re not sneaking back in. At least, not like this.”

  “Sure, Kayla Hall could have installed another Pikachu in order to power on the cameras, but she does not have control of the security system,” Megan said.

  “Think about it,” Jackson said. “How else could she monitor the cameras and reposition them to spy on us?”

  “It’s impossible,” Megan said. “I don’t care how much money or time she had. The KRX Supreme security system can’t be hacked. Kayla’s good, but she isn’t that good.”

  “Maybe she didn’t hack the system. Maybe she stole the password to it,” Charlie said. “Rule of Engagement Number Eleven: Don’t use a bazooka when a slingshot will do.”

  Jackson glanced at Charlie. “We really need to talk about those rules of yours.”

  “What?” Charlie shrugged. “Sure, maybe they’re … inspired by your Code of Conduct, but they’re more different than alike.”

  “Yeah. Sure.” Jackson put his hand to his ear. “But Charlie’s right about her stealing the password, Megan. We’ve stolen more difficult things.”

  Megan sighed. “Yeah … The NVR is secure, but a cell phone or Kelsey’s laptop are a lot easier to crack. And if she got the password from one of them, it’s a cakewalk to remotely log into the system — especially if you’re using another NVR to tie into it.”

  Jackson checked the time again. “For now, let’s focus on getting out of here. We’ll come up with a new plan later.”

  “What about the masters?” Gaby asked, holding up the two key rings.

  Jackson stretched his arm toward her. “I’ll take those.”

  She moved the key rings behind her back. “Come on, Jackson. You can’t make it from here to the security room and back to Mrs. Cooper’s room in three minutes.”

  “Or four minutes.” He smiled. “I’m fast.”

  “But I’m faster,” Charlie said. “I should go. And if it wasn’t for me —”

  “You’ve paid back your debt,” Gaby said. “I’m faster than you both, and I can run longer, and I’m in better shape.” She took a step toward Jackson. “Equal risk,” she said. “If I’m in, I’m in.”

  Jackson gazed at her, taking in her long brown hair, her eyes that looked so wide behind her glasses, and her beautiful, perfect, raw, chapped lips. “Okay,” he finally said. “You’re up.”

  Jackson switched off the microphone again, then walked over to Charlie. The crew had been ready for over fifteen minutes, yet Charlie kept pacing in front of the chalkboard, yanking and pulling his hair. Every few minutes he would stop, pull his own notebook from his back pocket to jot down an idea or two, then return to pacing.

  “Time to go,” Jackson said. “Samuel and Ray won’t wait on us forever.”

  Charlie looked at the file cabinet holding the test. “Just give me a second….”

  “If you’re hesitating because you’re worried about Gaby, don’t,” Jackson said. “She can probably run to the security room, hook the key rings on the correct pegs, lock the door behind her, and stop by the vending machine for a soda all before the cameras power back on.”

  Charlie shook his head. “Gaby’s not the problem. I’ve been thinking about your plan.”

  Jackson had overheard Charlie asking Bradley about the original plan while they waited for Megan to prepare the malware program. He’d almost been embarrassed about it, it had so many holes. “Look, now’s not the time to second-guess —”

  “I’m not trying to criticize you,” Charlie said. “It was a good plan, Jackson. It was just …”

  “Just not good enough?”

  Charlie shrugged. “At least you had a plan — using the two stationary cameras in the social studies wing to catch Rob and Thom breaking into Mrs. Clark’s room. It had a few flaws, but it could have worked. Especially when you factor in the Sue Storm —”

  “The Invisible Woman?”

  “Yeah,” Charlie said. “Because you were going to trick Rob and Thom into using disappearing ink during the test.” He grinned. “It was pretty smart — and that would have stopped them from cheating.”

  “Maybe,” Jackson said. “That was plan B. Did Bradley tell you about plan A?”

  “With the tablets?”

  “I’m surprised. No fancy nicknames?”

  “Actually, Bradley’s been calling them Han van Meegerens, after the Dutch forger who —”

  “Let’s just stick with ‘tablets,’ ” Jackson said. “I canned that when Hash and Megan convinced me they could build the Pikachu. But now I’m wondering if we can make the original plan work again.” He pulled his notebook from his jacket. “I just can’t figure out how to sneak back in to turn off the cameras, much less set up the … Han van Meegerens. As long as Kayla has control over those cameras, there’s no way we can anticipate what she’ll do — when she’ll turn then on, or reposition them, or anything.”

  “You know Megan’s been working on a password-decoding program.”

  “We are not breaking into Kayla Hall’s house.”

  “I know, I know,” Charlie said as he flipped open his notebook. “But I think plan A could work. And with a few tweaks, we might even be able to catch whoever’s behind this.”

  Jackson read Charlie’s scrawled handwriting. Then he pulled the notebook out of Charlie’s hands and read it a second time. “Are you insane?”

  “Jackson, think outside the box.”

  “More like outside the universe.” He handed the notebook back to Charlie. “But it could work.”

  “It will work. But we need a carrot to dangle in front of the roadrunner.”

  “I think you’re mixing your metaphors, but I get what you mean.” Jackson pocketed his notebook, then he and Charlie walked over to Gaby, who was running in place, warming up for her sprint to the security room. Jackson paused before lightly touching her shoulder. Was he supposed to talk to her differently now that she was officially his girlfriend?

  “What is it, Jackson?” Gaby asked, still jogging.

  Jackson realized that he’d been staring. “Oh, sorry…. I don’t want you to put the keys back on the pegs,” he said.

  Gaby started stretching. “Don’t worry about me running out of time. You know I can make it.”

  “It’s not about that,” he said. “Just place the keys on the table. And don’t lock the door behind you. I want to —” He looked at Charlie. “We want to dangle a carrot in front of the roadrunner.”

  “That makes absolutely no sense.”

  “What can I say, it’s Charliespeak.” He winked. “Trust me. Okay?”

  Gaby nodded. “Okay.”

  Jackson turned toward Bradley. “Are those molds dry?”

  “Dry enough so they won’t be damaged when we run.”

  “Good. Let’s get into position.” He turned on his microphone. “Megan, Hash — you guys ready?”

  “We’re ready,” Hashemi said. “I just … I can’t believe I’m doing this to the Pikachu.”

  “Hashemi, stop acting like that little slimy dude from The Lord of the Rings,” Charlie said. “It’s a machine. A machine you didn’t even get out of beta.”

  “Exactly,” he moaned. “And now I won’t even be able to retrieve it to repurpose the parts.”

  “Buck up, Gollum. Thanks to Charlie, we might be able to figure out a way to get your machine back,” Jackson said. “Megan, start the sequence. Everyone go on my mark.” Then he leaned close to Gaby’s ear. “Good luck,” he whispered.

  Gaby didn’t look at him. In her head, she was already following the route she’d mapped out to the security room, reminding herself to avoid the patch of shoddy carpet in front of Mrs. Vick’s classroom and the uneven bit of trim at the hallway door. Charlie had offe
red his earpiece so Megan could update her on the cameras, but she declined. She didn’t want the distraction of someone talking in her ear as she ran.

  “Get ready,” Jackson said behind her.

  She wiped her hands on her pants, then repositioned her glasses. This would have been a great day to wear contacts.

  “Megan has started the program,” Jackson said. “It looks like it’s working,” he continued, his voice rising. “The cameras are blinking off…. And … go!”

  Gaby flung the door open and shot down the hall, the two key rings tight in her hand. The metal cut into her palm, but that just made her run harder. In the atrium, she passed Megan, her long blond hair streaking behind her. A few seconds later, Hashemi lumbered past, the MATE tight in his grasp.

  As Gaby neared the security room, she was glad to see that they had remembered to leave the door cracked. She rammed her shoulder into it, throwing it open, and staggered for a second before regaining her balance.

  She dropped the keys on the desk and shot back out the door.

  Her legs were beyond tired, but she didn’t dare stop to rest, or wipe her forehead or palms, or brush her bangs from her face. She just kept running — through the atrium, down the hallway, and into Mrs. Cooper’s classroom.

  Jackson was waiting for her outside the window.

  “What are you —”

  “Stop talking. Keep moving,” Jackson said as he helped her climb over the windowsill. “I’ll close it,” he yelled. “Just go!”

  She took off, with Jackson following close behind. Finally, she reached the picnic tables and collapsed on the ground. She felt so dizzy, she thought she might throw up.

  Megan glanced at her over her laptop. “The outside cameras are just turning on,” she said. “You made it with thirty seconds to spare. Good job, Gaby.”

  Jackson nudged Charlie. “Told you … she’d have time … for a soda.”

  Charlie rolled his eyes as he helped Gaby to her feet. “Show-off,” he said before hugging her and kissing her cheek.

  Bradley grinned as he elbowed Jackson. “Maybe you should be taking notes.”

  On Saturday morning, after his parents left home to take Samuel to the airport, Jackson turned on his computer and inserted the flash drive. Hashemi and Megan had offered to review the video with him, but this was something he needed to do himself. Whoever was blackmailing them wouldn’t make a careless, overt mistake — he or she was much too smart for that. Jackson was looking for small, subtle clues.