Break the Code

by Megan Atwood

  The article’s headline said, Philanthropists Expand Generosity to Their Home. The article went on to explain that Ana and Isabel were foster children living with the Davenports.

  Aha, thought Maiv. So Ana’s not rich. Her foster parents are. But that doesn’t mean she’s happy where she’s at. She must have a reason for wanting $10 million. Just like she must've had a reason for contacting Maiv last night. Maybe she and Ana were in the same boat—in over their heads.

  Since Ana was her age, Maiv started to wonder if all the contestants were teens. That would narrow down the search.

  To see who was renting the St. Paul apartment, Maiv had to hack into the rental company’s records. Hacking on a public computer was risky, but by now, Maiv didn’t care one bit. And nothing was as risky as letting the Benefactor track her.

  The apartment was being rented by Robert Trudeleau. He’d lived there for eight years and had always paid his rent on time. A little more digging showed her that Robert Trudeleau was a widower—his wife had died fifteen years ago. He had a daughter, Beth Trudeleau, who was a doctor and worked for an overseas medical charity, Doctors Together. And he’d had a son, Jack, who was dead. Jack and his wife had been killed in a car accident eight years ago. But they had a son—James—who was Maiv’s age. James Trudeleau. There he was.

  Based on the apartment’s location, Maiv guessed James went to her school, Cleveland High. She hacked the school’s records—easy enough. She’d done that plenty of times. And there he was: a senior like her. An A student. No record of getting into trouble with the school administration. Maiv pulled out the tiny reporter’s notebook she always carried in her purse and jotted down James’s class schedule. Maybe she could catch him in a part of the school where the Benefactor hadn’t planted cameras.

  And now there was Burnett Hardware.

  Step one: a basic Internet search. This brought up some general information about the business, which had been around for almost twenty years. The online reviews were glowing. Customers mentioned that the store was family-owned and most said the service was excellent. Maiv did find a handful of negative reviews, though. One said, Never going back there. The owner’s sons work there, and the older one creeps me out.

  Maiv didn’t know what the customer meant by that. But she did have a good idea of who she might be threatening now. The Benefactor was probably targeting one of the Burnett sons.

  Step two: a more targeted Internet search. The Burnetts seemed to own and live in the apartment above the store. And the high school closest to the hardware store was Alexus Olsen High School.

  Step two: hacking. Maiv had never tried to beat Olsen’s system before, but she figured it couldn’t be much tougher than Cleveland High’s security. And it would be faster than searching for other types of records.

  She was right. It only took her a few minutes to get past the firewall. And she quickly found what she was looking for. Someone named Colin Burnett was a junior at Olsen.

  She didn’t have time to find out more because the bell rang. Her study hall period was over.

  But she was fairly certain she would be meeting Colin later today.

  CHAPTER 8

  Maiv was now positive she was being followed. The middle-age white guy she kept seeing at her bus stop was actually on the bus with her now, a few rows ahead of her. He was already sitting there when she got on, and he did a double take as she walked past him. Recognizing her. When she got off the bus, so did he.

  He waited at the bus stop while she kept walking. But a few minutes later, she stopped and pretended to look at a store window. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him, about a block behind her.

  This went on for a while. Every time Maiv stopped, her shadow stopped suddenly too and pretended to look at whatever he was in front of.

  Definitely not a professional.

  Which didn’t make it any less scary. Maiv found herself practically running to the hardware store.

  It was a cute, inviting store. In the front window an old-school paper sign said, “Yes, we’re open” in sprawling script. Maiv opened the door, and a little bell sounded.

  A burly, kind-of-cute guy about her age stood behind the counter. He had a tired-looking face. Obviously, this was her fellow contestant.

  “Hey there. Can I help you?”

  Maiv flinched. She wasn’t supposed to talk to him. But it would be weird if she didn’t respond to a direct question. “Uh, no. I’m just looking for . . . a hammer.” She knew she didn’t sound convincing. But it was the first thing that popped into her head. Probably because of the note’s wording: the last nail in your coffin.

  The guy looked at her suspiciously. She didn’t blame him. “Second aisle from the back, about halfway down.”

  “Thanks.”

  The phone rang behind the register.

  She moved toward the back, figuring she’d leave the note when he wasn’t looking.

  He called, “Let me know if you need anything else.”

  Maiv noticed the mirrors on the ceiling and figured he could still see her. So she headed to the hammer section, picked up a hammer, and pretended to look at it. Maybe she should actually buy it and then put the note on the counter while the guy was ringing up the purchase . . .

  She moved back toward the front of the store, and then she saw him: the guy who’d been following her, standing outside and looking through the store window.

  Suddenly, she felt mad. Mad that this guy had the nerve to follow her. She met his eyes and lifted up the hammer like she was going to throw it through the window at him.

  The man’s eyes widened, and he backed up fast. A moment later he had ducked out of sight. Maiv would have laughed if the situation hadn’t been so weird.

  But then she remembered the guy at the counter. He was still on the phone, his back turned.

  Quickly, Maiv took out the note she’d written. Suddenly she felt a strong urge to get out of here. No time to buy anything or even put the hammer back. She just placed the note on the counter and put the hammer on top of it. Then she walked out the door, hoping no strange men were waiting to ambush her.

  Maiv had never run so fast to a bus stop in her life.

  CHAPTER 9

  When Maiv got home, she knew right away something was wrong. About twenty people stood around her house and she saw a police car without its lights on. Her mother was holding Liv, Cai held Leev, and Kiab held Lili’s hand. Her dad talked to a police officer and Adam’s father. Adam stood near them and listened in.

  Her whole family was crying.

  This had to be something to do with the Benefactor.

  When she reached her mom, Liv held his hands out to her so she took him. “Niam, what happened?”

  Wiping her eyes, she took a deep breath and tucked some hair behind Maiv’s ear.

  “Someone cut through our plumbing system, honey. The whole basement is flooded.”

  Maiv stared at her. “Cut through the plumbing?”

  Her mother nodded. “Yes. The police think it might be a hate crime. They can’t think of any other reason someone would do this.”

  Maiv closed her eyes and put her hand to her forehead. Well, it was a type of hate crime. Hate from someone called the Benefactor. Liv started squirming, so she set him down and he ran to Cai.

  “Do they have any idea who did it?”

  “One of the neighbors thinks she saw a girl with dark hair. But it’s Helen, and you know how her eyesight is.”

  Maiv chewed on her thumb and tried to push the panic down. That had to be Ana. This was Maiv’s punishment for having Adam help her. And also a reminder that she had to stay in the Contest. Her eyes filled with tears. This was all her fault.

  Her mother put her arms around her, but Maiv had the urge to pull away. She didn’t deserve this love. She’d brought this trouble home.

  She wiped her eyes. “Will insurance cover this?”

  Her mom said, “Your father thinks so. But it will take months to get that money. So we ha
ve to clean up the basement before the mold sets in. The electricity will have to be shut off while we work, and we won’t be able to use the bathroom for a few hours . . .” She pasted a smile. “But no need to worry. Adam’s family will take the little ones for tonight. We called the church and Father Michael is coming over in a bit with a sump pump. We’ll clean this up right away.”

  Maiv stiffened. Father Michael. Now what was she going to do?

  Adam came over. He stood awkwardly by Maiv and her mom drifted away, leaving the two standing there alone.

  He said, “I’m so sorry, Maiv. Do you have any idea who did this?”

  Maiv’s eyes filled again, and she looked down. When she looked up, she saw that Adam’s eyes were full of concern. This made the tears spill over.

  Adam took out a bandana from his pocket. “Uh, here. Sorry. It’s all I have. But it’s clean. I carry one around in case I decide to play some pickup basketball.” He looked down at his shoes as Maiv took it. She couldn’t help but smile.

  She said, “I didn’t know you played basketball.”

  He grinned. “Not very well. But it doesn’t matter. I like it.”

  Maiv smiled back, but then Adam’s expression turned serious. “Listen, Maiv. I know something’s going on here and of course you don’t have to tell me anything. But, uh . . . I just want you to know that if you need anything or if I can help, I totally will.”

  Maiv desperately wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to tell someone, just so she didn’t have to carry around this weight. But even if she wasn’t deathly afraid of the Benefactor and what he’d do, the shame of her involvement was enough to keep her quiet. But right there in that moment, she had a respect and love for Adam that she’d never had before.

  “Thank you, Adam. That means a lot to me.” The two shared a look and something zinged through Maiv.

  And just then, she saw Father Michael pull up.

  CHAPTER 10

  “Uh, hold on,” Maiv said to Adam and the sprinted across the street to where Father Michael had parked. He was older than her mom and dad. Maybe even older than her grandparents, who were still in Laos. But he had a spring in his step, and Maiv always though the twinkle in his eye made him look younger. She loved Father Michael. He had always been welcoming to the Hmong community. The other parishioners said that it was Father Michael’s idea to have a Mass in a dialect of Hmong. The older Hmong members of the church always said he had done a lot to make them feel part of the local Catholic community.

  She was running so fast that she almost plowed right into him. “Well, I’ll be, Maiv Moua, if you didn’t just almost give me a heart attack.”

  Maiv was too stressed to smile. “Um, Father Michael, today I told my mom and dad that I helped you with the after-school program.”

  Father Michael leaned against his car and eyed Maiv. The guilt made her stomach squirm. This look was the worst look he could give her. Disappointed and a little confused. He expected better of her.

  “And I suppose you’re not going to tell me why you said that, eh?”

  Maiv gave her head the smallest possible shake. “I—can’t. I’m sorry.”

  Father Michael sighed. “Well, I’ll tell you this. I’m not going to lie for you, that’s for sure. But I’m not going to rat you out either. So there are two things you have to do for me in return, OK?”

  Maiv nodded so hard it hurt. She couldn’t believe how great he was being.

  “One: you should absolutely help me with the after-school programs. Say, for a month?”

  Maiv bit her lip. A month was a long time. Her parents needed her at home, and she’d have schoolwork and hopefully college applications to do too. But Father Michael was being more than fair to her. She nodded.

  “Good. We can start that next week, then. The second thing is this: It’s not like you, Maiv, to lie about things. So I’m going to assume you have a very good reason for it. But that also makes me believe something isn’t right. So I want you to promise me you’ll call me if you feel like you’re in trouble. Do you promise?” He stared at her with his piercing blue eyes. She imagined he could make anybody want to confess, just with those eyes. But behind the sternness was real love and concern. And this more than anything made Maiv want to cry again. But she nodded and said in a small voice, “I promise.”

  “Double good. Now help me with this sump pump. We have a house to clean up.”

  *****

  The damage to the basement was extensive. Years of mementos and paperwork were ruined. Still, Father Michael stayed almost through the whole night helping the Moua family. So did most of their neighbors. Maiv was reminded of how lucky she and her family were.

  As Maiv worked, she found a small slip of paper stuck to the wall. Something was scribbled on one side of it. An email address? Maybe Ana had left this for her. Maiv put the paper in her pocket. She could try to contact Ana tomorrow, using the school computers . . . if she didn’t get into any more trouble first.

  “. . . so glad to hear that Maiv is helping you with the after school program,” said Txiv to Father Michael.

  All Father Michael said was, “Maiv is a good girl. And she’s agreed to help all next month!” Then he winked at her.

  By the end of the night, Maiv was exhausted and relieved. She and Cai and her parents finally went to their beds around 4:00 a.m. She said to her mom sleepily, “You should call in sick and sleep tomorrow.” Her mom smiled at her—the smile that said “how cute.”

  Of course Niam couldn’t call in. They needed the money more than ever now.

  Her mother kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll call in for you and Cai, darling. You can stay in and sleep. I’ll leave a message now.”

  And for the millionth time since the Contest had begun, Maiv felt guilt wash over her. But she didn’t argue.

  Instead, she went to her room and checked the Contest’s website.

  TASK 5 COMPLETE

  TASK 6

  2:57

  You will receive an envelope. Deliver this envelope to the home of Colin Burnett no later than 7 a.m. Thursday morning.

  Colin again. Maiv closed her eyes and prayed this wasn’t yet another threat.

  Not to mention her bus pass was running on empty. She hoped she had enough coins to stretch it.

  And it was already Thursday morning. It looked as if she wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight after all.

  CHAPTER 11

  On the plus side, by this time the morning buses would be running. On the downside, her mom would be up before Maiv got back from her trip. Niam usually peeked into the kids’ rooms to check on them before she went to work. If she did, she’d notice Maiv was missing.

  Maiv hardly ever locked her bedroom door. For one thing, Kiab and Lili were usually here. She was lucky that the girls were spending the night with Adam’s family.

  After locking the door, Maiv grabbed her purse and climbed out her bedroom window. Then she circled around to the front of the house and found the envelope sitting on the front step.

  Task 6, coming right up.

  *****

  On the bus, Maiv carefully opened the envelope. Inside she found a driver’s license and a credit card, both for Colin Burnett. And a typed note: Colin: Check the website for your next task. Only use the credit card and ID as instructed.

  Maiv let out a frustrated snort. The Benefactor was using her as a delivery girl. They could’ve just dropped the note off at Colin’s place instead of hers. But they were making her trek to a different city at four in the morning so that her fingerprints would be on this envelope. Maiv felt as though she was a piece in one of those Rube Goldberg machines—the crazy setups that performed a simple task, like cracking an egg, in the most complicated way possible.

  She just wished she knew what the egg was. And who had built this awful machine called the Contest.

  As Maiv put the cards back in the envelope, she had an idea. Pulling a pen from her purse, she wrote a message on the inside of the envelope. Meet m
e tonight at 8:00 in the Minneapolis Central Library. 1st Floor. Nonfiction, Me–Ne. She signed it, Hammer Girl.

  *****

  Maiv crept around to the back of the hardware store, thinking she’d leave the envelope at the back door. But when she saw the bike leaning against the wall, with a backpack sitting next to it, she had a better idea. She slipped the envelope into the backpack.

  Please see the note, she thought. This might be her only shot to meet up with Colin. After all, she was already more than halfway through her tasks. Time was running out.

  *****

  Maiv tried not to fall asleep on the long bus ride back to St. Paul. She sneaked back in through her bedroom window, unlocked her door, and fell into bed. By the time her dad was awake and shuffling around, he’d find her snoring away. And he’d have no reason to be suspicious.

  When Maiv woke up around two in the afternoon, she checked the Contest website right away.

  TASK 6 COMPLETE

  TASK 7

  0:45

  Write the following note by hand: “You have been punished. We trust you will do the right thing next time.” Address the note to “James” and put it in locker 782 by the end of the school day. The combination is 05-23-45.

  Maiv sighed. This meant she had to get dressed and head to school. She’d tell her dad she needed work on the school newspaper.

  She was starting to get used to this lying thing.

  Maiv wrote out the note, folded it up, and wrote JAMES across the back. Then she flipped it over and leaned forward so that her long hair fell in front of her like a curtain. Maybe that would screen her hand from any Benefactor cameras. She wrote the same message she’d written to Colin, except that she signed it “A friend.”

  Take that, Benefactor.

  CHAPTER 12

  That night, getting out of the house to go to the Minneapolis public library was easier than she expected. Maiv rushed through dishes and kid bath time and told her parents she had to go study at a friend’s house. Her parents didn’t even question her. The guilt about lying seemed to be lessening. Maiv didn’t think that was a good thing.