by Carter Blake
Usually, I wine and dine a woman for one night. They come home to my penthouse, we sleep together, and that’s it. They’re out the door before the sun comes up.
Katy’s different. I actually want to be around her.
Even though her apartment is very simple, and there’s nothing luxurious about it, I found myself feeling good there. Because I was with her. I just feel at ease every time I’m around her.
And so I’m in a good mood the whole time I’m driving to work. And throughout the whole duration of the meeting that I was late for.
It’s such a change from my usual stressed-out demeanor that even the executives seem at a loss as to why I’m smiling and not being rude to them.
I’m actually paying attention to the details of this meeting for once. They plan on building a huge complex or something. A new investment of some sort.
But as they talk, I realize something harrowing…
The place that I went to with Katie for the outreach program is also the land that my bank bought about three years ago.
My bank is responsible for what I witnessed yesterday. I forced those families living there into poverty. As the CEO, I’m essentially responsible for all of it.
I’m at a loss for words, and I can’t believe that it was my bank that did this to those people. Shouldn’t we have a department or something that makes sure people don’t get hurt and put out on the street? Why have I overlooked this sort of thing?
For the first time in my life, I feel as if maybe I’m doing the wrong thing. Katy taught me to see people for who they really are and not just what they have. I’m sorta sickened by the fact that it was my company that did this to so many families, especially those kids.
“Wait.”
The junior executive reporting on the complex’s bathroom finishes looks terrified. So do my other executives. I have never interrupted a meeting before.
“Put it on hold for now,” I tell them.
“Oh, uh…okay…I-I…guess we won’t install a fountain the second-floor bathroom, and―”
“No, not that. The whole project.” I’m met with stunned silence. “I’ll let you know when to start it up again. This will go through, but it may look different than we have envisioned it for now,” I tell everyone in the meeting.
They look at me in surprise, but I don’t care. This is my company, and I’ll run it however I want to. I realize there’s a part of myself that’s gotten soft
But I can’t help but think how Katy will be disappointed in knowing what my company did.
And yet I also have to keep telling myself that it’s essential for me to get Katy’s full trust in order for me to know her plans. She’s going to attack my bank, and I have to know the details. The fact that she’s out to get me is an inescapable truth.
The executives in the meeting want to know why I’ve halted the project. I don’t owe an explanation to anyone.
“What should we do in the meantime?” one of them says.
“You know this thing has a time limit,” another exec opposes.
“What I know,” I say, “is that this is my company, and I intend to steer it in the right direction. As of now, I’m not sure about this project. We’re gonna put a halt to it until I say so. I’m sure you can find plenty of work to keep you busy.”
I leave the meeting, and I’m absolutely disgusted at how my executives are so concerned with making money and with their bonus structure that they’ve totally overlooked the people who’ve been misplaced.
It’s my fault, too. I know this, but it’s a hard pill to swallow.
But still, my executives haven’t seen what I’ve seen. They haven’t seen the poor and the people who’ve been wronged. Maybe if they had, they wouldn’t be questioning me about moving forward with this project.
It’s evidence of the way Katie’s changed me. I don’t change for anyone―and yet I find I’m a different person now that I’ve met her.
Fuck, what’s going on? She’s shaken my routine existence, and I find that I’m becoming hooked to the feeling.
I use the next couple days to research the project a little bit more. I want to know why my bank chose that land to take over. I want to know how these poor people fell through the cracks with no support.
I also research the outreach program that Katie had me volunteer for. They’re very legitimate, doing good work across the city. I think how they probably need money, and that I should donate to them.
Just as this thought crosses my mind, Katy calls.
“Marcus,” she says in a panic. “Can you please meet with me? It’s important. Please hurry. Please say you’ll come.”
“Of course, baby, I’ll be right there.” I oblige because I’m worried.
I’ve never heard Katy lose her cool before or even admit to needing help. This alarms me.
I drive like hell through the city until I arrive at her apartment. Once I get there, Katie seems very scared.
A sense of protectiveness overcomes me. I need to make sure she’s okay no matter what and at all costs.
“What’s wrong? Tell me what happened.”
Katy
I'm online, and everyone is here.
It’s in my hacker community that I really feel as though I'm part of something—that I’m not as removed from society as I thought I was.
Everyone's applauding each other about the recent job we did.
None of them know that the charity we donated the money to is one that I'm personally involved with.
Thinking about the program reminds me of Marcus and how good he was with the people who needed help. He wasn’t in his typical environment, but I could tell that he had become absorbed in helping the people.
Being around people like that, who have nothing but each other, reminds me of what life is really about and I think Marcus felt that, too.
He seems to genuinely care about the people whose lives we are helping.
But then, I remember that Marcus is part of an organization that does outreach. Maybe he doesn't get into the trenches often like I do. Maybe that's the reason he felt so uncomfortable at first.
I don't know what level Marcus is at in the organization he represents—and this reminds me that I don't know him very well. I need to keep him at a safe distance.
I'm online and we're doing the usual back-and-forth banter when things start to turn strange.
Dragon168 talks about bombing a local bank.
He types, "They won't know what hit them, literally. We're gonna show these assholes what it really means to take someone down."
Mia_intrigue writes, "Our real work is about to begin. The bomb is in place and ready to go off."
"I'm so excited! The day has finally come to bomb these bastards. This is gonna feel so good," Enigma16n4 chimes in.
My chest tightens as I read the words. What am I reading? Is this a sick joke? What are they talking about?
"Haha," I type, although dread is already forming in the pit of my stomach. "You guys are really funny. I'm glad we don't actually do the bombing. I’m fine with just taking out corporate power by stealing from them."
Spider5d3r says, "Rogue144, we're being serious. We have a bomb in place and we're going to get this thing done."
I start to panic. This can't be real. They wouldn't do that, would they?
These people—this online community that I thought I was a part of—might actually belong to a violent criminal organization? How could I have missed this?
My hands are shaking, but I force myself to continue the conversation. I type, "You guys, that's not part of we're fighting for. That can seriously hurt other people. Or kill them."
Spider5d3r writes, "Exactly! That's kind of the point. So, you're finally on board Rogue144. We didn't know whether you'd want to join in."
"I don't!" I type, furious now, despite the fear racing across my chest. "I don't want to be any part of this. This is not part of the mission we pledged to from the beginning. No one agreed to hurting anybody
."
That’s when they start cursing me and calling me a traitor. I suddenly wonder what kind of people I've been surrounding myself with. Can they really have a bomb in place?
I need to find out more information. Just as I’m about to retract my defense, they kick me out of the chat room.
Panic seizes my body. I never wanted something like this to happen. I would never want someone to get hurt.
I try to log back into the system but they’ve denied me access.
I take a deep breath and remind myself that I'm dealing with other hackers—people just like me. I know I can't beat them at their own game.
Thoughts race through my head as I consider the situation. Somehow, I've fallen in with a group of shady people without realizing it. Who can I call for help?
And then I think of Marcus and the organization he's with. They seem like a pretty big operation with lots of connections. Maybe they can help?
I hesitate to even call him because I've denied his request to work for his group so many times.
But I can't think of any other option. I make the call.
I play with a strand of my hair while I tell him that I need him over here right now. He doesn’t ask a lot of questions and says he'll be right over.
The waiting is torture. I think about whether or not to call the police. I try to hack into the chatroom over and over again to no avail.
I don't know what kind of bomb they have, where it's at, or when they plan on setting it off.
I'm nearly hysterical when Marcus arrives. He holds my shaking body and I decide it's time to divulge the truth...about everything.
He tries to calm me down and repeatedly asks me what's the matter.
I sink down to my bed. I need to be honest with him. I know this could turn him away from me forever, but it could also help save lives.
I have to do it.
"Marcus, I think there's something you need to know about me,” I begin. “I'm not an activist. I'm a hacker. I'm a real-life computer genius and I spend my time stealing from banks and giving the money to the poor. I would've told you earlier but I didn't know if I could trust you.”
I lower my eyes, afraid to see the disgust in his eyes. “I thought maybe you'd reject me if he knew the truth."
When he doesn’t say anything, I raise my head to see him looking into my eyes, a look of compassion on his face.
His silence makes it easier for me to go on. "Remember I said I was part of this online community? Well, they’re fellow hackers. We've been working together for several months to steal money from large corporations. I thought I could trust them. They were quickly becoming like family to me. But today, I learned the truth and it's not good."
"What is it?” Marcus finally says. “Tell me what's going on, Katy."
I can't even meet his eyes as I say the words. "They...they have a bomb. I just learned about it tonight. They have a bomb and they're going to use it and I don't know when and I don't know where. I didn't know who else to ask for help. I just thought that, since you're with an organization that's pretty big, maybe you had some ideas how to handle this. I'm really worried."
He considers what I said for a moment, the gravity of the situation setting in. There's a bomb out there somewhere and we have no idea when it will go off.
"We can help you, Katy. I promise. We'll take care of everything," he says.
His words are like music to my ears and I hug him. I wrap my arms tightly around his neck because I'm so thankful and grateful to him for helping me.
I honestly don't know what else I would've done. Marcus is a godsend and once again, I realize that he's everything and more that I could want in my life.
Marcus
I’m ruthless when it comes to business.
I’ve been told I’m arrogant and have expensive tastes.
I’m a womanizer, and I’ve spent one too many nights on the town.
But when it comes to saving lives…I’ll spare no expense.
I’m shocked that Katy has trusted me with the truth. I’m pleased that there are no more secrets between us...at least from her side.
But now I have to jump into action. Lives are at stake, and I suddenly feel as though the weight of the world is on my shoulders.
“Katy,” I say, holding her arms. “You have to tell me more information. I need to know more information about the bomb. When is it gonna go off?”
She looks at me with a worried expression and says, “I don’t know. I’ve been trying to log back into the chatroom but they have me axed. I can’t get back in. I just know that it’s gonna happen in the next 24 hours. I remember them saying that.”
“Okay, that’s something. We still need more to go off, but I’ll start making calls now. Don’t worry, everything’s gonna be okay.”
I say the words, but in my heart, I’m not sure that it’s true. How can it be okay? There’s a bomb in the city, and we don’t know when and where it’s gonna go off.
Luckily, I have every resource at my disposal.
I make various calls, first to my personal security team who are the best in town.
“Hey, Alfred,” I say to the main operative. “There’s a bomb in the city, and we don’t know when it’s gonna go off. My…friend thinks she might know what building it’s at, but she’s not sure. She’s gonna try to hack into the system and find out more information. But in the meantime, I need you guys combing the city for all potential suspects. Got it?”
“No problem, boss.” He seems unfazed. “We’ll find it before it goes off. Trust me.”
That’s why I like my team so much. Having protected celebrities and presidents alike, they are used to this sort of threat. I know they’ll get the job done.
I also call the police, the FBI, and the government. There’s no hiding this from anybody. Everyone needs to find out.
Somehow I’m gonna have to work around the fact that Katy is a hacker. I don’t want her getting in that middle of all this. She came clean with me after all. She deserves to be trusted.
While we’re waiting for everyone to do their jobs, I ask Katy, “Anything else? Is there anything you can remember from the chat room?”
She thinks for a few seconds and says, “They said they want to make a statement. And that this is their statement. I told them I didn’t agree with them and then they locked me out.”
Part of me is proud of her for not being a part of this. I know she’s in a clandestine world that burglarizes corporations, but the fact that Katy can at least draw a line in the sand against her oppressors is a good sign. She has a sense of morality about her.
Tears are forming in her eyes, and I realize how upsetting the situation must be for her. She’s never dealt with anything like this before. I can’t imagine how traumatizing it must be.
And so much of my pride comes in the fact that she chose to call me over all others.
I wrap her up in my arms and say, “It’s gonna be okay, Katy. We have the best people on it. The government knows, for God’s sake. They’ll shut it down, and everything will be fine. I promise.”
“I hope so,” she says tearfully into my shoulder. “I just can’t help but feel responsible for all of this. Had I not been a part of their world, maybe none of this what happened.”
I squeeze her tighter and say, “Yes, but Katy, if you hadn’t been part of their world, we never would have known about their plan, and the bomb probably would’ve gone off no matter what. So, it’s a good thing you were there. You’ll be what stopped it. Besides your motives are pure...kind of.”
She laughs a little at my statement, and I’m glad to at least get a small smile from her.
“I’m gonna try to hack into their system again. It doesn’t hurt to try,” Katy says as she opens the chat room once again.
I facilitate many calls between the police and FBI. They’re questioning me about what else we know.
“Is your source reliable?” an FBI agent says.
“Extremely reliable. In fac
t, we’re trying to get as much information as we can right now.”
The man says, “This could be a hoax. To be frank with you, Marcus, we don’t have the funds or the people to follow up on an unreliable tip. You know how many calls we get every day about bomb threats―and many aren’t real. It’s hard to sift the real ones apart from the fake ones. So for me to put manpower behind this, I need to know that it’s real for sure.”
The fact that these guys are even talking to me about money makes me cringe.
Shouldn’t the government have every resource at their disposal? How do they sift through the various bomb threats anyway? Who’s to say what’s right and what’s wrong in terms of this kind of violence?
I decide to do the only thing that I can think of. I decide to do what I know is right.
“Let me tell you this,” I say. “How about I pay for all of it instead? You can use my money for your resources and therefore you can use the best of the best and make sure to shut this thing down. I want you to do it.”
The guy is surprised, and he says, “Are you sure about that, Marcus? Because I just might take you up on that offer. If what you say is true, we’re gonna need lots of people behind this.”
“I’m absolutely sure. Do it.”
It’s a drop in the bucket to me. I have so much damn money that it’s hard to spend it all sometimes.
Just then I feel her slim arms come around my waist from behind.
She says, “You’re really gonna do that? That’s amazing, Marcus. Spending your own money to stop this is really an amazing thing. Thank you.”
I turn around and take her face in my hands before placing a deep kiss on her lips. I can smell the perfume in her hair or on her neck or wherever she puts them. She smells and looks gorgeous, as always.
And I’m starting to get used to her little hacker apartment that doesn’t have one scrap of furniture.
I take a seat on the bed next to her computer, and she goes to try to log back into the chat room. The girl is ruthless. She’s trying to navigate around all of their restrictions.
I watch her fingers fly over the keyboard, and I’m just astonished at her talent for this kind of work.
