The Hack, page 7
He put the car in drive and veered back onto the street. He drove slowly, looking into the parked cars on the street and watching for a tail but the remaining drive to the motel was uneventful.
Ari parked the car and went inside the small office. An elderly lady behind the counter barely looked at him as he slid some cash across the counter. “It’s your lucky night, it’s our last room.”
CHAPTER 11
Ari didn’t think it was his lucky night but he didn’t rebuke her. “Two nights, please.”
She eyed the cash and nodded. They might need two nights, or they might need to leave at sunrise. Either way, two nights would give them time to formulate a plan.
He returned to the car and slid into the driver’s seat. Ari noticed the way Raya blinked at the large white disk the key was secured to. “What’s wrong?”
“Is it fully booked?” she asked.
He frowned. “Why?”
She hesitated, but eventually spoke. “I don’t like number four. I’m superstitious about numbers and four is a terrible number.”
Ari had to make an effort to keep his jaw from dropping open. He hadn’t picked Raya for the superstitious type. “She said they only had one room left. We can go somewhere else. I’ll find another place.’
Raya swallowed, pushing down her unease. “No, that’s silly. It’s fine . . .”
Ari hesitated but ultimately closed the car door. He drove around to the back of the motel and parked at number 11. Raya grabbed her backpack and they walked to number four.
His eyes constantly scanned for any threats, but the motel lights were dim and the parking lot dark. He heard a woman laugh, carefree, as they walked past a unit, and he envied her. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed like that. He looked to Raya, wondering when she’d last laughed like she didn’t have a worry in the world.
Ari looked over his shoulder as he stood behind Raya while she unlocked the door. The moment he pulled it closed behind them and locked it again, he exhaled properly for the first time all night.
Raya dropped her backpack on the table and pulled out the laptop she’d taken from the house. She sat down and immediately began typing. Ari ran a hand over his face. He needed to cleanse the death that seemed to linger like a scent on his clothes and skin.
“I’m going to take a shower,” he said. He double-checked the door was locked and then headed to the bathroom. He left the door slightly ajar so he’d hear any disturbance, even with the water running.
When he was done in the bathroom, he found Raya sitting on the bed, the laptop balanced on her knees.
He went to the window and peered through the blinds.
“How do you know about this place?” Raya asked, looking up from the laptop.
He chose his words carefully, but ultimately decided on the truth because he didn’t want any more lies between them. He wanted Raya to trust him. “My uncle comes here occasionally . . . to meet with people discreetly . . . no paparazzi hang out here.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Business or personal?”
He shrugged. “Both, from what I’ve seen.”
She paused, then frowned. “You followed him here, or he makes you come with him?”
Ari was beginning to regret this conversation. He was not used to being vulnerable, but he wanted to be as honest as he could. “I followed him,” he said, sheepishly.
She closed the laptop, giving him her full attention. “Why did you follow him here?”
Ari sighed heavily. “Because I didn’t like a lot of the rumors I was hearing. My father and my uncle are very different people. My father prided himself on giving back as much to the world as he could—he wanted to leave a legacy that our family would be proud of. My uncle wants to make as much money as possible, as fast as possible, and he doesn’t care how he gets it or what he compromises to get it. The legacy my father built has been tarnished and I don’t know if it can be repaired.” He looked away, back to the window. He didn’t expect her to understand.
Raya came to stand with him at the window. “Why did your father leave the Rossi empire to his brother and not to his son?”
Ari’s jaw clenched, her words hitting the nerve in his soul that he could not ease. “He didn’t. I was too young to take over the company when my father had the accident, so my uncle stepped in. At first, everything was fine and it continued to perform well. But over the last five years, he’s grown increasingly greedy. I guess he got a taste of power and money. He put a board in place that has his full backing. I assume he’s paying them off somehow but I can’t find a money trail. Regardless, the board has voted that he is to remain the CEO. They’ve given me a board position, which means nothing when I don’t have a majority vote in the company. Everything my father built for our family . . . he’s taken it and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Raya frowned. “There’s everything you can do about it. Find the evidence you need. This is what you do, what we do. We’ll find what you need and, if you can’t convince the board, go public. If he’s corrupt, he’ll end up in jail. Problem solved,” Raya said like it was the easiest thing in the world. Like he hadn’t spent the past four years trying to do exactly that.
“You don’t think I’ve tried? He doesn’t leave trails, Raya. The worst I can find on him is a few parking tickets and speeding fines. I don’t know how he’s hiding shaky, albeit profitable, deals, but it must be with cash or offshore bank accounts,” Ari said, keeping the agitation from his words. This topic made his blood boil and he was done talking about it.
“Maybe . . .” she said thoughtfully. He was glad the earlier tension between them seemed to be resolved.
“Anyway,” he said, forcing a smile, “don’t feel sorry for me. I didn’t tell you this story so you could pity me; the life of Aureliano Rossi still has some perks.”
She scoffed, almost snorting. “Don’t worry, I don’t feel sorry for you or pity you,” she said with a grin. “People have worse lives than you, Ari.”
He grinned—this was what he liked about Raya, she didn’t care that he was Aureliano Rossi. In fact, he didn’t think that impressed her one bit.
“You can come crying to me when you’re living on the streets and scared to close your eyes at night.” She said it with a smile but he knew enough about her to know there was a world of pain behind the tough façade she put up. Raya was a good person who’d been wronged by life and that made him even more determined to get inside HaloTech’s system and make sure she survived.
He looked to her, the playfulness gone from his voice. “I know this is a somewhat stupid question, but are you okay?” he asked gently.
Raya inhaled a deep breath then exhaled, crossing her arms over her chest. “No, not really. I keep seeing my face where his should be. If I hadn’t received the warning message, it would’ve been me,” she said, her voice choking up. She waved her hand dismissively but Ari took her hand, gently holding it and giving it a small squeeze.
“I shouldn’t have looked back when we were leaving,” Raya continued. “There was something so haunting about him sitting slumped in the chair, in the hallway surrounded by the balustrade. It was different than when he found him . . .” She shook her head. “I don’t know how to explain it. I felt like he was watching, like he was . . . I don’t know,” she repeated, rubbing her eyes.
Ari frowned. “I think it was the lighting from the room we were in casting a dim glow outside the room. There was just enough to see him and it made him look . . . it was eerie. I’m sorry, I should’ve thought about it and turned him around to face the other way.”
Raya shook her head. “You don’t need to apologize,” she said quickly.
He didn’t, but he still wished he’d thought of that. He wanted to spare Raya any pain he could.
She’d turned his world upside down and he was stressed, worried, but more for her than himself, a shocking revelation. By his own admission, he could be selfish and Ari served his own interests well. He didn’t know what it was about Raya, perhaps her ability to be vulnerable and to make him feel things he hadn’t in years, but she made him want to be a better person—a better man. He wanted to protect her, in every way he could.
She yawned and it dawned on him that it must have been at least forty-eight hours since she’d had a good night’s sleep. They should’ve stopped to pick up a change of clothes, but Ari had been so focused on getting somewhere safe he hadn’t thought about it.
He patted the bed. “Get some sleep, I’ll keep an eye on the window.” He pulled a chair into position.
She looked like she might argue but she didn’t. She went to the bathroom and he heard the water running for a few minutes, then she returned to the bed and pulled the covers back, appearing to inspect the bed. Satisfied, she slid in and pulled the blankets up to her chin.
“Wake me up when you’re ready to swap shifts,” she said.
He smiled. “Get some sleep,” he said gently, before returning his attention to the window. The blinds were open just enough to see outside. He searched the shadows for any movement but nothing moved, nothing made a sound.
His eyes darted back to Raya, her small figure curled up underneath the blankets. Her soft breathing was steady and he wondered, with amazement, if she’d fallen asleep already. He wished he could sleep like that but since his father’s accident, he’d never slept well. He tossed and turned the nights he didn’t spend walking around his house or working on his computer. He envied people like Raya who could just close their eyes and fall asleep, though he wondered if Raya’s ability to sleep anywhere came from her hard past—and he didn’t envy that.
CHAPTER 12
Ari made coffee using the instant coffee provided by the motel. He took a sip and his face screwed up. “Ugh, it’s terrible!” He shook his head. “But it’s caffeine,” he said reluctantly before taking another mouthful.
He made another cup and placed it in front of Raya. She looked at it warily and Ari laughed. “It’s drinkable—just,” he said.
Ari reached for the remote and turned on the television, scrolling through the channels. Raya returned her attention to her laptop but the mention of this name caused her eyes to snap to the television.
“Twenty-nine year old Chris Brockhardt was found dead in his home last night. Chris is suspected to be a fugitive hacker who has been on the run from the FBI for more than five years. We’ve been told multiple computers and files have been seized from his home. It’s unclear who is responsible for his killing, however authorities say that a cyber war is underway. Chris is the second hacker who has been killed this week. Authorities are not releasing any further information at this time, but have said this is a matter of national security and they’re dedicating full resources to the investigation.”
An image of Chris’s house, cordoned off with crime scene tape, flashed on the screen. A body bag was wheeled out of the house and Raya’s stomach turned.
Ari looked down, blowing out a long breath before pinching the bridge of his nose. “We can’t go to that house,” he said.
“Agreed. I’m just glad our faces weren’t shown as suspects,” Raya said, wondering how far off that day was.
“We need information and we need it fast,” Ari said, grabbing his laptop and taking a seat at the small table with her.
“We need to access HaloTech’s storage facility,” Raya said firmly.
Ari looked at her a long moment, then nodded. “We’ll begin by scoping the building. We need to know what their security looks like, which doors staff enter and exit from, what their identification badges look like . . . everything we can to make sure we can get inside and get out again,” Ari said. “If we find a weakness, I’ll go in. They’re not yet looking for my face, so the chances of this mission blowing up will be reduced. You have a target on your back and the stakes are too high. You should stay hidden for now.”
Raya pressed her lips together and he could see the hesitation in her eyes. “I want the Synthesis files, I might not get another chance.”
Ari looked like he was going to argue, but then changed his mind. “I can photograph the files, then you can look over them when it’s safe to do so.”
Raya shook her head. “You won’t have time to photograph them all. Anyway, I don’t think Aureliano Rossi walking the hallways of HaloTech is any less suspicious than me walking around. People will recognize you, but I can look like an employee. Only the men in suits will recognize me—provided they’re there.”
Ari inhaled deeply, grinding his teeth. Her arguments were valid, but it was still a risk he didn’t want her to take.
“Let’s scope the building first, then we’ll argue logistics,” he eventually said.
“We’re wasting time, let’s go,” Raya said.
As Ari drove, Raya memorized the storage unit numbers, three in total. It would likely take her days to search them all completely, but if she could get a sneak peek inside each unit, it might be enough to tell her which ones to focus on.
The churning in the pit of her stomach increased as they arrived at the storage facility. Ari pulled the car into the outdoor parking lot. Raya immediately spotted two employees standing by a side door, puffing on cigarettes and blowing clouds of smoke.
Ari got out of the car. “I’ll make it look like I’m checking the tire. Watch the building.”
Raya nodded, her eyes on the employees. One of them took another puff then threw the cigarette on the ground, twisting his foot over it. He tipped his head back laughing, then went inside leaving the lone employee to presumably finish her cigarette. But Raya’s eyes were on the door the employee had just walked through. He hadn’t swiped a security pass to re-enter the building. Raya watched the second employee carefully. She too threw her cigarette on the ground and crushed it with her foot. She had the decency to pick up the butts and walk to a nearby bin outside the warehouse. She then walked back to the door, opened it, and went inside. No security pass, no code entered at the door, no key used.
It was possible they hadn’t latched the door properly when they’d come outside and so it hadn’t locked behind them. Or, maybe the lock was faulty.
Raya grabbed a cigarette from the packet in Ari’s cupholder and the lighter. Her hand was on the doorhandle before she knew what she was doing—before she had a chance to formulate a plan, let alone think through it.
“What are you doing?!” Ari asked in a hushed, panicked tone.
“Seizing an opportunity,” she answered quickly, not looking back.
“Raya!” Ari called out urgently, but Raya kept walking like she hadn’t heard him. She knew she should discuss this with him, but it might be their only opportunity. If they came back tomorrow, the employees might be less careless. Or if it was an issue with the door, it could be fixed. Every day that passed without access to HaloTech’s system was another day their lives were in danger. Raya also knew that if she discussed it with Ari, he’d want to go in. But she needed to do this—she needed to see those files.
As she walked toward the door, Raya lit up the cigarette. She walked with the confidence of an employee on a break. She brought the cigarette to her lips but couldn’t bring herself to puff on it—the smell alone made her want to gag.
As she neared the door, she saw a splinter of light shining through. The corner of her lips turned up. She’d been right. She threw the cigarette on the ground and stepped on it, making a note to pick it up when she exited and put the butt in the bin. She pulled her sweater over her hand and grabbed the door handle, pulling it open just enough to slide inside.
She stepped into a violently lit hallway that made her squint before her eyes adjusted. She looked left then right, with no idea which way to go. She checked the door, which had closed but not quite latched. The door was faulty, and no one seemed to care, which suited her perfectly.
When Raya heard voices behind her, she went right, keeping her face out of view. The footsteps continued to follow her, moving in the same direction. Her pulse was rapid, and she second-guessed her plan because it was about to become very obvious she had no idea where she was or where she was going. She just hoped the people behind her were paying more attention to their conversation than they were to her.
Her phone vibrated and she pulled it from her pocket.
AR: No one followed you in. Be careful.
The corner of her lips tugged up. He might be mad, but he was still going to help her and she felt a little safer knowing he was outside even though there would be little he could do to help her if something went wrong inside HaloTech.
She came to the end of the hallway and was faced with another decision. There were only two rooms if she turned right. She didn’t know what those rooms contained, but it was too risky with people behind her. She turned left, not missing a step.
“Any gossip on what the police were here for earlier?” Raya heard and she slowed her pace slightly so that she could hear better.
“Not really. Apparently they were looking in two storage units. 62A and 73B. They left empty-handed, though, so who knows what they were looking for.”
Raya swallowed hard. 62A and 73B, two of the units she was here to search.
“They didn’t look like local police,” a woman said, her voice echoing through the sparse hallway of white wall cladding, raw concrete floors, and white doors with no numbers or names on them. Raya really needed to peek inside one of them, but she couldn’t with the two women behind her—at least she assumed there were two based on the conversation and the rhythm of their footsteps.
The other woman scoffed. “They weren’t local. They were too slick, too suave. I don’t know what FBI agents look like, but that was the first thought I had. I would kill to know what they were looking for,” she said, the tone of her voice implying she was joking, but it made Raya’s stomach churn. People had likely already killed for that information. She thought of Justin’s haunting face and suppressed a shiver. Because she’d never met him in real life some would argue it was a stretch to call him a friend—but when you ran in the online circle that Raya and Ari did, there were few people who could do what they did and that somehow formed an invisible bond of friendship. In fact, her online hacker friends had proved to be more helpful than any real life person Raya had ever met.
