Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Hacker Zi ❯ Part Fourteen ( Chapter 14 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

DISCLAIMER: While Hacker Zi and its characters were created by me, some of the screen names were taken from actual people. Please DO NOT TRY TO CONTACT THEM. The story is purely fictional

“....When did this happen?”
Instead of calling her brother, Nick had placed the cell phone back in her pocket and was now sitting in the doctors office with Tiffany. Her mother had disappeared somewhere, forced to fill out the usual paperwork required when visiting a doctors office. She had left the two girls alone to discuss things, for the most part, in private.
“Its...its been a few months.”
“....Does Jesse know?”
“Its not his....we never did anything like 'that' together. I made a mistake....I realize that now. He won't even speak to me.”
“What do you plan to do?”
“.....I don't know.”
“Please, whatever you do....don't get rid of it. If anything, put it up for adoption.”
Tiffany could only smile and nod. Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face. Nick was there to comfort her, gripping her hand in support. She was always there to comfort her. The others ignored her, choosing Jesse's side without even hearing her out. But Nick never chose sides, at least when it came to her friends. She was their Switzerland, remaining neutral no matter how bad the fights became. Eventually she would find a way to bring everyone together again, but this time Tiffany doubted there was anything that could be done to fix things between her and Jesse.
“....I...I will....I promise...”
“Good. Now if only we could get you and Jesse speaking again. That would be enough to keep me content for the rest of my life.”
This made Tiffany laugh even harder. It would take a miracle for the two of them to start speaking again, but she wasn't about to stop her friend from trying. Fights between friends happened, but that was apart of everyday life. Couples fight even more, but then again, they had reason to. Becoming involved in a relationship was like an animal being taken away from the wild. At first, it seems like you can't tame the beast, but over time, it learns to adjust and make sacrifices. But there was always a chance a part of it would yearn for the freedom it once had. Thats what had happened with Tiffany. She loved Jesse, but at times, back when they were together, she felt too imprisoned. And thats when she made the biggest mistake, one that would last a lifetime.
That night, she had not expected Jesse to come over. Her parents had gone out to celebrate their anniversary, so she had the house to herself. Normally she would have invited Jesse over, but she figured he'd be at a friends house, he and Zack usually played video games on Saturday night. Instead, she called a fellow jock she usually talked to at school. He was more than happy to keep her company while her parents were out. Everything started out as an innocent make-out session. At least it was until Jesse showed up. He had decided to leave Zack's house a little early, and drop by for a surprise visit. She had shown him where the spare key was, so when she didn't answer the door, he unlocked it and headed up stairs. What he found shocked him. When Tiffany looked over, she was mortified when she found that her boyfriend had caught her. Just as soon as she had seen him, he disappeared down the hallway and out the door.
Somehow, her friend had talked her into going further. Her relationship with Jesse was pretty much obliterated now, things couldn't possibly get even worse. A month later, she realized how far from the truth she had been. She was three months pregnant, and was just starting to show. So far the only ones who knew were her parents, the doctor, and now, Nick.
Nick was in the room with Tiffany and her mother. The three of them were waiting for the doctor to return, so that the ultrasound could begin. The doctor had already checked to make sure Tiffany didn't have any heart or blood pressure problems that could arise from her being so young.
Twenty minutes later, the doctor arrived. They began the ultrasound soon afterwards. The jell that was placed on Tiffany's stomach felt cold against her skin, causing goosebumps to travel up her spine. Before they began she had asked that the doctor keep the gender a secret. She neither wanted to get her hopes up, and she wanted it to be a surprise. Her face was filled with happiness as she looked at the screen with Nick and her mother. The procedure alone took less than fifteen minutes. They waited another five minutes to get printouts of the ultrasound. Tiffany had already started a baby book type thing. She wanted to document every part of the unborn child's life.
After the ultrasound, Nick walked with Tiffany as they made their way outside. Nick would occasionally poke her somewhat protruding belly, causing Tiffany to jump and retaliate with her own pokes. When Nick removed her cell phone from her pocket, she began to tease her.
“Calling Zeke?”
“Huh? Oh, no. Marc.”
“Why? Do you not have a ride home? We can take you back. Its on the way, and besides, you can tell me about your master plan that'll get me and Jesse speaking again.”
Nick laughed at this, then accepted her offer, once again replacing her phone in her pocket. Before heading home, Tiffany's mom stopped at fast food place, buying the three of them dinner. Nick tried to pay for her own food, but Tiffany's mother wouldn't allow it.

David had felt like he was betraying Nick, leaving the way he did. Before he had put the phone on speaker, Brandon had told him he would need to leave there. It would have been too risky. For all of them. After Nick had left, he received a call from Brandon. He was given directions to a loft, which was where he resided now.
The loft was well furnished, but it was obvious the owner had not lived there very often. The furniture had been covered with sheets, to protect it from the dust. He would be alone until tomorrow, when Brandon and three others would be joining him. The emptiness made him feel uneasy.
The first night was hell, mainly because he was alone, and full of worry. He worried about how Nick would take it, his disappearing for a second time. Brandon had said he'd take care of it, but that didn't help. Brandon had a completely different approach to these kinds of things than he did, as his usually involved facing the problem head on. David preferred avoiding these kinds of things altogether. They had both agreed that Nick should stay out of this. It was their fight, and their's alone. Still, he couldn't sleep. He was worried about what Rick might do. As far as he could tell, his sister was fine. But with Michael so close to Nick....he feared for the worse.
Brandon and three others arrived the next day. David had jumped when he heard the sound of the elevator moving. Concealing himself behind a couch, he kept his eye on the doors to the loft elevator as it slowly made its way up. When it came to a halt, he let out a sigh of relief as Brandon opened the gate. Like he had mentioned before, three others were with him, boxes stacked at their feet. They brought them into the loft and sat them next to the couch.
“Are those - “
“yeah. There's a few more still in the car, and at the shop.”
“Why so many computers? There's only four of us.”
“I'll let Ryan or Josh explain, Robbie and I are going to head back to the store for the others.”
Before Brandon could even make it back to the elevator both David and Ryan spoke in protest. They pointed out that his hand had been hurt pretty bad, and carrying heavy objects would be a poor case in judgment. Instead, Josh would go retrieve the remaining computers with Robbie, while the three of them assembled the network.
“I guess you can tell me why we have so many computers now.”
“....right. Well the four we have here are for surveillance. Two for Defiance, and two for security. There's two more in the car, one for monitoring the shop, and the other for monitoring Nick. Another four are still at the shop. Another four are waiting at the shop, for the counterattack. Add in our laptops, and there's a total of fourteen.”
“Thirteen. My laptop is still with Defiance.”
“Different laptop, one from the store. Its getting picked up with the other four along with the routers, networking cables, bugs, and security camera's.”
“You really thought all of this out, haven't you?”
“We didn't want to take any chances. Rick's unpredictable. After what happened to Brandon's grandfather and your friend, we figured the more security the better.”
“So why monitor Nick?”
“Two reasons – one for making sure no one other than Michael comes into contact with her, and to make sure she doesn't try anything. Her brother's a cop, so she'd be able to get access to information.”
Somewhat satisfied with the answers given, David helped Brandon and Ryan bring out a few foldable tables and move some furniture. The computers would be set off to the side, to where anyone coming up through the elevator wouldn't see them, but to where they could see the people coming off of it. They would also install a camera directly above the entrance to the loft, as well as on the elevator and roof.
Once the tables were set up they opened the boxes and placed the towers and flat screen monitors up. It took a little less than fifteen minutes to get everything set up. After the computers were hooked up and plugged in, they installed the OS and programs. This took a little over an hour, by which point Robbie and Josh had returned with the remaining equipment. Brandon and Robbie then set to work on getting the surveillance cameras installed. With the use of their cell phones David and the other two were able to let them know if the cameras were working. After a few attempts they finally managed to get all of them up, with the exception of the ones they'd be place near the Defiance hideout.
After a long days work Ryan and Josh left to get takeout for dinner while the other three killed time. They were sitting near the computers, just as a precaution. This put them more at ease, and calmed David down somewhat. He wasn't one to underestimate others abilities, and Defiance consisted of some extraordinary hackers. They weren't as famous as Dark Dante, the Hannibal Lector of computer crime, Lamo the homeless hacker, or c0mrade, who hacked into DTRA and NASA, but their hacking skills were formidable.
“So how much info do you have, dead-boy?”
“Robbie....”
“What Virg? I wanna know what he does, what you probably know!”
“Just wait until Neo and Fawkes get back. I hate hearing things twice and Chaos hates repeating himself.”
Brandon had saved him. David was still trying to sort through everything that had happened. In his mind, he was forming the sentences he would say. Everything seemed simpler when you see it first hand, but explaining it to a third party....things could get difficult. He tried to think of every question they would ask, and tried to prepare the answers just as fast. Brandon believed him, trusted him. But would they? He had only heard of FireFawkes and RobZombie through Brandon, but he had never actually spoke to them until now. He worried that one small slip up, one hesitation would cause them to distrust him for the remainder of this nightmare. As for Ryan....he was friends with Nick, but that didn't mean David could gain his trust so easily.

Ryan and Josh both waved into the camera as they rode the elevator down to the car. Though the corner of his eye, Ryan saw Brandon laugh slightly and shake his head. The two of them made it to the ground floor not all too soon for Ryan. He disliked elevators, especially old ones. There was no telling what might happen while in one. If he were given the choice, he would have taken the stairs without a moments hesitation.
The two of them had volunteered to go out and get something from a nearby fast food place. There were a variety of places near the loft, only a select few of which served something that lacked any type of meat product. Ryan had hoped to find a place that served salads, but there was no such luck, so the two settled for a pizza place. Luckily they made vegetarian-style pizza, but it would take a little over half an hour for their order. While they waited, the two of them decided to get to know each other.
“So how long have you worked for Virg?”
“Oh...jeez....its been at least five years for him, but we've known each other since we were in high school. What about you? How long have you and Robbie known him?”
“Lets see...it was a year before the Gods and Chaos thing. So almost five years.”
They both laughed at this, but it soon died. Ryan was preoccupied with something else to be concerned with somewhat meaningless conversations. Something had been bothering him since last night, even though he tried to tell himself it was something he had to do, something that couldn't be helped. Apparently Josh had picked up on this, it must have been his silence that gave him away.
“Something bothering you? Do you, not trust Robbie and I?”
“Huh? No, no. Its not that. I trust you guys. Its just....Nick, the one I brought to the hospital yesterday, who we'll be monitoring, well, I feel like I'm betraying her somehow.”
“How? Isn't she just a coworker?”
“She was my friend before Virg gave her that job. She had always come to me, to ask advice, or a question that was unanswerable for her. A few months ago, she shared a note with me, one that David had left for her. Its probably tearing her apart....the way David keeps popping up. From what Vampire told me, it took her forever to smile again, after his 'suicide', and the only reason she did was because she knew he was still alive and that they might see each other again, but now....”
“Wow. Sounds like they were pretty close, boyfriend-girlfriend?”
“I think at one point they were, at least from what Vamp told me.”
“Either way, thats still kinda cold, even for a friend. What a mess this kids' gotten us into. Too bad these aren't the normal kind of hackers.”
“Yeah. Virg was hit pretty hard the other day. Losing his grandfather and all.”
“Maybe I'm wrong in thinking this, but if it weren't for David, none of us would be in this situation.”
“I know what you mean. That bastard's put everyone through hell, but Virg wasn't about to let him rot in that room.”
“Why not? I would have.”
“They're like family almost....father and son in a way. Virg taught David everything he knows, and has been there to help him through even the toughest situations. Virg wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let anything happen to him, especially death. Having someone die when they could have lived if he had just done something.....thats what really gets to him.”
“So....the reason he punched the monitor out wasn't because he was pissed at Rick, he was pissed at himself?”
“Exactly. He could have prevented his grandfathers death, but that would have meant sacrificing David's life in his place. It was a tough decision, I wouldn't have been able to, and he could barely do it himself.”
“What about that kid, the one that was shot twice?”
“Saved by a video game system.”
“Seriously?!?”
“Yeah, a DS Lite slowed the bullet down enough to not cause any severe damage, but he won't be running anytime soon. A bullet shattered his knee cap.”
“Shit. That'd make a funny ass commercial for Nintendo though.”
“Ha, yeah. Oh, I think our orders up.”

The two of them made it back within ten minutes. Like before, they waved to the cameras on the way up. They had three pizzas in hand – a vegetarian pizza for Virg, and two meat lovers for the four of them. As soon as Brandon received his pizza, he went as far away from the meat as possible. After the hamburger incident, he couldn't even stand the smell, or even look at meat without feeling nauseous.
Once they had disposed of the pizza, the called Brandon back over. He had eaten two pieces, and was working on his third. While he was enjoying his pizza, David told about Defiance's plan. He made sure he didn't leave out any details, not even the smallest ones.
“Rick wants to rid the world of materialism...to do this, he's had them create a virus that they'll unleash upon the world. The target is the bank downtown. The banks keep track of how much money is in someones bank account electronically, so by targeting that system, they'll delete all of the records. It won't stop there however. Every single person who owns and uses a bank card from that bank alone will spread the virus to stores nationwide. The Federal Reserve won't be able to handle that much of a loss.”
“What a fucking psycho. Does that bastard really expect this to work?”
“You're forgetting Robbie, he has some of our generations greatest hackers on his side.”
“....so, now what?”
Brandon looked over at Josh. It was obvious how little his confidence was, especially with their hacking abilities. He explained to him that they'd form a counterattack. A vaccine for the virus Defiance would release. But the question was, could they finish it in time? Defiance had double the amount of people. And they had been working on this virus for over half a year. It would take a miracle to develop the vaccine in time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marc had returned home to an empty house after dropping his partner off at the precinct. Afterwards he decided to pick up some dinner for his sister and himself. He settled for a chicken place, not sure of what Nick liked. Everyone loved chicken, especially KFC. He returned home within fifteen minutes. Nick, however, was no where in sight. There had been no note from her on the table, and her cell phone was off. This made him feel uneasy. When she finally appeared, two hours later, he confronted her.
“Where were you?!?”
“Hospital....sorry I didn't call.”
“You didn't even leave a note! You could have been kidnapped for all I know! Why were you at the hospital?”
“A friend was hurt in a robbery, and my boss cut his hand. I would have called, but right when I was about to, I saw Tiffany.”
“Is your friend alright? And your boss?”
Nick nodded. She then explained what had happened. About the robbery, and about Brandon hurting his hand. But she left out the part about how her boss's hand had been hurt, and about David showing up and then disappearing again. However, she did tell him about Tiffany.
“Pregnant?!?”
“...yeah, but you have to keep it quiet for a little while.”
“....right. Well, I brought some food home, if you're hungry.”
“Tiffany's mom took us out to eat, but I'll save it for later.”
“No problem. Its in the fridge whenever you want it.”
“So...have you heard anything new from Rob?
“Huh? Oh, yeah. His wife called the other day. They've released him from the hospital, but its the precincts policy to wait two months for a cop who's had a heart attack to come back to work. It'll be a while. I was thinking about stopping by his place next week. Want to come? Or will you have to work?”
“No, he's going to have the shop closed for a bit, until he gets better.”
“Well, at least you'll have more free time.”
Nick gave a feint smile in response. It appeared to be enough for her brother, so she dismissed herself and retreated to her room. She was both mentally and physically exhausted. The day had been too much for her. With David leaving again, her friends being close to death, and being told to stay away, she was surprised she had enough left in her to lie to her brother like that. Why had she lied to him though? Was it because she doubted he would believe her, or could it have been that she was trying to protect him from the truth...the way David was protecting her? He had told her to stay away, well Brandon had told her for him. But staying away was impossible, especially after what had happened. A friend had been put in the hospital because of her....because of David.
Because of David. This thought made her cringe. If it hadn't have been for him, her friend would be leading a normal, healthy life. Instead, he was lying in a hospital bed on the verge of death. Because of him, her brother was in danger. She was in danger. He was the reason her life was a living hell right now. Yet, thanks to his mistake, she was able to meet Marc. She was able to meet Brandon, even though it was under false pretenses.
The following morning, the ride to school was almost nothing but silence. Marc couldn't blame his sister for not wanting to talk, he understood what she was going through. He had gone through the same thing when his partner had had a heart attack. It was frightening, not knowing whether or not your friend would live through the night, not having any control at all. You felt helpless inside, unable to do anything to make the pain go away, no matter how much you scrambled your brain. The few words his sister did speak shocked him.
“Will Michael be your partner from now on....or is Rob going to come back?”
“...I'm...not really sure. I won't know anything until he returns. Thats still a good ways off though.”
“.....Do you trust him?”
“Who? Rob?”
“Michael.”
This question she had asked caused him to feel a sickness in his stomach. Judging by the conversations the two had shared in the past, the strange things Nick said usually had a hidden meaning. The question of trusting Michael bothered him. The two of them seemed to work well together, and no harm had befallen either of them....so why would Nick bring it up?
Before her brother could question her, she exited the car and entered the school. When she entered homeroom, Zeke was waiting for her in the back of the room. None of the others had arrived yet.
“....hey Zi.”
“Hows he doing?”
“Not sure. Never got the chance to talk to his parents, at least not yet. We still can't visit him yet.”
“...I see.”
Zeke watched her intently. He shot her a familiar look, one he used to use on David a lot. Somehow, he always managed to read people. And his readings were usually dead on. Today was no exception.
“What are you planning to do?”
“Huh?”
“Don't play dumb with me, dammit. You know what I mean. I know you're planning to do something about Defiance.”
“....he.....they....told me to....stay away. But I....I just can't. Not after whats happened. I know they're going to do something, and I want to help....”
“Knowing you, even if I say these guys are out of your league and Virg and David'll take care of it, you'll just go and follow through with your plan. So, let me help you. You can't do this alone.”
“.....thanks.”

“Dammit. There's no way we can finish this fucking thing in time.”
“Well, maybe if dead-boy over there had paid more attention instead of leaving bread crumbs for his fucking girlfriend, we'd be getting somewhere now.”
Brandon shot Robbie a look that shut him up instantly. He wasn't in the mood for patronizing. None of them were. The five of them had taken turns between watching the surveillance feeds and programming. One person monitored the video, while two others worked on programming the vaccine. The two left slept until one of the three needed to rest. So far, David had refused to sleep, but finally gave with a little help from Brandon, who had pointed out that he had dozed off a few times. Once he had disappeared from sight, Brandon turned toward Robbie.
“Don't mention her in front of him again.”
“What? You know as well as I do I'm right.”
“He's on the verge of breaking down. Do you really want to help him reach that fucking last step?!?.....wait, thats it.”
“What the fuck are you babbling about?”
“Breaking down the computers at Defiance.”
Robbie looked at him in disbelief. Ryan also glanced over at him, confusion filling his face. Brandon was known for his insane ideas when it came to hacking into computers. He was a notorious Grey Hat, but this time his foes weren't just a bunch of script kiddies. These guys were some of the top notch hackers in the country.
“How in the hell do you plan to pull that off?!? There's only five of us! Its not like they're a bunch of prepubescent noobs who lack the proper protection! They probably have firewalls out the ass!!!”
“We have someone on the inside.”
'What? I know you're not talking about dead-boy.”
“No, his sister.”