Hacker

Chapter 11 - Ethan

Daniel and I gather around Taylor's computer set as she logs in. We watch intensely. She taps and taps. I look around, bored. I mumble to Daniel; "I'm going to the bathroom."

Once I'm back, Taylor has an entire map of the city up! It has red dots on some places. I'm confused. "What are those red dots for?"  I ask, pointing. "That shows all the places in the city that have a virus. Including the bank, The court house, the news station, Yeah." Taylor finishes, all of that said without looking away from her screen.
"Wow!" I exclaim. "How are we going to fix this?"
"Well, first we try to find a pattern. Then we trace the virus, then we find out where it might strike next, then we stop it!" Taylor explains.
"Sounds easy enough." Daniel says. Taylor gives him a look that just screams are you crazy. "No!!" She shouts. "This might take weeks!!"
"Weeks?! We have school!!" I yell. Taylor rolls her eyes. "Okay, A. We go back to school Monday. Today is Saturday. B. We can do this after school? Quit freaking out."
I sigh. "You're right. Okay, so what do we do first?"
"Find a pattern. Now. Let me just.." She trails off, and starts typing. In the blink of an eye, all the red dots are now in rainbow order! Taylor looks back to us. "Now. This is the order the virus's got put into the buildings. First they hit the bank," She states, pointing to the red dot on her screen. "So can you guess where they hit next?"
Daniel points to the orange dot. "They hit the court house." He says. Taylor nods. I point to the yellow dot. "Then the news station!"
Taylor nods. She drags her mouse, making a line. She then drags it to the green dot. "Then they hit the police station, then the phone.. Payment.. Place..? Yeah." She's dragging that line from dot to dot with every area hit. So far, we have five dots. Taylor exhales. "Now to find the pattern.." She mumbles, staring at her screen intensely. I go over the list in my head. Bank, Court House, News Station, Police Station, Phone Billings Inc. Bank, Court House, News Station, Police Station, Phone Billings Inc. Bank, Court.. House.. A lightbulb flickers in my head. Bank. B A N K. Court. C O U R T. News. N E W S. My thoughts process pauses for a moment, before starting up again. B, C, N, Pol.. Damnit, nevermind. I thought I was on to something. I go back to thinking.

Taylor suddenly gasps. "Guys!"
"What?" Daniel and I ask at the same time.
"All of these places have high security. You know, use CCTV, etcetera. Okay, well, they also use high technology!"
It's silent for a moment, before Daniel asks; "What." In a monotone voice, emphasizing the T. Taylor sighs, but she has a smile. "It's striking the places with the highest technology! Look, the bank has the highest technology in the city. Then the court house, then the-" I jump in. "Then the news station!" I go on. "Then the police station-"
Daniel cuts me off. "Then the phone place, and the next place with high technology is-"
I gasp. Taylor's eyes widen. "The prison.." She mumbles.
"But- The prison has very high security!! Why has it not already been hit?" I ask. Taylor shakes her head. "No.. Listen, it has high security all right, but most of that security is people!"
"Ohhhhhh.."
"Yeah!"
Daniel sighs. "Well what can we do?! We're a bunch of teens! Once that prison gets hit, all of those locked cells?" He makes a rising action with his hands. "And then all of those criminals will be on the lose! There's so many more criminals than cops!"
I put my hands on my face, groaning loudly.