Nathaniel's Espionage: Dr. Calloway's Secrets

Chapter 1: Double Life

Nathaniel sat at the back of the lecture hall, feigning interest in the professor's droning voice. Rows of students around him scribbled notes and typed away on their laptops, oblivious to the storm brewing in his mind. From the outside, he appeared as one of them—just another student attending a class on cybersecurity. But while they focused on theories and hypothetical scenarios, Nathaniel was already applying those lessons in real life, hacking into systems and infiltrating networks in ways they'd never imagine.

He glanced at the clock on his laptop. Five more minutes. His mind drifted to the plan he had set in motion last night. Operation Raven was officially underway. Over the past few weeks, Nathaniel had slowly but surely gained access to the university's hidden systems, including a private server connected to Dr. Calloway's office. Tonight, he would take the next step—planting a virus that would give him access to Calloway's most confidential files.

The lecture continued, but Nathaniel barely registered the professor's words. His thoughts were with CHROME, the covert organization that had trained and molded him. They had recruited him straight out of high school, recognizing his talents with technology and the fire that burned within him. He had been a natural fit for their cause. Every mission he had taken on since had been a piece of a larger puzzle, but this one felt different. This time, it was personal.

"Archer?" The sharp voice of Professor Fields cut through his reverie. Nathaniel blinked, realizing the entire lecture hall had gone silent, all eyes on him.

"Yeah?" he answered, sitting up straighter in his seat.

"Care to answer the question I just asked?" Fields raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.

Nathaniel hesitated for a split second, scanning the whiteboard behind her where some bullet points were still visible. A quick mental calculation, and he had his answer.

"The answer is cross-site scripting," he said confidently. "It's a common vulnerability in web applications that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into websites viewed by other users."

Fields stared at him for a moment, surprised by the correct answer, then gave a curt nod before turning back to the board. "That's correct. Pay attention next time."

The class murmured with soft amusement, but Nathaniel ignored it. Fields moved on, and the lecture resumed its slow, steady pace. Nathaniel allowed himself to relax again, his mind already shifting to the night ahead.

When the lecture finally ended, Nathaniel quickly packed up his things and slipped out of the hall. The afternoon was cold and grey, a stark contrast to the warmth of the bustling campus. Students swarmed the courtyard, heading to their next classes or social gatherings, laughing and chatting as if the world wasn't as complicated as Nathaniel knew it to be.

As he walked through the main quad, his phone buzzed in his pocket. A quick glance showed a message from Rain.

Rain: Coffee later?

Nathaniel smiled slightly at the message but quickly pocketed the phone. He didn't have time for coffee today. He had a mission to complete, and tonight was critical. Still, he couldn't shake the gnawing feeling of guilt. Rain had been there for him more times than he could count, her curiosity and sharp mind pushing him to be better at playing his cover. He didn't like keeping her in the dark, but it was safer this way. For both of them.

He made his way across campus, heading toward the east wing of the administrative building, an imposing structure where the university's power brokers and executives held sway. Dr. Calloway's office was on the top floor, a place Nathaniel had never been allowed to access, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the server room two floors below it—Calloway's hidden hub of operations.

Nathaniel stopped by the campus café, grabbing a cup of coffee to maintain the illusion of normalcy. As he sipped the hot liquid, his eyes casually scanned the people around him, taking mental notes of who might be watching. It was second nature by now, assessing risks, planning exits. Even here, in a place where he was supposed to be safe, he never let his guard down.

After a few minutes, he finished his coffee and walked toward one of the side entrances of the administrative building. The door was locked, but Nathaniel pulled out a student ID card that wasn't his own, swiping it through the reader. The door clicked open, and he slipped inside without a sound.

The halls were eerily quiet. Most of the administrative staff had left for the day, which worked in Nathaniel's favor. His footsteps echoed softly as he made his way toward the maintenance stairwell. It wasn't the most glamorous way to access the building, but it was the least monitored, and that was all that mattered.

Once he reached the server room, he hesitated for a moment. His training told him this should be routine—just another task in a long list of covert operations. But deep down, he knew this was the tipping point. This virus would give him access to Calloway's private network, his encrypted files, everything he had spent years hiding.

Nathaniel swiped the ID again and opened the server room door. The hum of machines filled the small, cramped space, and the faint smell of burning electronics lingered in the air. He moved quickly, connecting his USB device to the main terminal. His fingers flew over the keyboard, lines of code streaming across the screen as he planted the virus. CHROME had provided the software, custom-built for this mission. Once it was in place, it would slowly burrow through Calloway's systems, quietly pulling data back to Nathaniel's own servers without raising any alarms.

As the code executed, Nathaniel's heart raced. It was always a gamble—something could go wrong, security protocols could trigger, or worse, someone could walk in. But minutes passed in silence, and the virus installed successfully.

"All set," he whispered to himself.

He disconnected the USB and wiped his fingerprints from the machine. Just as he was about to leave, his phone buzzed again. He glanced down, expecting another message from Rain. But it wasn't Rain. It was an unknown number, marked only with a single word:

"Watch."

Nathaniel frowned, his heart skipping a beat. His instincts kicked in, and he quickly scanned the room. Was someone watching him? Was he already compromised? He pocketed the phone and quietly made his way out of the server room, every nerve on edge. The message could have been from CHROME—a warning—or it could have been from someone else entirely.

The halls were still quiet as Nathaniel retraced his steps. But something felt wrong. He was being watched. He was sure of it.

As he exited the building, the cold air hit him like a slap, and he kept moving, forcing himself not to look over his shoulder. He slipped into the shadows, his mind racing. His cover wasn't blown, not yet. But the game had changed.