She'll Bring Honor To Us All (BWWM) ✓

Chapter 10: Hacked

Rein's POV
Breath. Breath.

I could feel my body losing control as that all too familiar voice resonated in my head. Confusion was blatantly on both Aaron, and McGary's face, but I wasn't sure how to explain it further without giving everything away.

I glanced back at the two men as they desperately looked to me to explain the situation. But there was only one explanation, and it was something I wasn't ready to explain quite yet. "We're being hacked." I told them.

Their eyes grew wide as they finally took in what I was saying. Campbell immediately jumped into action. "Shut it all down! Every server, shut them down!" He called, but I knew it was too late. I hopped back onto the main monitor and it opened the hackers page. I recognized this M.O. all too well, and he knew I did. In seconds, I was able to shut down the hack and increase the firewall, but we were too late... I was too late. It only took seconds to confirm my suspicions as I checked the file he hacked.

By now, both Campbell and McGary were standing beside me.

"Was it them?" Campbell asked quietly. All I could do was nod as we stared at an empty folder of where the supposed terrorist attack file was.

"They deleted they whole file?" Campbell asked.

"Everything." I confirmed. I was willing to bet there was no back up file... but who would need it when you're running off a supposedly secure government network that's almost impossible to hack. Almost.

"Fuck!" Campbell hissed, as he tossed the papers off one of the communications table before massaging the brim of his nose again. After sometime, he glanced back at me, and he didn't have to say anything for me to know what he needed.

"We stick to the plan, yet accelerate the process. First, we need to visit the museum. McGary and I can go. You need to remain here and let me know if anything else happens. I don't believe it will, but I won't risk anything else. I will leave a number for you. You need to give this man a call so he can help you fully repair your firewall. The hacker that hacked you... he most likely left a gap in your wall for the Black Lotus to use as a gateway into your files again when they seem fit. Look for two or three of them because they know we'll be looking for one."

••

"You didn't explain yourself back there." McGary stated as we made our way out of the elevator towards the entrance of the building. He was practically running to keep up as I lengthened my strides.

"I don't owe you an explanation." I replied.

I wanted to tell him.

God, did I want to tell him everything... but those were secrets I would take to my grave. Telling him would only get him killed. "I know I don't know you well, but those words on the screen... Hello, Renge. That meant more to you than you're willing to let-"

"Don't say those words out loud in public unless you want to get us both killed." I whispered quietly to him as we exited into the cooler spring air. Our car was brought around front. All he did was look at me, before nodding silently. I wasn't sure how to make him understand the depth of the situation, but I think he was starting to.

"If I could tell you, I would." I whispered quietly, as we both slid into the car. He didn't hear me.

"So we head to the Walten Art Museum. Either way, the Black Lotus now has that video. They know what gas was used. How will visiting the museum help?"

"It's not just the gas. If we are hunting these people, I need to feel the scene. I need to know every mannerism each person may have. It's a race now between the government agency and a group of the most highly trained assassins." I replied. I could practically see the amount of questions that were itching to give way in McGary's head, but for now, he held them at bay.

He just nodded to me as he turned the car on.

"It seems as if you have many questions for me, McGary. It's time I ask a few myself."

"I have many questions but you've answered very few." He reminded me. I chuckled lightly at that. There was a pause before he said anything. When I glanced over, he was staring at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing, I just-... you have a very nice laugh." He replied. I sent him a small smile back, unsure of how to respond to that.

I was never good with things like that. I couldn't detect emotion as well as others.

"Thank you." I spoke finally.

"Let me propose something." He started, as we pulled into the rush hour traffic of New York, "Since it looks like we'll be here a while."

As I looked around, I realized just how bad traffic actually was in this city. "Okay." I replied.

"How about I ask you a question and you answer it truthfully, then you can ask me a question. How does that sound?"

"Okay. Can I go first?" I asked.

"Go for it."

"How long have you been with the Agency?"

"Since I was 18. I was recruited through the networkings of my father. My turn," McGary spoke, turning left onto another street as more sky scrapers came into view, "... How did you know about the gap in the firewall? Or that the Black Lotus would use that as a gateway?"

"Getting right into this, are we?" I asked, faking a grin to mask the anxiety that was starting to eat away at me. In seconds, I was able to slow my breathing, but I couldn't shake this feeling I had as the silence dragged out.

"Rein-"

"I did it." I replied, finally looking up from the palm of my hands to face him.

"What?" McGary asked, as he slammed on the breaks in the middle of New York City traffic.

"That sequence code for the hack... I created it."

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